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Topic: «A bunch of gripes about Actual Multiple Monitors , Loving this tool, but if I'm gonna pay money for it, I've gotta give my feedback » on forum: Technical Support   Views: 28858
 
Cold Fusion
Registered user
 
 Posts: 4
Joined: 07/31/2022
Posted: 07/31/2022 04:31:27
 
 
 I've been using AMM for about a month now, and it really accomplishes tons of things I need, but I've also built up a list of problems I've come across. I don't know if this is an unwieldy way to report bugs, or if some of these are known already, or what, but here goes:

-The audio switching setting doesn't work consistently. When set to 'auto', the button for the option of switching disappears anyway, never to return until the program is restarted. Sometimes audio switching works on some programs and browsers, but not others (Vivaldi seems to just use the default audio device no matter what). Also, if a browser has windows on two monitors, simply clicking on one of them will bring the audio for the entire browser over to that one, even if the audio is playing on the other. Less than ideal.

-Fullscreening on one monitor sends a duplicate taskbar entry to the primary one, that requires switching back and forth across monitors to get rid of it (the reverse doesn't happen, fullscreening on primary doesn't add to taskbars on the others)

-Sometimes the order of browsers pinned to taskbar just shuffles around, seemingly for no reason, something to do with fullscreening.

-I was happy to discover there's a setting to make 'show desktop' only work for the monitor that it's used on, but it doesn't work. At least it doesn't work for the 'show desktop' button. The setting says 'minimize all' which is not something I recognize.

-Sometimes the active window of a particular browser will get weirdly stuck at a shorter height until I struggle to fix it. As if it temporarily thinks that is the full screen height.

-The screen saver settings are weird because one version doesn't work, but a duplicate set of settings does..  but now it's not letting the mouse wake it up from screen saver mode, which is weird. Gotta use keyboard to end the screensaver, which for this one would be more properly used to cycle through the slideshow images ideally.

-Turning off one monitor seems to really destabilize the program, and since one is a display tablet, that's kind of important, I probably shouldn't leave it on at all times. Early on, it would swap my desktops, or even cause RMM to crash. That seems to have cleared up though? I guess? It also frequently jumbled up the desktop icons because the monitor stays the wrong size briefly. I know i can save and restore the layout but yeesh. This has also semi cleared up but still happens on occasion.. On rare occasion, it makes the taskbar disappear, makes the backgrounds jumble, etc. Just seems to have trouble with that whole idea.


Anyway I don't expect all of this to get immediately fixed or anything, I just wanted to air it out before I inevitably break down and buy a license. Uhh I'm using Windows 7 64-bit, AMM version 8.14.7
 
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Bogdan Polishchuk
Administrator
 
 Posts: 4010
Joined: 04/04/2012
Posted: 08/09/2022 04:21:04
 
 
 Hello, Cold Fusion

Thank you for contacting us.

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The audio switching setting doesn't work consistently. When set to 'auto', the button for the option of switching disappears anyway, never to return until the program is restarted. Sometimes audio switching works on some programs and browsers, but not others
What applications you've noticed these problems with (names, versions)?

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Vivaldi seems to just use the default audio device no matter what
This problem has been confirmed. We'll try to fix it and will post here when it's fixed. There are several problems with Audio Switcher in Vivaldi and the first one is associated with the sandbox for audio service that Vivaldi has (like probably all other Chromium-based browsers).

You can disable the audio sandbox in Vivaldi for your current Windows account by adding the AudioSandboxEnabled policy in the system registry. To do this open the Registry Editor application (Win+R, then type regedit in the "Run" window, press Enter). Then navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\, right-click it and create a new key in it called Vivaldi. Then select the Vivaldi key and create a new dword value and rename it to AudioSandboxEnabled and leave it as it (zero). Next time you start Vivaldi the audio sandbox will be disabled.

But for now it's only possible to switch audio device for Vivaldi via the AMM application audio manager. It's available via the AMM tray icon context menu or via hotkey (the default combination is Win+Alt+A). And Vivaldi is displayed in the audio manager only if you start Vivaldi after AMM. The other ways to use audio switcher for now don't work in Vivaldi. We'll try to fix it.

