Win7 bug report: Keystrokes not received by active window

[elof]

I have a problem with Dexpot on my Windows 7.
I think it is a bug when you have enabled Dexpot to show ALL running apps on the taskbar.

Sometimes keystrokes are not received by the active Windows application even though its window is the active one.
I usually detect this on MS Live Messenger.

How to always reproduce:

Config:
I have a dexgrid of 4x3 desktops.
I have configured Dexpot to always show ALL running applications in the taskbar.

Actions to perform:
I start a MSN chat window on some desktop, say desktop 5.
Keystrokes are received fine in this newly opened window. So far so good.
I move to another window, in this case desktop 4, and click on a window there to activate it.
Now I click on the MSN window-button in the taskbar.
Dexpot switches to desktop 5 and the MSN window is active (I see it both on the window title and on the highlighted button in the taskbar).
BUT... it isn't really active! When I now type something on the keyboard, those keystrokes get lost. They are not received by the MSN window as it should, and they are not received by that last active window either.

Even if I click on the MSN window, thinking that it was not active, keystrokes are not received.

To get the keystrokes through to the MSN window I have to either click on its button in the taskbar again, or navigate to another desktop and then back again. Then the MSN window (still active) now also receive keystrokes.

Right now I always klick twice on the widnow-button in the taskbar just to be sure I get full focus and keyboard input.

I have seen this behavior in other windows as well. Iirc Excel 2010.

I don't know if the following has any impact to the above, but I've configured my Live Messenger to be run in Vista SP2 compability mode, because I want the old MSN icon in the systray.
(properties for C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Messenger\msnmsgr.exe | Compatibility | Vista SP2)




Related issue:
When I right click on a window-button in the taskbar and select to close a window that is NOT currently on the screen, then it is not closed. Instead I'm just being navigated to that window. Very annoying. I have to repeat the action to close it.

[elof]

This bug is REALLY annoying.

When I switch applications (clicking on a button) via the taskbar, the desktop is correctly switched to the one where the app is running, BUT, the application I clicked on isn't really made active.

So a click in the statusbar merely shifts desktops, it doesn't also set the focus.

Can you please try to fix this issue? It's driving me crazy.

[robdean]

I seem to have a similar problem. I've been finding my keyboard becoming unresponsive occasionally whilst Dexpot is running. Even the 'Win' key does not work. I've been rebooting to fix it. I'll try switching desktops like elof!

This bug is a real problem, but that aside, this utility is superb and much appreciated - thank you!

[elof]

Just to be over-explicit:

Settings | Switching Desktops | Taskbar
[x] Keep all taskbar buttons visible

Example 1)
When clicking on a taskbar button for an app that is located on another desktop, the click only result in a switch of desktop. The selected application does not receive full focus in Win7 even though it looks like it's window is active.

Since Win7 believe that the window is active, it doesn't help when I manually click on it. It still won't receive my keystrokes.

Two clicks on the taskbar button, or navigating to another desktop and then back again, will activate the window and give it full focus.



Example 2)
When I'm done for the day and it's time to shutdown the computer, I want to close all my running apps.
This should be easily done by right-clicking on each app in the taskbar and select "Close".
However, this action does NOT close the window. The only thing that happen is that I'm being navigated to the desktop where that app is running.
Naturally I expect the windows to be closed when I select Close.




When fixing this bug:
If it is possible to do, it would be nice if the rightclick+close action would close the app immediately. No need to switch desptop. In fact, I'd rather remain on the current desktop when closing apps on other desktops.

[Patrick]

When clicking on a taskbar button for an app that is located on another desktop, the click only result in a switch of desktop. The selected application does not receive full focus in Win7 even though it looks like it's window is active.

Please try this version:

dexpot.exe

(1.36 MiB) Downloaded 130 times

[elof]

Yaaay! It works!

(I didn't see your update here in this thread (sorry), but I did notice the new official version of Dexpot)

* a button-activated window on another desktop now get full focus
* windows on other desktops can be closed immedaitely by right-clicking on their taskbar buttons and choosing 'Close'

Both issues reported are solved.
Thanks!