Something That Has Been Puzzling Me Recently.

[Old_Geezer]

Why is it, that when one downloads another MS patch, the engineers at Microsoft apparently think it hilarious to reboot the PC with the screen setting changed to "show only on 2", giving the impression that one of your monitors has broken ? Don't they have anything better to do ?

[Zacs-Master]

Is one of your monitors too old to support W10?

[Zacs-Master]

This might help
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hardware/dual-monitors-suddenly-stopped-working/8c47a76a-3453-428a-95c4-7e0c4a044b4e

[Old_Geezer]

Been working on W10 ever since I had W10. And shows when it stays at "extend these displays" as it was previously set to before they changed it. How does a monitor get too old for W10 ? The graphics card is fine with it.

[Old_Geezer]

It's not a problem with it working, it's a problem with MS changing the setting to turn it off.

[Zacs-Master]

‘How does a monitor get too old for W10‘

Usually when the driver becomes incompatible.
https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/solved-display-not-compatible-with-windows-10/

[Togo]

Looks as if you can only have the Start screen and apps on one monitor at a time Geezer.
When you have manually set up both screens are you leaving the system running and only switching off when a restart is required after patch uploads?

[Togo]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/14217/windows-8-get-best-display-on-your-monitor.

I know the link says w8. but it applies to w10 as well.

[Old_Geezer]

System is nearly always on. MS reboots after downloading, without asking permission, when I'm not there. I return, it's turned off one monitor. First time it happened I was ages working out what was up.

[Togo]

Gotcha Geezer. I think you will find that if you log out and switch off the system whenever you are not using it, you will find that you have to manually set it every time. It is just incidental, I feel, that You are more aware of it after the patches and subsequent re-boots precisely because you do not often switch off manually.

[SlackAlice]

What graphics card fitted? If Nvidia, do you use the Nvidia app in control Panel to enable dual monitors? Have you checked with Nvidia for up to date drivers on a regular basis?

[SlackAlice]

I would add that I use W10 and even after MS updates retain 'dual monitor' use after update system re-boots

[Old_Geezer]

I may try it sometime then but find it difficult to believe they have to be set every switch on. Would be appalling design by MS.

It's a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB.
I use the normal Windows display settings page to set the monitors.
Got out of the habit of using the NVidea apps due to issues with the previous card, that kept crashing out of a particular game on a random basis. Having just looked using their control panel app, it looks as if it simply confirms the existing set up.

[Old_Geezer]

Well, you're right Togo. I restarted deliberately and MS fails to come back in with the same display settings it had. For some reason someone has changed something that now has this bug. I used the NVidea control app to set things as I wanted; then restarted, and it lost it all again. It's insane.

I'm certain it never used to be like that; I may rarely turn off and on, but it's not unknown. So the initial issue description changes slightly from a unrequired change of settings on a patch application to an unrequired change of settings every power on.

Anyone have any thoughts on a fix ?

Meanwhile, I've recently been getting some nonsense about a bit defender threat scanner issue, when I do turn off; whatever that is. I don't suppose it could be connected ?

[Old_Geezer]

Hmmm.... probably "speaking" too soon again, as usual, but may have found something.

Uninstalled the Spybot thing I installed December, and wasn't using for some reason. (Got a vague recollection it was deleting something I didn't want deleted, or something like that.) Came back with both screens that time.

[SlackAlice]

Check your graphic card drivers are up to date here

https://www.geforce.co.uk/drivers

[Togo]

Lol Geezer....You are a case. Sorted now then I hope. Are you still gaming BTW?

[Old_Geezer]

I am but getting a bit bored with what I have, and feeling guilty about spending time on it.

Meanwhile I tried the www.geforce.co.uk/drivers site. The following experience is the sort of thing I get.

Opens in Firefox. Can't see the names in the menu to set things myself, to define the search, so I try the scan for GPU button. Turns out it needs Java (I'm sure I already have it) and on trying to install Java I'm informed that Firefox doesn't like Java any more. So I try with Edge, and surprise surprise Java and Edge apparently don't get on either. Finally I try with Chrome and get the latest version of Java installed. I go back to www.geforce.co.uk/drivers page and try again (in Chrome this time) and it is STILL claiming I need Java. I've just %"$^£% installed it ! I go to settings, it shows Java is enabled (which surprises me as I try to put things on "ask") so I leave that but add www.geforce.co.uk as an allowed site anyway. Try again; and no difference. NVidea still can't bring itself to admit to finding java.

So I go back and try the menus again and find that if I stop looking for GTX and look at the series 10 listings I can eventually find it. I've now got a list of possible drivers. I'll have to see if there's a newer version among them.

[SlackAlice]

The latest driver is WHQL 391.35 which was dated 27/03/2018. Ignore 'Beta' drivers
Your card is a 10 series, the dropdown menu should show GTX 1060

[Old_Geezer]

Thanks. It is running on that now.
Unsure what improvements it has.

(Removed "Experience" and automatic MS video updates when I was using the previous graphics board. It used to insist on updating to a driver that crashed more often rather than stay with the one that only crashed an annoying number of times.)