Open Bug 1853837 Opened 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Firefox becomes "TOPMOST" when switched from maximized to unmaximized and back to maximized

Categories

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

Product:
Core
Component:
Widget: Win32
Version:
Firefox 117
Type:
defect

Tracking

()

Status:
REOPENED

People

(Reporter: boutbernard, Unassigned)

Details

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/117.0

Steps to reproduce:

Firefox 117.0.1 (64-bit) on Windows 10
I have my task bar on the LEFT and "Automatically hide the taskbar" set, to maximise the desktop space.
Firefox is Maximised and I can access the taskbar by moving the mouse over the edge of the screen at the left.
I click the "Restore Down" button and Firefox is no longer maximised. I can still access the taskbar.
I then click the Same button(now "Maximize" to make FF maximised.

Actual results:

I can no longer access the Taskbar as Firefox is now "TOPMOST". Nothing except a restart of Firefox will restore it to the correct state of being Maximised but allowing the taskbar to be accessed.

Expected results:

I would expect the FF window to be maximised (as it is) but STILL be able to access the hidden taskbar as I was able to before. I should NOT have to restart FF. This is the behavior of ALL windows apps and FF should follow this.

The Bugbug bot thinks this bug should belong to the 'Core::Widget: Win32' component, and is moving the bug to that component. Please correct in case you think the bot is wrong.

Component: Untriaged → Widget: Win32
Product: Firefox → Core
Severity: -- → S3
Priority: -- → P3
Summary: Firefox becomes "TOPMOST" when switched from full screen to Restore down and back to full screen → Firefox becomes "TOPMOST" when switched from maximized to unmaximized and back to maximized

I'm afraid I can't reproduce this. Can you try to collect some more information for diagnostic purposes?

  1. Go to https://profiler.firefox.com/. Click "Enable ⁨Firefox Profiler⁩ Menu Button". This should make a new button appear next to the app button.
  2. Go to about:logging. Set New log modules to timestamp,sync,Widget:5,TaskbarConcealer:5,WindowsEvent:4 and click "Set Log Modules".
  3. On any Firefox window, click the new profiler button (or press Ctrl+Shift+1).
  4. Reproduce the bug.
  5. On any Firefox window, click the profiler button again (or press Ctrl+Shift+2). A new Firefox window should appear with log information in it.
  6. In the upper right, click "Upload Local Profile". Uncheck all of the checkboxes, then click "Upload".
  7. When the upload completes, post the provided Permalink here.
Flags: needinfo?(boutbernard)

Funnily enough after I restarted my computer yesterday, I too was unable to reproduce this irritating behaviour. I can only attribute it to some BAD interaction with Windows 10 and Firefox. that was cleared up by some update from Microsoft or by the restart.
Hopefully it does not reappear but if it does I will certainly do thru the above Profile stuff and upload the results before restarting.

It is so irritating when a bug appears and then disappears. Makes finding out what was wrong impossible.
Also I am sure this is Windows 10 playing nasty as there was no update from Firefox since.

Please close this bug report for now. Thanks.

Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 2 years ago
Flags: needinfo?(boutbernard)
Resolution: --- → WORKSFORME

The above problem has happened AGAIN. I followed your instructions :

  1. went to https://profiler.firefox.com/ and I now have that button to record.

I am unable to complete item 2. I entered "about:profiling" in firefox and a page appears:
Profiler Settings
Recordings launch profiler.firefox.com in a new tab. All data is stored locally, but you can choose to upload it for sharing......
BUT there is no such thing on this page as you state:
"Set New log modules to timestamp,sync,Widget:5,TaskbarConcealer:5,WindowEvent:4 and click "Set Log Modules"."

Anyway I recorded a profile and uploaded it. Hope it helps to fix this bug.

Another thing I noticed. I closed FF and waited for all instances in memory to close. I then started FF and it opened Maximixed and I could access the taskbar on the left. I then clicked the restore down button and could still access the taskbar. I then Maximised the window again and the problem is there again. I cannot access the taskbar.

