Microsoft is fixing multiple monitor support in Windows 10 so it remembers window positions
Working with multiple monitors is great -- in theory. The extra space is obviously useful, as is the ability to use different screens to group together related apps, documents and windows.
Sadly, Windows 10's implementation of multi-monitor support is a little flawed, particularly when using DisplayPort. Many people with two or more screens will have experienced a problem that sees app windows being randomly rearranged, particularly after a system wakes from sleep. But this should be coming to an end as Microsoft is finally addressing the issue.
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Writing on the DirectX Developer Blog, Michelle Xiong, program manager of the graphics team speaks about the "frustration of your desktop application windows unexpectedly rearranging every time you return to your computer from sleep". She notes the loss of productivity the requirements to drag rearranged windows back to their original positions brings about.
In case you can't visualise the problem, there's a video showing the unwanted rearrangement of windows here.
Xiong explains a little more about the problem:
The technical terminology we use to describe this problem is known as Rapid Hot Plug Detect (Rapid HPD). This behavior impacts DisplayPort multi-monitor setups which results in unwanted desktop rearrangements. We have worked towards mitigating desktop rearrangements when Rapid HPD occurs.
The good news is that Windows Insiders who are running at least build 21287 can use the fix now. It should eventually make its way to the stable release of Windows 10, but it's hard to say quite when this will be.
Image credit: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock