Multiple display options for taskbar missing after Windows 8.1 Update

Hello, I just recently downloaded the upgrade to 8.1, which had options for me to display my taskbar on multiple displays. However, after this update, my multiple display options have disappeared. Is there a way to turn these back on because it was a feature that I really loved about 8.1...Can anyone help??

Thank you!

-Lyssa Prince

April 23rd, 2014 9:29pm

Right click on Taskbar,select Properties under the Taskbar section you will get Multiple displays Check the box to enable or disable showing the taskbar across dis

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
April 23rd, 2014 11:07pm

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear before, but in the taskbar properties under the taskbar section, the "Multiple Displays" options are missing entirely.

Does this make sense?

April 23rd, 2014 11:32pm

Which graphic card are you using?Do you get any similar option in graphic card's control panel?
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
April 24th, 2014 1:18am

Hi,

In addition,please check the registry key and value below:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

 TaskbarNoMultimon DWORD

0 = Show taskbar on all displays
1 = Show taskbar only on main display

Also,check the following group policy:

Regards,

April 24th, 2014 9:17am

I have a Lenovo Yoga 2, with Intel(R) HD Graphics Family card. The version is 10.18.10.3304. In the graphics card control panel, I see no options for this at all.


  • Edited by lprince90 Thursday, April 24, 2014 2:01 PM
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
April 24th, 2014 2:01pm

Hi Iprince90,

Did you try the suggestion my provided?

Re

April 26th, 2014 7:41am

Yes! I got swamped Friday, and I forgot to respond to this. I did try it, and the options still don't come up. I'm beginning to think they won't. :(
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
April 26th, 2014 10:50pm

Hi Iprince90,

Please try to restart explorer.exe process to check the result.

If the issue still persists,please let me know the current resolution and minimum resoltion for two monitors.

Regards,

April 28th, 2014 2:23am

This still didn't work for me..

My laptop resolution is 3200x1800, while my monitor's resolution is 1920x1080. I'm not sure what you mean by minimum resolution...

Thank you for your continued help!

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
April 28th, 2014 2:15pm

There is some known issues after in-place upgrade, you can refer to the article below:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318027

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/818150

April 30th, 2014 8:08am

I changed my laptop resolution down to 2048 x 1152 to fix another issue, and the taskbar reappeared on my second monitor...this must just be a Lenovo issue.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
April 30th, 2014 3:40pm

I have the same issue on a Lenovo T540P which also has a high DPI IPS panel (2880x1620). The issue occurs when the "Change the size of all items" in the Display control panel is set to the recommended size or smaller. 

However if you increase the size of items the taskbar magically appears.

But as you also noted the options for multiple displays are missing completely so this is definitely not a case of positioning. 

I've seen this issue reproduced on two other T540P laptops with the same high DPI screens. My best guess is this is a DPI scaling bug in explorer itself.....

I changed my laptop resolution down to 2048 x 1152 to fix another issue, and the taskbar reappeared on my second monitor...this must just be a Lenovo issue.

As changing the resolution will effect the DPI this is achieving the same as scaling everything up. FYI turning scaling up is not a good solution as this makes apps look too big on my external 1080p monitors.

Quite frustrating!


  • Edited by uuuppz Wednesday, May 07, 2014 12:08 AM
May 7th, 2014 12:06am

I understand that frustration 100%. I've had some moments in configuring my DPI, etc. where my mouse was massive, as well as all Windows-related windows on my 1920 x 1080 monitor...sad this bug has to exist!
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 7th, 2014 1:42pm

  • Marked as answer by kelvin_hsu22 hours 24 minutes ago

I am sorry but on what planet do you consider this to be a resolution of the issue? 
  • Edited by uuuppz Thursday, May 08, 2014 1:17 AM
May 8th, 2014 1:16am

I'm wondering if there's any further information on this issue.  I've searched around the web and this is the only place I've found any discussion on it.

I've got the same issue on my Dell Precision M3800.  It's equipped with the 3200x1800 resolution panel and two Dell U2713 external monitors daisy-chained via DP 1.2 at 2560x1440.  After 8.1 Update 1, the "multiple displays" options disappeared from the Taskbar and Navigation properties window, and the taskbar no longer spans across the extended monitors.

I know I can use 3rd party solutions, but would prefer not to if there's a solution to return those options.

