Modal dialog "Checking path" in conjunction with Dexpot

[orhor]

Hi,
the modal dialog "Checking path" is annoying, but one can usualy get over it.

Real problems come when using AS on a machine where Dexpot virtual desktop manager is installed. Dexpot tries to mimic multiple desktops by hiding and showing windows when a user switches desktops. When the user switches to a desktop where AS window is open and in AS is currently modal dialog active, Dexpot unhides only this dialog and never gets a handle of a real AS window. So AS window is hidden for good and the only way to close AS is killing it's process from task manager.

I understand that this issue's priority is lower than zero. Just wanted to make you know.

BTW: why does it for that dialog take so long to disappear? when I open another instance of AS with the same path while "Checking path" dialog is active in the original instance of AS, the second instance of AS opens and displays that path's content immediately.

BTW2: sometimes I experience strange behavior, the names and count of files or folder in some network paths are not actual, but the same inactuality is displayed in Explorer too. The only way is to rename/delete some file/folder in that path, then the list of files/folders is actualized. I use Win7. Looks like Windows have some network filesystem cache or something?

Thank you for reading.

[Jan Rysavy]

Did you try to contact Dexpot virtual desktop authors to fix this problem?
It doesn't sound to be related to Salamander?

What drives do you have displayed in Salamander panels during mentioned dialog box? Local disks or network drives?

[orhor]

Did you try to contact Dexpot virtual desktop authors to fix this problem?

No I did not. I supposed Dexpot has nothing to do with that dialog.

It doesn't sound to be related to Salamander?

It's a question of point of view I think. You seem to feel it like Dexpot team's problem. And I'm afraid Dexpot team is gonna take it as Salamander team problem. Hot potato.

What drives do you have displayed in Salamander panels during mentioned dialog box? Local disks or network drives?

Network drives, of course.

Nevermind, I don't think the world is gonna stop, if you won't remove that strange thing I haven't seen anywhere else.

Thank you.

[Petr Solin]

Checking path window is informing you that you can stop waiting when opening or refreshing path in panel. E.g. when network share becomes unavailable (e.g. when network computer is shutdown), Windows is trying to reach it quite long time, it's unpleasant to wait for error message "network path is not available", so you can use close button in Checking path window or ESC key (as stated in that window) to stop waiting and open some other path in panel.

I have tried how it works and find out that if Salamander is on background (is not active window), it behaves wrong: Checking path window is displayed (it should be on background), it does not stop waiting when close button is clicked, the ESC key is also not working. I'll try to fix it.

When Salamander is active, it works perfectly.

I think that Dexpot is not working properly when it shows only Checking path window and leaves main application window hidden. Checking path window has its own thread to be perfectly separated from main application window. But I think it is not illegal and Dexpot should handle it properly. When Checking path window is displayed, main application window is blocked (message loop is stopped) because thread is waiting for access to network path. Maybe that's the reason why Dexpot is not showing it. But when Windows return error "network path is not available", main application window is unblocked (message loop is working again) and then Dexpot should display it as any other window, I can not see any reason why not.

To your BTW: the reason is that the first access to network share is blocked in system and returns error after long time and maybe also with error while second access to the same network share is immediately working well, and Checking path window is handling that first access. I think it is really rare and we should not solve it, you can use ESC key to stop waiting and Alt+Left arrow to return to your network path.

To your BTW2: we have received similar reports, but it's system error, we cannot handle it. As you stated it's not working even in Explorer. System returns wrong path listings, probably some caching error in system.

[orhor]

Thank you for your answer.

...and then Dexpot should display it as any other window, I can not see any reason why not

It looks like Dexpot is doing its job only when user switches desktops. It does not actively monitor open windows, I think. Which is understandable, but obviously leads to consequences described above.

I'll try to contact Dexpot team, I'll keep you informed.

Thank you once again.

[orhor]

Just for information completion I post this info, this is how my question was answered on Dexpot's forum:

If a window becomes unresponsive while you are on another desktop, there is no way for Dexpot to restore it. Tracking such windows and restoring them when they are no longer unresponsive is planned for a future version. To restore them manually, select "Desktop Windows" from the Dexpot menu, "Hidden", find the window in the list, right-click, "Show on current desktop".

link to Dexpot's forum thread: http://dexpot.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... 884#p35884


Thank you once again.