With this new discovery I created another profile and uploaded. Hope this helps.

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #4)

BUT there is no such thing on this page as you state:

Apologies -- the correct page there is not about:profiling, but about:logging. I'll amend the procedure in that comment to suit.

Unfortunately a profile without those logs captured probably won't help narrow things down. (Please also note step #7, as I have no way to view a profile without the permalink.)

Status: RESOLVED → REOPENED
Ever confirmed: true
Flags: needinfo?(boutbernard)
Resolution: WORKSFORME → ---

Ok Done.
Here is one link to the profile with FF already open.

https://share.firefox.dev/48KZZaW

Note that there is no GREY LINE to access the taskbar till I click the "Restore Down" button and then the taskbar disappears once I maximise FF again.
I am also going to do a profile with FF closed and then open FF and do the profile. See below for that.

Here is the other profile.
Started FF from a closed state.
FF opens Maximised. I can access the Task Bar on the left. There is visible a thin grey line that shows the task bar when I move my mouse over it.
I click "Restore Down" and I can still access the task bar
I click Maximise and the thin grey line disappears and I can no longer access the task bar.
NONE of my other open applications have the same problem. Only FF.

Here is the link to this profile. Hope it helps quash this temperamental bug - the worst kind to solve.
https://share.firefox.dev/3ZAv3pw

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #9)

Here is the other profile.
Started FF from a closed state.
FF opens Maximised. I can access the Task Bar on the left. There is visible a thin grey line that shows the task bar when I move my mouse over it.
I click "Restore Down" and I can still access the task bar
I click Maximise and the thin grey line disappears and I can no longer access the task bar.
NONE of my other open applications have the same problem. Only FF.

Here is the link to this profile. Hope it helps quash this temperamental bug - the worst kind to solve.
https://share.firefox.dev/3ZAv3pw

Only a Windows restart fixes this till the next time it happens.

Flags: needinfo?(boutbernard)

I'm sorry, but it doesn't appear that any logging is present in these profiles. Did you possibly skip clicking "Set Log Modules" after entering the log-module names? (The procedure here is admittedly a bit tedious and finicky; I have a patch in work to improve it.)

In the meantime, you may want to remove the links in your preceding posts here. They expose full URLs queried by the browser in background windows and/or by extensions during these profiling attempts. (I've hopefully been a bit clearer about how to exclude these in Step 6.)

As a simpler diagnostic test: can you reproduce the problem (without running the profiler) in a new Firefox profile and/or with your existing profile in Troubleshoot mode?

Flags: needinfo?(boutbernard)

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #10)

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #9)

Here is the other profile.
Started FF from a closed state.
FF opens Maximised. I can access the Task Bar on the left. There is visible a thin grey line that shows the task bar when I move my mouse over it.
I click "Restore Down" and I can still access the task bar
I click Maximise and the thin grey line disappears and I can no longer access the task bar.
NONE of my other open applications have the same problem. Only FF.

Here is the link to this profile. Hope it helps quash this temperamental bug - the worst kind to solve.

Only a Windows restart fixes this till the next time it happens.

Flags: needinfo?(boutbernard)

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #8)

Ok Done.
Here is one link to the profile with FF already open.

Note that there is no GREY LINE to access the taskbar till I click the "Restore Down" button and then the taskbar disappears once I maximise FF again.
I am also going to do a profile with FF closed and then open FF and do the profile. See below for that.

In the meantime, you may want to remove the links in your preceding posts here. They expose full URLs queried by the browser in background windows and/or by extensions during these profiling attempts. (I've hopefully been a bit clearer about how to exclude these in Step 6.)

How can I "remove" the links? There is no such option to EDIT any comment I have made.

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #8)

Ok Done.
Here is one link to the profile with FF already open.

https://share.firefox.dev/48KZZaW

Note that there is no GREY LINE to access the taskbar till I click the "Restore Down" button and then the taskbar disappears once I maximise FF again.
I am also going to do a profile with FF closed and then open FF and do the profile. See below for that.

