How do I set up the taskbars so that programs launched by each taskbar only appear on the monitor from where they were launched?

Hi Keith,

Thanks for the explanation.

Based on your explanation it appears that the "Launch Start Menu shortcuts on current monitor" is not working as expected then. For instance I launch Notepad++ from my secondary monitor using the Displayfusion taskbar and the application appears on my primary monitor. Shouldn't it have appeared on secondary monitor if I have the option above ticked and I launched it from the secondary monitor (Displayfusion) taskbar?

I am running version 4.0

Is it supposed to remember the monitor the app/window was last positioned in (overruling the setting) by design? Or is this setting supposed to override this?

I am launching Notepad++ from the Start menu on the second screen. The issue is still occurring with version v4.0.1. Do you want some log files?

I don't mean to butt in, but where even is this "Launch Start Menu shortcuts on current monitor" option?
I don't see it at all. I've pinned a help file for a framework I use to my second monitor and every time I open it, it pops up in the middle of both monitors. Supper annoying!

It's a shortcut to a specific file (.chm extension - a Help file for a C#-based framework I use)

edit; Well, I see the option to launch them on their respective monitor-- I was looking at the actual Shortcut screen, not the Taskbar option screen!
Now it launches on the correct screen after I toggled that setting (it was already enabled), so when I launch it pops up on the secondary screen. Unfortunately, if I maximize the window after closing it, it will do exactly what it did before opening on both.

Suppose that's far beyond the control of DisplayFusion, unfortunately. Oh well!

I am running Windows 7 64 Bit and DF version 4.3 Pro.

I am having the exact same issue as the OP. The issue existed in 4.1 and I just upgraded to 4.3 hoping to alleviate the problem but it remains.

What I have noticed is if I restart the computer and then delete and re-add each shortcut the behavior is correct. At some point the shortcuts cease to work correctly and it defaults to opening the app on the last screen from which it was closed regardless of which taskbar it was launched from. If, at this point, I go to delete and re-add the shortcuts those programs do not appear in the Add Application list of applications. Upon restart the behavior is still wrong but I can delete/re-add and the applications do appear in the list and THEN the behavior is corrected for some time.

It should be noted that I routinely move this machine on and off a dock and also place it in and out of sleep regularly. I have reason to suspect that the issue is related to either the docking/undocking and/or the the sleep/waking. Finally, the multiple monitors are only engaged when docked.

The launching from the respective monitor's taskbar is the single most important feature fo this program for me.

Follow-up info:

Docking/Undocking doesn't appear to cause the issue. Sleep/Waking does, however.

This is a Thinkpad W510. I don't seem to be having any other Sleep/Wake related issues with DF or any other application. I put it to sleep for the ride home and again to bring back to work every weekday. Rarely does the machine ever actually get powered off.

Yes, it is greater than 0 (=1).

Just for fun I manually killed DF in task manager (2 processes) and manually restarted it. The behavior was corrected and Taskbar Shortcuts Waiting was reset to 0.

Okay, at this point the issue simply exists. I cannot reliably get the correct behavior to occur.

The attached log file was generated thusly:

1. Close DF using systray icon->exit
2. Open DF
3. Enable Logging Important Only via Settings->Troubleshooting
4. Close DF using systray icon->exit
5. Open DF
6. Attempt to launch Firefox with non-native taskbar... attempt failed and launched on the other monitor from which this program was last closed (the shortcut is set to force to respective monitor).
7. Disable Logging via Settings_> Troubleshooting

Thanks for your time and attention to this matter, let me know if there is anything further I can do to assist. Again, I cannot reliably reproduce the correct behavior although it almost always behaves incorrectly.

That is correct, there are 2 executables.

It should be noted that either one will misbehave and that all other apps also misbehave.

No, offending apps include Internet Explorer, MS Outlook 2010, Photoshop CS4 and Eclipse Juno, that is, every single application that I place onto the taskbar will exhibit the wrong behavior.

The attached log file was generated thusly:

1. Close DF using systray icon->exit
2. Open DF
3. Enable Logging Important Only via Settings->Troubleshooting
4. Attempt to launch Eclipse with non-native taskbar... attempt failed and launched on the other monitor from which this program was last closed (the shortcut is set to force to respective monitor).
5. Disable Logging via Settings_> Troubleshooting

Haha, okay, so Outlook and IE both work correctly.

So, can you describe to me how to get the applications that appear to have 2 executables working correctly?

It should be noted that I scanned my system for eclipse.exe and there is only instance of that file to be found.

It should also be noted that the programs that work correctly appear in the "Add Application" list of programs when adding shortcuts to the taskbar. The offending programs have to be browsed to the executable. I don't know why, but I feel that is symptomatic.

Same problem as OP
Only the Apps FOUND by DF will launch in the secondary monitor task Bar
If you add an App by browsing for the .exe there is NO option to edit "Force Monitor"

What does work for me is ...
FireFox Nightly
Adobe LightRoom
Thunderbird

What does not work is ... (browsed exe's)
Adobe PhotoShop CS6
Media Player Classic

Hoping it can be fixed

adding on to this thread:

I have a problem (even with the new b7 release) with folders not always opening on the same monitor as well as program shortcuts.
Is this fixable ?

