How do you shut down the Portable Apps menu? I click the "x" at the bottom of the menu but nothing happens?
New: Kanri (Oct 9, '24), Platform 29.5.3 (Jun 27, '24)
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This usually occurs because ObjectDock or another app that uses a fake hovering partially transparent window is in use. It's a know issue with lots of different apps.
I think, if you click the top of the menu it'll bring the window up in the Z-Order above the fake transparent window that is interfering with it. So, just click on the PortableApps.com logo up top (which won't cause the menu to disappear) and then click the X button.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
John--
Your PortableApps Suite 1 is magnificent-- thanks very much! I look forward to using it. That aside, you have committed a WIN-SIN larger than unrequested music playing on a web page!!! The menu appears without permission in the System Tray, an area a good programmer will never touch without the user's explicit permission!!!
Once ensconsed there, as indicated by mouse-over selection area boxes, the menu items and apps are selectable, but the little "X" button to kill the menu NEVER yields to selection in any way, including all known earthly selection devices, keyboards, mice & more. Something (the menu, I think) accesses the USB stick every 2.5 to 3.0 seconds like clockwork (my 1001, 1002, 1003 estimate).
Please read that again. You've been dishing out the "keep on top" box fantasy for over two months now... and it simply is not so. This analysis is correct with vast mutlitasking or with everything includng the clock and speakers shut off.
Downloaded the big PA Suite, installed it on modern 1 & 2 GB USB Sticks, then swapped around on five different modern XP Pro SP2 machines, 3 DT and 2 portables. The results were 100% the same, and the data indicate it's the menu program, probably at the "mouse-over" or menu item selection part. Pardon lack of further specificity, but here are facts to consider:
I'm an old time hacker, built computers from transistors before microprocessors, and as recently as buing all modules for two of the desktops. I send and receive over 200,000 files daily, all over 100K each, 5% executables. Never once had a virus, never ran the virus programs, etc. Have nothing running that I'm ignorant of... especially the "always on top" window you seem fixated upon.
I'm just too old to keep arguing without results, as everyone else has here... so I did the homework. Sorry I stopped programming long ago or I'd just fix the damn thing and score a kudo with you. I admire your brains and generosity a ton, but this, Bubba, is a BUG that prevents the suite from having any use whatever until it's fixed.
Maybe as relevant, what does it run properly on?
--Andy / aka texhenge
On the infobahn since 1973.
On the infobahn since 1973.
that other people have been able to close it?
Also, it's not "always on top", it's ObjectDock that is.
Oh and a lot of apps do live in the system tray, with no way to change it.
And in answer to your last question, it works on over 150 computers I've used it on with 2 that it didn't.
(As my maths teacher would say, "That's a ratio of 75 to 1!" ;))
Do you have any other programs that may be interferring?
----
Ryan McCue
Cube Games
There are only two states in Australia: Queensland and Drunk
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
...according to John, who said to click on top of menu to bring it to top, where the X-button should close it, and this does not work. Maybe you can actually help with my problem (would appreciate that, actually), rather than simply indicating you're probably not a resident of Queensland, eh?
On the infobahn since 1973.
On the infobahn since 1973.
I asked if you had any other programs which might be affecting it.
You could try closing everything except PAM and see if the problem persists.
Oh, and I am from Queensland
----
Ryan McCue
Cube Games
There are only two states in Australia: Queensland and Drunk
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
It really is a conflict with something you're running. The Menu has been in use for over 6 months and has been used by well over 1 million folks. I've personally tested it on Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista (beta, RC, final) and Wine running on Ubuntu 6.06 and 6.10. I've never ONCE been able to duplicate the issue.
The only thing I was able to determine that was a common issue among the maybe 5 or 6 people (out of the hundreds of thousands of regular users) that reported it was that they were using a non-standard dock arrangement which did not use the standard Windows system tray. Non-standard docks are often graphical things that use transparent Windows to simulate certain functionality. ObjectDock was found to be a culprit. As was another custom dock someone had written. What would happen is that the dock would launch the menu but it would remain on top due to the fact that the dock is set with a SetWindowsPos HWND_NOTOPMOST and the fact that the menu is not set as a topmost Window. The dock, of course, is just on the bottom part of the screen, so all it would block is the very bottom section of the menu... the X button.
StarDock, the makers of ObjectDock have confirmed this to be a known issue with their software to another user via a knowledgebase article (I think) and had mentioned that the next version was being rewritten to fix this known issue as it doesn't just affect the PAM menu.
As for your USB key accesses, NOTHING in the menu does this. I've run it on 12 different USB flash drives on multiple OSes and have NEVER seen the issue you are describing.
Also, as for clicking on top and then clicking the bottom, I'd said maybe. Like I said, having been unable to recreate the problem, I thought that might, perhaps, work.
So, it comes down to this... what on your machines or stick could possibly be interfering with it? It's a very simple window with a hidden image drawn in the shape of the X button on it's topmost Z-Order that receives the click, fades it out and closes. The code to fade/close is the same as when you click on the tray icon or on another Window and make it lose focus.
Try a base install of the Suite... just the base install with no apps... and then try it on a machine not under your control or having anything in common with the other ones. Try it at your friend's house, for instance, or walk into a computer store and try it. You'll see that it works perfectly fine. So, what might be the culprit on your own systems.
The constant drive access leads me to believe that something else is going on on your system. That should probably be investigated.
