Dual monitor and programs

Question

Dual monitor and programs

I have two monitors connected to a Mac Mini. One is on USB-C and the other is on HDMI. They work fine.

The issue is that I can not seem to get programs to consistantly open on the monitor of my choice. I know how to select which display I want the program to open too using the icon in the launch bar, but the computer ignores the designated setting. and opens the program on the wrong display.

Any idea how to fix this? It's not the end of the world if it does not work right, but it is annoying!

Mac mini

Posted on Dec 20, 2023 5:08 AM

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Answer 1

den.thed

Level 10

96,200 points

Dec 21, 2023 7:25 AM in response to HeatherDracut

Do you sleep & wake or shutdown & startup the Mac mini..?

The open program placement is lost in the newer macOS versions after a shutdown & startup or a restart.

The open program placement can also be lost, if there is a problem with automatic computer sleep crashing.

For me manual computer sleep from the dropdown menu, then a wake, maintains the open program placement.

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Answer 2

den.thed

Level 10

96,200 points

Dec 20, 2023 8:08 AM in response to HeatherDracut

Go to Apple > System Setting > Desktop & Dock > Mission Control and turn off all of the switches.

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

251,359 points

Dec 20, 2023 8:02 AM in response to HeatherDracut

What are your settings in mission Control?

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Answer 4

hcsitas

Level 6

13,970 points

Dec 21, 2023 8:02 AM in response to HeatherDracut

Use the settings exactly as shown here Wake up a remote Mac mini - Apple Community. If no change, keep the settings and post back with details on your monitors please.

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Answer 5

Dec 21, 2023 7:53 AM in response to den.thed

My computers are usually left on. The programs open on the wrong display almost randomly, but more often on the wrong display then on the right one. It is worse with MS Outlook. But will do it sometimes with other programs, like Trillian chat program. I also have a Mac Studio with dual monitors and I do not have this problem on that machine.

I had thought it maybe related to one monitor being on USB-C and one HDMI.

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Answer 6

Dec 20, 2023 3:13 PM in response to den.thed

OK. This is what I had and turned those all off. I will see what it does.

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Answer 7

Dec 20, 2023 3:14 PM in response to BDAqua

This is what I had. I turned all those off based on another post suggestion. I will report back after a while on how it worked.

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Answer 8

Dec 21, 2023 5:56 AM in response to BDAqua

I turned off everything under mission control. But this morning the program that I want to have open on display 2 again opened on display 1, even though it is set to open on display 2.

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