P: Secondary Window blocks mouse clicks even when closed after switching desktop spaces

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I've submitted an issue for this with Adobe but, perhaps because of some communication issues, they have reported that they are unable to reproduce the problem. My question to the community is - can anyone else verify the following - using my steps and explanation?

Environment: iMac 27" with only the single monitor.
OS 10.8.2.
Lightroom 4.2

Basic Description of Problem:

After invoking the window for a "second monitor" - which pops up on top of my main display screen, I can close the second window and click on items which were hidden under the second window. If, however, I switch to another "Desktop Space" on the Macintosh and switch back, the area where the second monitor window was located becomes a "dead space" where mouse clicks to select something no longer work.

My current workarounds:

1. Open and close the secondary window again - and the area "covered" by the window will start responding (problem is - you need to do this every time - a pain if you set up something like PhotoShop CS6 and Photomatix in different Desktop Spaces to switch to when processing).

2. Move the window as far as you can off the screen - so the area doesn't overlap anywhere you'd want to click. This works as long as Lightroom is running. If you quit, however, the window position coordinates are updated (even if the window is closed) so the entire window is located within a valid monitor area.

Step-by-Step (somewhat abbreviated since this isn't a QA report forum 😉

1. Launch Lightroom and - just to ensure you're really able to see the issue (and working the way I do) - make sure the display is mostly maximized to fill the monitor.
2. Switch to Library (if not there already) and switch to Grid view.
3. Either click on the icon to open the "secondary display" or - go to the menu option Window>Secondary Display>Show to open the window.
4. Just to make this obvious - if it happens - resize this new window (on top of your main display - remember - I have only the one display) - so large it covers many of the image previews displayed in "Grid" mode.
5. Close (Hide) the secondary window display. Either click the close button - or use the Window menu to deselect "Show".
6. At this point - I can click on images which were previously covered by the secondary window - and my mouse clicks select the images, etc.
7. Switch to another desktop. Use "control + right arrow" or something.
8. Switch back to the desktop space where Lightroom is located.
9. Try clicking on an image in the grid view which was previously covered by the secondary window.

Does it respond? In every case - my mouse clicks fail at this point. It's as if the secondary window - while "closed" - is now masking the main display after switching to another desktop and back.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I upgraded to the latest release of Lightroom for the Mac - 4.3 - and can confirm this problem was addressed. Even though my problem report with Adobe was closed because support stated they were unable to duplicate the problem - I can only conclude that it was reported elsewhere and fixed as a result. Either that - or support wasn't testing with the version I reported using - and that accounted for why the problem wasn't reproducible for them.

Either way - I'm glad to state I'm no longer affected by this issue.

[Guest]

Hi,

I tried Lightroom first time and experienced a very annoying problem.

These are the steps:

MacBook Pro 13", I started Lightroom, then I connected my external Monitor via Mini Display to HDMI. I then put the lid down on my macbook pro to use the external monitor only.

At this stage, Lightroom on my monitor did not respond at all, or responded unpredictably to mouse clicks. For Instance, I couldn't click the Metadata section to update metadata in Library module. Or in the Library Grid View, I could click and select some of the photos but not the others. I could however navigate using arrow buttons on the keyboard.

At first, I thought this was to do with me not knowing how to use the application, however, I rebooted my computer (with the external monitor connected and laptop lid down), and then Lightroom worked as expected.

It was a confusing and annoying first encounter with Lightroom for me..

(I perform these exact steps often with my external monitor and macbook and never experienced an issue with other Applications on my mac.)

Anyone else had this issue?

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Not sure if this is related to the issue I reported or not. There is the one similarity - the comment that you could select some photos but not others. In my case, if I clicked on the second display window (you can also open that from the Window menu by selecting Window>Secondary Display>Show) the area of that "secondary display window" was exactly where my mouse clicks were not responding. Closing that would fix the problem - but the problem would reoccur if I switched to a different "desktop space" - or if I restarted. It was always as if - that "window" was "on top" - even when it was invisible.

As I also stated in my second message, however, despite reporting this problem and getting "can't reproduce it here" from Adobe Technical Support - an update to Lightroom DID fix my problem. I'm currently running release Lightroom version: 4.3 [865747]. You might check to see if you have that version and try upgrading if you don't.

Otherwise - while I have an Airbook and an iMac 27" - I've not attempted to connect the two. So your problem is not something I could test myself.

Hope this helps.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Actually - on rereading my response and your comment - I see you did state you are using v4.3 - so the exact build may not matter.

[Guest]

Hi Richard, thanks.

Originally I created this as a standalone topic but it got moved here. The problem seems to be related/similar but not the same, since we are both on v4.3 and I still have this issue.

[Benjamin Warde]

Hi Cenk,

A couple questions for you:

1. What version of the Mac operating system are you using?
2. When you close the MacBook after launching Lightroom and connecting the monitor, does the MacBook sleep? And you then wake it with an external mouse/keyboard? And after it wakes, you have the problem?

Thanks,
Ben

[Guest]

HI Ben,

I'm on OS X 10.8.2.
When I connect the external monitor, the laptop screen is still open (lightroom running) and it goes into dual screen mode (with Lightroom on the laptop screen). At this stage, I put the laptop lid down and it switches automatically (no sleeping) to external monitor only. This is when I have the problem...

thank you,
Cenk

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I can confirm this issue still appears in Lightroom 5.2, Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks.

[paulcohn]

Also in LR 5.4 was Mac OS X. With a window open in the second monitor, mouse clicks aren't working (to move the detail closeup using the crosshairs tool or to select multiple photos in gallery).

