Workspace issues (randomly rearranging itself)

[jubi398]

Anybody else get this weird issue where Photoshop randomly rearranges itself and the workspace goes completely whack and out of place (after screensaver kicks in, or computer is put to sleep). To get it back to normal, I have to Reset my workspace every time, which is very frustrating.

Image 1 is a screenshot of what happens

Image 2 is how I have it prior to screensaver or computer sleeping.

I'm running latest OS (Ventura 13.4) and on a Mac Studio with M1 Ultra chip.

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Hi @jubi398 that is your Mac OS not recognizing your monitor when it wakes up so it starts up with the wrong resolution then fixes itself. However that causes undocked panels to shift inward.

This has been noted in previous versions of Mac OS and IMO gotten worse with Ventura. Dont get me started on using two monitors.

My suggestion is to dock your right panels to each other and to the application frame preventing them from floating.

[MarkDS]

Yes, I have also written up this problem in this Forum. The response I got back was to reset preferences, which I haven't done because it doesn't solve the problem and creates others, as at least one other person found out. It's well past time for Adobe's engineers to research why this is happening and fix it, rather than suggesting - because they don't know the answer - to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.

Mark

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Hi @MarkDS this is an Apple OS issue not Photoshop. I have the same behavior with other apps as well especially with two monitors. When my Mac goes to sleep, after startup the monitors can be flipped L/R or windows can be in the lower right of the monitor etc.

It all has to do with the wake up sequence with the Apple OS not recognizing monitor res when it wakes. I'm on an M1 MBP running latest Ventura. My work around is to dock panels to the frame and I haven't had issues in PS since.

[jubi398]

@kevin stohlmeyer thanks for that. Yes it makes sense that it's a Mac OS issue. I use just 1 monitor (on this particular computer). Ironically, my other computer where I do use a 2nd monitor, does NOT have this issue at all. Anyways, I can dock my panels together however I cannot seem to dock them to the appolication frame (there is no blue line that appears to dock). Have you got any visuals/videos/screen recordings that you can share with me, showing me exactly how you do that?

[jubi398]

@kevin stohlmeyer ok I figured out how to dock to the frame. Just needed to do a bit more clicking and dragging and messing around to see when the blue lines appear vertically from top to bottom of the frame. Looking forward to seeing it hopefully staying this way from now on 🙂 Thanks again

[MarkDS]

Hi Kevin, thanks for responding on this - most interesting. Maybe my problem has slightly different contours (and I am on Monterey 12.6, not Ventura). I have 2 things happening: (1) for ANY application, it never fills the whole display space on opening. I usually need to double click the upper right corner to get them to expand. This I assume is an OS problem that Apple has failed to fix in 2 successive versions despite being told about it over and over again. But (2) specific only to Photoshop, and specific to two panels - the History panel and the Adjustments panel don't open in their correct places, which like you I needed to fix by re-selecting my Custom Workspace. So because of its specificity to that application and those two panels, I assumed this is an Adobe issue. Anyhow, the blame game is less important than the fix, so I am interested in the way you fixed it, but I don't understand what you mean by "dock panels to the frame". If it means making sure they snap against the frame, I already do that but to no avail; however, if it's something else, grateful if you could explain further.

Mark

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Hi @MarkDS what I mean by docking is exactly that - not having panels detached from the frame and floating in place as @jubi398 shows in their examples above. If the panels are docked/locked to the application frame they wont shuffle when the monitor/OS issue happens. This issue started back in Monterey so that would make sense.

[MarkDS]

Jubi, to save me the agony, could you please define the steps included in your "clicking and messing around" to get this docking to the application frame to work?

[jubi398]

Hi @MarkDS , yep sure. 

You basically need to click and drag the panels into each other until you see the little blue line appear, then let go and one panel will be docked to another. You do the same thing to the photoshop frame however, it's a bit more messing around with location until you see vertical blue lines to dock to.

This video might help you get what I mean. And this video.

However, all of that said, this morning I woke up to my entire frame moved halfway down the screen. Super annoying. The panels however are in place, so it's a semi-win I guess 😉

[MarkDS]

Thanks very much Jubi. I'll play.
Regards,

Mark

[kevin stohlmeyer]

Hi @jubi398 yes that is indicative of the OS wake up issue that I deal with.

@MarkDS drag your panel to the side until its highlighed like so:

Then release to dock it to the panels or the side of the application frame:

 

[MarkDS]

Got it, thanks Kevin.

[jubi398]

@MarkDS  sweet. Yea it's a bit fiddly but it works better if you drag around the panels slowly, I have found.