How do I make windows save their position on screen after re-attaching a display?

Solution 1:

Any chance of you upgrading to 10.6? If so, you could use Stay from Cordless Dog.

Solution 2:

Slate is free and very powerful, and it does exactly what you want.

I answered this in a previously asked question, but I'll summarize my answer here:

When you plug in your secondary monitor, Slate automatically detects the new monitor, and all of your windows will be moved and resized just the way you like them. You can define custom positions and sizes for all of your applications, including full screen, half screen, and grid-based.

You can define different layouts based on how many monitors you have connected, and you can also define keyboard shortcuts for specific layouts or actions such as nudging and resizing windows by a certain percentage.

Try it out! Here is a helpful article on how to get the most out of Slate.

Solution 3:

I've been using Breeze to remember window positions when switching between an external monitor and the internal monitor of my MacBook Air. It works with 10.5, there's a free demo and it's not too expensive at $8. With Breeze you define window positions and sizes and then you can hotkey them. You can also set positions/sizes for specific applications in addition to the global setting.

Dori, thanks for that link to Stay, I've been looking for something that does exactly that and I'm running 10.6. Thanks!