All of that said, the next release of the menu adds two things... an advanced option to set the Window to be on top which should get around the floating hidden window issue. It is not enabled by default as it causes the popup menus to flicker. A right-click exit was also added to the system tray icon.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
The inability to close the menu was discovered in the last 24 hours, on a brand new virgin XPP-SP2 installation on mil-wiped and repartitioned HDD, with absolutely no software whatever except the virgin (what a concept...) WIN and the software to be tested, namely a fresh copy of PortableApps Suite from your website. Nobody I know has ever used the "ObjectDock" thing you mentioned.
Anyway, the problem is so frustrating that I imagine there are many more people who encounter it and simply kill the app and move on. Thats why half our machines are running a Linux, and also why your wonderful app seems so enticing-- we'd all like to step beyond the gates back into some real software.
Apologies for starting off the little "ad hominen" warriors out there.
What about adopting these rather sacred windows conventions, though, either of which would solve this (rare, possibly or not...) problem--
1. Nothing ever in the system tray without permission, or at least without a right click kill/exit/stop/etc ability.
2. All windows relocatable and resizable with no ability to be easily defeated by some drooling kiddie thing like "OD".
This wonderful app would catch on even faster if ...
On the infobahn since 1973.
On the infobahn since 1973.
First of all It's just my personal opinion... I'm not Staff or something else.
Since you're on the infobahn since 1973 maybe something changed in the past 35 years.
First of all, a programmer should concern what people want and what they see as usability, you seem to have done the biggest mistake ever in computerhistory. you didn't mind what the users wanted. And I'll tell you, they don't want another window in the taskbar that is always there. Sure you don't want it, but don't be so selfish... you should have learned it better in 35 years of work with computers, the majority is what counts. Rather tell microsoft that hiding the shutdown button behind the start button is complete b*llshit.
Second just because you're so long on the infobahn doesn't mean that you drive on it with 130mph... maybe you're just a lada.
just joking don't feel offended.
Your problem (I don't have it) isn't solved by telling us your vitae. First of all a smart person always starts with one thought "maybe it's my fault" before blaming other people and showing arrogance. Then a person considers the advices of people trying to help. Give evidence why it is John's fault. I'll install objeckt dock and show you that it is it's fault. Prove me wrong buddy but my menu is working as a lot of others around here. Sure the drive is flashing every few seconds if software runs from it and writes on it or reads from it, I can tell you, it's not the menu, cause a lot more people would have complained if it was...
/EDIT: you should also know how to submit bug reports. Tell us your menu version, tell us what software you use etc.
Is something actually accessing the usb, like as if you were writing a file to it? Or is it just that flicker that it has, which I think is just power indications?
By the way, maybe you or someone else can tell me what the "Always on Top" problem/bug/feaature was.
"... respect, all good works are not done by only good folk. For here, at the end of all things, we shall do what needs to be done."
Don't be an uberPr∅. They are stinky.
I am really sorry I started a bitch session between ya all. I really just wanted to know why I can't close the app menu?
Windows XP
Portable apps menu 1.0
7-zip
Audacity
Clamwin
Firefox
GAIM
GIMP
KeyPass
NVU
OpenOffice
Putty
VLC
Note: I cannot close the menu even if I have not opened any applications!
... on the PC? On the PC itself. That's where the problem lies. ObjectDock is known to cause issues with apps in the lower-right corner of the screen that are launched from the systray. Basically, is ANYTHING else at all running on your PC besides the standard Windows start menu at the bottom of the screen? Any other systray icons? Nonstandard dock, etc?
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
to accomplish that you could press windows+r -> cmd -> enter -> tasklist
Of course I could use the "tasklist" to end any of my applications. Is this a "standard practice"? No, I don't think so
He meant use that to figure out what else is running. Just because you have no Windows visible doesn't mean you don't have other applications running.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
These are the apps that I have running in my taskbar (these all close fine)
OpenOffice Quick start
Portable Apps
Groupwise Task Notifier
Palm HoySync
McAfee Enterprise OAS
Novell ZEN Application Explorer
Novell Desktop Mangement
Novell Services
And last, but not least, the Micrsoft Clock
I wasn't asking about what else was running in the systray but everything else running on the PC. Can you try closing all of those other systray things and then use the PortableApps.com Menu and see if the close button works? It would appear to be a conflict with something running on your PC, but it would be nice to figure out what it is.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I just found this thread, and I'm having the same problem. I just installed PAM today, and have yet to be able to exit it. The last time I rebooted, closed everything in the taskbar but Avast antivirus, closed all apps running using task mangager, and shut down a few processes as well. THEN I open PAM, and I can't exit. I wasn't sure what processes I could shut down. Which does Windows need? I'm willing to try whatever is needed. Thanks in advance for any advice.
I am not my signature.
First, make sure that the menu is the window that has the keyboard focus by clicking somewhere within it where you won't start any other apps, like in the header area. Then press and release the F4 key while holding down the Alt key. This is the standard keyboard way of closing down most Windows windows/apps.
I just LOVE portableapps, but I also need to do Alt-F4 to exit.
The "x" box does nothing(and isn't very obvious/intuitive either).
Need to have another Menu entry under Help/Search - "Exit PortableApps"
And I'm an oldtimer with Windows, UNIX and Linux too - not a newbie banana.
The cutter
I have tried clicking the top of the menu before clicking the X at the bottom but the problem persists. The X key shows no response whatsoever
Among the resultant difficuties is the fact windows "safely remove hardware" command, that windows provides in the tray, assumes that the hardware is still in use and will not permit the stick's removal.
My only solution is to use windows task manager to close PAppsbut I would like to do the job properly within the PortableApps control
John Mansfield
John Mansfield
You sure it's not the 120dpi bug? A link to a fix is on the Suite page.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!