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Author Topic: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"  (Read 7713 times)

wperkins48

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Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« on: July 10, 2013, 02:18 PM »
To continue the discussion, Mouser, Launchbar Commander is still "stealing focus" with version 1.135.01. This has been an ongoing problem for some of us. For me, it means I have to go back to 2008, and version 1.83.01, to not have it "steal focus". Five years - and all those feature improvements - and I can't use them.

I know that if I turn off "Stay on Top" the problem goes away, but I want that feature more than the new features over the last 5 years (maybe - the latest versions don't spend much time on my system for checking them out...)

Sure wish you could find the problem. Really like the program.

Will

mouser

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2013, 06:08 PM »
OK let's get this fixed this week -- don't let me forget!

Can I ask you to email me ([email protected]) so I can have you test any fix attempts before I release to the public?

Verywierd

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2013, 07:01 AM »
I just installed Launchbar and it still steals focus. I like the prog. but this makes it unusable.

wperkins48

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2013, 06:06 PM »
Mouser,

I want to see if I can make a video showing the new version of LaunchbarCommander "stealing focus" and an older version not doing that. Prior to that, let me note this:

I know that I can show it stealing focus when I am in M$ Word 2010. I will click a drop down dialog box in Word, and then a split second later the drop down will roll back up and the title bar will change to show that Word no longer has focus.

If I do it in the older version that I am running, this doesn't happen.

Is this something that you can do to check? Do you run Micro$ucks Word?

(Also, as near as I can tell, all you need to have are the same versions of LaunchBarCommander.exe and quickdoclauncher.exe for the program to run properly - all the other files in the Directory don't care which version is running. Is this correct?)

Note to "Veryweird": See if you can get an older version of LaunchbarCommander [the version I run is 1.83.01] that doesn't have this problem. I lose out on 5 years of new features - but, Hey!, I don't know what they are, so absence is noted;>) Program is still very usable, and I would sorely miss it...

mouser

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2013, 12:38 PM »
Im working on a new release now, to upload before end of this weekend -- time to fix this!

mouser

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2013, 08:46 AM »
I so badly want to fix this but i cannot for the life of me get this problem to occur -- trying on windows xp, windows 7, with microsoft office apps (excel).

I need help figuring out a way to reproduce this and get it to happen.

Maybe it's some other combination of settings..

Can you download the latest debug version of LBC:
https://www.donation...ommanderPortable.zip

And confirm that the problem still happens, and see if you can't experiment a little more and help me identify how to reproduce this.  Maybe try this portable version with a brand new settings and make the minimal changes, and let me know exactly how to reproduce.  if the problem occurs even with notpad, let me know -- or does it only happen with ms word?

does it happen right from program start, or only after triggering some buttons.. what operating system?

anything to give me a clue about what combination of settings causes this, but mainly -- enough information to be able to reproduce it here.  if i can reproduce it i can fix it.

wperkins48

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2013, 02:07 PM »
Mouser,

(I apologize for how long this post is, but I have to try and give you as much information as I can.)

I really do appreciate all your efforts to address this situation, and I sympathize with your frustration with not being able to duplicate the problem - that coupled with the fact that it only seems to affect a few people (because Word has to be used by many, many people who also run LBC, without this occurring).

Unfortunately, for me, the latest version you asked us to install has not solved the problem.

That said, here is my situation.

1. The problem has occurred on multiple machines, running both XP and Windows 7.

2. So far, it only seems to happen using Word or Excel (in my case, versions 2007 & 2010). It happens when I click on the drop-down menu on any of the menu items on a ribbon. Usually, almost immediately, the menu will drop down and then go right back up (sometimes there might be a second of delay before this happens). When this happens, the Word/Excel title bar will also change color, from the "has focus" color to the "doesn't have focus" color.

There may be other programs that also react this same way, but in my short time trying it I didn't find any.

One thing of note: Micro$uck's Word and Excel 'drop-down' menus operate differently than other programs written for Windows (Gee! Imagine that! Don't get me started..). They 'feel' different, and act different. You know how when you 'pull down' a menu from almost any program's menu bar, and then move your mouse across the items in the menu bar, the 'drop downs' "cascade" as you do it - as you leave an item its 'drop down' goes back up and the next menu item's menu 'drop down' comes down? You don't have to do anything other than move your mouse. Try it and you'll see what I mean.

Well, Word and Excel 'drop down' menus don't work that way, because of the ribbon I imagine. Every menu item is, like, compartmentalized. When you click a menu it drops down - you can then move your mouse to the next menu item, and nothing changes.

