PSA: Windows 10 Update KB3213936 Can Cripple Multi-Monitor Gaming

This Windows 10 update is causing multi-monitor systems to have major issues.

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The recent KB3213986 update for Windows 10 can make multi-monitor gaming impossible for some people. Users with multi-monitor systems who have installed the update can experience clipped screens and screen stuttering when running 3D applications. The only workaround so far, as suggested by Microsoft, is to start 3D-based applications in non-fullscreen modes, such as windowed borderless (pseudo-fullscreen) or windowed modes.

The known issues for the Windows 10 Update KB3213936 from Microsoft read:

Users may experience delayed or clipped screens while running 3D rendering apps (such as games) on systems with more than one monitor.

To work around this issue please consider the following options:

  • Running the application in Windows mode (not full screen)
  • Starting the application with only one monitor connected

If you are affected by these issues you can try to uninstall Windows 10 Update KB3213936 by:

  1. Navigating to the Settings Windows app.
  2. Go to Update & Security -> Windows Update -> Advanced Options -> View Your Update History.
  3. You can then choose Windows Update KB3213986 from the list and uninstall it.
  4. Uninstalling this update may restore functionality to your system.

However, there is also a chance that we may have to wait for a fix from Microsoft to completely cure the issues caused by this Windows update.

Contributing Editor
From The Chatty
  • reply
    January 12, 2017 9:36 AM

    Jason Faulkner posted a new article, PSA: Windows 10 Update KB3213936 Can Cripple Multi-Monitor Gaming

    • reply
      January 12, 2017 9:39 AM

      [deleted]

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      January 12, 2017 9:40 AM

      [deleted]

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        January 12, 2017 10:09 AM

        KBs never broke things with Windows 7!

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        January 12, 2017 10:15 AM

        This is a really unfortunate side effect of some changes that Satya Nadella made back in 2014.

        Satya is not a big believer in test and really bought into the whole "developers do their own testing" mantra that has been a big part of the 2010's. In 2014, he eliminated the vast majority of QA and SDET resources on the Windows team. It worked out great for me because I now have some amazing coworkers who were SDETs there, but it's been horrible for Windows as a whole.

        The entire point of QA is that they look at something differently from how developers do.

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          January 12, 2017 10:42 AM

          [deleted]

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            January 12, 2017 12:28 PM

            yeah, it's damn near a requirement. i make touch-screen apps for our show hosts to use on-air. i make them work how i think they should work. then i go down on set and see how the hosts use them. then i cry and drink excessively and start over to make it fit their process...

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              January 12, 2017 12:35 PM

              in this case the show hosts is you the Windows user

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          January 12, 2017 11:58 AM

          Interesting. Microsoft has been putting out a lot of bad windows updates lately. Wish they would go back to having more rigorous QA.
          It's start to get to the point where I delay updating anything a week or so to see if there are issues.

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      January 12, 2017 9:41 AM

      Can you link to the KB in the article?

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      January 12, 2017 9:42 AM

      [deleted]

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        January 12, 2017 9:46 AM

        I can't find anything outside of the Shacknews article mentioning it, which seems pretty weird.

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      January 12, 2017 9:43 AM

      Thanks Bill

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      January 12, 2017 11:26 AM

      I'm running the update, with 2 monitors, and haven't had any issues with the games I've launched since it updated. Is this only an issue with games that span multiple monitors?

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