When i try and make my 2nd monitor my primary the screen goes blank

[padmevsleia]

Hello, when i try and make my 2nd monitor my primary the screen goes blank i have a windows xp. i go into display properties > settings > click on 2nd monitor > click use this device as primary > click apply. then the 2nd monitor just goes black...

 

[tigsounds]

You are somewhat correct. I have dual monitors and I just tried what you did. When I click "Apply" the #2 monitor does indeed go black, but the mouse still moves across it and I can right-click in it and get the properties windows to refresh on the #1 display.

I also noticed the desktop icons from the #1 display nearly all disappeared when I clicked "Apply."

If you click the "Show Desktop" icon in the quicklaunch area, any running program will jump to the #2 monitor and cannot be dragged back, no matter what monitor is primary until it is "Windowed" for size and dragged.

The only way to get it all restored was to click the monitor selection drop-down box and click on #1 monitor again and click to choose #1 as primary display again.

Interesting problem but I have no solution. If your monitors are identical, switch cables around.

There may be a way to get everything moved over to the #2 monitor, but I'm rather fond of how my desktop is arranged, so my experimenting is limited.