macOS : Force Finder to open on desired Screen

1

Recently I installed a 32" monitor for my mom as she can’t see well… in doing so we moved her iMac behind the new monitor (not enough room to deal with two screens)

Soon discovered that Finder always opened on the iMac screen, even after moving the menu and dock to the new monitor.

Took a while , but figured how to make it open on the new monitor… (Google and AI was no help)

  1. Open Finder on the desired screen
  2. Select FORCE QUIT
  3. Relaunch Finder

it then seems to open in the last place it was… ie. the new screen.

2

Probably a bug in the iMac (or some incompatibility of the new screen)…

I have a MacBook Pro (Intel) with disabled built-in screen. I use it years on an external HD. I set it as main display once, and that was all…

3

This is High Sierra, but any number of sites confirmed that (at least then) Finder always opened on the internal screen.

4

I think I run the one before High Sierra…
OK, I remember now: El Capitan.

So, this can be a bug in High Sierra (or High Sierra / iMac or… whatever).

5

System Settings/Display use as PopUpMenu/Mirror for …

6

thats not a bad idea
set the external as the main monitor and have the iMac mirror that
then it should always come up on the external

1 Like
7

but what if they are two vastly different resolutions???

I assume that would also remove the ability to accidently move the move off the visible screen too

8

I had that too: the internal MacBook Pro was Retina, external was standard (1920 x 1080 @ 72 dpi)…

A bug is a bug.

9

what bug? that did not address the question