Stop A Game From Minimizing When Using A Second Screen

Total immersion is the standard by which many modern gamers rate their gaming experience, and a second monitor is a powerful tool to enhance it. However, many find that their game window minimizes when they try to interact with the second screen, ruining the immersion.

Fortunately, there are solutions to prevent your game window from minimizing when using a second screen. This guide will show you how to manage multiple monitors effectively without disrupting your game.

Understanding the Problem

When you run a game on your primary monitor and try to interact with your secondary monitor, the game might minimize. This occurs because the system treats the monitors as parts of a single display, which can cause interruptions. Here’s how you can fix it.

1. Use Game Window Settings

Steps to Adjust Game Window Settings:

1. Open the game’s settings menu.
2. Locate the “Functions” tab.
3. Select “Prevent Window Deactivation” from the Window Management section.
4. Choose a key combination to toggle this setting.
5. Save the changes and use the key combination to switch between monitors seamlessly.

2. Use Borderless Windows

A borderless window is a compromise between fullscreen and windowed mode, allowing you to interact with multiple screens without minimizing the game.

How to Enable Borderless Window:

1. Open the game’s settings menu.
2. Enable the “Borderless Window” option.
3. Check and adjust the aspect ratio if necessary.
4. Test by interacting with the second monitor to ensure the game window remains active.

3. Use Taskbar Settings

Sometimes, altering taskbar settings can help maintain game focus.

Steps:

1. Right-click on the taskbar and open “Taskbar Settings.”
2. Enable “Show taskbar on all displays.”
3. Restart the game and test the second monitor interaction.

4. Utilize Display Extension Settings

Ensure your system correctly recognizes and extends your displays.

How to Extend Displays:

1. Close the game.
2. Open “Settings” and navigate to “System.”
3. Go to “Display” and select “Multiple Displays.”
4. Choose “Extend These Displays” from the dropdown menu.
5. Apply the changes and restart your game.

5. Check for System Updates

System updates can sometimes resolve underlying issues causing your game to minimize.

Steps to Check for Updates:

1. Open “Settings” with Windows key + I.
2. Go to “Update & Security.”
3. Click “Check for Updates” and install any available updates.

6. Close Background Applications

Background applications can consume resources and cause the game to minimize.

What to Do:

1. Open “Task Manager” with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Identify and close unnecessary applications running in the background.
3. Restart your game.