How to Persist a Multi-Monitor Layout for Every Account on Windows 11

Quick fix: Display arrangement saves per-user under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Display. Export this key on a configured account, import for each new user (or via Group Policy Preferences). For shared workstations, set the layout for the .DEFAULT user profile so new sign-ins inherit it.

You arrange three monitors in a specific physical layout. Sign in — layout is preserved. Another user signs in — the layout resets to whatever Windows guessed. You want all users on the shared PC to see the same arrangement.

How display layout is stored

Each user’s display arrangement is stored per-user in the registry. New users get default arrangement based on physical monitor detection — which Windows guesses wrong sometimes. Setting it once and propagating to other accounts requires manual work.

Method 1: Export and import the arrangement

1. Sign in as the user with the correct arrangement.
2. Open regedit, navigate to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Display.
3. Right-click → Export. Save as display-layout.reg.
4. Sign out. Sign in as another user.
5. Double-click the .reg file to import.
6. Sign out and back in.

Method 2: Apply to the default user profile

1. Configure the layout for one user.
2. Export the registry key as above.
3. Sign in as Administrator. Use regedit → File → Load Hive.
4. Browse to C:\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT. Load as a name like “DefaultUser”.
5. Import the display-layout.reg under the DefaultUser tree.
6. Unload the hive.
7. New users created after this point inherit the layout.

Method 3: Group Policy Preferences for fleet

1. Open Group Policy Management Console (domain admin tool).
2. Navigate to User Configuration → Preferences → Windows Settings → Registry.
3. Add the display-layout registry entries.
4. Apply to a GPO targeting the user OU.
5. All users in scope receive the layout on next login.

Verification

• New user signs in. Monitors are arranged correctly (primary, secondary, tertiary in the right positions).
• Drag windows between monitors — transitions follow the physical layout.

If none of these work

If the layout reverts despite imports, monitor identifiers may differ between accounts (each user’s session creates fresh GUIDs). For chronic mismatch, label monitors via EDID and use a third-party tool like DisplayFusion that handles per-user layout management.

Bottom line: Layout is per-user; propagate via registry export to default user profile or Group Policy Preferences. New users inherit the canonical layout.