Windows app not getting focus in unity mode

[DaveNix]

Very frustrating issue for us. We are running latest general patch release of both OSX Lion, Fusion and VM Tools and have Windows 7 64 Bit running in our guest with Unity mode. All hardware specs are nominal, in fact we have more than enough memory to share between Mac and VM. We have seen this issue on machines with both SSD drives as well as optical drives (Airs and Pros).

The problem is this - when a user has both a Windows app and Mac app running, and the user uses Mac Mission Control to switch from the Mac app to the Windows app, at least 1 time out of 10 the Windows app will not correctly get focus immediately. The Windows app will come to the top of the desktop, and the Mac top menu bar will change to the Windows apps menu context, but the mouse cursor will still be *black* and therefore in Mac mode, as opposed to *white* as it would be when a Windows apps has focus. That means users are clicking inside the app window, and the app isnt responding. My less technical users all assume that this is a performance issue, and they are about to revote over it, but we do not think its performance related sine we have found that you can immediately make the issue go away simply by clicking on the associated Windows app's icon in the Apple Dock - that simple click somehow forces focus to behave. We also suspect that the Mission Control app switch seems causally related, since its the only way we can successfully recreate the issue with any consistency, and though we have had users report they have seen it without Mission Control in the mix we are not sure if thats the case.

The Windows apps that are easiest to recreate trhe issue with are Outlook for Office 2010 and Office Communicator.

Please dont tell me the obvious "dont use Mission Control." I would love to tell my users that, but thats really not the answer and I worry that the buggy mechanism in play here could flare up in other ways even if I went that route.

We have a case open with VMWare support, but they have not really been as responsive as I would like.

[DaveNix]

No one else is seeing aything like this?

[DaveNix]

Maybe I'm describing this wrong. I read through some older "mouse" related problems, and it sounds like there have been a few. What may be happening is that VM Fusion is not hiding the "host mouse" correctly, if that makes sense?

[Blahdiblah]

I have exactly the same issue.

I'm using fusion 4 (latest update) with OSX Lion (latest version) running Windows XP on a Macbook Pro and have the same annoying issue. Fusion works well in non-unity mode, but running in unity I often find the mouse won't respond after having changed between desktop spaces or after having selected a different window in mission control. The only way I can get it to respond is to go back into mission control and then out again (and that doesn't always work either). I have noticed this especially with Microsoft software (especially Excel, but also Word), but that may just be because I use those programs often. Sometimes in excel the keyboard will respond, but the mouse won't work, and often the cursor won't even be visible.

Please fix this!

[gcaldwel]

Hi,

   I'm experiencing this same issue. Except I noticing issues in both Unity and Non Unity mode.

In Unity to mode when switching to Unity apps, I have to hit Alt key or the Alt Tab key combination to get the guest app in focus after swtching to it via the CMD TAB combination. It is really frustrating.

In Non Unity mode, I notice that times the apps don't even respond to the mouse, but will respond to the keyboard flawlessly.

For example,

  I have one Windows XP guest, and VM Ware tools installed. When I launch Internet Explorer, I can't use the mouse to select or click anything in IE, but I can use the keyboard to navigate. I can switch to another application and the mouse works on that App without issues, but refuses to select anything in IE.  It's IE specific, it's random apps with this behavoir.

I'm not sure is this just a fluke or what, but what I have been doing is shutting down the Virtual Machine and restarting it, then starting the guest OS, then swtiching back to the OS X. I wait a few minutes giving it time for the guest login screen to appear then log in and immediatley switch back to OS X. At this point I wait at least 10 minutes before attempting to access the guest. From then on things work fine no issues with the mouse even with IE which I only use for specific Apps that won't work with any thing other than IE.

[witakd]

Gcaldwel,

Can you make your focus issues happen at will or is it after some type of behavior/interaction that you are unaware of?  While in the Unity view, I can most often recreate the issue with Internet Explorer through the use of hyperlinks from Outlook or Adobe Reader.  On occasion, I begin to have issues with Internet Exploder when switching between multiple applications and returning to Internet Explorer.  Upon clicking on Internet Exploder, the application minimizes.  I have to click on the Internet Explorer icon from the dock to bring the window back to the foreground, right click/alternate click on the Internet Explorer icon in the dock and select "show all windows" and then click on the Internet Explorer session showing on the screen to resume use of the application.  This will work until I go to another application and switch back to Internet Explore, at which time I have to repeat the previous steps.

Whenever the focus issues in the Unity view become more problematic with other applications, either suspending then resuming the VM or rebooting the VM clears up the issue, but the issues eventually return.

It sounds like you are having luck by switching to applications using the alt+tab and command+tab functions.  In my testing (while I could bring the problematic window to the foreground using the key strokes) I could not interact with the application using the mouse as the window would return to the background.  However, I would like to note that the scroll function on the track pad would always works (two fingers up and down).  Sometimes double clicking on the application once it's returned to the foreground allows me to grab focus of the application. 

OSX 10.7.3 - Fusion 4.1.2 - Win 7 x64

[gcaldwel]

Hi,

   Actually I don't have to do anything in Unity mode to recreate the issue, it always happens. At first I thought it was just a fluke in the way Unity works on OS X.  I have this issue with every guest application in Unity, if I switch to the App using the CMD tab, I have to do an Alt tab to get the app in focus.

The issue you describe below with IE, I experience the exact same issue with PL/SQL Developer under Windows in the guest OS. I also peform the same steps by clicking on Pl/SQL Developer in the dock and select show all windows.

>>>>>>

On occasion, I begin to have issues with Internet Exploder when switching between multiple applications and returning to Internet Explorer.  Upon clicking on Internet Exploder, the application minimizes.  I have to click on the Internet Explorer icon from the dock to bring the window back to the foreground, right click/alternate click on the Internet Explorer icon in the dock and select "show all windows" and then click on the Internet Explorer session showing on the screen to resume use of the application.  This will work until I go to another application and switch back to Internet Explore, at which time I have to repeat the previous steps.

>>>>>>>>>

Today I notice another issue today I'm trying to make sense of. I tried to switch to Oracle's SQL Developer  product and notice that I can't select anything in the window with the mouse, but the keyboard works. I can move the mouse over the items, buttons and menus and they highlight, but just don't respond to any mouse clicks. I can however click on the minimize, maximize and close window icons on the parent window and they respond. but nothing within.

I have VMWorkstation on Red Hat Linux 5 and I don't expereince any of these issues.

Gerald

[Blahdiblah]

It looks like this is not an uncommon problem. I also have the issue with the keyboard working and the mouse being visible and movable, but not responding to clicks in the XP application. However, sometimes (particularly in Excel) the mouse cursor in the virtual machine is invisible for quite some time before appearing.

Do the VMware developers monitor these forums? If not, I might send support an email

[DaveNix]

Considering all of the input related to keyboard working versus mouse, it seems like thats a clue as to what really might be at fault. I also wonder if the VM guys monitor this?

[Blahdiblah]

Given there has been no sign of someone from VMware reading this, I thought I'd send them an email. Turns out it isn't that easy- there seems to be no email address for support! I've tried their support pages, but can't get any further as I apparently have no 'support contracts', whatever that means. Could someone who has this same issue and does have 'support contracts' let them know this is an issue? This won't get fixed unless they are told about it/

[Blahdiblah]

So I tried sending feedback about this and have no acknowledgement. Has anyone else tried reporting this issue? Have to say, support leaves a lot to be desired...

[admin]

Sorry to hear that unity mode is not working as expected with some applications. Since this appears to be an intermittent problem I'd be very helpful if we could gather some more detailed information about the systems and combinations of software where this is seen. There may be multiple issues reported on this thread, I wanted to focus in on the initally reported issue first: Windows applications not correctly receiving focus when using Mission Control to switch to them.

If each of the people on this thread could respond with the following information about their configurations we'd be very grateful:

Mac OS X version: (Apple > About this Mac, click version): e.g. 10.7.4 (11E53)

VMware Fusion version (VMware Fusion > About VMware Fusion) e.g 4.1.2 (683185)

Windows version: (My Computer > Properties) e.g. Windows 7 Enterprise SP1 64-bit

VMware Tools version: (Systray > VMware Tools > About VMware Tools) e.g. 8.1.1 build 12345

Affected applications and version: MS Office Communicator 2010, Adobe Reader

Reproducability: 1 to 10 out of 10 attempts. i.e. Does this problem occur every time or is it intermittent?

Number of external displays attached to the Mac:

Mac rebooted since last Apple OS update: Yes/No.

Thanks to Darius for drawing this thread to my attention.

[gcaldwel]

Mac OS X version:  10.7.4 (11E53)

VMware Fusion version 4.1.2 (683185)

Windows version: XP Professional Version 2002 SP3

VMware Tools version: Version 8.8.3, build-682996

Affected applications and version: IE 6.0.2900.5512.xpsp_sp3_gdr.100216-1514, Oracle SQL Developer 3.1.07.

Reproducability: 1 to 10 out of 10 attempts. i.e. 9 times out of 10. After a few hours, then they actually respond.

Number of external displays attached to the Mac: 0

Mac rebooted since last Apple OS update: Yes, I apply all OS X updates when they are available and I reboot daily laptop, also I shut down windows fully then shutdown VmWare, I never close VMware with windows running or in sleep mode.

I rarely ever have more than 3 apps open in the window's guest and I have 2 gigs of ram allocated to the guest. Also I only have one guest vm up and running.

On my second hp laptop with RHEL 5, I have 4 gigs of ram total and 3 guest virtual machines runing at the same time. All the guests are running XP and I'm not experiencing any of these issues.

Let me know if more informaion is needed.

Thanks

   Gerald

[Blahdiblah]

Mac OS X version: 10.7.3 (11D50)

VMware Fusion version: 4.1.2

Windows version: Windows XP Version 2002 SP3

VMware Tools version: 8.8.3 (682996)

Affected applications and version: MS Office Excel 2010, Adobe Reader, Internet Explorer (but only once or twice and possibly only when needing Reader(?))

Reproducability: 6 of 10 times with Excel, more intermittent with others (but I use Excel a lot)

Number of external displays attached to the Mac: 0

Mac rebooted since last Apple OS update: Every day.

I have 8GB RAM and have given 3GB to the guest. I only run one guest.

An added thing I've noticed along with this problem of not finding focus with Mission Control/Spaces- I often see a 'half loaded' window visbile (eg an excel document I have open in desktop 1 or 3 or an explorer window in desktop 1 or 3) when I switch from desktop 1 to supposedly empty desktop 2. This 'ghost' window in desktop 2 may or may not disappear after a few seconds, but may be missing part of the window (eg the menu bar) and certainly doesn't respond to clicks.

Thanks for responding- I was pulling my hair out!

Edit: It just happened again in Internet Explorer (not finding focus after switching from another desktop using 3 finger swipe). Fixed by going in and then out of mission control. I'll post other applications if I notice the same with them.

Edit: MS Word 2010 too

Message was edited by: Blahdiblah

[witakd]

Please see VMware Support Request 12167680304

[admin]

Thank you to everyone who responded so far. Please continue to post reports as you find them - this looks like an intermittent problem; any and all reports are welcome to help us track down the root cause.

Simon

[Blahdiblah]

It's happened a few times in Windows Explorer (including today)- I swiped from a space with a mac folder open across to another space with a windows XP folder open and mouse clicks on the XP folder wouldn't work. Fixed by going into Mission Control and out again.

I find Excel 2010 is generally the main offender for me. Most times when I open it, clicking on the spreadsheet does nothing and the mouse pointer may not even be visible. I find navigating with the keyboard works (ie I can move from cell to cell), and typing something then seems to activate the mouse. However, sometimes even after typing, the mouse can click on a cell, but still can't click on the ribbon tabs. Very strange...

[gcaldwel]

OK, I didn't want to over look anything. Strangely a few days a go everything started working great. I was experiencing any of the issues with the mouse. I was alble to click on the buttons in the Application in IE as well as Oracle SQL Developer without issue right off from lauching the app.

Evey few days I run MacScan  i full authenicated mode to flush out any malware, trackers or nasty stuff. Once that was done, and deleted any tracking cookies that were found. a fulll reboot and then the issues in the Win XP client started again. 

Note that the applciation running is IE is server up via Oracle's Application server via a Java Applet. As reported before, all keyboard interaction work fine, only I'm unable to use the mouse to click on anything in the window at all.

Thanks

   Gerald

[gcaldwel]

OK I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like this isn't limited to just Windows guest.  It seems to be happening in the Linux guests also. I downloaded CenOS 6.2 64 bit, and installed in VmWare Fusion.  The install and setup went fine and vmware didn't have any issues at all. I installed VmWare tools and didn't run into any issues outside th normal other than I needed to download the kernel devs which was expected.  VmWare tools configured, share dirves set up and all is good.

Begin installing the tools I needed, Oracle 11g XE, jdk 1.6. All went fine, was abe to get a work down, desktop icons opened without issues, browser worked, no issues there. Everthing was responsive and snappy.  Last night I booted up the guest to do some more work and all the isues that I had in the windows guest were occuring in the Linux guest.

1) Can't select a single icon on the desktop. I rebooted several times hoping this issue would fix itself.

2) Started firefox browser, went to download apache from httpd.apache.org. Download window appears to prompt me to open or save. Dialog is un- responsive to mouse gestures. Note the main firefox app window title bar is response, I can move that window but not dialog

3) Can't click on any open apps in the task bar to swtich between open applications,  but I can alt-tab t switch.

I'm asuming that the response is going to be that CentOS 6.2 is unsupported. I plan to try an earlier version 5.X to see how that works,

Gerald

[vanRijn]

Hey guys,

Yeah, this will happen with any guest, not just Windows, I'm pretty sure. I have made some bug fixes and changes in this code internally, so I'm very hopeful that these issues should finally be addressed soon. Thanks, everyone, for reporting this stuff! Please look for improvements in this area in future versions and please report any problems you hit. =:)