Arrange Multiple Monitors on Mac like Tetris - Why is it so difficult to rearrange Displays?

[tekfranz]

I use a MacBook Pro with three Apple Multi-A/V Dongles. Every time I reconnect my Laptop, the Display arrangement is incorrect. So I need to rearrange the displays.

It is very hard to rearrange the displays because you cannot insert one display between two other Displays. Plus the screen refresh after every drag. So I fell like I am playing a puzzle game or Tetris.

How do you quickly rearrange your displays if they are mixed up? Is there some special way to drag a monitor between two other monitors?

 

[tekfranz]

So one key piece of information here is that I am using 3 external Monitors with my MacBook Pro.

So on returning to my office I experimented with plugging the monitors in in a certain sequence.

And it works. The key seems to be to plug the monitor closest to the MacBook Pro in first and then plug the next furthest and the next furthest in.

I am going to try this sequence for a few days and see if it is a good solution.

I still believe my Mac identifies and remembers the specific monitors in some way, because the very last monitor always comes up as the last one no matter what the sequence.

But at least I have a work-around now.

 

[stockholm80]

The display arrangement is mainly stored in a file called 'com.apple.windowserver.plist'. It's usually located in the
/Users/(yourusername)/Library/Preferences/ByHost/ directory or in /Library/Preferences/.

Try right-clicking on that file and locking it. It should keep your arrangement in place.

 

[tekfranz]

Ok to answer my own question as far as rearranging displays it appears like if you follow the following steps you arrange displays correctly:

1. Our Laptop Screen Open System -> Display Preferences.
2. Click the gather windows button bring all the individual screen settings onto your main laptop screen.
3. Go to the arrangement tab.
4. Important start at the right-most monitor (possibly leftmost...depending on your setup.)
5. Align it perfectly vertical above the monitor you wish to place it to the right of.
6. This arrangement of placing the monitor above will trigger MACOS to open a space up beside the monitor.
7. Drag the monitor down into he open space.
8. Yay! you re-arranged your monitor while avoiding a full blown Tetris Game!