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Macro Toolworks Products Discussion Forums :: Suggestions & Bug Reports |
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Subject :Extended hotkeys not working right..
22-03-2010 22:07:44
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| HumorMe |
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Joined: 22-03-2010 20:53:40
Posts: 8
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Hi. I am having trouble with extended hotkeys since I switched from a 32-bit Windows
Vista computer to a 64-bit Windows 7 computer. They still "mostly" work, the problem
is that they submit the second key as if it were part of the macro. For instance,
if I create a text macro that writes "Hello World" and I assign it the keyboard
shortcut of "WIN+Q" plus "1", then the output I get is "1Hello World".
It doesn't fire until the "1" is pressed, but then it includes the "1" in the output.
These same macros worked fine on my old PC (Vista,32bit), but I also switched
MacroToolworks versions from 7.3.x to 7.4.0 (current). Unfortunately, IT has already
scrubbed my old PC, so I can't be sure precisely which version I had, but I know it
wasn't that old. |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
30-03-2010 17:44:32
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| HumorMe |
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Joined: 22-03-2010 20:53:40
Posts: 8
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Solved. Apparently all I needed was a Windows Update. I have automatic updates turned
on for my PC, but for some reason they were failing. I ran them by hand, and received
30+ updates, one of which apparently fixed this issue. |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
27-04-2010 15:34:42
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| HumorMe |
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Joined: 22-03-2010 20:53:40
Posts: 8
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Hmm, this might be more complicated than I thought. The problem has returned after weeks without occurring. I don't know if I was wrong about the Windows Update helping. Perhaps the timing was mere coincidence. I would be be interested to know what controls this behavior.
FYI I'm using 7.4.0 on Windows 7 on a dual-processor machine. I have seen other eratic behavior where once in a while a key command will repeat, such as right-arrow or delete, after I only press it once. It isn't stuck in the keyboard. It's somehow a software issue. No idea if its Windows 7 or Macro Toolworks. Not sure if that relates to the other issue or not. Any troubleshooting ideas would be welcome. |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
17-02-2011 08:08:03
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| petr |
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Joined: 15-10-2009 11:48:52
Posts: 152
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Hi,
although I'm not aware of any particular fix concerning extended hotkeys between 7.4.0 and current 7.4.8, I would recommend you to try the latest one.... I have no better idea right now since I'm not able to repeat this problem..... |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
17-02-2011 14:09:48
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| HumorMe |
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Joined: 22-03-2010 20:53:40
Posts: 8
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Unfortunately this remains a problem. Restarting the PC is the only fix (restarting
Macro Toolworks has no effect). Once restarted it will work correctly for a while, and
then eventually it will go back to sending the extended key. At home, I have the same
version of Macro Toolworks with the same extended key shortcuts on Windows Vista and
never have any problem (and I almost never restart either PC). I use these extended
macros many times a day, especially at work. I don't know if any of this info helps.
Just figured I'd offer what I've learned over the past year. |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
07-06-2011 18:31:31
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| GeoD_MTW |
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Joined: 10-12-2009 08:07:49
Posts: 15
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I'd like to start a discussion with you about the extended hotkey problem - it's something I've been fighting with for some time. You're the first person who's voiced a problem with the extended hotkeys other than me.
So far, I only have work-a-rounds and not answers.
I'm busy with something right now, but I'll post a lengthier replay in the next day or so and fill you in on what I've learned about the problem.
Hopefully between the two of us we can sort out why and how this is happening.
Later,
GeoD |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
25-07-2011 21:10:26
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| HumorMe |
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Joined: 22-03-2010 20:53:40
Posts: 8
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Hi GeoD, I'd be happy to swap notes with you. This is still a problem for me. In fact, it's actually 3 problems:
1. Sometimes, as mentioned above, macro will fire but not prevent the extended key from submitting, resulting in extended key being sent to current control on screen. Happens often. Have to restart PC to fix.
2. Sometimes, instead, it fails to recognize the extended key was pressed, and I can type 5-6 more keystrokes and they get eaten/ignored until suddenly the keyboard unlocks once again. (but the macro does not run). Happens less often, but happened today (which is why I'm prowling on here today). Have to restart PC to fix.
