Monitors in the wrong order in Windows?

You move your mouse right to reach the monitor on your right, and the cursor jumps off the left edge instead. Windows thinks your screens are in a different order to how they're actually sitting. Here's how to fix it.

First, work out which screen is which

Windows labels your monitors 1, 2, 3, but those numbers don't always match where the screens physically are. To see the labels:

1. Right-click the desktop → Display settings.
2. Click Identify. A big number flashes up on each screen, so you can see which physical monitor Windows calls 1, which it calls 2, and so on.

Put them in the right order

1. Still in Display settings, you'll see the numbered boxes at the top.
2. Drag each box so their left-to-right order matches how the monitors actually sit on your desk. If your right-hand screen is "1", drag box 1 to the right of box 2.
3. Line the boxes up level with each other (or match their real heights) so the cursor crosses between them cleanly.
4. Click Apply.

While you're there, it's worth setting the correct primary monitor too, so the taskbar lands on the right screen.

Why it goes wrong in the first place

Monitors get their number from the order Windows detects them, which depends on ports, cables and which one powers up first, not where they sit on your desk. That's why a dock or a hot desk so often lands them in the wrong order: it's a different detection order each time. Rearranging in settings fixes it for that session, but the next dock can undo it.

The one-click fix

ScreenSwytch flashes a big number on each screen and asks you to tap the one on your left. From that, it puts every monitor in the right order, sets the correct primary, and extends them, in a single click. It works out the ordering for you, so you never drag boxes again, at any desk.