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F2 and F4 screens when minimised

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F2 and F4 screens when minimised 15/06/2019 at 10:43 #119001
postal
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5190 posts
I have recently had to get a new entry-level laptop due to the collapse of the last one. Both are/were running Windows 10 with whatever were/are the latest updates.

On the old machine, if I minimised the F2 or F4 screens they remained as mini window headers in the bottom left of the screen so I could restore or maximise them with a mouse click. On the new machine, clicking to minimise those two windows means they disappear completely and I have to key-press F2 or F4 to restore them. I prefer the option of mouse-click rather than key-press.

Is there any setting in SimSig or Windows I need to change to get the screens back to the bottom left? If not, can anyone give me any guidance on how I might be able to restore things to the way I prefer them?

As a further note, if I click to minimise an open telephone call window, that also disappears and I have found no way to get that back except for the nuclear option of closing everything down and re-loading. Who can guide me through my stupidity?

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
Last edited: 15/06/2019 at 10:44 by postal
Reason: None given

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F2 and F4 screens when minimised 15/06/2019 at 11:54 #119003
pedroathome
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887 posts
Not in a position to look myself arty present, but If I remember correctly there is a checkbox under F3, show all windows on taskbar. Could this be what you're thinking of?
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F2 and F4 screens when minimised 15/06/2019 at 13:38 #119004
postal
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pedroathome in post 119003 said:
Not in a position to look myself arty present, but If I remember correctly there is a checkbox under F3, show all windows on taskbar. Could this be what you're thinking of?
I can enable that and it gives a click to display but it is a little more aggravating than a single click as you have to hover over the SimSig icon first to show the windows available then re-position the cursor to click on a window; I stick with the key-stroke rather than that. It doesn't work with the telephone calls as they don't show in the windows available for display.

A bit more info in case it is relevant. I have the main control panel and message view set to "Stay on top". The only other window I have open by default is the main view. I have tried closing the main view and minimising all other apps running to see if the F2/F4 and telephone screens were hiding in the background but they are nowhere to be seen with only the desktop, main control panel and message view displayed. I've moved those two windows round and there is nothing hiding behind them so where have the missing windows gone?

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
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F2 and F4 screens when minimised 17/06/2019 at 12:32 #119021
Albert
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1313 posts
I don't have access to a W10 computer with SimSig to test at the moment, but from your story I gather the windows minimised to the corner like MDI windows? Example from the web:

AJP in games
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F2 and F4 screens when minimised 17/06/2019 at 16:34 #119025
postal
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@Albert

Exactly as Document 1.

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
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F2 and F4 screens when minimised 17/06/2019 at 17:23 #119026
Steamer
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3920 posts
postal in post 119004 said:
pedroathome in post 119003 said:
Not in a position to look myself arty present, but If I remember correctly there is a checkbox under F3, show all windows on taskbar. Could this be what you're thinking of?
I can enable that and it gives a click to display but it is a little more aggravating than a single click as you have to hover over the SimSig icon first to show the windows available then re-position the cursor to click on a window; I stick with the key-stroke rather than that. It doesn't work with the telephone calls as they don't show in the windows available for display.
If you right-click the taskbar and select 'Properties', there should be an option for each window to show as its own box, rather than grouping them by application. On Windows 7 it's 'Taskbar buttons' set to 'Never combine', I don't know what Windows 10 calls it.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
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F2 and F4 screens when minimised 17/06/2019 at 17:53 #119029
GeoffM
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Steamer in post 119026 said:
If you right-click the taskbar and select 'Properties', there should be an option for each window to show as its own box, rather than grouping them by application. On Windows 7 it's 'Taskbar buttons' set to 'Never combine', I don't know what Windows 10 calls it.
Win10: Right-click on Taskbar, go to Taskbar Settings, select "Never" from "Combine taskbar buttons"

SimSig Boss
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F2 and F4 screens when minimised 17/06/2019 at 19:49 #119031
postal
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Doesn't help in my case. The options in the drop down for "Combine Taskbar Buttons" are:

Always hide labels
When the taskbar is full
Never

I normally run with "Always hide labels" as the taskbar fill with unwanted text otherwise. If I select "Never" then open a sim and minimise F2 or F4 the taskbar does not change but the minimised screen totally disappears.

It's not the end of the world; it would just be nice to get back to the minimised displays as Albert has shown.

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
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