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

I signed up to this forum like some others in this thread specifically to post on this issue. First of all this is, in all my searching, the best thread to be found on the topic so props to everyone who has contributed so far.

That said I hope to revive this thread once more, because this is still an issue and based on all the different sites I looked at when I first googled it has been for a good number of years now.

Anyway, I've tried all of the solutions in this thread to no avail, therefore I guess I'll just try to layout my specifics to see if anyone can glean anything that might lead to a solution.

I have a Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti to which is hooked up: my main monitor a 24" (1080p) BenQ connected to the cards sole HDMI port, and a secondary older AOC 18" monitor (1440x900) hooked up with a VGA>Display port adapter with the display port male end being connected to one of the graphics cards 3 display ports.(I have tried moving it around to each one with no success w/ restarts in between) So of course like the rest of you the less than optimal AOC monitor is the one that is given the monitor identity 1.

If nothing else I honestly just want to know why no matter what I do these identities seem to be unchangeable. I'm already up later than I should be posting this so i'll leave it at that, and will check back soon hopefully to gain some insight from you very knowledgeable people.

 

There seems to be nothing that will make my system, consistently, display my VGA ID as No. 1, and the HDMI>TV, as the No. 2. After having, what I though was success, my monitors are now, HDMI>TV No. 1, and there seems to be nothing I can do this time to change it. It's getting to be less of a pain, but I still hate this!

 

Keep in mind, that this is NOT about moving which monitor is left, right, up, down and which is the MAIN monitor.
This is about switching identity numbers of the monitors.

I've seen many threads on this, all of which where horribly wrong.

I have 3 monitors hooked up. I have the laptop screen (1) and two large display port monitors (2 and 3).
This setup is the same at my office and at my home. I had a problem where my home setup reversed monitor identities for 2 and 3.
When this occurred, I would put my laptop into sleep mode and go into the office. When I got into the office, put my laptop into the dock and opened it, all my open windows would be open in the opposite monitors.

The question was "how did my monitors, at home, get reversed?"

The answer is that one of them was unplugged for a short time.

The fix is the same. Unplug big monitor (right side). The big monitor (left side) now becomes monitor 2 again. Plug in the big monitor (right side) and it now become monitor 3 again.

This fixed the issue and I am back to normal.

 

I wish it were that simple for me. I shut my system down, I disconnected the HDMI monitor, booted the system, checked the monitor settings, then shut the system down again. Connected the HDMI monitor again, and got the same ID's. My desktop monitor is 2, the HDMI is 1. The reverse of what I want.

 

It may only work for DisplayPort. I will have to try HDMI.

 

While I haven't tried it yet, the VGA, and DVI ports may just give me that. Although I have installed a multiple monitor system with DVI and HDMI, where I get the ID's that I want.

 

Replying here to clarify stuff.

The issue:
The Windows system assigns monitors IDs. A user cannot change these IDs to what they want.
This is *not* the same as the "Make this my main display" option in the Windows settings.

Why you wanna change?
A lot of applications/games run on the monitor with ID=1 and they *do not* use the Windows' "main display" setting.
Lots of application will use the wrong monitor as a result.
Some of these apps cannot even be configured to change the display used and will stay forever displayed on the wrong monitor.

What we want
A way to change the internal IDs of the monitors on Windows.

 

I hope I'm not about to post in the wrong thread, but I have another issue with this too. I connect a 3rd monitor, and it gets detected, but I have no way to configure it. It shows as a grayed out number 3, but all of the inputs for setting it up are inoperable. I have my primary desktop monitor (No. 2), in the VGA port. I have the secondary monitor (No. 1) in the DVI port. Then my No. 3 is in the HDMI. But when the three are connected, I lose use of either 1, or 2. It's wearing me out. What's the cure for that? (Especially since we are shooting blanks on the main topic anyway!)

 

I do so get your problem and have had the same issue a number of times with various set ups but I think l it is more to do with the order in which I introduced the monitors to my system. I have a Samsung HD 1920X1080 TV which is designated monitor 1 and I recently bought a 4K Sony 43inch TV which I now use as my main gaming monitor and for computing because I like the bigger screen (It's age and eye related). I don't have a proper PC monitor I just use the TV's. I want my new 4K to be monitor 1 but I cannot find a way to change it and don't really understand why when ticking the "make this my main monitor" box that it doesn't also change it to monitor 1. The main problem I have is when using both screens some games open on monitor 1 no matter what I do and with a couple of these games even reverting to windowed mode and dragging it over to the big screen as soon as I go back to full screen it jumps back to the Samsung smaller screen and my investigations indicate it is simply because of the number. I've searched the internet for a solution and apart from a registry hack I found on Toms Hardware which was claimed to work (but I haven't tried) I mostly found answers from people who couldn't understand why it was a problem or the usual "you can drag them over" answers. A fix for this would be great.

 

Why do they ask that, "why is it a problem?"? I'd rather they wouldn't respond, if they feel they have to ask that question. I'm not gonna be confident that the answer they give is worth trying!

Brink is about the only one who I trust, implicitly, because his "understanding is, at the very least, is as great as his knowledge. The hacks, I let them ride..., off into the sunset!

 

It may not be ideal, but if your 4k TV is set to main monitor, and you switch to PC Only. Windows LOGO key + P key. Your games will have no choice but to open on that screen. When I game, I game. I don't do anything else so I switch to single monitor. I have a shortcut for PC only on my taskbar. And one for Extend. One click to switch modes. It's just the way I prefer to do things. Different strokes for different folks.

As near as I can tell, the monitor numbers are determined by the Video Card, based on what ports the monitors are connected to. I just live with it. If I unplug the one labeled as 1, one of my other two monitors will become monitor no 1. Plug it back in and the numbers go back to what they were. Regardless of that, I have no problems making any one of my three monitors my main monitor and having programs open on that monitor by default. If I move them to another monitor that's remembered. Next time I launch that program it opens on the monitor it was last closed on.

 

Um-huh, well, what if, when you have your monitors however Windows chooses to set them, but every time you restart, or at times, even turn the monitors off, and when they are restarted, your icons are all over the place: 2/3 of them on your main monitor, and the rest on another monitor. Your desktop splits between two monitors..., EVERY TIME there is a restart? When that happens you HAVE to move stuff back where you need it. It sucks, man!

 

I don't have any Icons on my desktop, another different strokes for different folks. I get why people do it, I just choose not to. Programs I use every day are pinned to my taskbar. Others that I use regularly are pined to my Start Screen.

I can remember having my desktop Icons shuffled around on occasion, way back when I used XP. I don't remember them ever being splattered across two monitors though. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I just never saw it happen myself.

 

No, dude, it definitely happens..., EVERYDAY! I am not used to it either. I've been all over the "net" trying to find a solution, but to no avail.

 

Someone said that it could be a resolution issue. Toggled the resolution with no results.