[Malcolm15C3]

I've been having trouble with this since switching from LR3 to LR4. It's still happening with LR5.6, and I've run the latest version of OS X though out (currently on 10.9.5, not Yosemite which was released this week). I don't use an external monitor.

I thought it was related to the Map module, because this is where the problem normally manifests itself. I thought the only solution was to restart LR, which sometimes happens every few minutes. I was fed-up!

This happened again several times this evening editing keywords in the Library module's grid view. Having read this page, I've found toggling the Second Display in Loupe view (normal) on and off using Cmd+F11. So far it seems to be working. THANK YOU.

[Wes Craft]

I'm in OSX 10.7.5 and using LR 5.6 I too have this issue. I was under the assumption that the dead areas of my lightroom workspace were where I had previously used brushes but sometimes I do accidentally toggle a second display and perhaps that is what was triggering the dead space. It used to happen to me in the LR4 iterations as well and I had hoped 5 would fix it. I used to restart lightroom to remedy the issue but as much as I use brushes I have to do it frequently. You've got me thinking that it may be related to accidentally hitting the shortcut for second display. Loading the Second Display, moving it out of the way, and closing it worked for me. I'd still love a LR bug fix.

[wirrah]

This issue is still evident in Lightroom 6 (CC). The secondary window causes dead space for the mouse after the window is closed (although not consistently). Typically I open the secondary display window in the map module. In the develop module you can actually see the resize mouse pointer and resize the secondary desktop window even though it has been closed!!!

27" late 2009 iMac. Single monitor and single desktop space.

I can get around it by either switching screen resolutions back and forth or reopening and closing the secondary window.

[Wes Craft]

Yeah, I can confirm. This issue has existed in at least the last 3 versions. I'm currently in LR6, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3) Late 2013 iMac, 3.5GHz, 32GB Ram.

[Paul Tansley]

Secondary Display Panel - if you call this up accidentally (Shift N) then close it - as you didn't want it. You are then unable to use brushes or any retouching etc. in the area that the panel covered. It's been a bug for a few versions of LR now - and still hasn't been fixed.

[wirrah]

Just a follow up. I installed 6.1.1 (CC) last night and I can confirm it is still an issue!

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Wesley, Paul and Greg,

I have been trying to duplicate this but cannot on either my MBPr nor my MBA. I am able to edit the area under the second screen window after dismissing.

Are you all using iMacs?
Are you using any tablets or pointing devices?
How are you closing the secondary display panel?

[Paul Tansley]

iMac here - 27" Mid 2011

Are you thinking its a graphics card issue?

I'll have a try on my Macbook Pro - see if it also happens there - will let you know.

[Paul Tansley]

Macbook Pro - Early 2013 - 15"

It doesn't happen. Can't reproduce it. Rikk - Think you might have hit on a possible cause. Wonder if the others are on iMacs too - as you have suggested.

Paul

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

All three of you are on iMacs. I don't have one with which to test so I can't say for sure but I am suspicious.

[wirrah]

Apologies for the delay in replying but I'm in a different time zone.

Anyway... Yes later 2009 iMac, 8gb, ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 MB. Single monitor and a single desktop. I have had this machine since 2010 but the issue didn't appear until LR 4

In answer to your question it doesn't seem to make any difference how I open or close the window. I am using and have always used a USB connected mouse and different brands at that.

If it is of any help changing the screen resolution back and forth resolves the issue.

I have a macbook pro but I have never run lightroom on it. I'll test it later today.

Greg

[wirrah]

Follow up and just to confuse the issue...

I just tried this on my circa 2008 Macbook pro and had exactly the same issue. Used to pop up the window then closed it again with and the screen was dead where it was previously visible. Toggling again gave me access.

Yosemite 10.10.4, 2GB, NVIDIA geForce 8600M GT 256MB

It's a mystery and looks like it's only affecting earlier machines... maybe...

cheers

Greg

[Malcolm15C3]

I've seen this on multiple MBPs, multiple versions of OS X and multiple versions of LR. It's hard to believe that this is hardware/device related. It seems more likely to be a software bug

[Malcolm15C3]

BTW I don't suppose you'll recreate this easily if you use multiple displays.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I'm the one who originally reported this. It has been interesting to read the many comments - particularly after so much time.

I'm still using Lightroom - v.5.7 on an iMac 27" with 10.8.5.

And - this still happens - but not only for the very first invocation and closure of the secondary window.

To clarify - if I open the secondary window on top of Library view (particularly in Grid mode since the selection issue becomes more noticeable) - and then close the secondary window. The area in the Library grid where the secondary window was covering a moment ago will show the subtle "mouse-over" shift - but clicking doesn't select an of the image thumbnails.

But - I tried this multiple times and if I repeat those steps again - I can't get the problem to occur. So - while I mostly don't use the secondary window (it's not much use for a single monitor system) - it I accidentally invoke it - and close it - I just find I have to close it and open it again.

[wirrah]

In my case the mouse overs do not work. I wasn't sure about this but tested this morning on my iMac and the area remains totally unresponsive. Except that the window resizing mouse cursor can appear and allow you to resize the phantom window thus reducing it's area of influence (which is what led me to the cause)

I use the secondary window all the time on a single monitor in map mode so I can see a reasonable size image of the photo I'm investigating as I am coordinating a lot of older images and it helps to be able to examine the image in detail. So it became an issue for me from lightroom 4 onwards.

Now that it's an easy fix (toggle the window) I'm less concerned than when I used to restart lightroom to clear the issue, then progressed to toggling the screen resolution until I finally realised what the culprit was! And that was only recently which, in turn, led me to this bug report thread.

Much easier now.

And to Mr. Adobe. I've been writing software for 35 years and I have much empathy with the the inability to reproduce a particular problem so always happy to provide feedback.

Greg