Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Hi.   When I double-click an image to open the Qimage Editor window, it always opens in my secondary, uncalibrated monitor.   I looked everywhere and tried everything, but could not find a way of making the editor window pop up in my primary monitor.   And when I drag the editor window from the secondary to the primary monitor, it just jumps back to the secondary monitor.  

This problem makes the Qimage Editor unusable.  How can I fix this?

Dan.

Hi Dan,
I'm working on a dual monitor system at this very moment.
I sure this is not a QU problem as it works fine here with both duplicate (clone) and extended desktop settings. With an extended desktop, I can drag the editor to display 2, and back again without any problem.
I suggest you check your display settings but I'm sorry that I cannot suggest what may be wrong  :(
Terry

Let's start simple first.  Have you tried just dragging the editor window over to the monitor you want?  Not sure if you can do that and if you're running extended desktop or what settings you have.  Tell us more about how the dual monitors are set up and we may be able to help more.

Mike

Terry,

Thanks for the help.  Understanding that what I'm seeing is not normal is very good information.

Mike,

First, my apologies for the poorly written bug report.   I'm a professional software developer.  My bug report should have been much higher quality.   Here's what it should have looked like:

Expected Results: When I double-click an image to open the QU Editor window, the QU Editor window opens and can be moved to any window.

Actual Results: When I double-click an image to open the QUEditor window, it always opens in my secondary, uncalibrated monitor.

Repro Steps:

1) Ensure that Windows Auto Arrange is ON in "Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Ease of Access Center > Make the mouse easier to use".   See "Windows Auto Arrange" below for detailed repro steps for setting this.

2) Open QU in primary (calibrated) monitor.

3) Double-click on an image.

4) QU Editor pops up in secondary (uncalibrated) monitor.

5) Drag QU Editor window from secondary (uncalibrated) monitor to primary (calibrated) monitor.  QU Editor snaps back to secondary (uncalibrated) monitor.

If you repeat the process, but move QU to the secondary window and then double-click on an image, the QU Editor STILL opens in the secondary window.

Comments and Further Testing: 
On a hunch, I tried setting and resetting the Windows Auto Arrange feature:

1) Set Windows Auto Arrange to "OFF" and retest.   Results: When the image is double-clicked, the QU Editor window opens in the location where it was last closed.   Then the QU Editor Window can be dragged to the left or right monitor.   

2) Set Windows Auto Arrange back to "ON" and retest.   Results: When the image is double-clicked, the QU Editor window opens in the location where it was last closed.   However, it can NOT be dragged to another monitor.     

It looks like the issue is related to the Win7 Windows Auto Arrange feature.   Since this is a nice feature that is valuable to me, I don't want to shut it off.   The way this works normally is when a window is "auto arranged" you can unlock it by clicking and dragging.  The QU Editor doesn't do this, so I believe this is a bug.

I did find a short term workaround - Turn off Windows Auto Arrange, set QU Editor to open in the primary (calibrated) window, and then turn Windows Auto Arrange back on.   The QU Editor is still permanently locked to a monitor and can't be moved, but at least it's the calibrated monitor.

Please take a look at this.

Thanks,

Dan.

Windows Auto Arrange - To set Windows Auto Arrange ON:
1) Open Control Panel.
2) Change to “View by” Large icons (or Small icons).
3) Then click “Ease of Access Center > Make the mouse easier to use”.
4) Scroll to the “Make it easier to manage windows”.
5) Ensure that the “Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen” is UNCHECKED.

Basic System Information:

• QU - the latest version (v2011.118)
• Computer - Win7 Pro x64 running on a Core i7/920 with 12GB of memory. 
• Video subsystem - The video card is a PNY nVidia 4000 with 2GB of memory.   The video card connects to a calibrated NEC PA271W via DisplayPort and to an uncalibrated Samsung 2443 via DVI.
• Below are two key sections from the "System Information" analysis.  If you want the entire 3500 line file, I can PM that to you.

