Multi-monitor recovery

[wbennettjr]

I had an issue where one of my monitors went out and the NinjaScript Editor could not be re-positioned.

NT did ask if I wanted to have all windows re-positioned to the working monitor (when it was restarted, I'm not sure if will detect this condition while running). I answered yes and it moved everything except the NinjaScript Editor! Normally, when I had situations like this in the past, I would press alt-space, press m, press an arrow key, and then move the mouse until the window appeared on the monitor. This essentially brings up the window's menu and selects the "Move" menu item. Unfortunately, the NinjaScript Editor (as well as other windows) have now disabled the window's menu so this procedure did not work. I had to close the window from the taskbar and create a new one.

I think the editor should be re-positioned and please consider re-enabling the default window menu in case there are other similar issues in the future. I think it would be very bad for a monitor to go out while trading and not being able to get to the appropriate windows.

Also, when creating new windows, they do not show up on the monitor that the main window is on. Not a huge deal but a bit of an inconvenience.

[sledge]

Have you rebooted your machine? There is or was a check in NT8 for other monitor's and repositioning to main screen.


Is this device still active in Windows? Is this a VGA monitor perhaps? Try turning it off in Windows, and it might show up as expected.

[wbennettjr]

Hi Sledge,

Yes machine has been rebooted (Don't think I'd want to be doing that while trading). NT did reposition every open window except the editor. I only had a chart, editor, output and playblack windows so I don't know if other windows are affected.

No the monitor was not active in Windows (At least NVidia said it couldn't detect it - even with the rigorous detection. It's connected to the same video card so that was obviously active). It's connected via DVI. This is the second time I've had this issue with this monitor. Had to power the monitor off for a while and then power down the machine and bring everything back up for the monitor to work. This is not the issue though. The issue is making sure we don't have the situation where important windows are not able to be re-positioned. The editor isn't critical but other windows are.

[sledge]

There's a keyboard trick floating around. It's something like put focus on the window with the task bar, and use alt or control or shift with cursor left/or whatever direction you want. You should be able to get it to your main screen. On my phone, don't feel like searching on this one. Read it here recently.

[koganam]

Hi Sledge,

Yes machine has been rebooted (Don't think I'd want to be doing that while trading). NT did reposition every open window except the editor. I only had a chart, editor, output and playblack windows so I don't know if other windows are affected.

No the monitor was not active in Windows (At least NVidia said it couldn't detect it - even with the rigorous detection. It's connected to the same video card so that was obviously active). It's connected via DVI. This is the second time I've had this issue with this monitor. Had to power the monitor off for a while and then power down the machine and bring everything back up for the monitor to work. This is not the issue though. The issue is making sure we don't have the situation where important windows are not able to be re-positioned. The editor isn't critical but other windows are.

This is a major big deal. Standard Windows navigation methods should not be disabled by an application. Goodness. I have not had to use this functionality yet in an NT8 situation, so never noticed that it was missing. Please restore standard Windows navigation/control functionality to all NT Windows.

[koganam]

There's a keyboard trick floating around. It's something like put focus on the window with the task bar, and use alt or control or shift with cursor left/or whatever direction you want. You should be able to get it to your main screen. On my phone, don't feel like searching on this one. Read it here recently.

It is Alt-space. That is what has been disabled, inter alia.

It appears that all standard Windows navigation/control, per keyboard or mouse has been disabled. That is from a quick gander, so maybe we are just cavilling. Well, one can grab the chromeless Window header, and move the window with the mouse, but that is about all that can be done.

[wbennettjr]

Sledge,

You are correct. At the time I did not think about using Windows Key + shift + arrow key. That should work regardless of not having the windows menu.

I think this was added in Windows 7, or maybe Vista. Alt + space is the old way from back in the day that I usually reach for when I reconfigure monitors (dock/undock machine usually). Funny thing is I use windows key + shift + arrow a lot but didn't think to do it in this situation.

[koganam]

Sledge,

You are correct. At the time I did not think about using Windows Key + shift + arrow key. That should work regardless of not having the windows menu.

Well, that shifts the Windows between monitors. But how many people know that sequence, especially when there is no visual feedback in the Windows other than the move itself?

Now, I am not so sure what the best solution might be. Oh well.

[sledge]

Well, that shifts the Windows between monitors. But how many people know that sequence, especially when there is no visual feedback in the Windows other than the move itself?

Now, I am not so sure what the best solution might be. Oh well.

