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I am a gamer with a dual monitor set up and I despise it when my games open on the primary monitor. I would like all full-screen applications to open up on the secondary monitor. Any solution to this?

NOTE (as requested by Josh R): The additional monitor is frequently unplugged from the machine, because the machine is a laptop that I frequently take with me to places. (In other words, the additional monitor is not always plugged in)

ADDITIONAL NOTE: I would like to have the taskbar to AUTOMATICALLY show on the monitor that is not being used by a full-screen application when plugging in the external monitor.

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  • Check out the answers here: gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/138531/…
    – Josh
    Sep 16, 2015 at 22:52
  • @JoshR not a convenient solution for those who are running windows 7 and constantly removing their laptop from the second monitor (when you remove the monitor and plug it back in, the taskbar goes back to the actual primary monitor), but definitely something to look into
    – user498267
    Sep 16, 2015 at 23:09
  • There are 15 answers there. I'm honestly not sure you're going to get any better options here.
    – Josh
    Sep 16, 2015 at 23:12
  • Also, if you're using a laptop with an external monitor, that might be relevant information to post in the OP. The more details the better.
    – Josh
    Sep 16, 2015 at 23:15
  • @JoshR Is there anyway to keep something like a "profile" for the taskbar? so that it comes back up on the secondary monitor when the laptop is plugged into the other monitor. I would look it up myself, but I honestly don't know what I'm looking for (as far as what to google)
    – user498267
    Sep 16, 2015 at 23:16

1 Answer 1

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Instead of trying to get fullscreen apps to open on the secondary, it might be easier to switch the primary monitor to the external monitor.

nircmd has a utility called setprimarydisplay:

setprimarydisplay 2

This will switch the primary to be the external monitor.

Then add a job to the task scheduler in Windows that triggers when the "Display attached" event happens (I don't have access to Windows right now to see what the event is).

Unplugging the external monitor should revert the primary back to the built-in screen, but if not, another task for "display detached" can run the setprimarydisplay command to revert.

And then use a tool such as Dual Taskbar to have the taskbar on both screens.

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  • I dont think you understand what I am asking. I would like to see the windows taskbar on the monitor that is not being used by the fullscreen game.
    – user498267
    Sep 17, 2015 at 17:27
  • please read the additional note.
    – user498267
    Sep 17, 2015 at 17:32
  • @DaMaxContent Sure. Answer updated, but it seems like this isn't a direction you want to go in.
    – Paul
    Sep 17, 2015 at 23:04

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