System Information Analysis:
------------------------------------------------------
System Information report written at: 03/08/11 08:25:41
System Name: xxx
[System Summary]

Item   Value   
OS Name   Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
Version   6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601   
Other OS Description    Not Available   
OS Manufacturer   Microsoft Corporation   
System Name   xxx   
System Manufacturer   System manufacturer   
System Model   System Product Name   
System Type   x64-based PC   
Processor   Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU         920  @ 2.67GHz, 3800 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s)   
BIOS Version/Date   American Megatrends Inc. 0301, 11/2/2009   
SMBIOS Version   2.5   
Windows Directory   C:\Windows   
System Directory   C:\Windows\system32   
Boot Device   \Device\HarddiskVolume2   
Locale   United States   
Hardware Abstraction Layer   Version = "6.1.7601.17514"   
User Name   xxx   
Time Zone   Pacific Standard Time   
Installed Physical Memory (RAM)   12.0 GB   
Total Physical Memory   12.0 GB   
Available Physical Memory   7.41 GB   
Total Virtual Memory   30.0 GB   
Available Virtual Memory   24.8 GB   
Page File Space   18.0 GB   
Page File   D:\pagefile.sys   


Name     NVIDIA Quadro 4000   
PNP Device ID   PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_06DD&SUBSYS_078010DE&REV_A3\4&2F1C4782&0&0018   
Adapter Type   Quadro 4000, NVIDIA compatible   
Adapter Description   NVIDIA Quadro 4000   
Adapter RAM   (2,147,483,648) bytes   
Installed Drivers   nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um   
Driver Version   8.17.12.6717   
INF File   oem74.inf (Section009 section)   
Color Planes   Not Available   
Color Table Entries   Not Available   
Resolution   Not Available   
Bits/Pixel   Not Available   
Memory Address   0xF8000000-0xFBBFFFFF   
Memory Address   0xD8000000-0xDFFFFFFF   
Memory Address   0xD4000000-0xDFFFFFFF   
I/O Port   0x0000BC00-0x0000BC7F   
IRQ Channel   IRQ 24   
I/O Port   0x000003B0-0x000003BB   
I/O Port   0x000003C0-0x000003DF   
Memory Address   0xA0000-0xBFFFF   
Driver   c:\windows\system32\drivers\nvlddmkm.sys (8.17.12.6717, 12.37 MB (12,967,528 bytes), 3/4/2011 11:42 PM)   

Dan,

Thanks for the writeup.  Maybe it's too much though for my quick read on a day when I'm trying to get a new version ready but... I still didn't see where you specified how the two monitors are configured.  So I'll apologize in advance if it's already in there, but do you have a stretched desktop or duplicated?  Also (and more important), you're monitors aren't "backwards" are they: where the second monitor is to the LEFT of the primary on the stretched desktop?  Qimage doesn't support that setup.

Regards,
Mike

Mike,

I understand "...trying to get a new version ready...".  For non-programmers, the English translation is something like, "I'm going nuts right now and working myself into a complete lather!"   ;D

Regarding monitor config, the answer is...  You're eyes are just fine.   I didn't include that.  So:

• "...stretched desktop or duplicated?" - The desktop is stretched.   In Win7, the setting is "Extend these displays"
• "...monitors aren't "backwards" are they..."? - No. The primary ("1") monitor is on the left and the secondary ("2") is on the right.

One other tidbit - resolution...  Both monitors are running at their native resolution - primary monitor at 2560 x 1440 and secondary monitor at 1900 x 1200.

Further testing - I tested further and am getting somewhat random results.   I.e., now my repro steps generate inconsistent results.  It's still bad, but it's inconsistently bad.    I need to perform additional testing to sort this out.   Note that this issue is limited to QU and does not occur in other Windows apps.

Just a suggestion... Focus on getting the new software out.   The QU Editor seems to work correctly most of the time if I play with the "Windows Auto Arrange" feature.  I can live with that until after the new version hits the (virtual) streets.  Please focus your efforts there.

Thanks,

Dan.

p.s. In case it isn't obvious... I'm fast becoming a big fan of QU.   It's quickly becoming obvious to me that, rather than focus on a pretty UI which covers cr@ppy functionality, QU is focused on providing quality core features with a streamlined, purpose-driven UI.   I'll take that approach any day.

With that setup, it's really a pretty easy setup.  In fact, I'm really not doing anything but saving the location of the window.  For example, I have two 1920 x 1080 monitors here set up just like you on Win7 x64.  Sharing the desktop, the desktop then simply becomes 3840x1080.  If I move the editor screen over to the second monitor, the location (upper left corner) of that window becomes 1920,0.  Qimage remembers that location and from that point forward, that window gets restored to 1920,0 which puts the editor window on monitor 2.  Easy.  If I move it back onto monitor one, it's remembered location changed to 0,0 and it remains on monitor one... forever.  Never have a problem so I'm not sure what could be causing an issue there other than the fact that I've seen some people running some pretty funky "widgets" that seem to mess with things like this when running two monitors.  For me, if you drag that editor window to monitor 1, at that point I simply remember and restore it's location (presumably 0,0).  If it goes back to monitor 2, it means that something outside of Qimage is diddling with that window and moving it forcibly (beyond my control).  You don't have any utilities that try to get "cute" with how the dual monitors work do you?  I mean, other than the already mentioned auto-arrange which *shouldn't* have any effect on anything but desktop icons.

