I have a Windows 7 Ultimate host with two Nvidia Geforce GTX 760 video cards and 4 monitors. The monitors are arranged side-by-side and numbered 1,2,3,4 within Windows from left to right. Monitor 3 is the ‘main’ or primary screen within Windows.
In Vmware Workstation 11 (and older versions) I start a Windows 7 Ultimate guest on monitor 3. The guest is configured in Vmware to enter full screen after powering up (which fills monitor 3). The screen ‘flashes’ once after startup indicating it is ‘fully’ up and then I select on the Vmware toolbar Choose a monitor layout (#5) which enables monitors 2,3 & 4 for my guest. Finally, I logon to the guest and go to town in the desired monitor configuration.
In Vmware Workstation 12 I start the same Windows 7 guest on monitor 3. After Windows fully starts to allow logons, have not seen the customary ‘flash’, if I select on the Vmware toolbar and again Choose a monitor layout (#5) which should enable monitors 2, 3 & 4 for my guest, monitor #3 goes mostly black and has scroll bars. The guest remains within the confines of monitor #3. If I move the scroll bar left-right I can find the guest login screen but it will not function. I must Choose a monitor layout (#1) to get back to a single screen, logon to the guest and then select monitor layout #5.
There are two reasons I raise the issue. First, the screen going black when I Choose a monitor layout (#5) is not right. Second, selecting the monitor layout after logging into Windows usually rearranges icon layout and not desirable.
Along these lines, if any Vmware folks are watching, it is sure a shame that you cannot ‘assign’ monitors to the guest so they always come up in the desired configuration AND allow you to logoff and log back in (i.e. change user) to a guest without losing your monitor arrangement (again Windows 7 host and guest).
One very good bit of news. The video performance increase in this release is astounding. My Windows Experience for Graphics for the above guest went from 4.2 to 7.9. I only have a day under my belt running Workstation 12, but everything graphics wise is very much snappier and easily worth the upgrade price (and so far I will stay on Workstation 12).