I'm running Fences on Win 10 on a two-monitor setup (1920x1080 & 1280x1024). Occasionally after awaking Windows, I find the Fences and the desktop icons have switched from one monitor to the other. Why does it do this and can it be prevented?
It's because Windows is flakey with what it names (often renaming if I recall) its default monitor.
Sean DrohanStardock Support Manager
Hello! I'm waiting, too.
If you like, you can join in to test out Fences 3.1 by signing up here : https://forums.stardock.com/504549
Thanks
Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.
Add one more to the list of people experiencing Fences that migrate from one monitor to the other. Current config is:
- HP Elitebook laptop running Win 10 Enterprise, Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.1500).
- Connected to an HP docking station with three external monitors (two Display Port and one HDMI since the docking station has only this combination of connection options). The middle one is set as the primary display and is where I currently created and want all Fences. When docked, the laptop screen goes blank (this is normal).
I use Sleep and Hibernate modes interchangeably. I also regularly undock the laptop and work in other locations and then reconnect to the dock. After re-docking, the Fences might appear on any of the three external monitors with no rhyme or reason as to which or why.
Ideas:
1) The suggestion in this thread to revert to a prior snapshot that was taken of a good setup did work for me. However, this is no solution but just a workaround. It is very annoying to find all Fences in unexpected locations.
2) Some posts have recommended the FAQ on this forum page: https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#multimonitor. However, after having written Knowledge Base articles myself for internal and external customers, this article falls far short of clearly describing the issue and possible action steps. Stardock staff - please rewrite this article!
3) I found this site (https://trycatch.dev/blog/fixing-windows-moving-and-resizing-your-windows-after-sleep/) had an interesting solution idea (for Windows generally, not Fences) that I just performed. I will try to remember to return to this thread with an update on the outcome after a few days.
This isn't necessarily a fix JUST for the Fences issue (migrating to other windows) but perhaps to the bigger Microsoft issue of all of the open windows migrating to Monitor #1, resizing, and stacking on top of each other. Fences is, I'm sure, just a victim of this. The underlying problem for both of these issues is Microsoft, not Stardock. I purchased a $10 program called WindowManager that allows me to control EVERY program's window that I want to be persistent on either monitor or to have it launch in a predictable size and location.
I'm a non-geeky 67-year-old and Microsoft cost me 2 days and ruined the whole experience of a new computer running a new OS (Win10). I tried EVERYTHING, including some registry edits, which scared me silly. I was ready to go back to my old computer running Win7. I'm reluctant to recommend any program, but I think WindowManager may be the best $10 spent this week. And it's free for 30 days. I am not affiliated with the company at all. He's in Austria; I'm in Colorado. Also the best customer service I've had in many years, too.
What would you suggest?
Now that you mention it... I did have this issue prior to installing Fences. However, it was not a multiple times per day occurrence. It only seemed to happen at random before. Installing Fences seems to have magnified the problem. It happens now anytime my computer goes to sleep. The longer it "sleeps" the worse the problem seem to be (overnight/weekend vs an hour or two).
Does a snapshot restore fix it?
Here we go again, Fences did it again
I just installed a fresh copy of Windows 10 and two LG CX TVs via HDMI as monitors with Fences and while I admit windows are doing some shady things regarding multimonitor setups (and interestingly it's worse with my LG TVs being two monitors than it was in the past with old Panasonic plasma connected as the second monitor while primary being classic Dell monitor), Fences are not handling it gracefully.
Yesterday I did set it up with my main fences stack on the primary monitor, I disabled When I plug in a new primary monitor move my icons to it just to reduce the probability of Fences triggering movement between displays for whatever reason (by the way there is lack of description what the switches mean in Layout and snapping preferences section, providing some sort of detailed description on mouse hover or something is good practice and Fences are lacking in this regard, it's very unclear what all the options mean).
During the night my computer went to sleep and when I switched on the monitors in the morning (I don't remember which one I turned on first, but probably the secondary one) the fences were moved from primary to secondary and no matter how hard I tried (restarts, turning monitors on/off, while playing with that When I plug in a new primary monitor move my icons to it - nothing helped.
Then I discovered a little trick:
This is a nasty workaround as the primary monitor never really changed but it seems it works and it shows that Fences probably are too "sensitive" and treat some actions like there is a change in the primary/secondary monitor although there are not and there was no new primary monitor plugged in.
Although windows are not innocent I suppose (I have a bunch of other problems with this 2 monitors setup) this info stays the same no matter what, the primary and secondary monitor stays the same regardless of which one is currently off, it does not change after sleep etc so there probably is some info Fences could rely on when trying to decide what the primary display is.
