Disconnecting my additional monitor causes a log-out. When I log back in, it starts a new session (all my stuff is closed/lost)

I'm a college CS student and I like to have a few screens to do homework on. Windows 7 worked slick. Extra monitors were plug & play. I just got a new laptop running Windows 8.1 and it does not behave the same.

Disregarding any issues with having several monitors, lets focus on using just one. I plug it in to my HDMI port (or, if I booted up with it already plugged in, unplug it from said port) and Windows 8.1 automatically logs me out of my current session. Once I log back in, every single application I had running (browser, word processor, games, etc.) has been terminated. It looks like I just turned my computer on. Everything I was doing is lost. 

It may not be best practices to unplug your additional monitor while the laptop is running... But it should be. If I want to move from my room to the living room and plug into the tv, I should be able to do that, no?

Am I the only one experiencing this issue?


  • Edited by Nate U 3 hours 50 minutes ago
September 14th, 2015 11:29pm