Just updated to beta 8 and no, it ain't cured...
If I open a folder on one monitor it displays on the other..

waaaaa.......

No I don't but then it's not practical as my desktop folders are dynamic. ie names change...

I didn't really have this level of problem with my old Vista system but it seems worse with Win 7..

Lots of people are having the same issue. Google is chockers with results !

Update - just stumbled across this - worth a read & try !

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11687/shell-folder-fix-remembers-window-locations-in-windows-7/

Actually, I've only just got my laptop working again after I upgraded to DF beta 9..

It has a BSOD after an hour of installing and it took down Explorer,wifi, bluetooth & my external 3TB drive...
Went back to beta 7 (to be sure as it was fine for a month). Running smoothly now but I'd say beta 9 has a big old problem...

DMP extract:

062813-34117-01.dmp28/06/2013 8:52:14 PMIRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL0x0000000afffffa80`c49cc7b800000000`0000000200000000`00000000fffff800`0308ecebntoskrnl.exentoskrnl.exe+75c00NT Kernel & SystemMicrosoft® Windows® Operating SystemMicrosoft Corporation6.1.7601.18113 (win7sp1_gdr.130318-1533)x64ntoskrnl.exe+75c00C:\windows\Minidump\062813-34117-01.dmp8157601270,41628/06/2013 8:53:49 PM

I'll enable logging but won't be reinstalling B9 until I've done a full system mirror and backup of everything not backed up yet, as my system is a little more advanced than the average user
As you can appreciate, anything that has the capacity to disable a 3TB drive is not something you want to install in a hurry.
So it'll be a few days...

Note - my system has been fine since purchase 6 months ago. The only change pre-BSOD was the B9 update.
No hardware/driver/software updates.
Maybe it's just part of the Windows curse - a software or hardware conflict and not DF on it's own.

I'll try the shell folder fix in the interim too.

Have backed up everything.
Tried ShellFolderFix and it's not the solution. Not for 2 monitors anyway...
Tried another one called Pitaschio (correct spelling) and it wasn't the cure either and it was pretty buggy.

So no cure yet.

Display logging enabled.
Wait and see...

For me, the problem is a bit different, although related and it would require the same solution, that's why I'm posting it here.

Every portable application I run creates its own taskbar button instead of using the one I clicked, which takes space. From what I figured, DisplayFusion uses paths to determine whether to use an existing button or to create a new one. Couldn't you use something else, like "Custom Name" or something specifically created for this purpose? That should solve the problem. A user would simply add two applications (eg. "FirefoxPortable.exe" and "firefox.exe") to the taskbar and give them the same "Custom Name" (or merge them in some different way), which would mean that only one button for both applications would appear.

With normal Windows taskbar it's sort of doable, since it doesn't compare paths, but AppID instead, which you can change with mkshortcut utility. The link below has more detailed instructions on how to achieve it (it works like a charm, I've tested it).

http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/985014-guide-pin-programs-with-custom-launchers-to-taskbar

Now looking at an app called WinSize2.
The help file is rather large so it may take a while..

On a programming note - is it really so hard to tell which screen a shortcut/programme/folder is on ?
Hint - given that one can save the positions of all screen icons (on both screens), surely you have the data needed !?

I also have this problem. I am running windows 8.1 with StartIsBack 1.5.2 and DF 5.1.1 and 4 screens and I can't get my apps to launch in the screen where my mouse currently is. I tried all of the various suggestions in this thread, including enabling the "Launch Start Menu shortcuts on current monitor option" (it says New Start Menu style only, not sure what that is) , and creating custom rules for specific apps to launch in the current monitor.. No dice.

I love DF and have been using it with no problem on Win 7 for some time. But this problem is kind of annoying, especially with so many screeens.

I'm sending you debuginfo.txt and displayfusion.log. The log shows me launching Word on screen 4, which worked, and then launching Firefox also from screen 4 but it showed up on screen 3.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

That worked! I tested a bunch of different apps, launching from different monitors. Works 100%. Thanks much.

Works nicely - thanks Keith!

This is working on Win10 with the latest version of display fusion if you choose "Move To Current Monitor" and not "Keep On Same Monitor"

Alan.

The "." command lags the start menu animation in Windows 10, currently looking for an alternative.

Thanks so much for this!

This seems to work with everything except for file explorer in Windows 10.

Is there a way to fix that?

Also, is there a way to make the application open on the correct monitor instead of opening on one, and then moving it to the correct monitor? This isnt a huge deal, but it can get a little annoying sometimes.

I am having this issue again on Windows 10 when using launching apps from the native taskbar. I can't find the Window Location setting anymore, is there a new setting to use?

Thanks @Keith - would you be able to do a screenshot of what the Trigger settings shold be to force windows to appear in monitor where launched? Its a bit hard to understand what the setting should be.