Issue with Geear KVM not transmitting video, keyboard, or mouse on a Windows system.
Issue with Geear KVM not transmitting video, keyboard, or mouse on a Windows system.
I have a CentOS 7 workstation and a Windows 10 workstation connected via an IOgear GCS1942 KVM switch. The KVM supports two monitors, so both devices share two Dell 24" displays. During frequent switching between the systems, the Windows machine often loses keyboard and mouse responsiveness, requiring a hard reboot to regain control. Another problem is that all open applications collapse into a single window when returning to the Windows machine (no issues on the CentOS workstation). Any advice would be appreciated.
Check the Reliability History and Event Viewer on your Windows 10 workstation. Do either log file or both capture any errors, warnings, or informational messages that align with OS changes during system switches.
Regarding the KVM setup:
What are the connections from keyboard and mouse to the KVM unit, and from the KVM to the computers and monitors?
Ensure each cable is functioning by testing with alternative cables.
Make sure the KVM software is current using the provided link.
I'm using the latest cables from the KVM box. I completed the firmware update today. The two monitors are linked to the KVM through display port connections—by the way, the monitors are Dell 24", while the PC uses a Dell Optiplex 7040 that connects via the built-in Intel display port video.
The problem of losing screen control is an intermittent issue. It hasn't occurred again since I wrote this. The recurring concern is that all open applications shift to one window each time.
In the reliability logs, errors are related to backgroundTaskHost.exe failing.
The CentOS machine initially faced issues that were fixed by creating EDID.bin files for each monitor and adding a configuration option to /etc/X11/xorg.conf that points to those files.
Previously, both systems used an analog IOgear KVM with VGA connectors, but the Windows PC never had any problems. The main difference in the Windows setup was the use of an NVIDIA graphics card; it was removed for this update, and the built-in video via display port connections is now in use.