As a workaround, I would suggest saving your workspace to a "Workspace Quick Select" slot, e.g., Slot 1. Then you can restore the TM FX workspace (including proper GUI size and position) at any time using the key combination ALT-1 (or Option-1 on the Mac).
TM FX offers 30 such slots for quick changing or restoring. The first nine are quickly accessible by key combinations: ALT-1 .. ALT-9.
I frequently use it when trying something out for myself or for the forum. With this functionality, I am reliably back to my old state in less than a second.
Regarding your issue – technical background
I was also struggling with a similar effect since I migrated from an Eizo FlexScan EV2457 (24", 1920x1200, 16:10, connected via DisplayPort) to an MSI MPG 322URXDE OLED monitor (32", 3840x2160, Windows scaling 150%, connected via HDMI).
I use HDMI 2.1 because my NVIDIA RTX 4070 only offers DisplayPort 1.4, which has considerably less bandwidth than HDMI 2.1.
4K at 240 Hz requires DSC (Display Stream Compression) on both, but a higher compression ratio on DP 1.4.
Something causes not only the TotalMix FX window but also other open applications to shrink and move to the top left corner of the screen. I am not 100% sure, but it seems to be related to the monitor entering a sleep or standby state and thereby apparently disconnecting from the computer.
The fact that other applications are affected as well indicates that, at least in my case, the root cause is not TotalMix FX itself.
An AI-assisted analysis (Claude) came to the following conclusions, which match my observations:
The symptom "window suddenly tiny and in the top left corner" best fits a scenario in which the monitor briefly disappears from Windows' perspective (hot-plug detection event, HPD).
If the monitor goes into standby mode, Windows switches off the display, or the signal drops, some monitors report a disconnection via the HPD line. Windows then removes the display from the display topology, moves the windows to the remaining (virtual) area, and shrinks them in the process. When the monitor comes back on, the windows remain there.
Microsoft has officially acknowledged the issue, called "Rapid HPD" (DirectX Developer Blog, April 2021: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/ … rangement/). The mitigation was introduced with Insider Build 21287, but according to Microsoft, it requires at least two external monitors on desktops. So it does not help with a single-monitor setup.
A user comment below that blog post describes exactly this problem: a 4K TV was connected via HDMI as the primary display to a Windows 10 system. After several hours with the TV switched off, the windows were stacked in the top-left corner.
Why TotalMix FX is affected (possibly often) can only be speculated upon:
TM FX runs permanently in the system tray and is therefore always open when such an event occurs.
The new interface zooms depending on the DPI and has a minimum size.
The window geometry is saved in the TM FX config file (e.g. "last.BabyfacePro1.xml"), so an incorrect state persists even after a restart.
Your case also fits the pattern: the computer restarts at 5:20 AM while the monitor is in standby mode. TM FX then might start without an active display.
For me the situation became much better after changing the following settings on my new 32" OLED monitor.
I recommend changing them one at a time to see which one makes the difference.
The menu names are MSI's; other manufacturers use different names (Samsung, for example, calls CEC "Anynet+").
1. Turn "Auto Scan" OFF
With Auto Scan ON, the monitor searches other inputs for an active signal as soon as none is present at the selected input.
When Windows turns off the display, the signal disappears, and the monitor starts scanning the other inputs. This can lead to the following: the currently used HDMI input is temporarily deselected, and many monitors deassert HPD on an input that is not selected. Windows then detects a disconnection. Upon waking, the monitor may also need longer to lock onto the HDMI signal again. During this time, Windows may already be processing a changed display topology.
With Auto Scan OFF, the monitor remains on the selected input and waits. This has no disadvantage when using only one source. The only consequence is that if you switch to another input for testing, e.g., DisplayPort, the input must be changed manually.
2. If this doesn't help, disable HDMI CEC
CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is a control bus in the HDMI specification with its own dedicated line. Devices use it to switch each other on and off or to change inputs. It is mainly intended for TVs, consoles, and AV receivers. GeForce cards reportedly do not support it, so disabling it costs nothing on a typical PC setup.
3. If this doesn't help either, set the monitor's power button to "Standby"
According to my MSI monitor's manual, the button switches off the monitor completely in OFF mode, and only the panel and backlight in Standby mode. This setting only matters when the monitor is switched off with its own power button, not when Windows turns off the display.
OFF: The monitor electronics are likely largely switched off. Typically, the HPD signal disappears, Windows registers a disconnection, and windows can be moved and resized.
Standby: The electronics likely remain active. The graphics card continues to transmit; the monitor simply turns off the panel. If HPD remains active, Windows won't notice anything, and the windows will remain unchanged.
Standby is therefore the more favorable setting for this problem.
BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent
