Cannot update from within iMatch

[Carlo Didier]

When in iMatch I go to "Help", "Chedck for updates" and select "Download and install ..." the iMatch user interface gets unresponsive and I have to kill iMatch through the task manager.
No update is downloaded or installed.

Attached three sets of log files.
The "..._normal" one is from the first run. I include it to show that iMatch seems to work, because it adds new folders automatically while the UI does not react to the mouse or keyboard.
The two debug logs are from before and after a reboot. For the second one, I put iMatch out of full screen to see if there was some hidden window, but couldn't see any.

There is also a screenshot from the task manager corresponding to the second debug log.

Database diagnosis didn't show any errors or warnings.

[Mario]

Do you see the Updater App?
IMatch launches it when you use that command.

If the App fails to launch, you can try to run it from the App Manager. Does that work?

[Carlo Didier]

When I try to start the updater app, same result. UI locked. Nothing appears. Nothing happens.
Other apps work (tried "Statistics", Category Dashboard" and one of my own).

[Mario]

Have you perhaps moved the Updater app to a second monitor which is not longer connected?
If so, turn the monitor on to see the updater dialog.
Try ESC to make IMatch work again (this should close the dialog when it is on the other monitor invisible).

IMatch warns if it contains a different monitor count during start up.
But there is no way to tell whether a monitor is connected that contains a window.

[Carlo Didier]

Both monitors are connected (btw, all other applications I have automatically move windows back to the main monitor when the second monitor is disconnected, why can't iMatch do that?)

ESC has no effect.

[Carlo Didier]

As an additional test, I disconnected the second monitor. On iMatch start, I got the warning, but same problem when starting the updater app.

[Mario]

all other applications I have automatically move windows back to the main monitor when the second monitor is disconnected, why can't iMatch do that?)

Which applications? How do they do that? Happy to learn something new.
Do you extend your desktop? Mirror it?
I have not found a reliable way (and checked in standard programmer forums) to determine if a monitor is really connected / on.
For example, I have two 4K monitors. My desktop is 8192 pixels. When I turn the left monitor off, Windows still reports the desktop as 8192 pixel. Even if 4192 of these pixels are on a monitor that is off.
None of the applications I use moves windows anywhere. Not even when I close and restart them.
And I don't want my carefully arranged panels to be shuffled on a single monitor just because I've forgot to turn the other monitor on...

[Carlo Didier]

Whichever application is on the second monitor, as soon as I disconnect it (not just power off!!!), everything moves to the other monitor.
All open windows of all applications move automatically.

Edit: the second monitor is in extension of the desktop.

[Carlo Didier]

I have now manually updated iMatch to 2020.4.4.
Still, when I start the Updater App, the UI won't respond anymore.

Logs attached.

[Mario]

The UI of what is not responding? IMatch? The Update app? The updater showing at all?

PS.: The latest version is 2020.4.6.

[Mees Dekker]

Perhaps related to :

https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=8137.0

[Carlo Didier]

Perhaps related to :

https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=8137.0

I can't find a "developer mode" in iMatch ...

[Carlo Didier]

The UI of what is not responding? IMatch? The Update app? The updater showing at all?

PS.: The latest version is 2020.4.6.

See the beginning of the thread:

When in iMatch I go to "Help", "Chedck for updates" and select "Download and install ..." the iMatch user interface gets unresponsive and I have to kill iMatch through the task manager.
No update is downloaded or installed.

Attached three sets of log files.
The "..._normal" one is from the first run. I include it to show that iMatch seems to work, because it adds new folders automatically while the UI does not react to the mouse or keyboard.
The two debug logs are from before and after a reboot. For the second one, I put iMatch out of full screen to see if there was some hidden window, but couldn't see any.

There is also a screenshot from the task manager corresponding to the second debug log.

Database diagnosis didn't show any errors or warnings.

Still the same problem with 2020.4.6

[Carlo Didier]

When I start the app from the browser (Edge Chromium) it seems to work.
Starting it from within iMatch blocks iMatchs UI as decribed at the beginning.

[Mario]

Do you even see the Updater App? This is still unclear to me.
It is a dialog window (like many other apps) and when it is open, it will block IMatch until you close it.

[Carlo Didier]

Do you even see the Updater App?

No

[Mario]

The app does not show.
You have not moved it to another monitor (although IMatch would solve that automatically by moving the dialog).
The update app runs in the web browser. Which means the settings are OK and if not, this would have fixed them.
No errors or warnings in the the log file and also nothing in the App output panel (open the panel before you check for updates).
No idea...

[Carlo Didier]

I think I found it and I can consistently reproduce it now!

Note my config: Laptop with an additional external monitor (LG curved with 3440x1440 pixels).

My external monitor is configured (in the Windows display settings) as the main display when I'm working at home, with the internal display as secondary.
In this config, the problem always appears. It doesn't matter on which monitor I have iMatch open, full screen or not. The app seems to run but doesn't appear anywhere to be seen.

When I switch my main display to be the internal one, the app dialog appears on the external (then secondary) monitor and I can close it normally.

Further tests show that the position of the app window is remembered as being at certain coordinates on the secondary monitor. When the internal monitor is the second one, it is not visible because it lies outside the resolution of that diaplay. When I then switch the primary monitor to be the internal one, I can suddenly see the app window on the external monitor.

iMatch defintely has a big problem with windows positions when the display configurations change. All other applications I have used so far automatically bring back their all windows within the range of the current display when the configuration has changed.

As I already mentioned in another thread, I cannot and I don't want to spend hours opening and positioning any possible window and dialog in both configurations to position them correctly. I'll still forget some and who knows what new dialogs come with any new version of iMatch ...

I can create different workspaces for both configurations of course, but I must never be blocked when I switch monitor configurations without having thought to select another workspace before. That is unacceptable. I may have worked last with the external monitor but on short notice be on the move and only have the interal monitor and still iMatch must function correctly without me having to go through extensive loops.

[Mario]

I have tested this.
On my system when I physically unplug the second monitor after positioning some IMatch windows there, they are moved back to the main monitor.
When the other mon is just off, Windows still reports the full desktop size and IMatch has no way to tell that the window is not visible.

Need to check if this does not work for app windows, for some reason. Since you seem to be the only person affected to far, I will put this on my long-term to-do list.

[Carlo Didier]

I don't have to unplug the second monitor. It's the change in the settings which one is the primary monitor.

I can't imagine to be the only one with a laptop that is used in house with an external monitor and only the internal one when traveling ...

At least now I know where the problem comes from.

But it remains that the remembered position of a windows should be reset if that position isn't available. Maybe it works when the monitor configuration changes while iMatch is running, but not if I close it with app windows last positioned outside the internal monitor and then start iMatch later without the external monitor.

[Mario]

IMatch checks the desktop work rectangle as returned by Windows. If a dialog is not inside that rectangle, it is moved to fit.

[Carlo Didier]

IMatch checks the desktop work rectangle as returned by Windows. If a dialog is not inside that rectangle, it is moved to fit.

It looks then that this doesn't always work. Any way to set the logging to catch what's happening?

[Mario]

Maybe the Chromium windows do not handle this yet.
They are special, not using the same classes I have designed for normal dialog boxes in IMatch.
App windows are controllable by the app, and the app also controls if and how the app window is restored and sized.

It's hard to implement this logic when you deal with many components from 3rd party vendors. Dialog boxes, the panels etc. all different and using different components.

Since the number of users with multiple monitors who also regularly physically disconnect monitors and who want not use separate workspaces to handle all that gracefully is very small, I don't give this a high priority.

[Carlo Didier]

No problem, now that I know where it comes from an have a workaround for most cases.