README

This script automates the process of switching your primary monitor with a dummy monitor using MultiMonitorTool. This is useful for users of Sunshine (a screen sharing software) who experience issues with streaming their primary monitor or in cases they want to keep their main monitor off.

CAVEATS

• If you are using Windows 11, you need to set your default terminal to "Windows Console Host". Windows Terminal is currently bugged and does not respect hiding PowerShell scripts.
• Once you install this script, you cannot move this folder as it will break the automation. If you need to move the folder, simply uninstall and install the script again.

REQUIREMENTS

For GFE users

• None

For Sunshine users

• Host must be Windows
• Sunshine must be installed as a service (it does not work with the zip version of Sunshine)
• Sunshine logging level must be set to Debug
• Users must have read permissions to %WINDIR%/Temp/Sunshine.log (do not change other permissions, just make sure Users have at least read permissions)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Open up MultiMonitorTool and click on File -> Save Monitors Configuration and save it in the current folder this script is located in with the name of primary.cfg.

2. Repeat the same steps of step 1, except save it with the name of dummy.cfg.

3. Open up the dummy.cfg file and set every parameter related to your primary monitor's position, refresh rate, etc. to 0. For example:

    Name=\\.\DISPLAY1
    MonitorID=MONITOR\GSMC0C8\{4d36e96e-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\0009
    SerialNumber=LGTV
    BitsPerPixel=0
    Width=0
    Height=0
    DisplayFlags=0
    DisplayFrequency=0
    DisplayOrientation=0
    PositionX=0
    
    Name=\\.\DISPLAY11
    MonitorID=MONITOR\XMD29831\{4d36e96e-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\0007
    SerialNumber=DUMMY
    BitsPerPixel=32
    Width=3840
    Height=2160
    DisplayFlags=0
    DisplayFrequency=120
    DisplayOrientation=0
    PositionX=0
   

   In the example above, every numerical value has been set to 0, which lets the script know that the display should be turned off.
   Also take note in the example, that my dummy display should have values configured to let it know that it should be turned on.

4. Verify that in both primary.cfg and dummy.cfg that only one display contains values for the BitsPerPixel, Width, Height, and so on.

5. Basically, primary will "zero out" the dummy plug, and dummy will "zero out" the main display. The reason is so that the windows transfer back automatically to the other screen when swapping profiles.

6. In the MonitorSwap-Dummy.ps1 file, locate your primary MonitorId and copy and paste it to the primaryMonitorId variable. For example:

    $primaryMonitorId = "MONITOR\GSMC0C8\{4d36e96e-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\0009"
   

7. Install the script by double-clicking the Install Script.bat file.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If you encounter issues with the script, you can try the following:

• Check that your primary monitor MonitorId matches the value in the primaryMonitorId variable in the MonitorSwap-Dummy.ps1 file.
• Check that you have set every parameter related to the primary monitor's resolution in the dummy.cfg file to 0.
• Check that you have set every parameter related to the dummy monitor's resolution in the primary.cfg file to 0.
• Check that you have at least one monitor not "zeroed out" in both the primary.cfg and dummy.cfg files.
• Ensure that you have followed the requirements for Sunshine users as listed above.
• If you are still experiencing issues, try uninstalling and reinstalling the script.