1230628 - TB window focus blocked after click dismissing calendar reminder

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Calendar :: Alarms, defect)

Description

[Tim Johnson]

Occasionally, after I dismiss a calendar warning, I can no longer get mouse focus on the Thunderbird window. No matter where I click in the window or on the window frame, I hear an alert as if there was a modal window waiting for input and I'd clicked on other than the modal window. This happens rarely, and I know of no way to reproduce it. I'm running with the latest OS patches. I can't even drag the window frame or use one of the frame controls.

Comment 1

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Which version of 38? (see help | about)

Comment 2

[Tim Johnson]

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk, use Needinfo for questions) from comment #1)
> Which version of 38? (see help | about)

38.4

Comment 3

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

http://mzl.la/1ljCgWW is a list of bug reports involing  focus click 
I didn't get to check them

Comment 4

[Tim Johnson]

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk, use Needinfo for questions) from comment #3)
> http://mzl.la/1ljCgWW is a list of bug reports involing  focus click 
> I didn't get to check them

After checking the list, I didn't see any other bug that describes what I reported here.

The next time this happens, I'll try to use Alt-Tab to get focus on the TB window, and see if it will respond to keyboard commands.

Comment 5

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to Tim Johnson from comment #4)
>...
> The next time this happens, I'll try to use Alt-Tab to get focus on the TB
> window, and see if it will respond to keyboard commands.

That would be great

Comment 6

[Tim Johnson]

The focus loss has happened again. I had two calendar entries for the same date/time. The reminder window had popped up, was dismissed, then I left the computer for several hours. When I came back there was another reminder window. I dismissed that window, and found I could not get focus back to TB. Even clicking on any of the window frame controls failed to get focus or react. I'm not sure this is a reliable way to reproduce the issue, however.

I tried to use alt-tab to get focus on TB. TB would come to the foreground, but did got get focus. As I was playing with alt-tab, yet another reminder popped up. The reminder window does get focus, but the main TB window will got take focus. I can click on the TB window frame to bring it to the foreground, but it will not get focus. When it is in the foreground, keyboard commands have no effect, as expected since the window does not have focus. Dismissing the reminder window has no effect on restoring focus to the main TB window.

From the Task Manager, I can minimize or maximize the main TB window, but while that seems to give temporary focus to the window (as indicated by a red Close control in the window frame), as soon as I try to actually do something, the focus is gone without anything being done.

From the Taskbar icon for TB, I can cause a usable Address Book window, or a usable Write window to appear and they will take focus, allowing normal activity. While these windows are active, the main TB window still will not take focus. 

I don't know if this provides any clues. I think I need to work more on how to reproduce this issue.

Comment 7

[Tim Johnson]

One last point: from the Task Manager, using Switch To also has no effect in gaining focus.

Comment 8

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Marcoa, are you using calendar? If so, does this reproduce for you?

Comment 9

[Marco A.G.Pinto [:marcoagpinto]]

I haven't been able to reproduce it... sorry...

Comment 10

[Tim Johnson]

I had another instance of this issue today. The same basic situation as on 2015-12-14. There were two calendar entries for the same time. I got a reminder window for both. I chose to snooze all for 15 minutes. When the alert came after 15 minutes, I did not dismiss the reminder window, but let it sit while I went to the appointment. After I returned about an hour or so later, I heard the reminder sound the alert again. About an hour after that, I returned to the computer, and dismissed the reminder window. There was another reminder window under that, which I also dismissed. I then clicked on the main TB window, and heard the sound I normally hear when there is a modal window awaiting a response, and I click on the parent window instead. Focus for the main TB window is now impossible until I terminate the TB task and restart it.

Comment 11

[Tim Johnson]

I did create a DMP file before I terminated the task if that's any help to diagnose what's going on.

Comment 12

[Tim Johnson]

I've seen this issue twice today. Here's a little more information which might help reproduce the problem. Again with two calendar entries for the same time, I got the calendar reminder window. In that window, I snoozed all for 15 minutes (I don't think the snooze time is critical). Immediately after that window disappeared, I found I could not put focus in the main TB window. After using the Task Manager to terminate TB, I restarted it. 

Shortly after TB restarted, the calendar reminder window appeared again. I did a snooze all for 10 minutes. After the reminder window disappeared, I found I could no longer put focus in the main TB window. Time to terminate and restart.

Now after Tb restarted, and the calendar reminder window appeared, I first clicked in the main TB window and it got focus. I next went to the calendar reminder window and snoozed all for 10 minutes. After the reminder window disappeared, I clicked in the main TB window, and this time, it took focus. Note the difference this time was putting focus into the main TB window before snoozing all in the calendar reminder window.

More experiments are needed to determine whether this always reproduces the issue. I suspect it's not quite that easy.

Comment 13

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to Tim Johnson from comment #12)
> ...
> More experiments are needed to determine whether this always reproduces the
> issue. I suspect it's not quite that easy.

nice. Any new data?

Comment 14

[Tim Johnson]

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk, use Needinfo for questions) from comment #13)
> (In reply to Tim Johnson from comment #12)
> > ...
> > More experiments are needed to determine whether this always reproduces the
> > issue. I suspect it's not quite that easy.
> 
> nice. Any new data?

Unfortunately, I haven't had any recent cases where there were two events for the same date/time. However, I'm now seeing this issue even when there is only one event for a particular date/time. The inability to dismiss the alert happens if there has been a multihour delay before I attempt dismissal. Most of the time, I'm able to dismiss the alert. When I can't it's always after I've been away from the computer when the alert pops up. The screen saver times out, and have to unlock it. Then, somewhat less than half the time, the alert will fail to dismiss.

Comment 15

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

perhaps is a calendar issue

Comment 16

[Tim Johnson]

I have not seen this issue in quite awhile. Could it have been fixed?

Comment 17

[Philipp Kewisch [:Fallen] [:📆][:🧩]]

That is certainly possible. If it shows up again, please reopen!