Topic: MC Hangs up with Windows Task bar on the left (Read 6018 times)

DocLotus · « **on:** August 26, 2015, 10:20:22 pm »

Been meaning to bring up this MC bug a long time ago...

I have my Windows Task bar on the left of the screen as I use a 16x9 monitor which has less height but greater width ratio than does a 16x10 monitor. Having the Task bar on the left gives me more free height for my programs like MC.

The problem I have with MC & the left Task bar placement is if I'm making a lot of changes or sometimes simply bringing up a lot of MC screens MC will suddenly move to the left by the same distance as the Task bar is wide (it will slip under the Task bar) lock up & produce a dialog saying something like MC has stopped responding & gives me two choices to either close MC or wait for MC to respond (which it never does).

This normally does not happen just listening to music, only when I'm making changes or bringing up screens.

I have over the years ran into a small number of other programs that did not like the task bar at any other location other then the bottom placement. I contacted the developers and they all rather quickly fixed their program to work with all Windows Task bar placements. So this must be an easy fix judging by how fast they resolved the problem.

Currently MC is the only program that I have this problem with & would be really nice to see it resolved.

BradATIMA · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2015, 02:38:32 pm »

I have been trying to reproduce the bug you described, but I have been unsuccessful so far. Is there any more information you can provide regarding what seems to cause this problem? Are you running MC so it takes up the entire screen or doesn't this matter? What kind of changes seem to produce this error? Thank you.

DocLotus · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2015, 03:24:45 pm »

Yes, full screen. It has been doing this for about the last two years. Can't put my finger on exactly what triggers it as it is so erratic. Once it starts it is (sometimes) reproducible.

The other day I was making a lot of changes to MCTV setup screens & it started doing it (jump to the left by the width of the Task bar & locking up with the error message). I would close MC, reopen MC & bring up any of the TV settings screens & the same thing would happen over & over. I could not stop it from happening so I rebooted Windows 8.1 & the problem was gone (for that session).

It seems that a lot of the time I have to reboot Windows to stop the problem.

Would an MC log be of any help the next time it happens?

Thanks for you help on this.

DocLotus · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2015, 03:30:17 pm »

One other thing; it's always in MC Standard View.

I use no third-party Anti-virus, just the default Windows Defender.

StFeder · « **Reply #4 on:** August 29, 2015, 05:03:14 am »

It's the same for me. It always happens for me if MC "freezes". For me it easy to reproduce. I have hundreds of Playlists. If I select "Export All" MC needs a few minutes to complete the task. After a few seconds MC comes completely unresponsible and it moves to the left.

I have this for many years now and I used different security software during that time. I thought to report it but I now understand it more as some kind of feature: It always (and only) happens when MC freezes. It ALWAYS moves back after getting responsible again. So I always recognize if MC freezes even if it is not in focus or even when it is behind some other maximized application. And so I also never miss the time when MC is ready for interaction again

So I'd like to keep that bug/feature but it would be useful to talk about the different reasons for the freezing.

My No. 1 freezing bug still is (and, yes, I didn't forget, it's "by design"): Set fade out on stop to "slow" and MC gets unusable for the the time the fade is happening. Very bad if you are using more than one zone during DJing.

StFeder · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2015, 05:12:28 am »

Oh, I forgot to answer to you, DocLotus, sorry!

I'm absolutely sure NON of the freezings you (and I) are facing are CAUSED by our taskbar configuration. It's just the thing that

- if MC freezes
- AND the taskbar is on the left

there is that kind of window hopping we are seeing. I'm sure there would be no less freezing if you moved your taskbar to the bottom. I did it for testing and didn't see any difference.

DocLotus · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2015, 08:46:38 am »

WHOOPIE... I'm not alone on this weird one.

A "feature" or not, I would just like it much better if MC stopped freezing up so much. In my case, MC often never comes out of the freeze & I have to reboot the computer to stop it.

OR...

I can exit MC, bring it back up & the freeze happens all over again (usually until I reboot the computer).

It happened to me again last night 4 or 5 times in a row until I rebooted.

DocLotus · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2015, 10:50:31 am »

StFeder; I want to thank you for responding to this problem.

I wonder how many others are out there just like the two of us who have had the problem for a long time but for one reason or another just never got around to reporting it?

In my case, it was (until about 3 weeks ago) just a random (but very long time problem) that was stopped by either closing MC with Windows Task Manager or rebooting the computer.

