[Peek] Peek.UI persists as a media player after closed

[AkazaRenn]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.95.1

Installation method

PowerToys auto-update

Running as admin

No

Area(s) with issue?

Peek

Steps to reproduce

1. Start PowerToys with Peek enabled
2. Preview a video or audio file that it is capable of playing
3. Close the peek window by the cross button on the top-right corner
4. Check media player status by clicking the bottom-right corner of taskbar, where the network/volume/battery icons are

✔️ Expected Behavior

Peek leaves the media player panel when the playback is stopped by the x button on the top-right corner of the window

❌ Actual Behavior

After the steps provided above:

Other Software

No response

[crutkas]

think this is an easy fix for when window is hidden.

[VojtaStanek]

I belive also another way how it is seen is that after opening a video it is an "active" player and system media controls try to control it instead of other player (in my case spotify).

Steps to reproduce:

1. Start audio playback (eg. on spotify)
2. Pause the playback (via system controls)
3. Preview a video file using peek powertoy and let it start playing audio.
4. Close the peek preview window (and the video stops playing)
5. Try to start audio playback via system controls.
6. Expected: Spotify starts playback; Actual: Nothing happens - the system controls are in state shown on the screenshot bellow.

Windows 10, Powertoys v0.75

[nagolucky18]

I can look at this one.

[htcfreek]

@nagolucky18 Feel free to investigate and fix the issue. Your contribution is welcome.

[nagolucky18]

Video playback issue was resolved in 0.71. See 26160

As for the issue of Peek.UI appearing in volume mixer, this is because the app is always running if Peek is enabled. On window close, the window is hidden instead of the app being fully closed, meaning that the app stays in the volume mixer. I assume this is by design.

If removing the Peek.UI application from the sound mixer is desired, then the solution is to change Peek.UI so that it is only running when previewing media.

[wDRxxx]

still relevant

[schedin]

The problem can not only be reproduced while using Peek to display a media file. The problem is there even if I use Peek to look at a text file.

Would it be possible to fix Peek so that it automatically de-register as a media player when the UI is closed? For example Firefox make it work:

1. Go to https://www.youtube.com to play a video in a new tab
2. Pause the video playing
3. The Firefox Youtube video is now integrated with the Windows media/volume control
4. Close the Firefox video tab
5. The Youtube video is no longer integrated with the Windows media/volume control.

[omgitsraven]

I've been using Peek for a few days, and had no issues with it, but suddenly, for no apparent reason (hours after my last use of Peek, despite using media keys many times since then), this appears on my screen every time I press the play or pause media keys:

[mauripops]

Also there on volume mixer bloating things up:

[GitKopfkino]

Using PowerToys v0.95.0 (Win10; Admin), this is happening to me too.

It happens once you 1st use Peek (after booting Windows), independently of file type/extension. (Turning Peek OFF and ON in PowerToys restarts this process from anew, as if you just booted Windows, with the same end result.)

[AkazaRenn]

I'm closing it because the control center issue has been solved for a while, and the Volume Mixer part matches the behavior of other media-playback-capable apps like Edge and Firefox.

[zheng-fan]

In fact, this problem still exists in the latest version. (0.94.2) As I mentioned in https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/issues/33888, the problems is: After using peek, Hardware Media Key UI and Peek in Volume Mixer is permanently displayed, regardless of whether you have opened a media file, a text file, or something else. Unless you restart Peek, it will never disappear.

And expected behavior is: After the Peek window is closed, the Hardware Media Key UI and Peek in Volume Mixer disappears. If it is not a media file, the Hardware Media Key UI and Peek in Volume Mixer will not be displayed.

[AkazaRenn]

In fact, this problem still exists in the latest version. (0.94.2) As I mentioned in #33888, the problems is: After using peek, Hardware Media Key UI and Peek in Volume Mixer is permanently displayed, regardless of whether you have opened a media file, a text file, or something else. Unless you restart Peek, it will never disappear.

And expected behavior is: After the Peek window is closed, the Hardware Media Key UI and Peek in Volume Mixer disappears. If it is not a media file, the Hardware Media Key UI and Peek in Volume Mixer will not be displayed.

My control center has nothing left after closing the preview. And the latest version is 0.95.1.

[AkazaRenn]

~~Ok I managed to recreate it, it's happening when the preview window is closed automatically by focus loss or by the cross button, but doesn't happen if it's closed by the space button.~~ Damn it's quite random on my side, but at least can confirm it's still happening.

[zheng-fan]

You are right. The latest version is 0.95.1. My upgrade failed, which led me to believe that the last version I used is the latest version. But this problem still exists in 0.95.1 and it happens everytime.