3. Here is what I have done to test your program:
- I downloaded your 'test' 1.136.01 version and extracted it into its own directory.
- I copied LaunchBarCommander.ini, LaunchBarCommander.mcp, WDPLaunchBar.mcf into this directory. I ran LBC and then started Word and Excel. The "loses focus" issue occurred.
- I then copied year-2008 LBC version 1.83.01 files LaunchBarCommander.exe and quickdoclauncher.exe into this directory, overwriting the 1.136.01 versions. I ran LBC and started Word and Excel. The "loses focus" issue *did not* occur. I re-copied 1.136.01 executable files back into the directory and tested again - and "lost focus". I re-copied 1.83.01 executable files back into the directory and tested again - and didn't lose focus. Something after 2008 changed how LBC works for me.

4. Here is some additional information:
LBC 1.136.01.jpgLaunchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus" 

LBC 1.83.01.jpgLaunchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"

LBC Settings-1.jpgLaunchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"

LBC Settings- 2.jpgLaunchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"

LBC Settings- 3.jpgLaunchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"

LBC Settings- 4.jpgLaunchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"

(I have *no idea* if I have done this "attachment feature" you have included correctly. If the "preview" is supposed to show the "thumb" then I haven't, and I clicked the "help" link - and even looked at the source HTML in that help page. Oh well.)

Again, I really appreciate your efforts so far. Don't beat yourself too much on this.

Will

mouser

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2013, 02:29 PM »
Thank you for the detailed description.

I have reproduced all your settings and cannot get the problem to occur here.  I don't know what that means but it sure is strange.  SOMETHING must be different on your end that is causing this, but it's not clear what..

Anyway, I guess we're going to have to try a different approach to tracking this down..

I appreciate that the old versions didn't have this problem, but then -- did the old versions have the "Keep LaunchBars on top option at all?

Which actually brings me to an important question:

If disabling the "keep launchbars on top" option solves this focus stealing problem for you, why not just uncheck that option?  What does that option get you that you need?  My memory is that i only added it because the AUTOHIDING launchbars were falling BELOW other windows -- something that shouldn't happen if you have them reserving space on your desktop as you do?

One other thing you could do is, we know the problem is definitely related to LBC based on your tests, but is it possible you have some additional odd desktop utility which is interacting with it, causing this?  Might you try killing off any other weird utilities and see if it makes a difference?

Also, email me ([email protected]) and i'm going to send you some debug versions and we can see if we can track this sucker down and at least figure out where lbc is misbehaving..

wperkins48

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2013, 04:45 PM »
I appreciate that the old versions didn't have this problem, but then -- did the old versions have the "Keep LaunchBars on top option at all?

Ah, yes, and back further than the 2008 version.

If disabling the "keep launchbars on top" option solves this focus stealing problem for you, why not just uncheck that option?  What does that option get you that you need?  My memory is that i only added it because the AUTOHIDING launchbars were falling BELOW other windows -- something that shouldn't happen if you have them reserving space on your desktop as you do?

It *does* stop if I turn Off "Stay on Top". Now, I have to try to remember why I set that in the past - or if whatever reason is still a concern. After two minutes of being "off" as I type this, I can't see or remember any problem with that setting. (Something in the fog of my memory... Oh. well, we'll see..)

One other thing you could do is, we know the problem is definitely related to LBC based on your tests, but is it possible you have some additional odd desktop utility which is interacting with it, causing this?  Might you try killing off any other weird utilities and see if it makes a difference?

We don't want to go there.. "Odd desktop utility"? I load double-digit's-worth, some as old as 1997.

That said, I use a Startup Manager, itself dating from 1997 - but it loads, runs the startup programs, and exits, so, if I don't run *it* at startup the other startup programs don't load - so, I can boot to a pretty virgin state very easily for testing purposes. Which is what I did here.

However, something is causing the problem on *my* machine(s) and not yours, so somehow I must be contributing to the problem. My only saving grace is that I can run a version of LBC that can tolerate even me - and there are a small few others out there that have the same gremlin.

We'll leave it as is for now - and, once again thank you for all your efforts.

Will

mouser

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2013, 07:41 PM »
Well let's remember, you aren't the ONLY one suffering this -- others have reported it.
And I know from experience for every 1 person that takes the time to report it, 10 or 20 or 200 more have the problem and just uninstall rather than report it.
So I *would* like to get to the bottom of this now if you're willing to help me track it down while it's still fresh in our minds.

wperkins48

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Re: Launchbar Commander still "Stealing Focus"
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2013, 07:49 PM »
Mouser,

I thought I'd let you know that I have turned Off "Stay on Top" a couple of weeks ago, and since then I have not had any issues with"stealing focus".

And, nothing has happened that made me wish that it was On, so I consider the issue solved, for me.

Thanx for all your efforts, it was greatly appreciated.

Will