But please note that audio service is sandboxed for added security and disabling the sandbox leaves a user open to security risks related to running the audio subsystem unsandboxed. You disable it at your own risk, and you better do it if you're confident in your system's security, for example if you're running reliable anti-virus software.

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Fullscreening on one monitor sends a duplicate taskbar entry to the primary one, that requires switching back and forth across monitors to get rid of it (the reverse doesn't happen, fullscreening on primary doesn't add to taskbars on the others)
This is a known problem with browsers in Windows 7. What applications you've noticed this problem with? Does it happen with browsers exclusively?

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Sometimes the order of browsers pinned to taskbar just shuffles around, seemingly for no reason, something to do with fullscreening.
Could you describe the problem more detailed? Does it affect only AMM taskbars? Does it affect only the browsers pinned icons? Does it affect only the icons which have an open window taskbar button of a respective browser for them at the moment?

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I was happy to discover there's a setting to make 'show desktop' only work for the monitor that it's used on, but it doesn't work. At least it doesn't work for the 'show desktop' button. The setting says 'minimize all' which is not something I recognize.
This option refers literally to the Minimize all action of Windows the shortcut for which is Win+M, not the Show Desktop action. We'll consider implementing such option for Show Desktop as well and will post here if it's implemented.

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Sometimes the active window of a particular browser will get weirdly stuck at a shorter height until I struggle to fix it.
Could you describe this problem more detailed? What browsers you've noticed the problem with? Is there any pattern that leads to the problem?

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The screen saver settings are weird because one version doesn't work, but a duplicate set of settings does
Could you describe this more clearly? What exactly do you mean by version and duplicate set? What screensavers you've noticed this problem with?

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It also frequently jumbled up the desktop icons because the monitor stays the wrong size briefly.
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On rare occasion, it makes the taskbar disappear, makes the backgrounds jumble, etc.
Have you noticed at what moment the problems became less severe? Did it happen after updating to the version 8.14.7?

Do the problems happen together when they happen or they can happen separately?

How exactly you attach the tablet as a monitor and how do you turn it off?

Could you send us your Actual Multiple Monitors configuration files using the Send to Tech Support tool (AMM configuration module > Tools > Configuration > Send to Tech Support) and then send another one right after one of the problems happens? Make sure you re-open the configuration module before sending the second one.


Best regards.
 
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Cold Fusion
Registered user
 
 Posts: 4
Joined: 07/31/2022
Posted: 08/13/2022 03:58:57
 
 
 Bogdan Polishchuk,
Thanks for your help! I'm glad to hear some of this is known already. I suppose I'll live with Vivaldi being like that for now.

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Bogdan Polishchuk wrote:
This is a known problem with browsers in Windows 7. What applications you've noticed this problem with? Does it happen with browsers exclusively?
I never thought to check. It appears that non-browsers, such as media players, don't have this issue. I can't think of what else would have a 'fullscreen' option but I'll be happy to help you bugcheck if you can think of anything else. Specific browsers that do it consistently are Firefox 47, Mypal 29, and the aforementioned Vivaldi, uh, version 3.5.

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Bogdan Polishchuk wrote:
Could you describe the problem more detailed? Does it affect only AMM taskbars? Does it affect only the browsers pinned icons? Does it affect only the icons which have an open window taskbar button of a respective browser for them at the moment?
So I'll have a browser window pinned to the left of some others in the taskbar, I'll fullscreen, and when I de-fullscreen, sometimes it's now pinned to the right, and needs to be dragged back over. I think it's only happening on the non-primary monitor, if that's what you mean by "only AMM taskbars." Now that I know someone's listening, I'll try to be more scientific about it and see if I can nail down exactly when this happens.
EDIT: I've figured it out, it'll happen anytime I hit 'show desktop' while something is fullscreened in the other monitor.
But it also happens sometimes when I turn the third monitor on with nothing fullscreened.
Also it'll happen pretty consistently when I fullscreen something on the second monitor, which creates a duplicate taskbar entry on the primary monitor, and I then click on that taskbar part. Going back, unfullscreening, the browser has now moved to the far end of its taskbar.