So what happen 3 weeks ago for me you ask? Windows 10 (no more WMC) & MCTV as an alternative.

Prior to 3 weeks ago I used MC mostly to listen to my music collection. As MC Audio is a mature product not many changes were being made by me to MC.

When I started using MCTV big time I was constantly making changes & it was those constant changes & bringing up screens that seemed to trigger a lot of the lockups.

I have confidence that the developers will eventually figure it out (I hope

).

Cheers; Doc

StFeder · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2015, 11:43:18 am »

I have had some big lockup trouble with podcasts in MC. Especially after starting MC it took a loooong time before I was able to interact with MCs UI. I disabled podcast because I don't listen to them using MC.

It was easy for me to figure out by looking at MC's Log File. Even I don't have any idea what all the content in there is about I saw the word podcast very often. Perhaps you have the same luck?! Give it a try: Start MC. If it always locks up after starting close MC as it gets responsible again and take a look at the log. Or post it at the board so that anyone else can figure out what is causing the lock.

JimH · « **Reply #9 on:** August 29, 2015, 12:04:08 pm »

Without reading this whole thread, this behavior is what you might expect from an Antivirus problem.

DocLotus · « **Reply #10 on:** August 29, 2015, 12:11:42 pm »

I hear you Jim, but I use no anti-virus other then the default Windows Defender & I have read that it is rather well behaved.

Are there any Defender settings you would recommend that might let it avoid MC? I seem to recall reading another thread (somewhere) where the user made some Defender settings to ignore MC.

DocLotus · « **Reply #11 on:** August 29, 2015, 12:15:26 pm »

StFeder; thanks for the heads up on the Log idea. Next time it happens I will do as you suggest... look at the Log & post it for all to see.

glynor · « **Reply #12 on:** August 29, 2015, 02:25:25 pm »

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Taming_Windows_Defender

DocLotus · « **Reply #13 on:** August 29, 2015, 03:01:33 pm »

Thank, Glynor

.

I knew I'd seen it somewhere before.

DocLotus · « **Reply #14 on:** August 29, 2015, 03:26:09 pm »

Just made all the recommended Defender exclusions.

I do have 64 bit so the copy command worked just fine. I changed all MC20 references to MC21.

Rebooted the computer (to make sure the new Defender settings took effect).

Now all I have to do is wait & see.

DocLotus · « **Reply #15 on:** August 29, 2015, 03:53:37 pm »

It's only been a few minutes since making the Defender exclusions but I seem to be seeing an improvement in TV channel changing which is VERY fast.

Previously, holding down either the PgUp or PgDn keys would sometimes fly through all the channels while at other times it would be sluggish stopping after only a few channels.

Time will tell if it also cures the MC lockup problem. But either way it seems to be doing no harm so it may be a good thing to always exclude MC from Defender.

DocLotus · « **Reply #16 on:** August 29, 2015, 05:45:23 pm »

Seems like I spoke a little too soon... TV channel changing slowed down again & MC froze once more.

I captured the Log but it was huge & too big to post here (forgot to do a Reset beforehand).

Will post it next time MC freezes.

DocLotus · « **Reply #17 on:** August 29, 2015, 06:04:39 pm »

New Log attached...

BradATIMA · « **Reply #18 on:** September 02, 2015, 09:48:32 am »

Hello,

I have been trying to reproduce this error for a while without any success. After looking over the error log, there really isn't any information that points to a specific cause. I can confirm what StFeder was saying about having the taskbar on the left being unrelated. When I forced an unrelated freeze-up with the taskbar on the left, Media Center shifted under the taskbar.

What you could try is making sure that your drivers, especially for the tuner card, are up-to-date. You could also try uploading another log when this freeze-up happens again. It might contain new information that would be helpful.

Other than that, I am sorry that I cannot be of more help on this issue.

DocLotus · « **Reply #19 on:** September 02, 2015, 01:02:14 pm »

Quote

What you could try is making sure that your drivers, especially for the tuner card, are up-to-date. You could also try uploading another log when this freeze-up happens again. It might contain new information that would be helpful.

All drivers are current including tuner & video card.

Sometimes the freeze up will happen over & over again. The next time that occurs I'll capture a new log; just maybe the repeating freezing will show up as a "red flag" in the log.

Quote

Other than that, I am sorry that I cannot be of more help on this issue.

You have been of help... it's good to know I'm not alone on this one.

Thanks.

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Author Topic: MC Hangs up with Windows Task bar on the left (Read 6018 times)