(In reply to Ray Kraesig [:rkraesig] from comment #11)

I'm sorry, but it doesn't appear that any logging is present in these profiles. Did you possibly skip clicking "Set Log Modules" after entering the log-module names? (The procedure here is admittedly a bit tedious and finicky; I have a patch in work to improve it.)

In the meantime, you may want to remove the links in your preceding posts here. They expose full URLs queried by the browser in background windows and/or by extensions during these profiling attempts. (I've hopefully been a bit clearer about how to exclude these in Step 6.)

As a simpler diagnostic test: can you reproduce the problem (without running the profiler) in a new Firefox profile and/or with your existing profile in Troubleshoot mode?

Also :

  1. I CANNOT EDIT any comment I have made so how do I remove Links?
  2. Unfortunately (fortunately) Windows was updated on my computer and restarted so the problem, as before has gone on vacation. When it returns, I will do EXACTLY as you suggested and then maybe we can have another go at solving this?

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #15)

  1. I CANNOT EDIT any comment I have made so how do I remove Links?

As the uploaded profiler runs appear to have vanished, I infer you've figured out how to delete them. Apologies for the confusion!

 

  1. Unfortunately (fortunately) Windows was updated on my computer and restarted so the problem, as before has gone on vacation. When it returns, I will do EXACTLY as you suggested and then maybe we can have another go at solving this?

Thanks; it's appreciated. In the meantime: do you happen to have a third-party taskbar-replacer (such as Open Shell) or any taskbar-functionality-extenders (such as 7+ Taskbar Tweaker) installed?

For reference, when the time comes, you may also want do the following to verify that everything is proceeding as expected:

  • In Step 2, upon clicking "Set log modules", verify that the text below "Currently selected log modules" has changed to suit. (The ordering of items may be different but this is not important.)
  • After Step 5, to verify that logging information is present:
    1. In the top pane, scroll up until "Parent Process" is shown on the left, then click that row to highlight and select it.
    2. In the lower pane, where the "Call Tree" tab is selected, click the "Marker Table" tab to switch to it.
    3. Just below that and somewhat to the right is a search field labeled Filter Markers:. Type WindowsEvent into it.
    4. Verify that there are still messages in the panel, mostly or entirely beginning with "(WindowsEvent)".

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #15)

  1. I CANNOT EDIT any comment I have made so how do I remove Links?

As the uploaded profiler runs appear to have vanished, I infer you've figured out how to delete them. Apologies for the confusion!

  1. Don't know why you say that they have disappeared. If I scroll UP they are still there!!
    https://imgbox.com/5xBitf1x

  2. I still CANNOT EDIT my previous comments. When I click that upward arrow a box opens below with "Add Comment" highlighted and "Preview". If I delete anything here that appears after ">" it appears to delete it BUT ONLY creates a NEW comment with the text being deleted. The ORIGINAL text remains.

  3. Sorry but I STILL don't know how to EDIT a previous comment I made. If you know how please enlighten me.

  4. Another thing that is weird with this bug page is that YOUR points come out with ROMAN NUMERALS but appear as NUMBERS when I "Add Comment" to it. Who ever uses Roman Numerals NOW? I mean if there are more points how high does it go up to? Can today's new programmers/users actually read these numbers? i ii iii iiii iiiii ?
    https://imgbox.com/NhpekCzs

For reference, when the time comes, you may also want do the following to verify that everything is proceeding as expected:

  • In Step 2, upon clicking "Set log modules", verify that the text below "Currently selected log modules" has changed to suit. (The ordering of items may be different but this is not important.)
  • After Step 5, to verify that logging information is present:
    1. In the top pane, scroll up until "Parent Process" is shown on the left, then click that row to highlight and select it.
    2. In the lower pane, where the "Call Tree" tab is selected, click the "Marker Table" tab to switch to it.
    3. Just below that and somewhat to the right is a search field labeled Filter Markers:. Type WindowsEvent into it.
    4. Verify that there are still messages in the panel, mostly or entirely beginning with "(WindowsEvent)".
  1. Will do that.

