Win10 1703 - Dual-screen dock. 1 monitor blank with Extended Desktop

[Complit]

Originally Posted by AlbanRampon

Hello,

Since Windows 10 Anniversary Update, our driver doesn't need talk to the Intel driver anymore.This is because Microsoft introduced native support for DisplayLink USB graphics. As the OS takes care of the kernel mode graphics, you will have observed the driver is much lighter, doesn't need a reboot or co-installer so makes it much easier to deploy.
Windows Desktop Window Manager send the pixels to be computed to the Intel graphics card and then the computed pixels are handed over to DisplayLink driver through a different interface.

Would you please be able to post the System_Details.txt from the log files? Or give me the build number and date for the Intel graphics?
You may be using an Intel graphics driver which doesn't know about the Windows 10 new graphics subsystem.

There was a bug in Windows 10 Anniversary Update which led to a maximum number of DisplayLink displays of 7 which was fixed in Fall Creators Update.
We don't test more than 6 on an ongoing basis as the test matrix is far too big to be manageable.
Testing 3 displays is standard for each release as the Dell D3100 on its own allows this.

Kind regards,
Alban

We see the same issue on 1703. Extending works but the default is to only extend to one display.

We work in an "activity based working" setup where users can have a different desk each day. Every time they use a desk they have not used before it reverts to one screen even though two are attached. It's possibly the most talked about issue with our new Win10 environment.

I suspect that each dock is seen as a new device which is why the defaults apply. I was hoping that somewhere there would be a config or set of defaults we could modify for each of our machines but I've not found anything yet.

Intel Graphics 23.20.16.4905
DisplayLink 8.3.2099.0

[AlbanRampon]

Hello Complit,

I believe what you are referring to is different. You are talking about default first connect behaviour.

What you are experiencing today is a Windows "feature" we don't like either.
Screen layout is saved by Windows based on all monitor serial numbers connected at a particular time. This is regardless of how they are connected (directly or indirectly).
You can validate this by:
- Keep the same laptop and same physical displays
- Change the dock or change how displays are connected to the laptop
- Observe that the previously saved layout is restored.

The laptop display serial number is also saved in that concatenated string (even if display is inactive) and that makes it impossible for IT managers to pre-provision all layouts by stuffing the registry with all known desk assets as it needs to be personalised for each target.

However, unlike competitive solutions, the DisplayLink chip is smart (it's not a video signal converter). I currently have a team assigned to looking into how we could best solve this common hot-desking annoyance.

Would it be possible for me to use your forum email to contact you and discuss how you'd envisage it working for you? This would help check our assumptions and also have an idea of what would be best/acceptable for the configuration. Alternatively, you can email me at Alban.Rampon@<MyCompanyName>.com

Kind regards,
Alban

[Complit]

Originally Posted by AlbanRampon

Hello Complit,

I believe what you are referring to is different. You are talking about default first connect behaviour.

What you are experiencing today is a Windows "feature" we don't like either.
Screen layout is saved by Windows based on all monitor serial numbers connected at a particular time. This is regardless of how they are connected (directly or indirectly).
You can validate this by:
- Keep the same laptop and same physical displays
- Change the dock or change how displays are connected to the laptop
- Observe that the previously saved layout is restored.

The laptop display serial number is also saved in that concatenated string (even if display is inactive) and that makes it impossible for IT managers to pre-provision all layouts by stuffing the registry with all known desk assets as it needs to be personalised for each target.

However, unlike competitive solutions, the DisplayLink chip is smart (it's not a video signal converter). I currently have a team assigned to looking into how we could best solve this common hot-desking annoyance.

Would it be possible for me to use your forum email to contact you and discuss how you'd envisage it working for you? This would help check our assumptions and also have an idea of what would be best/acceptable for the configuration. Alternatively, you can email me at Alban.Rampon@<MyCompanyName>.com

Kind regards,
Alban

Thanks Alban,

This does explain half of our scenario - We still see the same behaviour rboerner is referring to where windows incorrectly marks a display as disconnected, which on the face of it is also the original issue posted.

After updating the intel drivers on my machine I have noticed I now get all monitors connected but in duplicate mode when using a desk I have never sat at before.

Happy to discuss the hot desking issue as well of course

[wdeguara]

Just confirming that the symptoms described by rboerner also match our scenario. We've provided instructions to our staff on how to manually re-enable the third screen and bring it into the Extended Desktop configuration - but it becomes annoying for the end-user in large hotelling environment to do this every time they sit down at a new desk.