External displays windows get reset to Built-in Display after Lock Screen or Sleep.

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External displays windows get reset to Built-in Display after Lock Screen or Sleep.

I'm on a new Mac Pro M2 Max 14" (2023).

I have two external displays that are properly recognized by the Mac (a Dell and Asus).

Both are connected via USB-C to HDMI cables from the Mac.

I arrange my windows across the the two displays. But when I select Lock Screen or select Sleep, and wait a few minutes the windows on the external displays are relocated to the Built-in Display when I sign back in.

Note: If I sign-in right after selecting Sleep or Lock Screen the issue doesn't take place. But if I wait a few minutes then they are repositioned/relocated.

Note: The external displays show the background or screen saver properly when locked.

This is obviously very problematic as it takes me a few minutes several times a day to reset the windows (I also use multiple virtual desktops aka Spaces).

Turn display off on power adapter when inactive is set to "Never"
Automatically rearrange Spaces base on most recent use is "Off"
Both displays are recognized (Dell and Asus)

This past issue is related Display settings completely reset after s… - Apple Community

However I don't experience swapping of windows across external displays, they simply move to the main display (built-in).

Should I reset the SMC like the old days? Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

Any help and fix would be great!

MacBook

Posted on Mar 9, 2023 4:18 PM

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Answer 1

Ben_Z1

Community Specialist

Mar 10, 2023 5:38 PM in response to Tomatosan

Hi there Tomatosan,

If your external display layout is changing to the built-in display after the Mac sleeps, the first thing we would advise is to use another cable, adapter or external display to see if this issue continues. This will help isolate if the Mac or something else is responsible for this behavior.

If this occurs with multiple cables, ports, adapters and external monitors, then let's next ensure your Mac is fully updated. This installs feature improvements and bug fixes that can resolve unexpected issues like this. These steps from Update macOS on Mac show how to back up and update:

Before following these steps, it's a good idea to back up your Mac.

1. From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Settings or System Preferences.

* If you chose System Settings, click General on the left side of the window. Then click Software Update on the right.

* If you chose System Preferences, click Software Update in the window.

2. Software Update then checks for new software.

* If Software Update finds new software, click the button to install it. The button might be named Update Now, Upgrade Now, Install Now, or Restart Now, for example. You might then be asked to enter your administrator password.

* If Software Update says that your Mac is up to date, then no new software is currently available for your Mac model. Software Update shows only software that is compatible with your Mac.

If this persists after looking over that, then Apple Support would be the best equipped to investigate this further. Connect with them here: Contact - Official Apple Support

Take care!

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External displays windows get reset to Built-in Display after Lock Screen or Sleep.

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