This AppleScript is sort of a hack to restore window positions after removing/adding an external display, similar my other script to move all windows to the main screen. You should run it before you disconnect the display, then again when you reconnect it. It’s customized for my environment right now, so you’ll need to look through the code a bit to customize it. I have this saved as an application in my Applications folder for quick launching with Spotlight.
property numFFWindows : 0
property FFPos : {}
property FFSize : {}
property iTunesPos : {}
property iTunesSize : {}
property iCalPos : 0
property iCalSize : 0
property AdiumContactsPos : 0
property AdiumContactsSize : 0
property AdiumIMSize : 0
property AdiumIMPos : 0
property OFPos : 0
property OFSize : 0
display dialog "Set Window Position or Save Window Position?" buttons {"Restore", "Save"} default button "Restore"
set theResult to result
tell application "System Events"
if (button returned of theResult is "Restore") then
-- Restore Settings
if (numFFWindows > 0) then
tell process "Firefox"
repeat with i from 1 to numFFWindows
set position of window i to (item i of FFPos)
set size of window i to (item i of FFSize)
end repeat
end tell
end if
if (iTunesPos is not {0, 0}) then
tell process "iTunes"
set position of window 1 to iTunesPos
set size of window 1 to iTunesSize
end tell
end if
if (iCalPos is not {0, 0}) then
tell process "iCal"
set position of window 1 to iCalPos
set size of window 1 to iCalSize
end tell
end if
if (OFPos is not {0, 0}) then
tell process "OmniFocus"
set position of window 1 to OFPos
set size of window 1 to OFSize
end tell
end if
if (AdiumContactsPos is not {0, 0}) then
tell process "Adium"
set position of window "Contacts" to AdiumContactsPos
set size of window "Contacts" to AdiumContactsSize
repeat with i from 1 to (count windows)
if ((window i) is not (window "Contacts")) then
set position of window i to AdiumIMPos
set size of window i to AdiumIMSize
end if
end repeat
end tell
end if
else
-- Save Settings
tell process "Firefox"
set numFFWindows to count windows
set FFPos to {}
set FFSize to {}
repeat with i from 1 to numFFWindows
set end of FFPos to (position of window i)
set end of FFSize to (size of window i)
end repeat
end tell
tell process "iTunes"
set iTunesPos to position of window 1
set iTunesSize to size of window 1
end tell
tell process "iCal"
set iCalPos to position of window 1
set iCalSize to size of window 1
end tell
tell process "OmniFocus"
set OFPos to position of window 1
set OFSize to size of window 1
end tell
tell process "Adium"
set AdiumContactsPos to position of window "Contacts"
set AdiumContactsSize to size of window "Contacts"
set AdiumIMPos to {}
set AdiumIMSize to {}
repeat with i from 1 to (count windows)
if ((window i) is not (window "Contacts")) then
set AdiumIMPos to (position of window i)
set AdiumIMSize to (size of window i)
end if
end repeat
end tell
end if
end tell