FancyZones window switching shortcuts stop working randomly

[BearOutThere]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.55.2

Running as admin

• [X] Yes

Area(s) with issue?

FancyZones

Steps to reproduce

1. Reboot computer
2. Move several apps into the same zone
3. Press Cmd-PageUp/Down to switch between them - It works initially
4. Work on the computer for a while
5. Try to switch between windows again - Doesn't work anymore.
6. Open PowerToys app and try to switch between apps - Now it works.

✔️ Expected Behavior

See steps

❌ Actual Behavior

See steps

Other Software

No response

[SeraphimaZykova]

I can reproduce the problem only in case if windows were closed and opened again. If you'll find out any other steps to reproduce the problem, please let me know.

[BearOutThere]

I'll keep an eye on it. So far i haven't been able to notice a pattern.

As a feature request it would be very good if the open apps and their window configuration could be restored after a restart.

[BearOutThere]

Hi Seraphima. I still can't find the pattern for the problem, so perhaps the issue is the closing and reopening of an app that you have confirmed above. But it's still a problem as i would expect the apps that reopened in the same FancyZone to work right away without the user to have to redrag them into the zone they are already in.

[ariccb]

If you can reopen this issue, I know the cause of the problem. It's whenever you switch virtual desktops, for example with CTRL+WIN+RIGHT, when you switch back to the virtual desktop that has the windows sharing a fancyzone, those no longer switch while using the shortcuts. I think another thing that would make this tool more useful, is if you could switch between any windows using fancyzones that overlap each other, not just if they share the exact same fancyzone placement - this way I could have several windows in fancyzones underneath a fullscreen application that uses all the fancyzones on that monitor, and have the shortcut iterate through the active windows.

[BearOutThere]

@ariccb That does make sense as i periodically have to drag windows out of a fancy zone and then back in to make the switch shortcut work again.

[fuzzzerd]

FWIW I am still seeing this in v0.57.2.

[philippwienes]

Its happening after switching virtual desktops!

[fuzzzerd]

I can confirm this definitely stops working after switching Virtual Desktops (v0.60.1 / Windows11).

I have also observed it stop working only for specific zones, after opening an application that was in a zone, previously closed, and then re-launched.

[k-byun]

not working on my end either. I have the same versions as what @fuzzzerd has.

[mattiusclay]

Not working for me right now either, just updated my Powertoys.

[nevetsv]

has anyone found a solution to this? mine also isn't working when trying to window switch between windows opened in the same zone.

[PiepsC]

Experiencing the same issues as described above, also using virtual desktop. Obnoxious, as it's one of the primary reasons to use the extension and completely essential for it to enhance productivity

[ariccb]

@nevetsv

has anyone found a solution to this? mine also isn't working when trying to window switch between windows opened in the same zone. I've resorted to using a program called TidyTabs alongside PowerToys to resolve this, instead of trying to use the window switching functionality in FancyZones. I use virtual desktops too frequently to not have this working properly

[jaimecbernardo]

Fixed in the latest version. Please update PowerToys.

[eliolias]

Although this has been closed. This is still occurring for me in latest version as of today. v0.70.1

[DmitryGrayscale]

Although this has been closed. This is still occurring for me in latest version as of today. v0.70.1

same for me, 0.70.1, I press Win + PgUp/PgDn - nothing happens. Just put several WindowsTerminal windows on custom layout on virtual desktop

[pilgerone]

Still occurring on Windows 10, Powertoys v0.72.0.

I don't use virtual desktops and I've noticed it only affects the most right zone of my primary monitor. I have 2 16:9 monitors mounted horizontally with 2 zones (columns) in each.

I've noticed that, not only it doesn't switch the windows, but it kinda activates a window that was not on that zone, so it ends up not cycling through.

[eldarshamukhamedov]

My repro steps:

1. Open 3 Firefox windows
2. Assign Firefox windows to the same zone
3. Alt-F4 out of Firefox (close all windows)
4. Reopen Firefox, which should then reopen the 3 separate windows

Expected:

• Win + PgUp/PgDown cycles through the 3 Firefox windows

Actual:

• Win + PgUp/PgDown cycles does not cycle through the 3 Firefox windows

My guess is that the reopened windows are not assigned to zone they belonged to before closing. Given that it's Firefox that's doing the reopening of windows, hard to see how handling this reliably could be built into FancyZones itself 🤔.

Anywho, wiggling windows around after reopens is fine by me, but figured I'd summarize my hypothesis here anyway.

[SeraphimaZykova]

My repro steps:

1. Open 3 Firefox windows
2. Assign Firefox windows to the same zone
3. Alt-F4 out of Firefox (close all windows)
4. Reopen Firefox, which should then reopen the 3 separate windows

This way it looks like new windows were not snapped. Does switching work immediately after you snapped them to a zone, without closing and reopening windows?

[eldarshamukhamedov]

This way it looks like new windows were not snapped. Does switching work immediately after you snapped them to a zone, without closing and reopening windows?

Yeah, I can manually re-snap the opened windows without closing to get switching to work.

[SeraphimaZykova]

Thank you for the clarification. So the root of the problem refers to https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/25884.

[eldarshamukhamedov]

Ah, thanks for pointing me to the right issue. :)