Ok it STILL appears to be there - the bug I mean.
I followed all your instructions EXACTLY and have a "WindowsEvent" result as below
https://imgbox.com/SqcPNGmy
https://imgbox.com/VCBenD2T

Here is the new link to the Log file:
https://share.firefox.dev/3F1xEPW

Another thing I noticed. I have 2 monitors as it helps me when developing software and testing things to have a larger desktop.
When creating this Logging for this post I had a Notepad text window in the 2nd screen open.
When I "Restore Down" FF which is in the 1st window and then "Maximise" it, the task bar disappears as you should see in the new LOG profile, even if I repeat this step. However if I click in the Notepad window, then CLICK in the FF window, the Taskbar returns in my FF window.

For me NOW this is repeatable.

Here is another profile doing these above steps.
https://share.firefox.dev/3Q0dewX

HTH
Thanks.

To add to my last comment, I found out that I don't actually need a Notepad or any other app open in the 2md window.
This bug appears when I "Restore Down" and also when I "Minimise" FF .
When I Maximise it from either state from the taskbar, the Task Bar line on the left that I mouse over to make it appear - DISAPPEARS.
But when I CLICK anywhere in the 2nd monitor screen and then CLICK back in the FF window in the first monitor, the taskbar line now appears allowing me to access the taskbar with a mouseover.

HTH

And I still CANNOT EDIT any comment I made. Only add a comment to it. How to edit?

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #17)

  1. Don't know why you say that they have disappeared. If I scroll UP they are still there!!

The links are there, but if you click on them (or at least if I click on them), the profiles themselves are gone. I didn't do that, so I'd supposed that you had. (I'm informed that regular users don't have the permission to edit their own comments, which surprised me somewhat, as I thought I'd seen it done.)

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #18)

Here is the new link to the Log file:
https://share.firefox.dev/3F1xEPW

Looks good at first glance, as does the below. There's no TaskbarConcealer logging on this one, curiously, but since Widget and WindowsEvent are present (as is TaskbarConcealer, on the second) that's probably not an error on your part.

Another thing I noticed. I have 2 monitors as it helps me when developing software and testing things to have a larger desktop.
When creating this Logging for this post I had a Notepad text window in the 2nd screen open.
When I "Restore Down" FF which is in the 1st window and then "Maximise" it, the task bar disappears as you should see in the new LOG profile, even if I repeat this step. However if I click in the Notepad window, then CLICK in the FF window, the Taskbar returns in my FF window.

Per the second log, this happens because Firefox regains focus, and the TaskbarConcealer detects this and fires. I'm surprised that the taskbar isn't restored when Notepad gains focus, though. Given that this doesn't seem to be TaskbarConcealer misfiring, as I'd initially expected, I'm wondering if you don't have another process active that's creating a full-screen transparent window, or alternatively if something is injecting a thread into Firefox that does that. (Maximized windows don't count as full-screen as far as the taskbar is concerned.)

  1. Do you have a third-party taskbar replacement (such as Open-Shell) installed, or a third-party taskbar-functionality extender (such as 7+ Taskbar Tweaker) installed?

  2. If you start Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode does the problem go away?

  3. If you install and run RudeWindowFixer, then start Firefox normally, does the problem go away?

The links are there, but if you click on them (or at least if I click on them), the profiles themselves are gone. I didn't do that, so I'd supposed that you had. (I'm informed that regular users don't have the permission to edit their own comments, which surprised me somewhat, as I thought I'd seen it done.)
Surprised me too. Anyway they are gonesky for others but still there for me. Odd way to have this.

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #18)

Here is the new link to the Log file:
https://share.firefox.dev/3F1xEPW

Looks good at first glance, as does the below. There's no TaskbarConcealer logging on this one, curiously, but since Widget and WindowsEvent are present (as is TaskbarConcealer, on the second) that's probably not an error on your part.

