[FancyZones] Reset to default layout due to different monitor IDs

[littlebigmedia]

Microsoft PowerToys version

0.55.2

Running as admin

• Yes

Area(s) with issue?

FancyZones

Steps to reproduce

1. Select any fancy zone layout that is different than "Priority Grid" zone.
2. Restart Windows
3. Windows starts with "Priority Grid" selected instead of the one you chose.

✔️ Expected Behavior

I expect PowerToys to save the last Fancy Zone I have selected even after windows restart.

❌ Actual Behavior

Fancy Zones starts with "Power Grid" zone instead of the one I selected before the windows restart.

Other Software

No response

[danielwuensche]

I sort of have the issue, but the root cause is not Powertoys in my case. In my case after some reboots the displays are registered as new devices, resetting all settings including audio devices in the process. I'm using a Thunderbolt dock. Do you have a similar setup?
I'm experiencing this behavior on two devices, with different graphics cards (and manufacturer) and different Powertoys versions (0.55.2 and 0.53.3), that's why I think Powertoys might not be the cause.

[littlebigmedia]

I sort of have the issue, but the root cause is not Powertoys in my case. In my case after some reboots the displays are registered as new devices, resetting all settings including audio devices in the process. I'm using a Thunderbolt dock. Do you have a similar setup? I'm experiencing this behavior on two devices, with different graphics cards (and manufacturer) and different Powertoys versions (0.55.2 and 0.53.3), that's why I think Powertoys might not be the cause.

I have one monitor, a superultrawide. I haven't noticed whether it gets registered as a new device on start. I don't get a notification though, so I suppose it does not.

I didn't know that Powertoys saves the last zone used even after restart. So you're saying what I am asking is the expected behavior in Powertoys? It should save the last zone used on windows restart?

[danielwuensche]

I have one monitor, a superultrawide. I haven't noticed whether it gets registered as a new device on start. I don't get a notification though, so I suppose it does not.

Normally you don't get a notification whatsoever if the display is registered as a new device, usually you will only notice it via apps like FancyZones falling back to the default settings.

I didn't know that Powertoys saves the last zone used even after restart. So you're saying what I am asking is the expected behavior in Powertoys? It should save the last zone used on windows restart?

Yes, PowerToys remembers whatever was set.

Unfortunately I don't really know how to troubleshoot this further with one display.
I have three displays, two external and the laptop display. All three of them are using custom grid zones. After some reboots (not every reboot and not at regular intervals) one of them defaults to priority grid. And it's always the same display, on two different laptops. That's just some Thunderbolt wonkiness, interestingly I'm not experiencing that on linux.
What also differs between our setups: you're running PowerToys with elevated (Admin) permissions. On my private laptop, my account is an admin account, but PowerToys runs as User. On my work laptop, the user accounts doesn't have admin rights - I have a separate account for admin stuff (and PowerToys needs admin rights to install/update).

Long story short, my guess still is that PowerToys is not causing the issue, it's just a symptom. Sadly I can't come up with further troubleshooting steps to back it up, apart from the standard steps like checking event logs etc. . The behavior you're expecting is in fact the correct behavior of PowerToys though. I'd see having to reassign zones at every boot as unpractical, depending on how often you reboot.

[SeraphimaZykova]

A bug report could help us investigate the problem, please attach it in the comment.

/bugreport

[ghost]

Hi there!

We need a bit more information to really debug this issue. Can you add a "Report Bug" zip file here? You right click on our system tray icon and just go to report bug. Then drag the zipfile from your desktop onto the GitHub comment box in this issue. Thanks!

[rmcauley]

PowerToysReport_2022-02-23-14-35-12.zip

I have just experienced this problem after a reboot and this is my bug report zip. Opening PowerToys and then the layout editor does not solve the problem, nor does changing layouts. I need to turn FancyZones off and then on again.

[rmcauley]

Still happening in 0.56.1. Two debug zips attached, one after boot and the other after turning FancyZones on and off to fix the problem:

PowerToysReport_2022-03-04-10-18-49.zip
PowerToysReport_2022-03-04-10-19-01.zip

[ghost]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 5 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 5 days of this comment.

[L0rdrichi]

0.71.0 when Shift moving a window I see my layout but it won't snap to it, going into layout editor shows a different layout but there I can select my custom one then it works.
Issue seems to be only on my Windows 11 Machine haven't had it on my Windows 10 one.

[jb261]

0.71.0 when Shift moving a window I see my layout but it won't snap to it

Unless you have the option selected in Settings, holding shift allows you to move windows without snapping to zones. See image:

https://snipboard.io/hNSukH.jpg

[L0rdrichi]

I am aware, it works as it should once I load my layouts.
When I hold shift you see normally your zones which I do too but they don't work, only after going into layout selector selecting one will it work as it should.
So I have that Zones don't work at all until I select a layout

[Kingistador]

v0.72.0
I had no problems switching and saving layouts, but recently I swapped the motherboard in my computer to a similar one, I didn’t reinstall windows or power toys, I didn’t make any changes, but fancy zones now started resetting the layout to default after restarting power toys. Reinstalling power toys and clearing the program settings did not help, administrator rights also do not help.

PowerToysReport_2023-08-18-02-40-05.zip

[objecttothis]

v0.72.0
Changing layouts on one Virtual Desktop no longer affects other virtual desktops which is good, but startup from a cold boot still messes up layouts. I had multiple layouts get flipped between monitors on multiple virtual desktops.

The bug causing powertoys reports to not be generated on the desktop seems to be back so even though I get a notice telling me that the zip file has been created and placed on my desktop, it isn't there. I can't remember where the file was stored and don't have time to look for it.

[kingdomoflugnica]

ok, i've got a workaround for you guys who 'only' use fancyzones.

1. set up fancyzones the way you like
2. disable fancyzones
3. disable powertoys at startup in settings
4. create a task in task scheduler to start fancyzones at log on ("C:\Program Files\PowerToys\PowerToys.FancyZones.exe")
5. you can set this task to run with highest privileges if you need it.

[GitHub-Mike]

Similar problems here. Fancy Zones 0.72.0 does not work after reboot. When key combination is used to activate, Default Template becomes active and only after deactivating / activating Fancy Zones it works as expected. This bug was not yet in version 0.68.0.

[Kingistador]

Ironically I reinstalled windows on the same day that v0.73.0 came out, so I don't know the exact reason - clean windows installation or new version, but fancyzones now remembers selected layout after reboot.

[ChristopherWalz]

I have the same problem with 2 monitors after rebooting. Attatched is my log.
PowerToysReport_2024-05-16-08-37-08.zip

[mo-rocks]

I have a dual monitor setup and use FZ heavily for swapping between active windows. I also need to leave my desk several times a day - it's not uncommon for me to find that FZ has switched the layouts between my monitors, which absolutely drives me nuts. Can this please get fixed? I'm having to reset my layouts several times per week.