Windows 10: Possible to re-assign monitor identities/numbers?

I did already my research and this is the best thread on this topic I found. I guess I will have to open a new thread regarding the reason why I cannot delete my registry keys. Alex

 

Good idea! Sometimes, it just leads us to another question..., and then sometimes, it works!

Try Brink. That is a true guru on this site.

 

Guys I'll be honest, I didn't have the time or desire to read through 5 pages of comments but I googled and came to this forum because I had this problem too, Windows 10 was getting the identity of my monitors all wrong and primary desktop was on the wrong screen. Sure you can tick the tickbox to force a particular screen as your primary monitor but that doesn't resolve all issues, MY biggest problem was dragging items between screens, I had to drag off to the left to get things to my monitor on the right...and if I want to click a desktop icon I run the risk of scrolling too far to the left and ending up on my other monitor.

Soltion I found (which might've been mentioned?) is not to care about the actual monitor identity numbers, all you do is that in the display properties where you see the image of monitors 1 and 2 side by side then you just click and drag the monitors to switch the order and click 'apply', this fixed things to the way I need it to be and I hope it works for you guys.

 

I HAVE A SOLUTION!!!

First things first, I read through this entire thread feeling the same frustration as the OP with some of the answers. We don't just want to switch our primary monitor using a checkbox. The display numbering between monitors is wrong and it affects the use of our systems. It isn't as simple as a Windows setting and the previous answers have been very dismissive. I'm not getting into why our monitor identities must be correct, it must simply be understood that for whatever purpose the default system settings need to be restored. Now, on to the solution.

It must be noted that I tried the registry hack in one of the previous comments. Deleting the values from HKEY/LOCAL MACHINE/CurrentControlSet/Enum/Displays is difficult and was ineffective for me. But....the logic behind it is sound: when the video drivers were installed the external monitor enumerated first in the registry. EUREKA!

I realized I had updated my video drivers (I have an Nvidia card) a few days ago with my second monitor plugged in. I was sure as heck my machine had simply attached it to a port first when installing the update. And it had. The fix is easy.

Unplug your secondary monitor. Uninstall your video drivers and reboot. Keep the second monitor UNPLUGGED. Open the Windows device manager (Win+X menu) and again uninstall your display drivers. When it prompts for confirmation make sure you check the box that deletes all driver software. If it is not present you may have to reboot and try again. This will force your display to use the default Windows 10 VGA controller driver. Reboot your machine.

Reinstall your OEM drivers, again with the secondary monitor UNPLUGGED (let Windows update the drivers if you don't have support software). Reboot your machine one last time.

Now when your computer reboots your native display WILL be your primary monitor and numbered correctly as it was the only display plugged in when the drivers enumerated. When you plug in the second monitor it will again be number 2.

To prove that this was indeed the problem I installed my drivers again with the second monitor PLUGGED IN and it screwed the identities up. I followed the steps above and the results were repeatable.

I hope this helps everyone. This was the most informed thread I had found on the topic and I registered on TenForums just to share my discovery. It wouldn't have been possible without everyone's contribution here, so thank you!

 

Thank you. I had to do that for a rebuild that I was still updating. It, too, had NVIDIA graphics. And with both monitors connected, it was all over the place.

I appreciate your input. Thanks!

 

It makes a huge difference when you turn the TV on, and it shows the PC screen instead of the Walking Dead. I can be watching TV, and wake up the sleeping PC, and the PC screen comes on the TV!

I suppose the only solution to this stupidity is to get a video card with multiple HDMI ports.

 

That didn't work for me (I have an AMD card)
I unplugged all monitors but the one I wanted to be my primary monitor with identity 1.
Then I deleted all monitors including drivers from the device manager (using the option to display unplugged devices).
I also deleted the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\DISPLAY
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Connectivity

Then I uninstalled the display driver (all Radeon software), rebooted, uninstalled the WDM drivers, rebooted (all of that time had all other monitors unplugged).
Then I installed the AMD software again.
But the Radeon system settings identified the second monitor (a touchscreen) as #1 again.
I suspect that there are some user-profile-files that didn't get deleted when I uninstalled the Radeon software.
Or I missed some registry keys.

Microsoft: this sucks. Windows should allow us to change the monitor identities without messing around in registry for hours.

 

Tried exactly that multiple times to no avail. It seems my graphics card determines the order/identities of my monitors. So I gave up, and plug them in at the order of the connectors on my graphics card.
The first one (displayport) becomes monitor #1. The second one (HDMI) becomes monitor #2. The third and fourth ones (DVI) become #3 and #4.
Have to buy some new cables, but at least now I have the order I want.

 

Martin, that would seem to be so. I've found that, Trial and Error: The technicians greatest skill!*sarc
Been there, done that..., yesterday.
Good job, man!

 

My lone HDMI port seems to be the master on my system, and I have no other way to connect my PC to my TV. I am going to buy a video card with multiple HDMI outputs, that should do it. Thanks for the unnecessary $150 expense Microsoft. :-\

It will be nice for my TV to stop grabbing the screen from my PC every time it wakes up.

 

Put the screen numbers in the order that you want by dragging it. Check "Make this monitor my main display" on the check box and make sure it's checked and apply.

 

This is not what this is about. We are looking for a way to change the identities (numbers) of the monitors, for a couple of (valid) reasons.
If you'd read up a bit, you would know that.

 

We're using Soundbox now. I first saw it at last year's Regional convention. I also work with the LDC's Sound/Video Department. But with my home system, my PC monitor is always #2. It hasn't changed in, like, forever. I plan on updating to a new video card and see where that leads me.
At the Hall, we just upgraded to TV's, and I had no problem with display ID's.

 

I finally got it to work no changing registry or anything. I went to nvidia control pannel. First I cloned it on NCP Then made 2 my primary in NCP then went back to win 10 advanced settings and chose extend these displays. I had to reset the resolution. but it worked. If these aren't the exact steps the then tinker with it you will get it.

It took me a couple tries to get it. but Nvidia Control Panel is the the key to fixing the issue. Final result extended display on hdmi connected tv and monitor is the primary.*Cool