What determines the monitor my app runs on?

Question

I am using Windows, and I have two monitors.

Some applications will always start on my primary monitor, no matter where they were when I closed them.

Ot

Answer 1

Here's what I've found. If you want an app to open on your secondary monitor by default do the following:

1. Open the application.
2. Re-size the window so that it is not maximized or minimized.
3. Move the window to the monitor you want it to open on by default.
4. Close the application.  Do not re-size prior to closing.
5. Open the application.
   It should open on the monitor you just moved it to and closed it on.
6. Maximize the window.

The application will now open on this monitor by default. If you want to change it to another monitor, just follow steps 1-6 again.

Answer 2

I've noticed that if I put a shortcut on my desktop on one screen the launched application may appear on that screen (if that app doesn't reposition itself).

This also applies to running things from Windows Explorer - if Explorer is on one screen the launched application will pick that monitor to use.

Again - I think this is when the launching application specifies the default (windows managed) position. Most applications seem to override this default behavior in some way.

A simple window created like so will do this:

hWnd = CreateWindow(windowClass, windowTitle, WS_VISIBLE | WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, CW_USEDEFAULT, SW_SHOW, CW_USEDEFAULT, 0, NULL, NULL, hInst, NULL);

Answer 3

Right click the shortcut and select properties. Make sure you are on the "Shortcut" Tab. Select the RUN drop down box and change it to Maximized.

This may assist in launching the program in full screen on the primary monitor.

Answer 4

Get UltraMon. Quickly.

http://realtimesoft.com/ultramon/

It doesn't let you specify what monitor an app starts on, but it lets you move an app to the another monitor, and keep its aspect ratio intact, with one mouse click. It is a very handy utility.

Most programs will start where you last left them. So if you have two monitors at work, but only one at home, it's possible to start you laptop at home and not see the apps running on the other monitor (which now isn't there). UltrMon also lets you move those orphan apps back to the main screen quickly and easily.

Answer 5

So I had this issue with Adobe Reader 9.0. Somehow the program forgot to open on my right monitor and was consistently opening on my left monitor. Most programs allow you to drag it over, maximize the screen, and then close it out and it will remember. Well, with Adobe, I had to drag it over and then close it before maximizing it, in order for Windows to remember which screen to open it in next time. Once you set it to the correct monitor, then you can maximize it. I think this is stupid, since almost all windows programs remember it automatically without try to rig a way for XP to remember.