MultiMon taskbar not saying on top

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GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

Hi

Not sure if it's just a darn setting since i have tried it all but, when even i launch FF (firefox 3.6) and a few other apps at times the taskbar is not always on top it's behind FF. The only way I can get it to be on top is to minimize FF and then maximize it again.

Windows 7 x64 (pro), Dual monitor setup

Thanks

Feb 10, 2010 • #1

At the time that the taskbar goes behind the Firefox window, do you have any other windows that might be considered fullscreen? Like a video window, or something other software running fullscreen?

Feb 10, 2010 • #2

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

sorry was out of town, anyway yes does it on Opera, Photoshop CS4 and i think that is it so far.

Feb 13, 2010 • #3

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

just wanted to check on the status of this one. Still kind of a pain having to minimize apps that are consider full screen to get taskbar.

Mar 6, 2010 • #4

Do you have any other software running that manages windows as well? Does this happen when the computer is coming out of sleep, or does it happen all the time?

Mar 8, 2010 • #5

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

No other programs and this happens all the time. Will do it for sure if i have multiple apps running on the monitor that is using the taskbar. Like right now, have FF running and got the taskbar showing, ran keepass and now taskbar will not show, i have to minimize FF and then it will work again.

Mar 8, 2010 • #6

I just want to clarify, it's only Firefox that is doing this, correct? If so, can you try starting Firefox in "safe-mode" and disable all of your add-ons to see if one of them is interfering with the Window resizing?

Mar 8, 2010 • #7

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

ok, did some more testin.

Happens with any app that is considered a full screen app. (FireFox 3.6, Opera 10.5, photoshop CS4)
Problem happens when ever you run a 2nd app (no matter what it is). Running a 2nd app or more is what cases it. Then you have to minimize the full screen app and maximize and then it all works fine.

FF does it even with all plugins off
Opera does not have any plugins running. Just the normal flash plugin.

OS: Win7 Pro x64

Mar 9, 2010 • #8

Ah, I see! Sorry, it took a while for me to find the problem.

This is by design, but it's obviously not a very good design on my part. When you fullscreen Firefox (for example), DisplayFusion "hides" itself behind Firefox. Then, when you launch a new application on that monitor, DisplayFusion is still hidden behind Firefox. The good news is that DisplayFusion can already work around this.

Just go into the DisplayFusion Settings window, on the Taskbar tab and enable the setting called "Show taskbar over fullscreen windows when they lose focus". This should enable the DF taskbar to bring itself on top again when another application is focused. For some reason, I had this setting default to disabled but I have now changed this to be enabled by default, just like Windows. I would appreciate it if you can follow-up to let me know if this takes care of it for you. Thanks!

Mar 10, 2010 • #9

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

Thanks for the information. I did check the setting and it is selected (was during testing) since I did not have to change it. Did uncheck it, click apply & then rechecked it and still no change.

Screen Shoot of settings bellow

• Attachment: taskbar_settings.png [17,665 bytes]

taskbar_settings.png

Mar 10, 2010 • #10

Kevin F.

450 discussion posts

Another fold to the mystery, but I am putting money on the auto-hide being the culprit.

Mar 10, 2010 • #11

Yes, I can almost guarantee that the auto-hide has something to do with it. I didn't realize you were auto-hiding your taskbar, I'll test this again and see what I can find out.

Mar 10, 2010 • #12

dchapman

51 discussion posts

This happens to me from time to time (mostly with FF & UltraEdit). I tried to reproduce this morning & can't get it to misbehave.

I also have auto-hide on taskbars.

Win 7 Enterprise 64.

I'll keep an eye out and see if I can figure out how to reproduce at will.

Mar 10, 2010 • #13

LarryLaser

26 discussion posts

Hey Jon,
I also have this problem, but, it is not always, just randomly.
I always use the "Auto-hide the DisplayFusion Taskbars" checkbox, and also the "Show taskbar in front of fullscreen applications when they lose focus" checkbox.
With any of these checkbox settings I still get a random lost taskbar. If I "Restore Down" or "Minimize" any of the windows then click on the task-bar (on that monitor), then it shows up normally the next time I Max out a window, but, like I said it randomly stays behind the window, and some times it is not just from maximized only. It has also happened on the restore size also, I can see it, (the task-bar popup), in the edges of the window.

Mar 12, 2010 • #14

dchapman

51 discussion posts

Hi Jon,

I can now repeat this issue at will.

Basically the steps are:

[list type=decimal]

Open VS2010 RC

Span VS2010 over two of my three monitors (centre & right most)

Open a WPF application that runs full screen

Run it

Swap the screen it is running on using hotkeys with move to monitor X

Exit by either stopping debugging or alt-f4

Check the taskbar on the right-most monitor, repeat from step 3 if the task bar isn't behind everything

[/ul]

I've attached an essentially empty WPF application (VS2010 format) that reproduces the problem. The window isn't set as top-most, its just a default app with the following XAML as the main form:

Code
Copy
Select All

Let me know if you need any more info.

Win 7 Enterprise 64 bit, Aero on. All taskbars set to autohide.

