Apps Hidden by Taskbar at Top of Screen

[rickman]

I have gotten used to keeping my Windows task bar at the top of the
screen instead of the bottom. I find this more convenient because it
is like the menus and is a shorter reach than when at the bottom.
However, there are some applications that open at their old window
coordinates, but goof it up by not "knowing" the task bar is using the
top of the screen. It is as if the apps remember where they were in
"visible" screen coordinates and then restore their location in full
screen coordinates. So the apps end up above the visible screen and
have to be moved back by using the keyboard since the window controls
are off screen. If the app is opened and closed a few times without
bringing it back into the visible screen, the entire window can end up
off screen.

You would think that of all apps, MS apps would not have this bug.
But Visio 2003 seems to have it. Is there a work around other than
not keeping the taskbar at the top of the screen?

Rick

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

Like you, I prefer having the taskbar at the top of the screen.
Unfortunately, I have run into the same issue. The problem isn't that the
program windows don't remember their locations, but rather what I've
discovered is that they are hard-coded to open at the top of the screen.
When this happens, the taskbar z order priority keeps it on top, hiding the
top of the program window. Only programs not coded to do this will
"remember" where they should open up, the rest will have to be moved every
time.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[rickman]

That was what I originally thought, that the programs were hard coded
to open in the upper left corner of the screen. But I see programs
essentially "walk" off the top of the screen because each time they
are closed and reopened, they appear higher up by the height of the
taskbar and will eventually disappear if I don't use keyboard commands
to bring it back onto the screen.

Still, I am amazed that I find this behavior in a MicroSoft app.
Can't they code their apps to work under their own operating system?
If they can't, who can?

Rick

 

[Rick Rogers]

In a company that large, the various branches don't always talk to each
other.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

That was what I originally thought, that the programs were hard coded
to open in the upper left corner of the screen. But I see programs
essentially "walk" off the top of the screen because each time they
are closed and reopened, they appear higher up by the height of the
taskbar and will eventually disappear if I don't use keyboard commands
to bring it back onto the screen.

Still, I am amazed that I find this behavior in a MicroSoft app.
Can't they code their apps to work under their own operating system?
If they can't, who can?

Rick

 

[rickman]

I don't necessarily expect the different branches to talk, especially
when Visio is a product bought to round out Office. But I do expect
them to test their software and for that testing to include various
basic operations that *all* Windows apps should support.

Rick

 

[RalfG]

I don't necessarily expect the different branches to talk, especially
when Visio is a product bought to round out Office. But I do expect
them to test their software and for that testing to include various
basic operations that *all* Windows apps should support.

Rick

As a possible workaround, what if you enable "Auto-hide the taskbar"?

 

[rickman]

As a possible workaround, what if you enable "Auto-hide the taskbar"?

Thanks for the suggestion. Actually, I find that even more annoying.
Every time I move the cursor to the top of the screen to click a
window control, the taskbar pops down and gets in the way.

I have applied every update I can find and have even upgraded Visio
since I initially started using it. The problem remains. I suppose
MS just doesn't care enough to fix problems like these.

Rick