And I agree, changing to a lower resolution is not an appropriate resolution and this the question should not be marked as answered.


  • Edited by N888 Monday, May 12, 2014 7:46 PM
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
May 12th, 2014 7:45pm

i have the same issue on a macbook pro using bootcamp. laptop screen is 2880x1800 and external is 1920x1080

very frustrating

May 18th, 2014 8:48pm

This worked for me as I was having the exact problem! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
June 18th, 2014 10:14am

I have a new Lenovo Yoga 2 with the same issue.  Yoga has a resolution of 3200 x 1800.  HDMI monitor is at 1900x1200.  Even changing the resolution of the Yoga, I do not get the option to add the taskbar to the 2nd monitor. 

Did you ever find a solution?  I tried what was already posted in this forum as well with no success.

July 3rd, 2014 5:28pm

I am getting this same problem. Please fix this, microsoft
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
July 5th, 2014 1:22am

I'm wondering if there's any further information on this issue.  I've searched around the web and this is the only place I've found any discussion on it.

I've got the same issue on my Dell Precision M3800.  It's equipped with the 3200x1800 resolution panel and two Dell U2713 external monitors daisy-chained via DP 1.2 at 2560x1440.  After 8.1 Update 1, the "multiple displays" options disappeared from the Taskbar and Navigation properties window, and the taskbar no longer spans across the extended monitors.

I know I can use 3rd party solutions, but would prefer not to if there's a solution to return those options.

And I agree, changing to a lower resolution is not an appropriate resolution and this the question should not be marked as answered.


To add some more information,

On my system, there's 7 notches available for DPI scaling.  If I select anything except the 6th notch (1 mark from "Largest"), the "Multiple Displays" options go away.  If I have it on the 6th option, which is actually one notch above the recommended setting, the multiple displays options come back along with the taskbar on both external monitors.

So either that or changing resolutions seem to be the only ways to toggle the availability of those settings.

I hope Microsoft addresses or at least specifically acknowledges this issue.

August 6th, 2014 9:51pm

If you change the external display to be your main display the option will re-appear. Then if you switch it back (at least in my case) the option will still be there. However, the taskbar was so ugly as i could not resize it that I'm just going to live with it on one display only. Windows needs to work on high dpi support of this stuff.
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
August 9th, 2014 7:34pm

For me, it was quite easy to get a decision:

- DELL Precision M3800 with 3200x1800 on Ultrabook TouchScreen + 1920x1200 on the second Monitor.
- Also the complete option "multiple Displays" is missing in taskbar properties.
- PLUS my System is automatically adjusting the window size/resolution when I move a window from the main screen to the second screen (which is quite practical having these different display sizes): Otherwise, elements which fit on one one Screen are too large or too small on the other screen.

To get the "Multiple Displays menu" back, with Option "Show Taskbar on all Monitors" I have to

1) Switch the Display to the second Monitor only (Win + P), reboot

2) Turn of the INTEL(r) HD Graphics Utility which sits in the System Tray

3) and re-enable the Extended Screen. That's it. (not sure if the reboot is necessary)

BIG DISADVANTAGE: Automatic Window resizing gets lost, and additionally, all items on the high Resolution Display are very very small afterwards.

Re-enabling the INTEL Utility brings back automatic resize and lets the taskbar disappear again.

My decision: I leave it like it is - for now - and I will make up a call with INTEL rather than with Microsoft.

"The bad boy" seems to be the INTEL Utility - at least in my case.

Have fun. -jk-

August 29th, 2014 12:19pm

I made another display as main. That helped.

Probably it did not work because my main display was in portrait mode and the second - in landscape.

Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
October 30th, 2014 11:27pm

I found 2 workarounds:
(1) turn off the auto DPI scaling (i.e. using Screen Resolution: "Make text and other items larger or smaller" -> "Let me use one scaling level for all displays") or
(2) reduce resolution of main display to 1920x1080 (to be closer to that of the others).
I think the 2nd is the least worst and you can restore the resolution of the main display and work OK (albeit with small icons) until you next sign in.

Based on this, I think the issue arises because the resolution of my monitors is so different to the main one's (1280x1024 cf. 3200x1800).
July 17th, 2015 6:42am

This topic is archived. No further replies will be accepted.

Other recent topics Other recent topics