• Attachment: DisplayFusion.log [38,234 bytes]

• Attachment: DisplayFusionConfig.txt [13,051 bytes]

• Attachment: TestFullScreenDF.zip [44,790 bytes]

Mar 15, 2010 • #15

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

Thanks for all the info and helping out with this little bug. I take it it's not fixed in this new beta since it's still there for me.
Yea, totally forgot about mentioning it had to do with the auto hide on.

Mar 27, 2010 • #16

Sorry, it's not fixed in the first beta. I only had so many hours to fix bugs, and this one is a big one.

Mar 27, 2010 • #17

dchapman

51 discussion posts

Jon,

With the stuff you pull per release, no apologies are needed! We all know that threads like this one are not being ignored. I value the fact that I can sit here and install a new beta on the machine that I make my living on without worrying it's going to bork it.

Regarding the specific VS2010 reproduction method, I have noticed that sometimes the Windows taskbar gets stuck behind it too. If you get this one fixed, your taskbars will cope better than Windows...

If you need *any* assistance in testing any specific aspects or builds more logs, etc. don't hesitate to give us a shout.

Cheers,

Darren

Mar 28, 2010 • #18

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

yes, no worries about it. You do a great job fixing bugs and tweaking things for us all. Keep it up

Mar 29, 2010 • #19

dchapman

51 discussion posts

Jon,

This seems to be fixed with beta 5 (I'd say beta 4 but it became obsolete fairly quickly

).

I'll keep an eye on this for a few days and let you know if it re-occurs.

Cheers!

Darren

Apr 17, 2010 • #20

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

Well it still hates me, with FF 3.6.3 it still staying behind FF when other apps are launched. Going to try a clean install and see if that does it. I will get back to you..

Apr 17, 2010 • #21

dchapman

51 discussion posts

Quote:

Well it still hates me, with FF 3.6.3 it still staying behind FF when other apps are launched. Going to try a clean install and see if that does it. I will get back to you..

That sucks

My suspicions are now either minor differences in configuration between our setups are causing yours to be broken still.

Do you have a post-login step-by-step way of repeating?

I have tried and tried since beta 5 to repeat the issue and I can't.

Are you starting the apps maximised, on the same monitor, on diff. monitors?

I've tried every combination I could think of to repeat here.

My setup:

Win 7 64 Enterprise, 3 monitors (2 * 1920x1200 and 1 * 1920x1080). Two ATI video cards: 5850 & 3850.

I have turned off the minimize/maximise animations, am running Aero.

Windows taskbar auto-hides. DF taskbars configured exactly the same as yours.

NOT using the wallpaper features of DF (they've never been configured and Win7 is still doing its thing).

Cheers,

Darren

Apr 18, 2010 • #22

@Gothic: Can you post a screenshot of the taskbar being hidden, and the info from the Troubleshooting tab while the taskbar is stuck behind FF? Thanks!

Apr 19, 2010 • #23

dchapman

51 discussion posts

Jon,

Bad news. This happened to me again today.

I had Firefox maximised on monitor 3 (taskbar showing on top).
Fired up a little testbed app for a WPF control I'm writing (maximised, no borders) and used DF to move it to monitor 3.
The DF titlebar buttons were flashing on & off for my app's window (on for approx. 1s off for approx. 3).
Taskbar no longer on top on monitor 3.
Closed my app.
Taskbar still no longer on top on monitor 3.
Minimised FF & restored
Normal service resumed
Noticed that monitor 2 also had the same problem.
Had to resize VS2010 so that a couple of pixels of the taskbar were available to click on
Click on taskbar
Normal service resumed

Really bad news is that I didn't have any logging on & that I can't make it do it again.

Another strange thing is that I'm not getting the DF titlebar buttons flickering on & off every time I run my app either.

I'm going to turn on logging in the hope it happens again.

Cheers,
Darren

Apr 20, 2010 • #24

GothicDeath

40 discussion posts

yea, that is an evil little bug lol

Anyway, requested info and files attached. Still happening with beta 7.

• Attachment: log_File.rar [4,042 bytes]

• Attachment: taskbar_stuck.png [4,466 bytes]

taskbar_stuck.png

Apr 20, 2010 • #25

It is an evil bug! It's probably something silly that I'm missing too.

I'll work on re-producing the issue on my test machines, but so far I haven't had any luck. Thanks!

Apr 23, 2010 • #26

Sorry for the long delay in responding, but I think I have finally fixed this bug. Can you please give the new Beta 11 a try:
http://www.binaryfortress.com/Forum/index.php?topic=1310.0

Thanks!

Jun 3, 2010 • #27

dchapman

51 discussion posts

Jon,

I will be most interested in what Gothic finds with the new beta, but it appears to have improved things for me.

It's early days but I haven't had a taskbar get hidden so far (prevoius betas in this cycle actually made things worse for me)....

However (sorry!) There is a small issue that has been introduced in beta 11.

If you right-click on a taskbar item the context-menu appears behind the taskbar. This happens most of the time but I have noticed the following: