Bug: AutoCAD Does not work well with multiple desktops

[el_jefe_de_steak]

I am working with AutoCAD 2019, and am discovering that it does not play well with multiple desktops on Windows 10.  When working with multiple desktops, sometimes AutoCAD does not "stay" on the proper desktop and persists on every virtual desktop, which can become quite annoying.

AutoCAD is not the only software that does this, but I think this should be addressed in future releases or even a patch. This has been a feature on Windows for quite a while now, I am surprised that so few software companies have figured out how to use this properly.

[john.vellek]

HI @el_jefe_de_steak,

I have played with virtual desktops in Windows and Mac as well as other systems and have not really found a big need. With three monitors (or more), I can usually work pretty efficiently and just haven't really found the advantage of this feature.

So, with that said, I am wondering if you can give me any specific details on how AutoCAD is failing in this kind of situation.  I played with a similar issue about 6 months ago but that is the only other customer that I have seen mention it.

I would love to get some more details together for the Dev team's consideration and I look forward to the ammunition you might be able to provide for me.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[el_jefe_de_steak]

I absolutely love using multiple desktops, it allows me to keep several "groups" of windows open at once. I have one desktop for "email & to-do", one for "CAD", one for "scheduling", and one for "personal". I find it helps me to keep from getting distracted and focus on one thing at a time. Also, it eliminates the need to minimize windows, as I can have each window open full or half-screen on a desktop and switch quickly back and forth.

Anyways, I have seen this on multiple occasions with AutoCAD 2019. Basically, I will have an AutoCAD window open on my "CAD" desktop, then when I switch to one of my other desktops it stays open on that desktop as well. The icon on the task bar is not "active", so I have to minimize or close the AutoCAD window to get rid of it. Then, when I switch back to my "CAD" desktop I need to maximize it again. This totally goes against what multiple desktops was built for, and renders the function essentially useless.

Does this answer the questions you had?

[john.vellek]

Hi @el_jefe_de_steak,

This gives me a starting point. Let me see if I can duplicate on my side so I can document it for the team. Thanks for the input.

[el_jefe_de_steak]

Update: I noticed this only happens when there is more than one drawing open in AutoCAD.

I wonder if it is somehow associated with Windows' "Aero Peek" feature?

[john.vellek]

Hi @el_jefe_de_steak,

I checked my records and see that this issue has been brought to the team previously.

I would (please) strongly encourage you to contact the product team directly, using the Product Feedback page. This will help build business case to gain more attention to the issue.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[el_jefe_de_steak]

Thanks, I have submitted feedback using the link you gave.

[el_jefe_de_steak · Accepted solution]

AutoCAD support team told me to set TASKBAR variable to 0 instead of 1. This fixed the issue as far as I can tell.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this. Worked for me also.

[Anonymous]

The solution is... There is no solution...

[RobDraw]

Two people said the solution worked.

[Raisaac123]

you have no idea how helpful this is. I work usually with two screens and I separate my tasks by monitor. Meaning, I like to see only the tabs on the screen I am using. (windows allows you to do this). Autocad was the only app that didn't want to move with the window from screen to screen. With this variable, everything changed! I'm so glad! I can now know what is what. Before I had several drawings and I had to click on a lot of them to find my correct drawing. No more of that! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[tfehrman]

i am running AUTOCAD 2017, the issue has gotten progressively worse. I open CAD on my large screen along with two to three explorer folder, my time sheet, Skype, maybe a spreadsheet, and sometimes a Chrome window for data searches. SEVERAL times during any given day I will have something up as an active window and it will just disappear and go back to autocad as the active window. 

For example, several times this morning I was typing data into my spreadsheet and it disappears and goes to cad. I have to click my sheet in the task bar to bring it back up, click the field and pickup where it left off. 

I can be scrolling down a list of pdfs in a folder and the folder will minimize and go back to cad. 

I can be reading through a single pdf and the window will minimize and go back to cad.

I can be moving my mouse in an active window and the window may disappear to the task bar. 

I am using cad on my larger display (not the laptop) , and ANY window, from ANY APPLICATION that is opened over top of cad is subject to this behavior. It is totally unpredictable as to what triggers it, but it is time consuming and inconvenient. 

[el_jefe_de_steak]

@tfehrman 

this sounds much more like glitch with Windows OS or with a bad AutoCAD installation. Have you tried uninstalling and  reinstalling AutoCAD?