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This option refers literally to the Minimize all action of Windows the shortcut for which is Win+M, not the Show Desktop action. We'll consider implementing such option for Show Desktop as well and will post here if it's implemented.
Oh thanks! That clears that up. I have never used Win+M before, it will be useful! But yes it would be nice for it to affect show desktop as well.
EDIT: well now I'm finding Win+M does still temporarily un-fullscreen things on the other monitor, even if it doesn't minimize everything on that monitor.

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Could you describe this problem more detailed? What browsers you've noticed the problem with? Is there any pattern that leads to the problem?
It seems to happen with any of the browsers, and I think it is also related to turning on and off my third monitor. I'll have to check more closely. I may have subconsciously already figured out what does it and avoided that behavior, because it hasn't done that in a while. What I mean is, carrying out the 'maximize' function (via button or doubleclicking the top) maximizes it incorrectly, where the top of the window isn't going all the way up to the top of the screen. It still lets me modify it manually, but the window seems to get stuck at thinking that is the new 'maximum.'

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What exactly do you mean by version and duplicate set? What screensavers you've noticed this problem with?
There's the main 'screen saver' settings under 'multiple monitors,' but there's also 'save idle screens' which is the only one that seems to actually work when I use it now. Does it override the main version? I think I didn't fully understand how 'save idle screens' worked re: shutting one monitor off, but it makes a little more sense now.

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Have you noticed at what moment the problems became less severe? Did it happen after updating to the version 8.14.7?
That must be it, because I haven't seen that happen in a while. I didn't notice I had updated my version.

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How exactly you attach the tablet as a monitor and how do you turn it off?
It is hooked up via HDMI, and it has a power on/off switch. Basically just a normal monitor but you can draw on it. Specifically an XP-pen Artist 22R.

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Could you send us your Actual Multiple Monitors configuration files using the Send to Tech Support tool
Certainly. You mean just send it now, and then send again the next time I have this error, right? Will do.
Thanks for listening. It was a little bumpy settling in to this program, but it's definitely made my life easier.

P.S. Uh it's not letting me send the configuration files automatically, says I don't have an e-mail program associated with it (I use browser e-mail, so I don't even know what I would use there). It offered to let me save and manually send my settings, should I do that? What e-mail address?
 
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Bogdan Polishchuk
Administrator
 
 Posts: 4010
Joined: 04/04/2012
Posted: 09/07/2022 07:08:30
 
 
 Hello, Cold Fusion

I apologize for the delay in replying to you.

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Sometimes the order of browsers pinned to taskbar just shuffles around
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I've figured it out, it'll happen anytime I hit 'show desktop' while something is fullscreened in the other monitor.

I was unable to reproduce this problem. Does it happen with all the browsers you use (Firefox, Mypal and Vivaldi)? Does it happen with the browsers only and other applications pinned icons are not moved?

Could you send us a screenshot of your whole desktop (with the tablet connected) with Actual Multiple Monitors taskbars and pinned applications on them and also a screenshot of the AMM taskbar when the browser icon is moved?

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Sometimes the active window of a particular browser will get weirdly stuck at a shorter height until I struggle to fix it.

Were you able to find out what the pattern is which leads to this problem?

Is the option "Make text and other items larger or smaller" set to the standard 100% value (standard Windows Display Settings > Make text and other items larger or smaller)?

Could you send us a screenshot of your monitors layout either from the standard Windows display settings or from the AMM configuration module > Multiple Monitors > Monitors Layout and Settings section)?

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well now I'm finding Win+M does still temporarily un-fullscreen things on the other monitor, even if it doesn't minimize everything on that monitor.

Could you clarify what you mean by "un-fullscreen"? As I can see the action minimizes a full-screen browser if its taskbar button is on the main monitor as well.
Did you notice this problem with some other fullscreen apps except browsers?

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There's the main 'screen saver' settings under 'multiple monitors,' but there's also 'save idle screens' which is the only one that seems to actually work when I use it now. Does it override the main version?