Mike

Mike,

I'll test more tonight, but...

1) No funky widgets running.

2) AFAIK, no cute software playing with the desktop or monitors.  Also, lots of my apps have modal windows, but none have this issue.

3) Under all conditions, the QU Editor window maximizes when opened and there are no Min/Max buttons.  Also, the QU Editor window always snaps to a corner.   Is this normal?

4) I think we do NOT have the same configuration.  Your monitor configuration is a nice, consistent 3840x1080 rectangle.   Mine is not consistent - it is 4460 wide, but 1440 tall in the left monitor and 1200 tall in the right. 

5) You mentioned, "...If I move the editor screen over to the second monitor, the location (upper left corner) of that window becomes 1920,0."  Considering #5 immediately above, if my left monitor is 1440 tall and the right is 1200 tall, how should this affect the QU Editor window position when it is dragged from monitor to monitor? 

Regards,

Dan.

Differing screen sizes should not be an issue.  I ran two very different resolutions up until I got a new monitor a few months ago.  It was never a problem.  When you drag that window, if it successfully auto-maximizes to the monitor you dragged it to, that means QU found the correct monitor, correctly discovered its resolution, and is using the proper coordinates.

Mike

Mike,

First, when it's working, it auto-maximizes to the larger, calibrated monitor.  When it's not working properly, it auto-maximizes only to the smaller, non-calibrated monitor.   When it's not working, it will snap back to the smaller monitor.   However the BIG issue I just uncovered is...

QU does the same thing on my laptop!   To test this problem, I installed QU on my office laptop which is connected to two monitors in it's docking station and got the exact same problem.  The laptop is a Lenovo and is completely different from my home workstation, including the monitors and video card.   It even has a slightly different OS - Win7 64 Ultimate on my laptop and Win7 64 on my home workstation.  

Except for MS Office 10, the office laptop and the home workstation have only two things in common - Qimage and Win7 SP1.  So I wonder if it's related to SP1?  Does your test system have Win7 SP1?  

Dan.

Hi Dan & Mike,
Just to add to my Reply #1 below for your information:
The laptop I used is W7-64 with SP1. It's resolution is 1280x800 px and the second "monitor" was in fact a projector 1024x780 px.
As I said, all behaved as expected and as Mike has described. Also no problems with PowerPoint in dual mode.
Terry

Terry,

Thanks for the feedback but I believe your situation is different. When you say, "dual mode", I assume you mean the WP7 "Duplicate these displays"option.  That's making a copy of a single monitor - in the same or different resolutions.   I.e. when you open the QU Editor window, does it pop up in both and you're not dragging the QU Editor window between monitors?  

The problem I'm seeing occurs in a dual monitor situation with a shared desktop (the WP7 "Extend these displays" option) and the inability to move the QU Editor between displays.

Thanks,

Dan.

Dan,
I tried both cloned and extended desktops. With the former, the editor appeared on both screens, with the latter it initially appeared on screen 1 and then I dragged it to screen 2 where it stayed until it was dragged back.
I may get a chance to check again tomorrow and I'll take more notice the resolutions. In extended mode the resolution of screen 2 not matter if the editor was on screen 1.
Terry

I don't know if the problem is related to high resolution.  My workstation monitors are 2560X1440 and 1900X1200.  My laptop monitors are both 1600X1200. 

Regards,

Dan.

I have a Lenovo laptop and a high res monitor.  I'll try different combos later and see what I can get.

Mike

Mike,

Since it's a little hard to truly describe what's happening, I created a quick video to demonstrate what I see on both systems.   The video is available at: http://vimeo.com/20844026.

Regards,

Dan.

Since the video (http://vimeo.com/20844026) is for analysis while Mike is working on it, I decided to keep it private.  It is password protected.  The password is, "MikeChaney" (note capitalization).

Dan.