I'm frustrated that it's just about impossible anymore to put focus on the window in the task bar and then right click MOVE. Depending on the window type you have to single click, or no click. Sometimes after single click you have to move the mouse slightly down to then click and get control to drag to other monitor. I sometimes have to give up and turn the monitor on.

[koganam]

I'm frustrated that it's just about impossible anymore to put focus on the window in the task bar and then right click MOVE. Depending on the window type you have to single click, or no click. Sometimes after single click you have to move the mouse slightly down to then click and get control to drag to other monitor. I sometimes have to give up and turn the monitor on.

Well, yes, that is kind of my beef too. With the well known and long used Alt+Space, one could always grab a quick handle. I believe Alt+Space has been there since the incubation of Windows, or at any event since Windows 3.0.

[NinjaTrader_AlexC]

Hi wbennettjr, sledge, koganam,

I'll put in a request with the development team to restore the default right-click options (including Move) on the NT8 icon on the Windows taskbar.

That said, I just tested on my end and the NinjaScript Editor moved back onto my remaining active monitor after disabling my secondary monitor in which it was residing. wbennettjr - out of curiosity, I remember you mentioning you were using some DisplayPort monitors on another thread. Was the NS Editor on one of those when it didn't move over to an active monitor after whatever monitor it was displaying on was disabled?

EDIT: On second glance, I see that the Move function is available in the right-click menu on the NT8 window entries on the taskbar, for everything but the Control Center. This is on Windows 8.1, what version are you running where it is not appearing?

[wbennettjr]

Thanks Alex.

My exact (to the best of my recollection) scenario is: NinjaTrader was closed. The monitor went out. I started NT. It asked if I wanted to move the windows to the primary monitor. I responded with yes. It moved all but the NinjaScript Editor. I closed NT several times without saving the workspace. Each time I re-launched NT, same procedure - same result.

The monitor is connected via DVI. It's a Yamakasi 30" that has only the one input. The other monitor on the same NVidia adapter is a Dell 30" that is also connected via DVI (it was using the DisplayPort before - not when this happened).

I do see the move option from the taskbar. I hadn't tried that at the time (frustration takes with it all common sense). My muscle memory said do alt-space m so that's what I did before my brain took a vacation. This system is currently on Windows 7.

To be clear, the issue is about the *window* menu not the *taskbar* menu. Since there are several ways to remedy the situation, I don't think it's a big deal to get the window menu back (at least now that I know - can't speak for others).

[koganam]

FIX THIS PLEASE!! I want to navigate using the NT Control Center!

This is a major big deal. Standard Windows navigation methods should not be disabled by an application. Goodness. I have not had to use this functionality yet in an NT8 situation, so never noticed that it was missing. Please restore standard Windows navigation/control functionality to all NT Windows.

I notice that this post of mine was completely ignored. I am NOT pleased about that.

I finally came a cropper on this. This picture shows the NT control Center. This is evident because the tab designators can be seen below.

Now, because you have removed the standard Windows semantics for a Window, there is no way that I can bring this into position to interact with the NT Control Center.

Normally, I would use the keyboard shortcut to activate the menu to be able to move the window into the viewframe.

I complained about this before, but the problem may have looked abstract. IT IS NOT ABSTRACT. I, and everybody else MUST be able to move windows that are off screen (this is on a second monitor) into view using STANDARD Windows operations.

PLEASE RESTORE that standard Windows menu semantics to ALL NinjaTrader 8 windows.

No, this is not a contrived picture created in a graphics editor: it is a REAL problem, and a really annoying one at that. For the avoidance of doubt, I will leave this in this exact state, so that you can remote in and look at it in real time.

Note: I refuse to delete my _WorkSpaces.xml file to go back to virgin state, even if I know that is what you are going to suggest. I am already thinking of ceasing working with NT8. This may just push me over the edge. FIX IT, PLEASE!

[koganam]

Sure, I know that I can edit the _Workspaces.xml file to bring the windows into view. That is not the point: I should not have to be a supergeek, manually editing undocumented configuration files, to be able to fix this problem.

The correct solution is for you to make NT8 windows behave in the standard manner that application windows behave in Windows.

[sledge]

Sure, I know that I can edit the _Workspaces.xml file to bring the windows into view. That is not the point: I should not have to be a supergeek, manually editing undocumented configuration files, to be able to fix this problem.

The correct solution is for you to make NT8 windows behave in the standard manner that application windows behave in Windows.

Does this help?:

When you select move, use the Cursor keys to move the window back into the screen?

I can use the cursor keys to move the window off the screen, but I can't drop it off the screen for complete test.