"Screen Saver" and "Save Idle Screens" are separate independent features. If you have problems with using the features please clarify what exactly you want to accomplish.

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You mean just send it now, and then send again the next time I have this error, right?
That's correct.

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It offered to let me save and manually send my settings, should I do that? What e-mail address?
Send the configuration files and also the screenshots I've requested to support@actualtools.com. Please add a link to this topic in the email.
 
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Cold Fusion
Registered user
 
 Posts: 4
Joined: 07/31/2022
Posted: 09/07/2022 07:18:47
 
 
 No worries, thank you for paying so much attention.

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Does it happen with all the browsers you use (Firefox, Mypal and Vivaldi)? Does it happen with the browsers only and other applications pinned icons are not moved?
I just tested it, and it seems to only do it for Vivaldi (which I keep all the way to the left). It just keeps moving it to the right. Especially (possibly only?) when I only have a single Vivaldi window open on that monitor.

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Were you able to find out what the pattern is which leads to this problem?
No, it still shrinks windows by that exact percentage fr om time to time, but they don't get stuck that way anymore. Also once in a while one of the Firefox windows gets seemingly unpinned fr om the others, able to move around the desktop independently.. but for all I know, that's Windows's glitch. Not gonna worry about this one anymore.

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Could you clarify what you mean by "un-fullscreen"? As I can see the action minimizes a full-screen browser if its taskbar button is on the main monitor as well.
Did you notice this problem with some other fullscreen apps except browsers?
Minimizes, yes. That's what I mean. And ah, that makes sense, it's tied in with the glitch wh ere fullscreening sends a duplicate taskbar button to the other monitor (which, at least, is useful in quickly un-minimizing that fullscreened video, since I know right wh ere it must be on the taskbar).  Yes in fact, I've just tested it now, if I use Win+M on my display tablet, it doesn't minimize fullscreened stuff on monitor #2. Because the fullscreened window doesn't have a duplicate entry on the tablet's taskbar.

I think I understand the screen saver options better now, thanks.

Alright I'll try to do some experimenting and send you those configuration files.
 
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Bogdan Polishchuk
Administrator
 
 Posts: 4010
Joined: 04/04/2012
Posted: 06/28/2023 17:14:36
 
 
 Hello, Cold Fusion

I wrote:
Quote
But for now it's only possible to switch audio device for Vivaldi via the AMM application audio manager

I'm glad to notify you that the subject issue has been fixed and the fix is available in the latest version of Actual Multiple Monitors 8.14.5 and in Actual Window Manager as well. Now Audio Manager works in Vivaldi properly if Vivaldi audio sandbox is disabled.

You can update your program to the latest version (program's tray icon context menu > Info > Check for Updates) or download the latest version manually, install it and confirm the fix.


Best regards.
 
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Cold Fusion
Registered user
 
 Posts: 4
Joined: 07/31/2022
Posted: 06/29/2023 02:34:12
 
 
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Bogdan Polishchuk wrote:

I'm glad to notify you that the subject issue has been fixed

Wonderful, it works! Thanks for the update. Sorry I never got back to you before, I'm just so tired, and I've gotten accustomed to the little minor glitches like the windows moving around on the taskbar. This one, though, this is a big help. And it arrived just in time, since, if I understand right, there's a limited 'free updates' window (a year?) before you have to pay again and I've gotta be within spitting distance of a year using this program now.

EDIT:
Oh wait! Now when I fullscreen something on Vivaldi, the audio moves to the other monitor. This only happens on my second monitor. If it's on the primary monitor, the audio stays there whether fullscreened or not.
I went into audio switcher settings, the second monitor didn't have its audio device assigned, so I assigned it, and now the audio for Vivaldi just stays there no matter what. And once again, the quick audio-switcher option button has disappeared after being used once.

EDIT EDIT: after my last restart something really bad was happening with my microphone and feedback, and a new audio device being detected for some reason, but now not only is the "bound to monitor" feature working again, it won't stay turned off. each new window, it reverts to taking ALL the audio back to the active monitor. I've had to disable the feature entirely now.
 
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