Why your Mac loses window positions when you lock it
The most common version of this problem isn't sleep at all: you lock the Mac for a coffee and come back to every window on one screen. It happens because macOS turns the displays off a few minutes after you lock, and a DisplayPort monitor that sleeps looks unplugged to the Mac. The write-up has two Terminal commands to confirm it on your Mac, plus the settings that stop it and what they don't cover.
https://manydisplays.com/mac-los...
If it happens on your desk too, I'd like to hear which monitors you use.
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does this happen more often with DisplayPort monitors than HDMI displays? I’d love to know whether the fix works consistently across different monitor brands and Mac models.
Yes, mostly DisplayPort, USB-C and Thunderbolt monitors, because they drop the link when the panel sleeps, while HDMI ones usually stay connected. The screen saver fix works on any monitor and any Mac, since the displays never turn off. The deep sleep setting depends on the model: not every monitor has it, and some docks drop the link anyway.