OK

another process active that's creating a full-screen transparent window, or alternatively if something is injecting a thread into Firefox that does that. (Maximized windows don't count as full-screen as far as the taskbar is concerned.)

If so then it should affect ALL other apps running. But only FF is affected.

  1. Do you have a third-party taskbar replacement (such as Open-Shell) installed, or a third-party taskbar-functionality extender (such as 7+ Taskbar Tweaker) installed?

No. Only std taskbar. The only diff from MOST others is that the task bar is on the LEFT and "Auto Hide"

  1. If you start Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode does the problem go away?

I will check and report back about Troubleshoot mode.

* If not, if you temporarily [block any loaded third-party DLLs](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/identify-problems-third-party-modules-firefox-windows), does the problem go away?

Will check that too but can you imagine the havoc it will cause if I block 3rd party DLL's. Almost every app I run uses DLL's.

  1. If you install and run RudeWindowFixer, then start Firefox normally, does the problem go away?
    Will Check and report back.
    Anything from the logs?

Mysteriously ATM it works as it should without any reboot. Will report back here and do the above tests when it happens again as no point doing anything when it is working fine now.

It has happened again.

  1. RudeWindowFixer does nothing to help.
  2. Troubleshoot Mode does nothing to help.
  3. Another strange observation. As I mentioned earlier I have the taskbar setting = "Automatically hide the Taskbar in desktop mode" as this gives me more desktop real estate and who wants to see the taskbar anyway.
    I opened Taskbar settings and toggled the above setting OFF/ON and when I restored my Taskbar to Auto hide as is usual the problem went away.
    So this is some interaction between FF and Windows that is not getting thru.

"Looks good at first glance, as does the below. There's no TaskbarConcealer logging on this one, curiously, but since Widget and WindowsEvent are present (as is TaskbarConcealer, on the second) that's probably not an error on your part."

If there is no Taskbar concealer logging then this appears to be a bug in FF since it has TaskbarConcealer in the 2nd log. Somehow it is ignoring/not receiving this windows message that is broadcast to all apps, notably since NONE of my other apps have this problem and behave.
4. I really cannot block 3rd party DLL's. There are literally hundreds in my system memory from other apps/windows itself/drivers. Windows will simply not run and that is too high a price to pay to use FF.

If you can think of anything else LMK.

(In reply to boutbernard from comment #23)

Somehow it is ignoring/not receiving this windows message that is broadcast to all apps

I'm not sure what Windows message you would be referring to here. It ordinarily goes the other way around: Firefox issues requests to cause the taskbar to be hidden. But that's specifically done in the TaskbarConcealer module — which isn't even being activated in the first log, so can't be responsible here.

For legacy reasons, Windows also tries to detect when a window that doesn't make use of these requests is fullscreen, and that detection mechanism misfiring has caused problems before. RudeWindowFixer is designed to work around that by addressing two known bugs in the taskbar itself, and it generally does so successfully. That it does not do so here suggests that something more interesting is going on.

  • As a diagnostic test: F11 enters or exits full-screen mode. If, while experiencing the issue, you focus a maximized Firefox window that is covering the taskbar, does tapping F11 twice make it go away?

  • Separately: do you use multiple virtual desktops? If so, is there a full-screen window (that is, one which is expected to hide the taskbar, whether it's a Firefox window or not) open on another virtual desktop?

  1. I really cannot block 3rd party DLL's. There are literally hundreds in my system memory from other apps/windows itself/drivers. Windows will simply not run and that is too high a price to pay to use FF.

Windows will have no issue running if — as described in the linked article — you use a Firefox feature to block third-party DLLs from being loaded into Firefox.

That said, if neither RudeWindowFixer nor Troubleshoot Mode had any effect, it's unlikely to help. It may at least be worth checking about:third-party and attaching the module information in a comment here.

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