Thanks for the video.  I've now tried it on my laptop with two monitors.  Still works flawlessly for me and I can't get it to do what you show in the video UNLESS... I rearrange the extended desktop and make my primary monitor monitor 2 or I drag monitor 2 down UNDER monitor 2.  Could you take a screen shot of your display settings: the screen where it shows monitors 1 and 2 and their locations on the extended desktop?

Thanks,
Mike

Mike,

Here ya go.  Laptop and Workstation.

Regards,

Dan.

Dan,

I can't thank you enough for your patience and how fast you respond!  My setup looks identical plus or minus some pixels on the displays.  I was wondering if you had slid your monitor 2 under monitor 2 or they weren't lined up but I don't see anything in that screen shot that should stop it from working.  That's basically the same setup as me: monitor 1 on the left, monitor 2 on the right, and both monitors pretty much lined up across the top.  I can repeat exactly what you were doing on your video and the editor sticks and properly maximizes right where I drop it.  It never snaps to the other monitor.  Out of curiosity, if you do the same thing with the full page editor window ("Edit Page" button under the small preview page on the main window), does that window react the same way?  If I can't replicate it, I'm thinking if we can find two things to compare (one that works and one that doesn't), maybe I can compare the code and see something in the code.

Mike

Well, I think it's fixed in v2011.120 so please give that a try.  After an afternoon of lugging 24 inch displays around and connecting different monitors in different combinations, I thought I'd better go back to that video and watch for clues.  And there it was staring me in the face.  I noticed when you started Qimage, it started on monitor 2 meaning you had dragged the main window over to monitor 2 because that's where you wanted it to start: that's perfectly legit but I was so focused on the editor window I didn't take note of that fact.  I had done all my testing with the main window on monitor 1 and with that as a start, it works fine.  As soon as I replicated your conditions where the main window started on monitor 2, I got the same trouble and found the bug (and fixed it hopefully).  The jury is out until you reply.  ;)

Thanks for sticking with me!

Mike

And the verdict is...

(see below).  ;D

Thanks,

Dan.

p.s. I went through heavy regression testing on BOTH systems.  It works perfectly!!!

Hi Mike..... just upgraded from Studio to Ultimate, and the Edit windows is stuck in the left portion of the screen, as a vertical window, about 1/20th (~1.4" on a 26" NEC) of the screen.  I originally had the 2010 Ultimate version, and that was OK.

If I try to drag the window, it snaps back to the left.  Guess I need v121  ;D

In the mean time, I continue using the Studio, as that works fine.

Set up:  Win 7 Ultimate 64 - PNY 8500GT Card - dual monitor.  I guess you are on top of it, as I see others with the same issue.

An aside, is the D3S profile standard, or do I need a profile file.  On install, there never was a profile sub dir in either the Studio or Ultimate folders.  I manually created the folder, and await the program update to see the difference....

Cheers,  -= Chris the Ultimate Newbie =-

Well, I know the code that I changed and the only way this can happen is if you have a really messed up work area on that monitor.  The window sizes itself within the Windows defined work area of the monitor: the desktop minus the task bar basically.  So if this is happening, then Windows is reporting your work area for that monitor as being that vertical 1/20th of the screen... as if you had a HUGE taskbar covering the rest of the screen.  Nothing I can do in that case: if Windows is reporting the wrong work area.  Any idea why that might happen on your machine?

Mike

Don't know Mike.  But the version that was trialing (2010 v??) and working back then, was an early release, maybe 2 or 3 into the Ultimate 2010 releases.

It worked well, but I continued to use the Studio.  Today the Studio still works fine, but the latest release (I just purchased) of Ultimate 2011v120 comes up with the editor as mentioned, locked in a corner, and no image visible.

Any way to do a reset?  Maybe reinstall an early version, set if it works, then upgrade?  Cleaning out the registry of values?  I did install the 2011 over the 2010, w/o uninstalling.

Anything  can do, or you need to help resolve this?

I could share my screen on Skype, and you could see the results.

-= Chris =-

Chris,

Just for grins, try turning off Windows Auto Arrange and see if that helps.   Steps to do this:

Windows Auto Arrange - To set Windows Auto Arrange OFF:
1) Open Control Panel.
2) Change to “View by” Large icons (or Small icons).
3) Then click “Ease of Access Center > Make the mouse easier to use”.
4) Scroll to the “Make it easier to manage windows”.
5) Ensure that the “Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen” is CHECKED.

Regards,

Dan.

