Stop Windows thinking there's only one monitor connected when second is turned off?

[Elliot B.]

I have two monitors. 

 

If I connect both via. HDMI-to-HDMI cables to my GTX 1080 and turn one monitor off (perhaps I'm playing a game on the left one or something), the PC makes the "hardware disconnected" sound and all the windows from that turned-off monitor move to the first one. It's extremely annoying.

 

I've discovered connecting the second via. a HDMI-to-DVI cable to the DVI port on the GPU fixes things but I'd prefer 2x pure HDMI connections.

 

Is it possible to stop the behavior described above?

[Circaflex]

There might be an option in the nVidia control panel to disable auto-detect; the other option is to use a small piece of tape and cover pin 19(responsible for hot-plug detection) on the HDMI cable and it will solve your problem. If that is to much work, get an EDID emulator with HDCP and place it between the computer and monitor.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

Use a pillow case, or piece of paper, put it over your screen when you don't want to see it.... Problem solved.

 

Edit: You do know that DVI and HDMI are the same thing, except for the HDMI sound.

[Eric Veteran]

DVI has digital audio pins, too. You just need an adapter that passes them.

[Circaflex]

Just cover pin 19 with a piece of tape and it solves your problem. Nothing to buy.

[Mando]

On 3/16/2017 at 10:00 PM, Elliot B. said:

I've discovered connecting the second via. a HDMI-to-DVI cable to the DVI port on the GPU fixes things but I'd prefer 2x pure HDMI connections.

 

 

buddy, you do realise DVI-D to HDMI is digital to digital and the only difference is there is no multiplexed audio being carried across, both support the same resolution, and are HDCP (carrys the same quality digital display data), its actually a windows 10 issue with NVcards, my 970 has recently started doing the same if the 2nd monitor is off or suspended when in a single screen game.  I suspect its due to NVidias audio controller , it probs can only set one as the audio output.