1292339 - Issues with Firefox displaying properly when using external monitors

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Core :: Widget: Win32, defect, P3)

Description

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

This started happening weeks ago and unfortunately I can only reproduce this on Firefox. I tried refreshing Firefox, but no luck. Did a full wipe, complete with profile. Still funky. I'll add screenshots.

Windows 10, X1 Carbon Thinkpad, Firefox 48.0

These happen frequently:

1. dragging browser windows from one monitor to another has a very jittery effect. Seems to get stuck temporarily between screens. It give me a feeling as if hitting something. The more tabs on the window, the worse it feels. This used to be smooth.

2. disconnecting my second monitor sometimes results in my windows getting incorrectly resized and content goes beyond screen.

3. disconnecting my external monitor sometimes causes all the text on my tabs and bookmarks toolbar to get distorted and renders Firefox unusable.

4. dragging browser windows from one monitor to another sometimes causes the screen to be resize incorrectly resulting in content constricted to the middle of the browser window.

5. upon restarting Firefox, minimizing Firefox or dragging it to a new window results in an extremely small window. I then have to stretch it to a usable size.

Comment 1

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

Attachment: #1 jittery effect

Comment 2

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

Attachment: tabs-distored.JPG

#2 tabs distorted when disconnecting from external monitor

Comment 3

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

Attachment: resizing.mp4

resizing issue

Comment 4

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

Attachment: off-screen.mp4

off screen after unplugging secondary monitor

Comment 5

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

Attachment: mini-window.mp4

why is the minimized window so tiny on Firefox?

Comment 6

[Alex Davis [:adavis]]

I CC'd Matt N. He will know if this is a dupe or what next steps should be taken.

Comment 7

[:Gijs (he/him)]

(In reply to Fabio Rios [:frios] from comment #0)
> This started happening weeks ago and unfortunately I can only reproduce this
> on Firefox.

> Windows 10, X1 Carbon Thinkpad, Firefox 48.0

This combination of statements is confusing to me. Did this start with 47? 48? If you're using stable, there aren't that many changes to the environment Firefox makes, though it's possible it's related to a graphics card or Win10 update. Can you try older builds using mozregression to see if it was a change we made?

Orthogonally, I think at this stage jfkthame is our resident expert on these things, see bug 1154125 and friends. Can you try using beta (49) to see if it makes these issues go away and/or improves things?

Comment 8

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

(In reply to :Gijs Kruitbosch (PTO recovery mode) from comment #7)
> (In reply to Fabio Rios [:frios] from comment #0)
> > This started happening weeks ago and unfortunately I can only reproduce this
> > on Firefox.
> 
> > Windows 10, X1 Carbon Thinkpad, Firefox 48.0
> 
> This combination of statements is confusing to me. Did this start with 47?
> 48? 
I noticed it in 47.

> Can you try using beta (49) to see if
> it makes these issues go away and/or improves things?

Yes, I'll try beta and report back

Comment 9

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

Attachment: tiny-minimize.mp4

I've been using beta 49 for a week and Firefox is no longer locking up for me when I switch between screens. Therefore I haven't had to restart Firefox.

This issue remains, however. Releasing the maximized window results in a very tiny window.

Comment 10

[:Gijs (he/him)]

(In reply to Fabio Rios [:frios] from comment #9)
> Created attachment 8784003 [details]
> tiny-minimize.mp4
> 
> I've been using beta 49 for a week and Firefox is no longer locking up for
> me when I switch between screens. Therefore I haven't had to restart Firefox.
> 
> This issue remains, however. Releasing the maximized window results in a
> very tiny window.

Jonathan, I think at this stage you're the resident multi-dpi expert...

(Fabio, I'm assuming the x1 is "retina"/hidpi, and the external screen isn't, or vice versa?)

Comment 11

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

> (Fabio, I'm assuming the x1 is "retina"/hidpi, and the external screen
> isn't, or vice versa?)

Yep, external is not hidpi

Comment 12

[Jonathan Kew [:jfkthame]]

(In reply to Fabio Rios [:frios] from comment #9)
> This issue remains, however. Releasing the maximized window results in a
> very tiny window.

I think I'm beginning to see what's going on here. It's not a problem for maximized windows in general, but only if you do a specific sequence of actions:

1. Start with a (non-maximized) window on your hi-dpi screen;
2. Drag the window across to the lo-dpi screen, and *in the same drag action* drag it to the top of the display so that Windows maximizes it on the new screen;
3. Then click the maximize/restore control, or double-click the title bar, to un-maximize the window.

Result: the restored window is unexpectedly small. The behavior is preserved across a browser restart, so the same thing occurs if you quit Firefox while the window is in its maximized state on the lo-dpi screen, then restart, and then un-maximize the window.

Note that AFAICT this does *not* occur if the window was already on the same screen prior to maximizing it; so if you drag your initial window across to the second screen, and release it, and THEN maximize it (either by dragging to the screen edge or clicking the maximize control), the problem will not occur.

If you do the reverse test -- start with a window on the lo-dpi screen, then drag it across to the hi-dpi screen and maximize *in a single drag action*, then when the window is un-maximized again it will appear unexpectedly large (quite likely not fitting within the screen).

The problem is presumably caused by the saved window state (which will be used when "restoring" from the maximized state) having been set up using a different resolution, and so its coordinates are misinterpreted during the restore operation. Note that the window gets (incorrectly) restored on the same screen as where it was maximized, which is arguably wrong; its original state was on the other screen, so it should probably be restored back to that location.

Comment 13

[Fabio Rios [:frios]]

Attachment: google-doc-issue.mp4

Another item that appears to be related since it only occurs on my secondary monitor. My Google Docs are not showing up properly. Table borders are cut off and worst is this misalignment with the cursor. See video.

Comment 14

[Jonathan Kew [:jfkthame]]

(In reply to Fabio Rios [:frios] from comment #13)
> Created attachment 8792960 [details]
> google-doc-issue.mp4
> 
> Another item that appears to be related since it only occurs on my secondary
> monitor. My Google Docs are not showing up properly. Table borders are cut
> off and worst is this misalignment with the cursor. See video.

Please file a new bug report for this; it's a distinct issue, even though it's probably also related to monitor resolutions.

Comment 15

[Henry Bolte]

I am having Firefox resizing issues after I awaken my Windows 10 system from SLEEP mode.
I am using a Lenovo Z50 laptop and an Acer 23in. external monitor (I have setup Windows so I only use this "2nd" monitor).
Whenever my system goes in to sleep mode, my Firefox window is resized (narrower, perhaps 1/3 the size before SLEEP mode)when I wake the system.
I have the latest fixes for both Firefox (release 50) and Windows 10.
This ONLY happens with the Firefox window, although other app windows are repositioned on my screen, they retain their size.

Comment 16

[Sylvestre Ledru [:Sylvestre]]

Moving to p3 because no activity for at least 1 year(s).
See https://github.com/mozilla/bug-handling/blob/master/policy/triage-bugzilla.md#how-do-you-triage for more information

Comment 17

[Ray Kraesig [:rkraesig]]

The various issues reported here seem to no longer occur in modern Firefox. A partial exception is the issue described in comment 12 -- which doesn't seem to have quite the effect, but still misbehaves. This has been filed in isolation as bug 1800507.

Closing as RESOLVED WORKSFORME otherwise, to keep this bug from collecting cruft. :frios, if you're still seeing any of these, feel free to reopen and/or refile.