Multiple screen setup problems

M

mark.mcpherson

I've just done a four screen Bloomberg Terminal setup for a trader at my company - the PC setup is Windows 7. The screens are 2x2, and configured so that the cursor has free movement between all screens (i.e. can go across any of the sides vertically or horizontally to reach different screens).

Everything seemed great until the trader started to put all his graphs and market monitors in the desired layout using all 4 screens. What happens is that some of these windows will not stay in place on the bottom row of monitors. Placing them wherever on the top row works ok, but say one is dragged to the bottom right screen, as soon as the mouse button is released it will jump up to sit at the bottom of the top right screen (the desired horizontal position but not vertical).

The 4 core panels can be placed on any screen successfully. When a monitor is created from one of these however, it always opens on the main screen (top left) and cannot be moved to the bottom row.

Has anybody had experience of this problem and manged to solve it?

TIA

Mark McPherson
 
Hi Mark,
There are a few things that come to mind. First, are the monitors all the same brand/type/model? Are you using either one quad video card or if not are the video cards identical? Does Windows allow you to save the monitor layout or is windows reverting back to the old layout?

Did you set this up and arrange it while you were logged in as the machine Administrator or did you do it as the local user? First thing is first, if you don't have permissions it won't save (I only say this because you said it was at a company)

When you say Bloomberg windows won't stay put do you mean the launchpad (launched by typing "blp <GO>") or do you mean the four core windows that launch when you sign into Bloomberg? If it's the 4-core windows which numbers are jumping around? They are numbered 1-4 so try each and see if some stay and some move.

Is this happening with any other programs or just Bloomberg?

Have you checked the simple stuff like the mouse? Is the left mouse button getting old & worn so that it thinks you are dragging & dropping rather than just moving the mouse?


Hope that gets you started. If it's just Bloomberg misbehaving it will be helpful to know whether it is launchpad or the core 4 windows.
 
Hi WinstonTJ, thanks for the suggestions. Here is a bit more info on the problem:

All the monitors are identical, HP LA2405wg's. The PC has built in Intel dual display card, and a Matrox Graphics eXpansion Module DualHead2Go DP Edition is used to extend to the 4 screens.

The hardware changes were all made yesterday for what it is worth, but all the configuration of the screens was today, made just this morning on the users account, so I do not know until tomorrow morning when I come into work if the settings saved. I can login as admin if they do not and redo it though.

The core windows numbered 1-4 are all able to be positioned anywhere on any screen, but some windows opened from the launchpad then dragged to one of the 2 lower monitors will always move directly up to lie along the bottom of the screen above. Strange thing is some launchpad windows WILL stay where they are dragged!

All other programs or windows are ok, and the mouse is working fine with other programs so must be ok.
 
Quote from just21:

Use an nvidia nvs 420 or 450 instead of the built in graphics and matrox.
More...

That's what I'm thinking as well. Often times depending on the PC when you have onboard graphics plus an add-in card it will disable the onboard graphics. You **might** be able to change that in the BIOS settings but that could be your conflict. \

It is really strange that some launchpad windows stay and others don't. Maybe take the 5 minutes to write down each of your saved windows and create a new launchpad profile. There should be a default launchpad view I think under tools or somewhere in the dropdown. Just hit BLP <GO> and then on the main window just find the settings and create a new view from the default profile (NOT FROM THE PROBLEM ONE or else you may just duplicate your issue).

Unless your launchpad is crazy it will only take 2-3 minutes to write down each of the windows (or do a giant 4-monitor screen shot) and just rebuild a new one.

If that doesn't work I would try disabling the onboard graphics and using either two dual or one quad add-in video cards.
 
Just an FYI....

For those of you that enjoy using Nvidia's free "NView" software that allows you to stretch your applications across multiple screens, Nvidia is now ONLY supporting "NView" on Windows 7 OS for those using NVS Quadra graphics cards.

The GeForce series is still being supported for NView on XP operating systems. But GeForce based graphics cards are not able to use "NView" on Windows 7 operating systems.
 
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