And I apologize I sound like a know-it-all smartass but I just want to help it gets resolved and of course I know I could be completely wrong and there are probably some complicated underlying windows issues. I myself really don't like the direction Microsoft is heading with Windows updates in late years introducing useless features while not fixing long-standing issues like multi-monitor setups, font rendering and DPI issues.
This is a nasty workaround as the primary monitor never really changed but it seems it works and it shows that Fences probably are too "sensitive" and treat some actions like there is a change in the primary/secondary monitor although there are not and there was no new primary monitor plugged in.Although windows are not innocent I suppose (I have a bunch of other problems with this 2 monitors setup) this info stays the same no matter what, the primary and secondary monitor stays the same regardless of which one is currently off, it does not change after sleep etc so there probably is some info Fences could rely on when trying to decide what the primary display is.
I too have had this issue, but not only with fences... ALL my windows switches to monitor 1... EXCEPT a little program called "stickies" - which are notes that you place on the desktop. THEY stay in place. It would be interesting to find out what they are doing...
What makes me most curious about this neverending issue (by which I am affected as well):
Why won't Stardock simply add a "swap monitors" function? Maybe even with a keyboard shortcut? That might help many people in simpy bypassing the problem.
This may not help, of course, when fences from different screens have been stacked over each other. But in my case, this is very rarely the case. Most times, I end up with fences from both screens just swapped vice versa.
Just a quick thought.
@paveltrka, I really love your little trick. For me it even works without unplugging / re-plugging my main monitor. I simply have to disable the second monitor in window's display settings temporarily. Though I imagine this isnt' true in anyone's setup. maybe I am just lucky...
Update: so far, it appears that with the new #4 release of Fences they are staying where they belong.
Thank you for a really cool product!
Dave
Hmmph.... so we all need to pay for an upgrade to get this issue fixed?
Well, I suppose that's one way to look at it - but there is something else in it that is REALLY cool!! If you press the windows key and the spacebar - your fences pop up and you can make selections without having to clear your screen to get down to the fences on the desktop. WAY COOL!!
The new update installed without incident and fixed a problem that had suddenly cropped up with Fences not remembering where they needed to be. I was having to manually restore a Snapshot every morning to get them positioned correctly.
BTW, pressing Windows + spacebar for me results in my keyboard switching to Russian. Scared me to death when all of a sudden none of my keys were working correctly. So I think a lot depends on whether or not that keyboard shortcut is being used by a different program.
Russian would scare me too...
Update: It turns out that the new update DOES NOT fix the problem of Fences failing to position correctly on more than one monitor. When I turn my monitors on in the morning, all of my fences are placed on the center monitor (I use 3 monitors) and the ones that moved from a different monitor are just stacked on top of the ones on the center monitor. So this remains a bug.
That is not a 'bug' as it's being described. If a monitor populated with Fences (any icons even without Fences) is turned off, Windows itself will push everything onto what it thinks the 'main monitor is'.
It is this group of settings, along with a snapshot restore, that is meant to help mitigate issues when monitors are turned back on or added:
Hi Sean, thanks for the response. Yes, those are the settings I use. My objection is that I have to restore the snapshot every morning when I turn on the monitors. I'd like Fences to be able to do that automatically. Or I'd like to figure out an AutoHotKey that I can do it. But there is no shortcut key for any of the buttons and I don't think there is any way to automate the selection of a specific snapshot, even if there is only one.
I have not enjoyed any aspect of Windows 10 (having upgraded last year from Win7). This is just one more thing to add to my gripe list.
Would the "When I plug in a new primary monitor, move my icons to it" checkbox setting under Layout & Snapping have anything to do with this? I have been experiencing this issue as well and I just unchecked that setting. I'll have to wait to see if that fixes it.
I've tried unchecking and checking that box with no change in behavior. Currently, it is checked. Please report back the results of your experiment.
Hello. I have this Problem, too. It's very annoying! Recovery won't work-- will Stardock fix this?
And the position of the fences main window isn't saved any more ... (i must pull it bigger everytime when I want to configure Fences). Before Update it works well)
Best regards
It's been a few days since I have unchecked that box and so far my icons have not moved. There have been a few updated to Fences since I tried this as well. I cannot conclusively say if this setting fixed it, the updates fixed it, or if it is even fixed at all considering it's only been 3 days and it did not happen to me all the time but I will be keeping that box unchecked just in case.
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