Classic Shell: Forum

I have noticed on two separate computers when i plug in a second monitor the classic shell logo appears on the top left of monitor 1, as well as where it should be on the bottom left.
On the top left though, there is only the right half of the menu 'button'. Clicking it opens the classic shell menu on monitor 2 only. Is this a bug or a hidden feature? Using version 4.0.2

This is not expected. Dynamically adding or removing monitors creates many situations and probably some are not well handled.
Can you provide a screenshot?

Also, which OS are you running? Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1? What is your multi-monitor configuration (Win+P) - extend or duplicate? What side is your taskbar on? Please show a screenshot.

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I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

You can the normal classic menu shell icon on the bottom and also part of it on the top left where the word FILE normally sits. The screen shot is from windows 8.1 PC. with others windows 8.0 PC also does the same thing. I am using actual windows manager 8.0.3 but get the same thing when i shut that app down.

Configuration is different for each PC.
windows 8.1 screen 2 = extended
windows 8.0 screen 2 = duplicated

Thanks in advance for looking into this.

Probably worth mentioning that in both cases (two separate computers) the resolution is very different on monitor two. I will be getting a new similar sized monitor for one computer and will see if that fixes it.

I have the same problem. 1/2 shell start icon in upper left corner. Using Windows 8

The problem was not there with CS 3.6.8, it started with 4.0.2. Upgrade to Windows 8.1 did not fix it.

Multi-monitor = extend multi monitor software = Actual Multiple Monitors 8.0.3
Both monitors are same size and same resolution.
The 1/2 shell start icon does not appear until the taskbar on monitor 2 becomes visible.

The 1/2 icon disappears by going to Classic Shell settings, start menu style, change to classic start button then change back to Aero.
However, 1/2 icon reappears at each reboot of the computer.

@RobG - So you are not actually plugging in the second monitor, but simply enable the taskbar on it, right? Are you doing it from the Windows settings or trough the AMM settings? Maybe this is a problem with AMM? They are trying to be compatible with Classic Shell, but may not have updated for the new version.

@bradn - are you using the AMM software as well?

To both of you - what is the resolution of each monitor, and what is their relative layout? I need all details so I can try and repro the exact conditions.

What happens if you uninstall the Actual Multiple Monitors software or disable its taskbar and use the native Windows 8 taskbar (enable it from Taskbar Properties)? Does the button show normally then? I believe it AMM or Actual Window Manager which is based on the same codebase has some Classic Shell integration may not be compatible with 4.0.x.

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Monitor 1 17" Acer AL1717 1280 x 1024 resolution
Monitor 2 17" Envision 7410e 1280 x 1024 resolution


In AMM monitor 2 is checked extend my windows desktop onto this monitor
Video card is AMD Radeon HD 7700


Taskbar settings were through AMM

Since the native taskbar doesn't have any issue, I consider this a bug in AMM software - they need to fix the integration with Classic Shell 4.0.x and their own taskbar.

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I disabled the AMM taskbar and rebooted, no 1/2 icon.

I enabled windows 8.1 taskbar through taskbar properties, rebooted and no 1/2 icon.
That appears to solve the 1/2 icon problem, but less than desirable taskbar appearance and function.

I know that Display Fusion adds its own start button for secondary taskbars. I don't know if AMM does the same, but it might. You may try reporting this bug to them.

Yes I know AMM does add a secondary taskbar since I use it instead of DisplayFusion. But I was using an older version so I didn't come across this issue.

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@Ivo
I'm the developer of AMM's taskbars.
Actual Multiple Monitors actually adds its own start buttons to the secondary taskbars.

AMM currently uses "ClassicStartMenu.StartMenuMsg" message with MSG_NEWTASKBAR wParam to let Classic Shell Start Menu know the new AMM's taskbars are created on the secondary monitors, so Classic Shell can correctly show its start menu above them.
Unfortunately, there's no way to inform Classic Shell, that these taskbars already have the start buttons.

If you could add one more entry in TMenuMsgParam enumeration, say MSG_NEWCUSTOMTASKBAR (to register a taskbar in Classic Shell, but not to add new start button for it), I could use it instead.
Alternatively, our taskbar implementation can hunt for the start buttons created by CS for our taskbars and hide them, but I personally don't like this idea.

There's one more issue in AMM and CS interaction: I could not find any way to inform Classic Shell Start Menu when one of our taskbar gets destroyed. As a result, if you start/stop AMM several times, there will be more than one start button created by Classic Shell for each secondary monitor.
The same happens if you disable and then enable AMM taskbar on one of the monitors.
The last time I've checked for this issue was with CS 3.6.8 release. Perhaps this was fixed in the latest versions.
Anyway, could you please add something like MSG_CUSTOMTASKBARDELETED notification, so AMM could report about the destruction of one of its taskbars?

If you need any additional information, please let me know.
We at Actual Tools are really interested in making our products compatible with Classic Shell, and we are open to any discussion on how to achieve this.

I'd rather not have Classic Shell track custom taskbars. The code will try to subclass them and will assume specific class names, window hierarchy and behavior. I cannot guarantee that it will work with custom implementations.

The recommended way of doing this is to hook the creation of new windows and wait for a start menu to be created (a window with class ClassicShell.CMenuContainer). Then send it a message ClassicStartMenu.StartMenuMsg with the correct StartMenuParams structure. This will ensure that the menu is positioned correctly, both in screen space and in the Z order.

Thanks you for the prompt anwser!
I'll try this.

Everything seems to work fine now.
At least those half-icons do not appear anymore

Actual Multiple Monitors V8.1 solves the problem


Thanks for the help

FYI, I had a similar but different thing happen when I went to dual monitors, extended, external monitor above native laptop screen.
I keep my taskbar autohidden on the right of the screen. Going into dual mode, bringing my mouse to the right side now just brought a line out, with no task bar, like it was just pulling out the edge.
I discovered that if pointer went to the top of the bottom (native laptop) screen, that a taskbar, stripped of the usual clock, battery, power etc that is typically on the right side of the task bar, would pop up on the bottom of the top screen, and retract if I moved away. I could right click to taskbar properties there, and see that it had changed itself to 'bottom' from 'right', where I had set it. I reset it to 'right', and my task bar was restored in the laptop screen, but a second taskbar, a different color, with only icons and no descriptive text that appears on the bar that I had formatted, and also stripped down now appears independently in the top screen as well. I think that may be the normal Windows 8 taskbar.

Hi Ivo,
I have previously used CSM in Win7 & 8.1 without problems using both NVidia and ATI cards. I just upgraded to a new system with onboard Intel GFX (Intel i7 4790k processor with built-in GPU (which is great, BTW!)) and I'm now experiencing the 'one start bar per monitor' problem. My config is one monitor below the other.
Worse still, the bottom one occasionally decides to keep sliding up and down until clicked on. ("Click me! Click MEEEEE!")


Any thoughts on a fix?
I also run WindowBlinds 8, but I have done without problems on Win8.1 previously and WB7 on Win7 before that.


All the best,
Dax.

I should also mention that my main start bar is located on the left side of the top monitor (just like on my other installations which worked flawlessly).
I notice that in the screenshot in post#4, Brad's start menu is also located on the left of the screen.

The real solution?
Disable Windows' new function "Show taskbar on all displays"
So simple... :s