If the window appears on the correct monitor but is just too small, that means the work area defined by Windows on that monitor only includes the portion that the window is using.  I think it worked before by virtue of the fact that Qimage was actually doing it wrong before!  It was setting the window size to the entire screen (resolution) without regard to whether or not you had a taskbar on that screen, whether it was located on the top, bottom, left, or right, etc.  It's doing it properly now so if that's what you see, Windows is fouling up on that monitor and not reporting the correct work area (desktop usable area).

What I'd like are:

(1) Take a screen shot of the monitor in question BEFORE the editor pops up on it.
(2) Take another showing that same monitor AFTER the editor pops up on it.
(3) Take a screen shot of  your display settings showing monitor 1 and 2 and how they are arranged in the display settings.

If you can post those here, maybe I'll see something.

Mike

Dan, interesting scenario.  Yes the issue is somewhere in the area, be it QImage or the Graphic card drivers.

When I change the option to "Ensure that the “Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen” is CHECKED"

then when I try the editor, it pop unto monitor [2] which is not calibrated..... works fine, it will not however minimize or resize. Closes OK, relaunches OK.  BUT, when I drag it to the [1] calibrated monitor, which also has the main QImage program, it drags OK, but when I unclick, Poof it goes to the left side, about 1/20 or 1/18 of the screen.  Whenever I try to pull it ANYWHERE, be it monitor [1] or [2], whne I unclick it snaps back to the corner.  NOW, I close QImage, and:

Ensure that the “Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen” is UNCHECKED

Same as above, I launch QImage, then the editor, opens on screen [2], but the results are the same.

So, toggling the check/unchecked, resets QImage (or Win 7 64bit) to display the editor on screen [2], but if I drag the editor to screen [1] in the center - not touching the edges, POOF it squirrels to the left side.

Maybe the issue is hidden in the fact that I cannot resize the editor on screen [2], and when transfered to screen [1] it blows up to full size and can;t handle the new screen parameter.  I'll get that screen dump later.

Hi Mike.... got 121, same issue.  Using old faithful 'Studio' with no problems.

Hi Mike,  Just noticed that when I use the Win 7 Snip tool to capture the WHOLE windows, it included the two monitor screens.  Did the snip again using the select tool, and here is the one monitor again, with the editor squirreled to the left.

Thank you for your effort in resolving this. Bear in mind that the 2010 Ultimate did not have that issue.  If you wish, send me older versions, I I'll unstall/install and see when the issue surfaced.

Need any other info?  Video card? Drivers? et al.

By your screen shots, it appears that monitor 2 is set as your main display and monitor 1 is really the second monitor.  As I've said before, Qimage does not support this setup where your desktop "extends backwards", i.e. your desktop starts on the right and extends to the left.  A bug in the Studio Edition is actually what caused it to work (for that particular function anyway).

Mike

OK, so I reversed the monitors.  Realined all the icon back to the smaller menu monitor... but the Win Task bar is on my PS working desktop.  I did not want that, which is why the monitors were set up that way.  The little monitor on the right (and I'm right handed) contains all my palettes, menus and and Windows task bar.

I checked, and from the little I read, the Win task bar will anchor to any of the 4 side of the main monitor, but I can't seem to figure out how to transfer it to my smaller menu/control monitor.   Any hints?

QImage doe appear to work correctly that way.  A nice relief  :)

In comparing the code, I see that the only thing that changed in the recent two versions is the size of the edit window: it now only occupies the defined work area instead of the whole monitor.  So, going back to your original setup, if the edit window stayed on the correct monitor and the only problem was that it got squished into the left side of that monitor, then you have a problem with your video driver or the way you have your desktops defined.  Simply put, look at your Qult_2 screen shot from the first batch of screen shots.  That tiny area on the left of that monitor is what Windows is reporting as your work space on that monitor.  The old version (and Studio) worked for you because they sized to the size of the entire monitor.  This is incorrect because it would cover up the Windows task bar (or be under it actually): the window should size to the size of the defined work area for the monitor it is on.  That's the way it works now.  So Windows is reporting that small sliver as your work area.  Nothing I can do about that.  You need to find the source of the problem: the reason that your work area for that monitor is so small.

Mike

Thank you so much.  I understand your analysis.

I'm actually starting to appreciate the bar at the bottom - it's only 1-2" mouse swing.  Guess we'll look at the set up later, and/or wait for a new driver.  The key of cource was to solve this and get 'Ultimate' working. Your yellow logo now has a 'Smiley' face.

THANK YOU for your fine support.

-= Chris =-