3. Probably unrelated, but who can say...sometimes I get stuck key behavior on arrow keys or delete key (that one sucks, let me tell ya). This is not the keyboard and it only seems to happen when MTW is running. Happens several times a week. Typing any other key stops the repeating, but sometimes I don't notice it right away. |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
25-07-2011 21:20:18
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| HumorMe |
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Joined: 22-03-2010 20:53:40
Posts: 8
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Interesting. I may have had a breakthrough, although I will want to reproduce to be sure. I am running X1 (a file/email search program that my company uses). When I exited from that, my extended macros started working again (I was getting symptom #2 above). However, it could be a timing coincidence. I'll have to wait until it happens again and try it right away next time. |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
27-07-2011 15:58:08
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| HumorMe |
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Joined: 22-03-2010 20:53:40
Posts: 8
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No such luck. Today it is doing symptom #1. I have shut off X1 and a bunch of other services to see if they help. No effect. Problem remains. This is very frustrating. If there were another macro program even close to as good as this one, I'd be switching for this alone. Restating my PC every other day to fix this is extremely aggravating. |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
28-07-2011 02:19:30
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| GeoD_MTW |
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Joined: 10-12-2009 08:07:49
Posts: 15
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Sorry to hear the X1 didn't fix the problem. The symptoms you describe are very similar to what I've experienced, (so it may be the X1 is related.)
I haven't had #1 associated with the compound hotkeys, though I have had some spurious issues with keystrokes carried into the output of the macro, I've had the first character refuse to output until I delete the macro and re-write it, and I've had some weird stuff with a particular string substituted for the data I'm retrieving from a test file using {data_load}.
What I've tracked the compound hotkey problems down to is an issue with memory usage by MTW getting too high. If you keep Task Mgr, (or something similar), open and monitoring GDI Obj, USER Obj, Threads and Handles, you'll find that after a period of time, certain processes will begin to use and not release memory from these areas.
My system was rebooting less than 6 hours ago, but I have 1306 under USER objs, the next closest is 500+. A text editor I use has 1373 under GDU Objects. After my system has been up for a period of time, these amounts will climb, as well as other areas and other programs.
I haven't been able to figure out the breaking point, but that may be impossible as the combination of programs is a factor, as well.
Anyway, there is something called keyboard hooks and they manage the keystroke use of the various applications. I have another app that uses compound keystrokes for it's internal macros. And many programs will have 2-20 hard coded macros that open certain applets or active functions of the application.
All of these programs are hammering on the keyboard hooks. Like everything else in Windows, there come a certain time when the load gets too high on the Windows function, and two apps collide, in this case, you may not notice anything except the compound keystrokes stop working.
There is a handful of other situations where Windows does the same thing. If this is something new, and want me to expand on it, let me know. There's enough for a book.
I've found rebooting the system is the only thing that fixes the problem.
I'm running two identical system side by side right now- identical hardware, OS & software installs, (one was my wife's on she's in NY right now.), so I have a good lab for sorting this out. I don't have them completely identical as far as applications, but I will in a few weeks. It I can make the same thing happen on both systems, I can get closer to answer.
Something else I remembered. As much as I have figured out on this, I am still unable to re-produce the problem. It just happens. Until I can reproduce it, Petr will just be shooting in the dark at any fix. If we can get a situation where it can be reproduced, figuring out if MTW is part of the problem, or a victim should be possible.
The fact that a Windows fix helped yours may or not be true, if a person could find out exactly what the fixes did, there may be clues, but that is hard, if not impossible to find out. OH, yeah, I'm still running XP, I can't quantify it, but I think the problem has been less since I added SP3.
Part of the issue is I got fed up with the compound hotkeys, and just stopped using them for almost a year. I've only been back at them for about 2 months, and part of that has been spent in working on some new organization & documenting all the keystrokes I'm using - that means a system of record keeping, as well as documenting what they are. I'm working on hundreds of keystrokes & macros, though.
Talk to you later, chew over what I shared and see if there's anything that comes to mind.
Later,
GeoD |
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Subject :Re:Extended hotkeys not working right..
28-07-2011 20:49:22
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| HumorMe |
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Joined: 22-03-2010 20:53:40
Posts: 8
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Wow, that sucks, I just wrote a long reply and it ate it with a "Request Forbidden" message at the top. I forgot to put in the clipboard before pressing submit, there is no undo. That really sucks. Here is the much shorter version:
I don't know much about keyboard hooks, but I know that I run a lot of other apps that listen to keyboard input (especially Visual Studio and some of the AddIns I use with it). At home I don't run those kinds of apps very often and I don't get these problems. So it probably is something about all of these keyboard listeners not playing well together. That said, the others keep working, only MTW gives me grief. I wish I knew of some way to reset them all to a happy state without rebooting. |
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