Multiple monitors with Windows 11

[TOPSie]

I know this is a Windows / Display issue but I am seeking advice from you Access experts because it affects my Access application.
I have two PCs running the same application. Both have two monitors and both ran on Windows 10. The working practice was to display the (Access) application on one screen and everything else (Google, email etc ) on the other.
We had to upgrade one PC to Windows 11 and are trying to set up the two screens in the same way.
So the app start up screen is on the desired monitor, but whenever we open another Form (acDialog) this new form opens on the other screen, so both screens are showing the application (and the original screen is locked - acDialog'd) this is both confusing and annoying for the operator.

All other aspects of multi screen working seems to function - the pop-up screen can be dragged back, but the next pop-up goes to the other screen.

I don't think this needs an Access fix (I certainly hope not, as it could merss up the other PC!!)

Any clues would be welcomed


Thanks

[Welshgasman]

Have you tried dragging the form to the first monitor?

[TOPSie]

At start up the main screen is on first monitor. Click a button to open the pop-up - appears on second monitor. Drag original screen across (both on second monitor) close pop-up. Click for the pop-up again and it now appears on the first monitor (app is on second). Everything just flip flops

[Welshgasman]

No!, drag the popup.

[TOPSie]

If I drag the pop-up back to the first screen (both on same screen) then close the pop-up (main screen appears from underneath on the monitor) then start the same pop-up (or a different one) the new pop-up appears on the other screen leaving the main app screen on the origianl monitor. I have tried all combinations I can think of. The pop-up always goes to the other screen no matter where the main app is :-(

[Micron]

The problem sounds like a Windows setting issue since that's the only thing that changed.
What happens if you open a form that is not acDialog? If that is OK, I believe the link is for code that opens other forms relative to the calling form. If that form is on the correct monitor, it may work for you. AFAIK, any form that gets dragged to the correct monitor before being closed should open on that monitor - unless perhaps you have MoveSize code that's interfering.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...8-4f5921478244

[isladogs]

Popup forms appear on the screen where they were last saved.
You need to change to design view, move the form to where it should appear then save it.
Next time it will open in the location you set

[TOPSie]

Popup forms appear on the screen where they were last saved.
You need to change to design view, move the form to where it should appear then save it.
Next time it will open in the location you set

All the "design" is done on a system with a single monitor. It is deployed to two PCs - one Windows 10 and one WOndows 11. On the WIndows 10 machine the app and all its forms/reports/queries all stay on the same screen. WIndows 11 they flip backwards and forwards. At start up, depending on underlying data there are potentially 3 "reminder" pop-up windows which the user must acknowledge. What happens - initial screen (monitor 1) ; first reminder (monitor 2); second reminder (monitor 1); third reminder (monitor 2)

[isladogs]

Can you please clarify whether you are talking about dialog forms or popup forms as you used both terms interchangeably and they have different meanings
My answer in post #7 was for popup forms.
Dialog forms (unless also popup) should always open on the same screen as the Access application interface

Unfortunately, I don't have Windows 11 so am unable to check your issue myself but I've never heard of this being a problem until now.
Once you respond to my questions above, I'll check and let you know if I hear anything

[TOPSie]

Can you please clarify whether you are talking about dialog forms or popup forms

I am talking primarily about modal forms (acDialog). Not sure what a pop-up form is in Access terms -so I shouldn't have used this term really (Sorry)

In purely non-Access terms this has been a difficult exercise - I am off-site and there have been issues cabling the second monitor and the people on-site are not technical. When they finally got the second screen working it exhibited this behaviour.
Looking at the Windows (11) settings all the screen settings look correct - except when you click on "Detect" it says it cannot find the second monitor - even though it is in use (by Windows).

[isladogs]

There are 3 form types with different behaviours: modal, popup and dialog
See theDBguy's Access Blog: Pop-up, Modal, or Dialog Forms

Modal forms prevent users doing anything outside the form until it is closed.
They are part of the Access UI so must be on the same screen as that.
They could only appear on another monitor if the entire Access UI is also moved

However, popup forms are independent of the Access UI so can be moved to / saved on a different monitor.

Dialog forms are different again. They may be modal or popup or both or neither
The important difference is that dialog forms suspend all code execution until the form is closed.

So which of these do you have?

[TOPSie]

Remember on Windows 10 all interactions with this application (.accdb) occur on the same screen. On Windows 11 the displayed "panes" flip between the two monitors (M1 & M2). So this code

   
 DoCmd.OpenReport "repLoadingSheet", acPreview, , , acDialog
    
    If MsgBox("DO YOU WANT TO PRINT?.", vbYesNo, "") = vbYes Then
        DoCmd.OpenReport "repLoadingSheet", , , , acDialog
    End If

Starts off on M1 then report preview appears on M2. Then the MsgBox question appears on M1.
And whilst everything is visible it does confuse the operator (who was used to the Windows 10 setup) and does require extra long mouse movements.

[isladogs]

You didn't answer my question above

In any case, I thought you were talking about forms but the above is for a report

Why are you opening a report in dialog mode twice (or at all?)
The first line should be acViewPreview not acPreview though Access interprets the command correctly
Adding acDialog makes the report a popup and suppresses the print preview ribbon

Why not omit the acDialog and just show the Print Preview ribbon... then the rest of the code is redundant

[TOPSie]

Just for background. I took on support of a preexisting Access application about 4 years ago. The application was then about 15-20 years old and had been developed and updated by two different people (sequentially not consecutiveley) both people are no longer contactable. My background is VB.Net with only a basic knowledge of Access - so it has been a steep learning curve. The code is full of things that others would do differently but by and large it delivers the right results for the user.
Whilst your remarks are good and lead me to wish I could do better, I do not have the time nor does the user have the money to go through the code implementing "best practice".
To be honest I did wonder whether it was the right thing to do when posting this question since it is obviously a Windows 11 screen handling issue not an Access issue (Windows 10 perform in acceptable ways - even if the Access code needs improvement!!).
There are threads elsewhere complaining about context menus appearing on the "other" screen in Windows 11 - nothing involving Access. So I was just asking if any Access people had had similar issues with Windows 11. And whilst hints and tips on improving the code are welcome, the last thing I want or have time for is to go through the code changing every DoCmd.OpenForm/Report etc etc. We are talking about something like 200 Class Objects/Modules (and yes that is probably bad practice to have so many - but at least it is not like C# with so many snippets of code all with just a few lines of "code"

[isladogs]

I understand fully how difficult it can be maintaining applications that were written by others.
As an Access consultant, there are many times when I would like to rewrite old code ... but clients rarely are willing to pay for that

However the reason I tried to pin you down on whether your forms (or reports) are popup / modal or dialog is because it may affect the advice both I and others suggest.
Perhaps you could upload a cut down database that exhibits the issues. This would at least allow others with Windows 11 to test & see if it is replicable

As it is, I am unable to assist further.