Multi-monitor aware application: disable windows automatic monitor configuration

Question

OS: Windows 8

My application works using a specific hardware involving a main monitor (that is always the same) and an HDMI port that can be used to add a secondary monitor. I need to manually configure the monitors configuration. For example I don't want to change the main monitor resolution allowing the clone mode only if the main resolution is supported and so on.

Using Windows API I can receive the message generated by plug/unplug of the monitor (WM_DISPLAYCHANGE detected by WindowsProc), test all I want and define my configuration (QueryDisplayConfig, SetDisplayConfig, EnumDisplaySettings... ).

My problem is that windows automatically set the monitors configuration and so what I can do is only to make a second change to the configuration that I want. Is there a way to disable the automatic multi-monitors re-arrangement substituting it with "my own" plug'n play?

Answer 1

Would an EDID manager work? It will fake a monitor being hooked up to prevent the system from reconfiguring your monitor setup. Something like the Display Detective by Gefen - separate DVI or HDMI or DisplayPort models.