Help! app window is on (unattached) secondary monitor :(

[jofarmer]

the main window of an app important to me right now (Bookends, im in the library and need to WORK!) is on the unattached secondary Monitor.

system prefs-> monitors-> recognize monitors didn't help.

I only get to see the app window by hitting F9 or F10, but it vanishes back when I click on it.

I'm on my 12" powerbook. Yesterday I had it connected to a big screen TFT (20") and used that as the main monitor and the built in as secondary, on which I dragged the Bookends window. Sad, isn't it?

Can anyone help me get to work before I can attach the TFT again tomorrow?

Deleting Bookends pref file is not an option.

Any help would be MUCH appreciated! Thank you

 

[iBookG4user]

If you try to move the mouse off onto where the bigger screen would be, does the mouse go off the PowerBook screen? Have you tried restarting?

 

[jofarmer]

the mouse stays inside, and yes, I have tried retarting, sorry I forgot to post that.

 

[jofarmer]

I now zipped the pref file and then deleted the original - still the window stays outside

 

[Cleverboy]

Did you try...?

How about:

System Prefs -> Displays -> Arrangement

Look at the bottom, there's a little option called "Mirror Displays"

Check this off, and you should have immediate access to the wayward window.

Now uncheck the option, and all the windows should be collected into your main window, or keep it turned on.

Hope that helps.

~ CB

 

[jofarmer]

How about:

System Prefs -> Displays -> Arrangement

~ CB

Thank you. Believe me, I have been looking for that option, but I think it is only present when there is another display attached. So no, this did not help

 

[Cleverboy]

I see... try installing this. I can't imagine this
wouldn't solve your problem in short order:

VirtueDesktops
http://virtuedesktops.info/index.php/downloads/

“VirtueDesktops” is a virtual desktop manager for Apple’s Mac OS. It offers features, eye candy and configurable options that no other desktop manager on the mac has added yet.
+ “Stick-ify” your windows or applications:
Make your windows and applications visible
across all of your virtual screens

Another similar option:
http://desktopmanager.berlios.de/

The former based on the latter.

~ CB

 

[jofarmer]

Thank you.

Both apps could not help me, so this must be a deep Mac OS X bug. Desktop Manager allows me to send one app to another Desktop, but still the much desired Bookends window remains in the shadows of a non-existant secondary Display.

Desktop manager even has on option that allows me to collect all windows onto one desktop on exit, but even that does not do any good.

How sad to have to call Mac OS X's display configuration more buggy than windows

 

[jofarmer]

booting into Open Firmware and doing a

reset-all

also didn't do any good.

I am getting rather desperate here. I cannot afford to waste so much time any further suggestions? How can I OS X to forget that is has ever seen something like a secondary display?

Thanks for all the help btw, CB

 

[Cleverboy]

Well. Sorry I didn't suggest this the first time, but... can you bring up any OTHER window in Bookends? For instance, can you get the "Bibliography" window to show up? If you can cause any OTHER window to show up, hold down the "ALT" or "OPTION" key on your keyboard, and click the Green "Plus" or "Zoom" button on the title.

It will maximize ALL windows in the application, and make them viewable in the current screen. Like the other suggestions, I can't imagine this not working unless somehow ALL of your windows are "off-screen" somehow. I did a little test for myself by moving a Window mostly offscreen, and without touching it, this was the quickest way to reel it back in.

~ CB

 

[jofarmer]

YES!

You're the man!

Thank you so very much

"And the Big Mac Angel Award goes to....: Cleverboy!!!!"

Thx again - imagine me dancing in a library

 

[Cleverboy]

Awesome. I know how sucky that situation can be.

Cheers,
~ CB

 

[Morkelvdw]

System Preference Window stuck between spaces!

Hi there! Have a bigger problem. My System Preference Window is stuck between Spaces. This happened when I installed "Dock Spaces" and the app reverted my usual 6 Spaces back to only 4. The System Preferences Window was open in Space 5 at the time. The problem is I can not access the System Preferences Window at all! See attached image.

 

[jive turkey]

Morkelvdw, I had that happen with my Adium preference pane just yesterday. First time I had ever seen it. I had to command-tab to highlight Adium and hit Q to quit, then restart the bugger on a different space (which is strange since I have AdiumX set to appear on all spaces). It happened a couple more times after that, but seems to be working now. I don't get it.