Hello:
I purchased WindowBlinds yesterday and found that in any skins other than the Default theme, the task bar in Windows 8 keeps sliding out (deploying), then sliding down (hiding) on my alternate monitors. This happens on each extended monitor/screen and each one seems to go by it's own specific rhythm; they're not in time with each other. As you might guess, this is annoying, but I'm also worried that it is causing Windows to use needless CPU resources.
System:
Windows 8.1 Pro, 64
Intel i7 hex-core processor with 64 GB RAM
HIS HD7970 graphic card with the following Monitor configuration:
- Left (Extended): Asus PA248Q via Displayport
- Center (Main): Asus PA248Q via HDMI
- Right (Extended): Asus PA248Q via DVI
- Windows is set up to display task bar on all three monitors.
- I am not using AMD's Eyefinity
- "Change the size of text" is set to "smaller - 100%"
- Monitor resolution for each monitor is set to the ASUS PA248Q native resolution, 1920 X 1200
- Task bar is set to "autohide" on all three monitors
Behavior:
I can cause it to happen:
By enabling any of the styles other than "Default Theme", and then by maximizing an application (such as FireFox browser) on on any of my monitors (even the center "main" monitor), the task bars on each of the extended monitors will "slide up" and "slide down" repeatedy. They are not in sync with each other; each will slide up and down at its own speed independent of the other.
What it looks like:
- The behavior happens even if the style chosen is one of the "Windows 8" WindowBlinds styles.
- The behavior happens only on the Extended monitors, not on the "main" monitor.
- The autohide/autoexpose of the task bars on the extended monitors is what's happening, as if there is some system or application asking for attention or seeking a response (causing the task bar to deploy), then saying "oh nevermind" (causing the task bar to close after one or two seconds).
- There is no other blinking, movement, or anomalies that seem to be happening.
I can temporarily stop it from happening:
By clicking on the desktop background or clicking on one of the "jiggly" task bars, the behavior will temporarily stop. But when I go back to the app I enlarged to cause the behavior, then they will again begin their dance, sliding up and down, up and down, up and down...
I can stop it more permanently from happening:
Once the extended-monitor task bars begin their "jumping bean" behavior, there are three ways to stop them:
- I can switch to "Default theme" in WindowBlinds.
- I can de-install WindowBlinds.
- Restart Windows (but then it will happen again the first time I maximize an application).
None of these options are feasible.
I bought Object Desktop for one PC purely for Fences + WindowBlinds. If we can't get WindowBlinds to work without dancing taskbars, then I would have rather just spent $10 on Fences only (this is what I did for my laptop).
EDIT: I sent an email to support, directing them to this thread. I'm very interested in getting this fixed.