how do i stop my computer not detecting one of my displays when idle?

[Ashleyyyy]

ok so i have a bad habit of just leaving my pc on when someone calls for me, and then i can be away for up to an hour sometimes. therefore i'd like to enable the screen timeout in Windows, so my displays aren't on constantly. 

 

however, once it times out my computer won't detect one of the displays for some reason. basically it times out and then it wakes up every 5 minutes or so and goes back to idle almost immediately, and if i wake it manually the displays flicker a bunch and i hear the sounds of the "device unplugged" and "device plugged in" things on Windows, and all my windows will be on my main screen and my second screen will be blank. 

 

this wasn't a problem when i had 1 screen obviously, but now that i have 2 it's a problem. 

 

my displays are:

Benq V2400W (main display)

Medion MD 20435 (secondary display)

[zassou]

what connector you pluggin in? which monitor behaves like this? the second monitor of yours seems like a generic rebadge/refurbish product.

 

go to settings -> system -> power (left) -> other power settings -> select turn off display -> drop down menu never

[Ashleyyyy]

25 minutes ago, zassou said:

what connector you pluggin in? which monitor behaves like this? the second monitor of yours seems like a generic rebadge/refurbish product.

 

go to settings -> system -> power (left) -> other power settings -> select turn off display -> drop down menu never

DVI. the second display. 

 

i know how to disable the timeout but that's something i don't wanna do jsut incase i forget to turn the machine off. 

[zassou]

dvi usually wont make the device disconnect nor it will cut the desktop back to single monitor. is the other monitor connect to hdmi or dp?

[Ashleyyyy]

Just now, zassou said:

dvi usually wont make the device disconnect nor it will cut the desktop back to single monitor. is the other monitor connect to hdmi or dp?

both are DVI. 

[zassou]

1 minute ago, Ashley said:

both are DVI. 

i see. i blame your second monitor. i dont like products that doesnt shows up on google search result.

 

unplug your main and leave second alone, see if problem persists. if so, try hdmi if you can. this sounds like the monitors psu, or worse, control board failing.

[Ashleyyyy]

1 minute ago, zassou said:

i see. i blame your second monitor. i dont like products that doesnt shows up on google search result.

 

unplug your main and leave second alone, see if problem persists. if so, try hdmi if you can. this sounds like the monitors psu, or worse, control board failing.

the problem goes away with the second on it's own, that's always been the case. 

 

also it's always done this, for YEARS. 

[zassou]

2 minutes ago, Ashley said:

the problem goes away with the second on it's own, that's always been the case. 

 

also it's always done this, for YEARS. 

are you using adapters? what is your graphics card? have you tried switching ports?

[Ashleyyyy]

39 minutes ago, zassou said:

are you using adapters? what is your graphics card? have you tried switching ports?

no, R9 290X, no.