HOW DO I MAKE A PROGRAM OPEN ON A SPECIFIC MONITOR THAT I DESIGNATE EVERY TIME I WANT TO OPEN IT?

Question

This isn't a new question but I've seen it asked here for 15 years and 3 OS variants with no actual answer (you'd think this would be something to work on instead of obfuscating how to get to your control panel, file, and drive locations while trying to turn my +$3K pc into a sub $400, non-portable tablet with no touch screen).

HOW DO I MAKE A PROGRAM OPEN ON A SPECIFIC MONITOR EVERY TIME?

Note, the question is NOT how to move a program after you open it; it is NOT how to change primary display; it is NOT how to anything other the actual question asked as specifically as the question is. If there is no answer and Windows just isn't able to (and our programmers don't care to work on it) just say so.

I have an OLED gaming monitor that I paid more for than I would ever have wanted to pay for a monitor and would like it to last as long as possible. I would therefore like it not to be the primary display. I only use it for media and gaming. The problem is that windows doesn't let me choose secondary displays to open games and reverts half of the applications I open and move over back to the primary display. I can do this with some games but most default to only opening on the primary monitor. I have a good LCD monitor I use for productivity and streaming while playing games that I would like to remain my main display where most apps, and all non-media apps, are default opening. So far the only way I know to do it is to turn the OLED off unless I am using it. This solution is clunky and kind of like using a kitchen knife to sharpen pencils when a pencil sharpener is can be made.

So please don't answer this if you are going to give the same non-answers I've been reading while searching for an answer to this (going back 15 years btw, because someone really cares about the user experience). If you have a real answer please give it, again, even if it is "we don't have a way and don't care to make one."

Answer 1

I find it astounding and severely disappointing how in 2024 this:

A) is the proposed solution - shouldn't require tweaks to paths in order to determine which display a user wants a particular app to always open on (and hilarious that it is 0 based).

B) How this proposed solution DOESN'T EVEN WORK! I have tried various iterations for all 4 displays that I have:

-> "...\progam.exe" -screen1

-> "...\progam.exe" -screen2
-> "...\progam.exe" -screen3
-> "...\progam.exe" --screen1
-> "...\progam.exe -screen:1"
-> "...\progam.exe"-screen1

.
.
.
<Insert other minor tweak attempt here, it doesn't matter, none of them work>

C) That Microsoft doesn't have a built in method, such as a simple drop down menu to select from.

Seems like a pretty basic concept, but no they are instead concerned about how else they are going to annoy me about edge not being my default browser.

Answer 2

I don't understand. It took my a while to figure it out, but I eventually realized why this isn't working. How could a "Microsoft Specialist" make such an erroneous and ignorant suggestion? Are you trying to waste people's time with nonsense?

Shortcut parameters are passed to the actual program!! It won't have any effect unless the target program knows what to do with that parameter!!

So while some program may recognize the "-screen:x" parameter, most programs including many of Microsoft's own products, would just ignore it.

Forget about this fairy tale. It may work with a handful of multiscreen-aware apps but it's NOT a universal solution to our problem.

Answer 3

I agree completely. Unfortunately, Microsoft is no longer a company but a money machine. They can't take care of the little things, but the system itself is stuffed with ads for products you don't want or need. It doesn't matter that we choose NOT TO USE.... still every now and then they remind of themselves....

The policy of this company now looks like: everything bit by bit, nothing good.

Answer 4

when the application is opened on the monitor you want it to stay on, press windows+shift+enter, then close and reopen the application and it will always pop up on the desired monitor👍😄

Answer 5

I googled this kind of question and found a reddit post that helped me https://www.reddit.com/r/XPpen/comments/fepkkx/tutorial_how_to_set_programs_to_open_on_a/