Dynalist not visible after disconnecting external monitor

gostobsec · November 23, 2018, 12:57am

Steps to reproduce

Start with the Dynalist Windows desktop app closed. Connect an external monitor to a laptop. Open Dynalist Windows desktop app. Move the Dynalist window to the external screen. Disconnect the external monitor.

Expected result

The Dynalist window should show up on the laptop’s main screen after the external monitor is disconnected. All other apps I use do this when an external monitor is disconnected.

Actual result

The Dynalist window will no longer be visible. Left-clicking the Dynalist taskbar icon to minimize or restore the window does not make it visible. Closing Dynalist and re-opening it does not make it visible. It seems to be “stuck” on the external monitor that is no longer there. If the external monitor is re-connected, the Dynalist window will be visible again, on the external monitor.

Environment

Windows 10 version 10.0.17134…
Dynalist Windows desktop app version 1.1.13

Additional information

This issue was reported in the past in this bug report: Invisible Dynalist window?

The suggested solution was to follow the steps here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/181691/some-programs-are-displayed-off-the-screen

These steps work, but I feel that they are a work-around for a flaw in the Dynalist app. As mentioned above, no other Windows app that I use has this issue, so it seems like a bug to me. Also, following the steps in the Microsoft link are a hassle.

gostobsec · December 1, 2018, 3:35am

Does anyone have an update regarding this issue?

Peter · December 1, 2018, 9:55am

I have always had this issue as well.

Thao · December 1, 2018, 3:07pm

This looks to be an issue with windows displaying on separate monitors in general.
Does this happen to other apps as well, or just Dynalist?

If it’s what I think it is, then you may need to relocate your active displays in your Windows 10’s Display settings:

Right click your desktop anywhere
Click Display settings

You should see something similar to this:

The panels “2” and “1” can be moved around. With the external monitor connected to your laptop, this window will show that there are 2 or more monitors/displays active.

When Dynalist or other apps are opened on that display, sometimes they won’t know to move back to the main display after that external monitor is unplugged. And even when plugged back in, the apps still won’t display.

In this case, click-and-drag the panels in your Display settings (the “2” and “1” rectangles) to the left or right of each other, like so:

After you click apply, the missing apps should reappear.

Peter · December 2, 2018, 2:03am

Thanks Thao for this detailed response, I will give it a go. No, I have not experienced this issue with other apps to date.

gostobsec · December 2, 2018, 3:23am

Thanks for the reply, Thao.

No, I haven’t seen it happen with any other apps.

The steps you described don’t work. This is because the problem happens after the external monitor has been disconnected. Once it’s disconnected, I can’t re-arrange the positions of the monitors as in your steps because the external isn’t there. Once I re-connect the external monitor, I am able to see the Dynalist window.

Also, please note I forgot to mention a key step to reproduce this issue. I’ve re-pasted the “Steps to reproduce” from my original post here, with the additional step in bold:

“Start with the Dynalist Windows desktop app closed. Connect an external monitor to a laptop. Open Dynalist Windows desktop app. Move the Dynalist window to the external screen. Minimize the Dynalist window. Disconnect the external monitor.”

After doing those steps, I can no longer see the Dynalist app on my laptop’s internal monitor. If I don’t minimize the Dynalist window before disconnecting the external monitor, the problem doesn’t happen: the Dynalist window moves to the internal monitor as it should.

gostobsec · December 11, 2018, 1:28am

Any news on this? Also, this thread has been marked as “resolved”?

Sten · August 21, 2019, 5:55pm

I’ve been having this issue as well. I’ve found workarounds, but Dynalist is the only app I have this problem with, and it shouldn’t be happening.

Additional, probably related issue: if I open Dynalist in a Windows virtual desktop and it’s already open in another one, nothing happens. With other apps, this either opens a new instance in that desktop or, if multiple instances are not allowed, then it automatically switches to the desktop on which the app is already open.

gostobsec · August 21, 2019, 7:26pm

Sten, I’ve been using that workaround as well. It seems to me that this is pretty obviously an issue that happens only with Dynalist. It also seems obvious that they are not going to fix it. This topic was marked as “resolved” by the Dynalist team several months ago, even though it definitely wasn’t. Another bug report I submitted to them on an unrelated issue was similarly ignored.

TJ_Williams · February 9, 2020, 7:02pm

Another vote for fixing this bug

Shida · February 9, 2020, 7:12pm

Seems like this bug isn’t tracked - I’ve added it to our issue tracker.

Kenneth_Aar · February 10, 2020, 9:32am

I have experienced this in some other applications. Have you tried:

alt-tab to the dynalist window (or click it on the taskbar so it is active)
Press Alt+Space
then M
then hold down left or right arrow key until windows appears.

hmrc87 · March 11, 2020, 11:43am

That worked for me, thanks! ALT-SPACE and Maximize

Xin_Li · June 24, 2020, 3:24am

The ALT-SPACE worked for me, too! This really helped me a lot. Even re-install can’t solve this.

Johnny_Aaron · August 12, 2020, 5:49am

worked for me too, alt space then M. Hazaa!

Still a bug though, cmon now.

Kenneth_Aar · August 21, 2020, 6:08am

Windows bug. This doesn’t happen on Linux or mac.

Four_Acts · June 2, 2022, 10:05pm

Just wanted to mention that this happened to me this week, because I unplugged my external monitor from my Windows laptop. I found the Alt-Tab to select, Alt-Space to get palette and Move followed by arrow keys did the trick.

Maximize brought the window back, but if I minimized, it disappeared into the missing screen again. Moving the window back onto the laptop screen seems to be permanent.

Thanks for this thread.

driib · April 18, 2023, 4:17pm

Thank you! Fixed the problem for me.

Please fix this bug in the code, Dynalist

I_Ch · June 27, 2023, 1:22pm

It’s 2023 and it’s still not fixed. I’ve experienced this problem only with Dynalist app. Arranging windows couldn’t fixd it, neither uninstalling and re-installing. I want to thank Kenneth_Aar, alt+space and M finally fixed it for me.