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Flashing Mouse Locator Window in Windows 7


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Hi,

 

I'm new to this Forum (first post) but not so new to Macro Express Pro. I've been using it for a long time on XP, since version 3.x, but have just now changed over to Windows 7. I installed the latest version 4.7.1.1 on the Windows 7 machine, and had been using 4.3x before, on XP. Upon first using the program, I launched the Mouse Locator and see that its Window flickers (flashes) quite erratically, about 4 or 5 times a second, not in a perfect rhythm but a bit random. I also notice that the background of the Window is white, with a brown stripe at the bottom which contains the RGB information. Previously the whole background was grey, with the info as black text on grey. Finally, I see that the flicker stops as I move my mouse, or keep it moving, and the coordinates are properly updated as I go, but the color information disappears until I stop the mouse movement, whereupon the flickering returns.

 

None of this was the case in my previous installation of XP which, by the way, is on the same physical machine and hardware, including the video card (NVidia).

 

I'm not asking what to do or how to fix it, I understand there is support for that and this is a user-to-user Forum primarily for discussing how to make Macros. But before I do contact support, I was just wondering if any users here can confirm that they have had similar results, under similar circumstances and similar operating systems, especially since many here have probably already been on Windows 7 for quite a while, or have upgraded from XP. I'm just trying to determine if these are problems introduced in v4.7.1.1, or related to the OS, or simply my own machine's problem.

 

I thank you in advance for any information you may give me.

 

Mike

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Thank you Cory. I wonder if you can tell me (if you recall) if the background of the Locator Window is white (instead of grey, as it was before), and if the color-data-line updates rapidly in real-time as the mouse moves, or does it disappear (the data-line) until the mouse stops again?

 

If this is the case, I'm suspecting that the problem is more likely caused by the Logitech mouse-driver's interaction-rate with the Locator Window, than the video-card's driver.

 

Thanks

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What type of system are you running? The Mouse Locator has a semi-transparent background on my Windows 7 64-bit desktop. However, when I run it on a VMWare virtual machine running Windows 7 64-bit system it has a white background and flashes.

 

Are you using a virtual machine?

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Sorry about the delay in answering your question, I was away for the weekend. I thank you for taking the time to read my question and ask about it.

 

I am not on a virtual machine, I am on Win7/64, but since you mentioned seeing the problem on Virtual Machines, I am wondering if it might be that I am using Windows Classic Shell, an add-on that allows me to operate in a seeming XP environment, as far as the Explorer and Start Menu are concerned. Additionally, I have disabled any kind of Win7 features, such as Aero or any type of Desktop transparencies, even if I am not using Classic Shell's implementation.

 

This is a very clean install of Win7/64, other than the addition of Classic Shell.

 

Let me add that I have written dozens of very complicated Macros for an Audio Post Production Suite that I use daily, and I frequently have to write other ones. Consequently, I rely heavily on the Locator Window, mouse-coordinates and especially color-identification. If I can not identify the problem I shall have to go back to XP, and I really didn't want to have to do that.

 

As I have been a beta-tester for a major Pro-Audio Hardware/Software company for 15 years, I understand that it is usually inappropriate to report to publicly-read bug-forums about things that might simply be user-error on my part, so I came to this User-Forum first, just to see if other users have seen the problem. I didn't really expect to start a dialogue towards solving it and, respectfully, I don't intend to hijack this User-Forum with my technical problem. So, again, owing to the fact that you seem to be part of Insight and an admin, I thank you for taking the time to answer this type of question here.

 

Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated, particularly if it is just some simple thing I am overlooking (like the VM thing, for example... I wouldn't have thought of that had it been the case). If, after that, I haven't corrected the problem, I will contact tech-support directly for greater detail.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

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The lack of a transparent background would be expected if using Windows Classic Shell. The flashing when using Windows Classic Shell is not something we have encountered before. I have added that issue to our bug tracking system so our developers can look into it.

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Alan, do you mean that you use the downloadable third-party add-on, Windows Classic Shell, or the default built-in Theme for Win7 called Windows Classic theme?

 

I use the built-in display theme.

 

The Aero theme doesn't do a thing for me... in fact, I think the Aero theme complicates access because it makes it harder to visually differentiate foreground and background windows.

 

I appreciate that Insight is going to try to fix the flashing. Nevertheless, the mouse locator tool works.

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  • 4 years later...

Found this old topic when searching.  I have had ME Pro installed for a few years but used it very little.  Started converting from ME3 yesterday, and immediately got the flashing/flickering mouse locator.  Has there been any progress fixing it?  I am running Me 4.9.1.1 on Windows 7. 

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2 hours ago, Cory said:

You should send a support request to ISS.

Yes.  I also noticed that ctrl-c, to copy the pixel color to the clipboard, works only the first time I do it after launching the Mouse Locator.  After that, no change in the clipboard. 

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