Desktop icons move on restart on M1 Max

[pighuddle]

Ever since I've had my MBP M1 Max the desktop icons on one of my 4 displays (built in MBP 14" and 3 identical ThinkPad 24") show up on the wrong display ("wrong" as in not where I left them).

I have three displays in a horizontal row and one above, on top (see pic). On nearly every start or restart the desktop icons on the far left show up on the top monitor. A small inconvenience to move them every time, but it's slowly driving me mad.

I've tried a number of things to fix it, such as turning the the top display on last (icons pop up there as soon as it powers on), reorienting the arrangement in the prefs. I even tried rearranging the physical displays and swapping HDMI cables, but the OS always moves the far left displays icons to the top display on start.

I'm running Ventura currently, but it happened on day one with Monterey. Can anyone please tell me how to make the desktop items stay put?

Thank you!

 

[Bigwaff]

This sounds like your Mac can't determine which display is which. Displays have an identifier called EDID. Some manufacturers don't generate unique EDID identifiers for their displays. Without a unique EDID, the Mac can't tell which display is which. You could try this software to "fake" EDID identifiers using an override. Might solve your problem.

GitHub - waydabber/BetterDisplay: Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more!

Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more! - waydabber/BetterDisplay

github.com

 

[pighuddle]

Thank you, Bigwaff, but no luck with BetterDisplay. I tried to use it to import an edited EDID (edited via AW EDID Editor as suggested by the internet), but the identifiers revert to the originals on restart.

I should mention I have ZERO experience in this department. I simply used AW EDID Editor to change serial numbers of the displays and imported those EDIDs using BetterDisplay. AW EDID Editor shows a vast amount of info. I really have no idea how to edit an EDID. I just took a guess as to what to try....the wrong guess presumably.

Can you, or anyone please tell me the correct way to fake and override an EDID using BetterDisplay?

Thanks again!