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Topic: «Restore Window Positions To Virtual Desktop , How can I restore my Window Postions on Virtual Desktops » on forum: Technical Support   Views: 14280
 
Gary Rosner
Registered user
 
 Posts: 26
Joined: 09/10/2016
Posted: 01/09/2017 23:48:43
 
 
 I'm using 8.1 Actual Virtual Desktops on windows 10. When my computer unlocks from sleep, my windows are no longer in the same virtual desktop positions. Is there any way to automatically restore my windows to their positions (within each virtual desktop)? By the way, My open windows have duplicate titles, so whatever the solution, it should work with the each open window's unique window handle number.
 
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Bogdan Polishchuk
Administrator
 
 Posts: 4010
Joined: 04/04/2012
Posted: 01/16/2017 14:48:43
 
 
 Hello, Gary

Do you have this problem with Actual Tools virtual desktops or with native Windows 10 virtual desktops?

Does it happen with all windows or with some particular ones?

Could you describe the problem more detailed? How are the windows placed before and after the Sleep Mode?

Could you check whether the same happens with the latest version of Actual Virtual Desktops?

What monitors do you use and what interfaces do you use to connect the monitors to the computer (HDMI, DVI etc)? And do you use docking station or USB video adapters?

Best regards.
 
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Gary Rosner
Registered user
 
 Posts: 26
Joined: 09/10/2016
Posted: 03/18/2017 02:17:32
 
 
 This remains an unresolved issue.

To Repeat: I'm using 8.1 Actual Virtual Desktops on windows 10. When my computer unlocks from sleep (or the monitors go to sleep but the computer keeps running, and then the monitor wakes up and I log back into my computer), my windows are no longer in the same virtual desktop positions. Is there any way to automatically restore my windows to their positions (within each virtual desktop)? By the way, My open windows have duplicate titles, so whatever the solution, it should work with the each open window's unique window handle number.

1. Do you have this problem with Actual Tools virtual desktops or with native Windows 10 virtual desktops?

The issue exists with both Windows 10 native Virtual desktops AND with AVD desktops.
However, with Windows 10 Virtual Desktops, I can use a utility such as DisplayFusion to automatically save and restore the open window positions. However, Displayfusion does not respect the positions within AVD. In other words, all of the windows within each AVD become overlapped in AVD desktop 1!

2. Does it happen with all windows or some particular ones? ALL WINDOWS!!!

3.Could you describe the problem more detailed? How are the windows placed before and after the Sleep Mode?
I open multiple applications (e.g. notepad, calc, word, etc) and place each open application into a different AVD (all in Windows Desktop #1). I press Win+L to lock computer, wait for monitors to go to sleep (you may need to set the power options to make windows sleep more quickly). Upon wake, all the opened windows previously located on AVD's desktops are moved to desktop 1.

4. Could you check whether the same happens with the latest version of Actual Virtual Desktops?
Yes, I use AVD 8.10.1 (I believe this is the most recent edition of AVD) as of 3/17/2017.

5. What monitors do you use and what interfaces do you use to connect the monitors to the computer (HDMI, DVI etc)? And do you use docking station or USB video adapters? Desktop PC, AMD Sapphire 390; 4 monitors as follows (1 ASUS P248Q HDMI (1920x1200); and 3 displayport monitors: Dell P2715Q (3840x2160) Dell#2 P2715Q (3840x2160), ASUS (1920x1200). There are no USB Video Adapters.
Thanks!
Gary
 
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Bogdan Polishchuk
Administrator
 
 Posts: 4010
Joined: 04/04/2012
Posted: 03/19/2017 14:14:47
 
 
 Gary,

What mode of Actual virtual desktops - Classic or Independent - do you use (You can see it on the Virtual Desktops section in the configuration module)?

Does the problem depend on what monitor windows are placed or it happens the same way on all four monitors?

What monitor of your setup is primary (main)?
 
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Gary Rosner
Registered user
 
 Posts: 26
Joined: 09/10/2016
Posted: 03/31/2017 07:15:22
 
 
 There have been dozens of views for this topic. I wanted to upd ate everyone with my workaround. The workaround may not work for everyone, but, I've been using it for a week with no regrets!

Topics:
Restore Windows Positions to Virtual Desktop - Workaround
Windows do not stay in Active Virtual Desktops when PC monitor(s) wakes from sleep - Workaround
Windows dont stay in Grids when Pc goes into rest mode - Workaround

Problem Description Recap:
Application windows do not stay in Actual virtual Desktop when PC monitor wakes from sleep.  

Configuration
Multiple Display Port monitors with Windows 10

Steps to Recreate Issue
1. Press Win+L to lock Windows 10, then wait 1 minute for Display Port monitor to power down.
2. Alternatively, change the Screen Saver settings to "None, Wait 1 minutes. Check the box On resume, display logons screen.
3. Wait about 1 minute: do not touch the keyboard or mouse. The monitors will power down into their sleep mode
4. Press any key to wake the monitors, then logon.

Resulting Behavior on Monitor Wakeup
Application windows located on the Active Virtual Desktop, before the monitors went into sleep mode, will remove themselves from the Active Virtual Desktops and relocate to the first Display Port monitor to be recognized by Windows, or to the Primary Display Port window. The resulting application windows may overlap each otther.

Root Cause
The Display Port interface works differently than the HDMI interface. When a Display Port monitor sleeps, Windows no longer sees a connected the monitor. With an HDMI monitor, Windows continues to recognize the monitor as connected even when it is in a sleep state. (You can prove this yourself: Right click desktop, choose Display Settings. Power down a display port monitor and watch the monitor vanish from the Customize your display. Repeat this with an HDMI connected monitor and the display will NOT vanish from the Customize your display window! Apparently, this issue is an inherent part of the display port interface standards, and has not been addressed (and may never be) by the display adapter vendors.

Preferred Solution
Ideally, while the issue is NOT because of the Actual Virtual Desktop software, the Actual Virtual Desktop software should restore windows to their location, either automatically upon monitor wakeup, or with a hotkey combination that saves and restores the open window positions (based on window handles, NOT on window title bar text (which may contain duplicate text).

Rosner's Workaround
My workaround, is to prevent or delay windows from sending monitors into a sleep mode power down. By default, Windows power's down the monitors 1 minute after the lock screen is displayed. There is no obvious way to change this value in the windows settings.However, you can expose the necessary setting with a simple registry change as described in this link: Enable Console Lock Display Timeout
The jist of this link explains the following steps:
1. Open RegEdit and navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control\ Power\ PowerSettings\ 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99\ 8EC4B3A5-6868-48c2-BE75-4F3044BE88A7
2. In the right pane, you will see Attributes. Double-click on it to change its DWORD value data from the default 1 to 2.
3. Close Regedit
4. Click Start->Power Options->Change advanced Power settings->Display->Console lock display off timeout setting: 45 minutes (or any other value you like). Click OK.Now the monitor will continuously display the lock screen for whatever number of minutes you have se t.

Because the display port monitors do not power down to sleep mode, all windows parked on the actual virtual desktop remain there (at least until the new timeout setting expires!).

I hope this helps.
 
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