Latest Windows 10 Cumulative Update Hoses Multi-Monitor Support For Gamers
A cumulative update for Windows 10 is currently making the rounds and that is potentially bad news for gamers with multi-monitor setups. Microsoft lists a couple of known issues that are tied to the update, one of which can cause abnormal behavior when running 3D rendering apps (mostly games) on systems with more than one monitor. Such users might see delays or clipped content on their multi-monitor setups.
There are a couple of workarounds that Microsoft suggests, neither of which is all that satisfactory. The first is to run the game or app in Windows mode rather than fire it up in full screen mode. And if that does not solve the issue, Microsoft says users should resort to starting the application or game with only one monitor connected. We assume those are meant to be temporary fixes until Microsoft can figure out the issue and properly fix it.
The other known issue is that the Cluster Service may not start automatically on the first reboot after applying the update. A workaround is to start the Cluster Service with the Start-ClusterNode PowerShell cmdlet, or just perform another reboot.
These types of issues, and especially the multi-monitor bug, underscore the problem with forced updates in Windows 10. While relatively minor annoyances in the grand scheme of things, they're annoyances nonetheless and they point to the larger issue of a user's hands being tied if a Windows Update messes things up.
Things are going to improve for some Windows 10 users. A recent build of the Windows 10 Insider Preview came with the ability to pause updates for up to 35 days. That would give users plenty of time to see if there are reports of an update having unintended consequences, though it is only being tested on Windows 10 Professional, Education, and Enterprise editions.
There are a couple of workarounds that Microsoft suggests, neither of which is all that satisfactory. The first is to run the game or app in Windows mode rather than fire it up in full screen mode. And if that does not solve the issue, Microsoft says users should resort to starting the application or game with only one monitor connected. We assume those are meant to be temporary fixes until Microsoft can figure out the issue and properly fix it.
The other known issue is that the Cluster Service may not start automatically on the first reboot after applying the update. A workaround is to start the Cluster Service with the Start-ClusterNode PowerShell cmdlet, or just perform another reboot.
These types of issues, and especially the multi-monitor bug, underscore the problem with forced updates in Windows 10. While relatively minor annoyances in the grand scheme of things, they're annoyances nonetheless and they point to the larger issue of a user's hands being tied if a Windows Update messes things up.
Things are going to improve for some Windows 10 users. A recent build of the Windows 10 Insider Preview came with the ability to pause updates for up to 35 days. That would give users plenty of time to see if there are reports of an update having unintended consequences, though it is only being tested on Windows 10 Professional, Education, and Enterprise editions.
