dexpot loses my windows

[dgw]

I said "clicking an URL in an Outlook email in one window that switches to a different window where the browser is."

I meant, "one desktop that switches to a different desktop where the browser is"

[Chronic]

This window disappearance thing is a real problem. Should I try reverting to the previous version (before 1.6) , would that be any better.

Is this really something that cant be fixed? How is it that 50 windows are restored and 1 isnt ?

[Jim Davis]

Prior post was mine. Just for the record.

[Patrick]

Caught a disappearing window . Log doesnt show me anything , but maybe you will see something. Sending the entire log by email

Thanks! Here's a new test version:

dexpot.exe

Build 1805-wk2

(1.37 MiB) Downloaded 38 times

Please send me a new log file when it happens again.

[darrenlmo]

There maybe a bug that was introduced in the latest stable build too. I've had to go back to 1.5.12 Build 1690 to stop applications disappearing or minimizing when switching desktops and jumping to different desktops.

D

[Jim Davis]

I switched back to the latest 1.5 release and am having fewer problems with disappearing windows.

Will hold off testing that new build of 1.6 for a while.

Did you see something in that log file that was significant?

[Patrick]

Hint: We can't reproduce the problem on any of our test systems. Without people actually testing these beta versions, it's not going to get fixed.

[Jim Davis]

Yeah, I'm a programmer, I know this

Using the 1.5 build is much more stable , so something in the new version got hosed. It's hard for me to use a buggy version as I need a stable system during working hours.

[skottmckay]

The latest beta seems to be working better for me.

I have issues when the currently active desktop changes due to a background app triggering the change. I have a lot of desktop rules, and they generally involve apps being set to always move to a specific desktop. Problem happens when one of these apps creates a new window while a different desktop is active. That can lead to what was the current app (when the new window was created by the backgroup app in a different desktop) going into no mans land.

'No mans land' can be either completely off the screen, or far more annoyingly 'displayed' on one of more desktops, but not clickable in any way - so you can see it, but not use it.

Windows 7. Laptop + external monitor. 6 desktops. Dexgrid. Sevendex. 'Keep all taskbar buttons visible' checked.

I've also noticed that if an app is minimized to the task bar in Desktop X, clicking the taskbar icon for the app in a different desktop does nothing. This is very confusing. It should either switch to Desktop X and restore the app, or restore the app in the current desktop.

[skottmckay]

I'm also a programmer and have Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate if there's anything I can debug more closely for you.

[dkarr]

This is also a symptom that hits me a lot, although with a specific application. I'm currently on "1805-wk2+ppp", with Win7.

I have the flag enabled to put all the icons on the task bar, no matter what desktop they are on. With that, I can see the preview for the missing window. I thought I'd be able to right-click on that to get the window menu, so I can "move" it, but right-clicking on the preview just makes the preview go away.

My only workaround is killing the app in Process Explorer and restarting.

If it matters, the application is an internal application that we use for instant messaging. It typically has two windows, one that lists my IM contacts, and the other a tabbed window with my conversations. At this moment Dexpot has lost track of the contacts window, although I can see the preview of it in the task bar.

[dkarr]

Now I just saw it happen with my Eclipse window. That is the worst case impact for me. Restarting Eclipse takes several minutes (too much stuff), and I see no way to get the window back once it disappears.

[dkarr]

I'm surprised that not even exiting Dexpot restores those lost windows.

This is happening too often for me. I'm going to have to turn off Dexpot for now. I'll be glad to try test builds as soon as they're available.

[Patrick]

dexpot.exe

Build 1805-wk3

(1.37 MiB) Downloaded 85 times

[dkarr]

Thanks. I'll test this and get back to you.

[dkarr]

With this build, my "load test" was able to cause windows to disappear very quickly, but that's not normal usage.

My "load test" has my 3x3 grid, and I start my messaging app with two windows in desktop 8. I have Alt-Win with Arrow-Left and Arrow-Right bound to switch to desktops left and right respectively. While in desktop 8, I hold down Alt and Win and then repeatedly bang on the left and right arrow keys for several seconds.

This test has never failed to lose one of the two messaging app windows. In this particular instance of the test, I had 3 windows on the messaging app (a search window). After a couple of seconds running the test, the contacts list and search window went away, leaving just the message window.

I'll continue to use this build to see if I lose windows in more "normal" usage. I likely won't have feedback on that until tomorrow sometime.

[Patrick]

I might have mentioned this before, but what I need in terms of feedback is a LOG FILE.

[dkarr]

Here it is.

[Patrick]

Thanks... but there don't appear to be any runs of the new wk3 build in that log file?

[dkarr]

I just verified that the dexpot.exe attached to that previous note with the label "1805-wk3" is reporting a build number of "1805-wk2+ppp". I've done this twice now, with the same result. I've copied the executable over the existing "dexpot.exe" in the Dexpot distribution.