Windows are resized and moved after waking PC with monitor using DisplayPort.

Question

So in the tradition of Mac-Manager LISTSERV (RIP) of posting a "SUMMERY" of solution found for a problem. Here is my contribution to that tradition, which should be revived in this type of forum.

Update - Dec. 14 2019:

In replays below from Mistermonday. Switching from Display port to HDMI resulted in problem not occurring.

Problem:

Windows 10 windows resized and moved after waking from sleep/monitor power save mode.

I build this PC last week and even after updating everything and problem remained.

Research:

After hunting for solution, found many from people having you perform actions that don't do anything but waste your time. None of the posted solutions worked to resolve, except work a rounds that really didn't address the cause and have users perform an action before they walk away from PC. What lead me to the solution is based off an old post from 2010 for Win7 from MichaelAtOz. This problem has been around for a long time.

Analysis:

What's happening is the monitor goes into power save mode since the PC turns of the monitor. Thus providing the monitor with no signal activating power saving of the monitor. MS Win10 then creates a dummy monitor registry for sleep/monitor off mode, but with the wrong values. I believe these values are generated by Win10 from the lock screen app, but MS would know that and should correct that incorrect registry value being created.

Solution:

This is on a PC with only one 4k monitor. So, I can not confirm for multi monitor systems (see "Multi-Monitor" below for a possible solution). What needs to be done is to make the Registry setting the same for dummy monitor registry.

Steps:

0. Shut down system and turn off monitor. Disconnect power cord from PC and from monitor and monitor cable to PC for more than 30 seconds. Reattach everything and boot up PC. (This step may not be necessary, but I had been done before next step.)
1. Open Registry Editor (as admin) to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration\

2. Delete all entries in this path (there should be at least two) Delete by clicking on item and press "Delete" and confirm if needed. Exit Registry Editor (File - Exit) and restart PC.
3. After system start/login open Registry Editor (as admin) to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration\

There should now one be one registry entry (don't let your PC goto screen saver/sleep). Click on tree arrow, then click on tree second arrow to view values. By clicking on each 00 the values will be displayed on the right side of Registry Editor.

> GSMxxxxxxxxx (this registry entry is the monitor connected, the text will vary)

> 00

|- 00

4. Record all the values of this registry I made a screen shot with snipping tool of the values for both 00 sets and save to desktop. save one as 00 and other inside the 00 as 00-00. Exit the Registry Editor (File - Exit)
5. Allow PC to go into power save mode where is gets no signal and wake system.
6. Change value in dummy monitor registry to match real monitor. All values must match.

Open Registry Editor (as admin) to the following path: (it may auto open to path)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers\Configuration\

You will see a second entry now, this is the dummy monitor entry.

> NOEDID_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (maybe named different)

You need to change all the values in both 00 entries to match the original entries. Use the screen caps to copy values. Double click on the value that needs to be changed, make sure that change the "Base" of he value to "Decimal"

Multi-Monitor System

If you have a multi monitor system adding back each monitor one at a time may work. Have each monitor unplugged from PC then add back and perform registry edit above one at a time. On boot up confirm that windows don't change on wakening system and add another after shutdown until all monitors are attached.

Question:

Now that the cause of this problem has been found. Window 10 (and looks like prior versions are also) creating a dummy monitor registry entry with the incorrect setting of the actual connected monitor to act as a place holder for sleep settings. When will a correction and update be made by Microsoft to Windows; so users won't have to manually edit the registry to correct this problem?

Regards,

atwitsend42

My PC Specs:

Intel i5 8400 (using on CPU Intel UHD Graphics 630)

ASRock H370M-ITX

RAM 16gb

Samsung SSD - Window10 Boot

Tosh x300 4TB HHD - Data

Win10 Home 64bit

Monitor - LG 27UD58B - connected using DisplayPort with LG supplied cable.

running at 3840 x 2160 scaled at "Recommended" 150%

Answer 1

Hi Pete, you have reminded me of the TRS-80 I still have cradled in a box in my basement and just a few years earlier taking a course in Fortran with zillions of punched cards running through an IBM mainframe. 

I will post an update if I ever receive one from either BenQ or MS. I suspect BenQ  may be more likely. 

In the meantime I hope things go well as you folks try to sort out Brexit effects.

Cheers, Murray

Answer 2

Murray,

It will be interesting to see what MS and BenQ say. "Packet" of trouble, HA - MS is going to probably say BenQ has their pins crossed.

In '78 I was in Junior High! 1st time using a computer for me, a family friend's son was going to UC Berkeley in Mathematics, showed me his dial-in connection to the CRAY at MIT from his house, I was hooked. In High school went from time shared mainframe with punch tape to TRS-80's using cassette tapes. My first computer Apple IIc with Word Perfect, I had just started college. I then worked on creating training materials for awhile then when into IT.

You should look up the TWiT TV Triangulation show on YouTube. That will bring up lots of memories, especially shows with Jerry Pournelle.

Regards, Pete

Answer 3

Problem Solved

Atwitsend,  thanks you for your assistance.  I cleared all the 6 registry entries and restarted and there was only 1 entry for my BenQ monitor and after a sleep I had the NOEID entry as well.  The resizing and moving problem did not go away yet as we both suspected but I had a pretty clean slate to work from. However before implementing the rest of your corrections I got the thought that perhaps the wy the monitor was communicating with the PC might be an issue even though it should not have been.  So I disconnected the Display Port cable and connected the two with an HDMI cable....and low and behold the problem disappeared. All the windows remained in place and at the proper size with an HDMI connection. The fault may be in Windows 10 or the Monitor  but I will leave that for another pursuit.

Thanks for your closing comments. I also use the Graphics 630 because I don't do gaming. This PC was designed to do heavy Photoshop and HDR large size image processing. I have been a Photoshopaholic since 1990 and this i9 based processor is the 1st one that I decided not to add a separate graphics card.  I also just migrated to a 27" BenQ monitor developed for photography at a competitive price and it's awesome in performance and color calibration.

Once again thanks for your assistance.

Best regards, Murray

Answer 4

Mistermonday,

Sorry, I'm not sure how to help you. The instructions clearly state to delete entries in the path. You have 6 monitor entries, click on each and press delete. However, your screen shot doesn't show me your even in the right section of the registry (even though you say), and you can really mess up your system.

I suggest you find someone who knows regedit and can do this for you at your computer, because the following steps are much more difficult than step 2.

Please don't use regedit if you don't know how.

Regards,

@witsend

PS - Reinstalling windows will not solve this problem at all.

Answer 5

Hi Atwitsend42,

I have a brand new PC with a new BenQ monitor (2560 x 1440) and I have the same problem. I have fiddled with the resolution and scaling but I can't get the problem to disappear. As the PC comes out of sleep mode, all of the previously opened windows are smaller in size and are stacked on top of each other at the top left corner of the screen. While I am proficient at h/w and s/w, I have never done a regedit and I am quite ignorant in that regard. However you seem to have discovered a solution and I wonder if you can help walk me through the regedit.

I went into the path you described in item 1 and took a screen shot. I will attempt to insert the image below.

I am lost at item 2 of your instructions. Can you please tell me which lines or values to delete and a little more detail on how to proceed from there?

I put a lot of work into reloading s/w onto this new PC before noticing the resizing and moving anomaly. It would be a huge inconvenience to do a new re-install of Windows 10 because I had to get special permission from a number of s/w suppliers like Adobe to get older apps and licenses reactivated.

Any assistance you could provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and best regards, Murray