Cura fails to open when second monitor is disconnected

[B_STJ 1]

Hi all,

 

I saw a few people with multi-monitor problems but couldn't find any solution to fix what I am experimenting:

 

I usually have my laptop "closed" while it is on its docking station because I use an external monitor therefore it is my main - and only - monitor. Since the very begining when I started using Cura last year, I never had any problems.

 

Last week, I had to take my laptop off the docking station (therefore without the external monitor) and when I launched Cura, it failed to open. I tried a few times and it kept failing to open.

 

So I put my laptop back on my docking station and re-launched Cura and this time it worked. So I re-tried the dock > launch Cura > close Cura > undock > launch Cura pattern a few times and it consistently failed to open when it was off the docking station.

 

I read somewhere online that if I unchecked the option Cura > Preferences > Configure Cura > General > Restore window position on start it could fix that issue but it doesn't; regardless if that option is checked or not, the problem remains.

 

I brought my laptop home the other day and Cura failed to open so I had to hooked-up a cheap monitor I had kicking around just so that I could open Cura then once opened, I removed the monitor and all was fine.

 

So.... how can I fix this once and for all?

 

Thanks!

 

Ben

[gr5 2,172]

1) Is this a mac?  (this is the most important question and not realated to answer #2 below but most people won't answer it)

2) Make super sure cura isn't running.  On a PC do task manager, locate it and kill it.  Then you can edit the cura.cfg file in the same folder as the cura.log file.  In cura use the "help" menu to locate where that folder is.  It's a small file and easy to read.  Set the top and left window location to 0 and 0.  Set the width and height of the window to 800 pixels or something that is larger but not larger than your monitor. 

 

The cura.log file is here:

%APPDATA%\cura\<Cura version>\cura.log (Windows), or usually C:\Users\\<your username>\AppData\Roaming\cura\<Cura version>\cura.log
$USER/Library/Application Support/cura/<Cura version>/cura.log (OSX)
$USER/.local/share/cura/<Cura version>/cura.log (Ubuntu/Linux)

[ahoeben 1,948]

What is the resolution of the laptop display? It could be that - depending on the OS - Cura cannot open because it is requesting a window size that is too large for your display (if you have an old laptop).

[B_STJ 1]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry for the late response.

 

1) No, it is not a Mac.

2) The external monitor (Dell U3818DW on Display Port) resolution is 2560 x 1080. The max resolution for the laptop screen itself is 1980 x 1080 (an old Dell Latitude E6530). I don' think the problem is due to the resolution and here's why...

 

As I explained in my original post, this probelm is repeatable.

 

If I uninstall and re-install Cura from scratch without an external monitor connected and use only my laptop screen at a 1980 x 1080 resolution, all works fine.

 

If I leave my laptop 'closed' to use only the external Dell monitor at the 2560x1080 resolution, all works fine.

 

But after I hook-up a monitor to my laptop and start Cura at least once (therefore making the monitor the primary and only monitor), from this point-on, Cura will always and only open when an external monitor is connected.

 

When I brought my laptop home a few weeks back, that's when I realized what was happening so I grabbed an old cheap 19" monitor I had kicking around (with the blue VGA plug) and re-launched Cura then it opened fine because I had a monitor connected. If it was a resolution issue, then it would have failed to open on my 19" monitor because that is definitely not an HD monitor and its resolution is less than that of the laptop screen.

 

So it's like if Cura has a flag somewhere indicating that if it has previously launched on an external monitor, any attempt to open it afterwards will always attempt to open on the external monitor, even if nothing is connected.... it takes for granted that it is connected to a monitor even when it's not so it's like if it's failing to detect that the secondary monitor is present or not....

 

Let me know if this is clearer.

 

Cheers!

Ben

[ahoeben 1,948]

In the General preferences inside Cura, there's an option "Restore window position on start", which is checked by default. If you uncheck that option, Cura should always open on the primary display.

[B_STJ 1]

Hi Ahoeben,

 

It's already unchecked. Actually, I forgot to mention it but I had already tried this option and it doesn't change the way it behaves.

 

So even with that option unchecked, Cura will always fail to open if I don't have my secondary monitor connected. Last time I experienced this was a few weeks ago when I brought my laptop in the room where the printer is located and when I launched Cura, I could see it appear in Task Manager but then it went away. I repeated this a few times and it kept failing... and that option was unchecked.

 

The only way I was able to open Cura was to walk back to my office, put my laptop on my docking station so that my monitor was connected, then I launched Cura and it worked... so at that point I just saved my file to a USB key and did the print that way.

 

Thanks.

 

Ben

[Rinyuu 0]

Exactly the same problem here. "Restore window position" unchecked. Only launches when I have only one of my monitors active... I tried on both Cura 5.0.0 and 5.1.1, but still only get a white window on my taskbar's quick preview.

 

My setup: Dual 4K Samsung LU28R552UQRXEN

EDIT: I was messing around a bit to try to get it to work... Turns out you CAN get it running using a program called BorderlessGaming. Problem is it only works in fullscreen without minimize/close etc. buttons... But it does run for now!

Edited October 17, 2022 by Rinyuu

[jeremymorgan 3]

I'm having this problem too (with a 3 monitor system).

 

Cura starts, but its window does not appear on any of my 3 monitors.

 

Anybody find a fix for this?