xbmc minimizes to desktop
#1
Sad 
I cant find a reason for this. I start a video and sometimes it takes only a few minutes, other times almost an hour. but xbmc always minimizes to the desktop sometime during playback. I can hear the audio still going so the video doesn't stop. I have tried setting xbmc to fullscreen window mode, turned off aero in win7, made sure windows desktop was a static image and not a gallery (I thought the bg change could have been affecting it.)

I am running windows 7 ult sp1 (32 bit) on a quad core amd 970. ati radeon 5830 vid card 4gb ram and an msi mainboard (dunno off hand model). my xbmc version is pre-11.0 git:20110725-cce6614

I tried a program called winfocusmon that is supposed to create a log of what caused xbmc to lose focus. here is that log if it helps:

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

=== BEGIN MONITORING SESSION ===

DATE: 01-08-2011
TIME: 17:53:35
MONITORING WINDOW: XBMC

=== XBMC LOST FOCUS DUE TO THE FOLLOWING PROCESS ===

WINDOW TITLE:
WINDOW CLASS: WindowsForms10.Window.8.app.0.3553390
PROCESS PID: 408
WINDOW HANDLE: 0x001104CC

=== LIST OF ALL RUNNING PROCESSES AT THE TIME ====

[System Process]
System
smss.exe
csrss.exe
wininit.exe
csrss.exe
services.exe
lsass.exe
lsm.exe
winlogon.exe
svchost.exe
svchost.exe
atiesrxx.exe
svchost.exe
svchost.exe
svchost.exe
svchost.exe
svchost.exe
AvastSvc.exe
atieclxx.exe
dwm.exe
explorer.exe
spoolsv.exe
svchost.exe
taskhost.exe
armsvc.exe
svchost.exe
AMD Reservation Manager.exe
AODAssist.exe
TSVNCache.exe
jusched.exe
AvastUI.exe
SetPoint.exe
MOM.exe
CLDTVHNService.exe
svchost.exe
EKAiOHostService.exe
Fuel.Service.exe
EKIJ5000MUI.exe
SDWinSec.exe
OSPPSVC.EXE
svchost.exe
SearchIndexer.exe
uTorrent.exe
KHALMNPR.exe
Dropbox.exe
EventGhost.exe
svchost.exe
wmpnetwk.exe
PresentationFontCache.exe
CCC.exe
svchost.exe
firefox.exe
winfocusmon.exe
XBMC.exe
audiodg.exe
Kodak.Statistics.exe
AiOHostDirector.exe
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#2
A quick Google found:

http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/...s-utility/

which suggests the offending app is the Canon EOS Utility applet.

Incidentally, winfocusmon looks a useful tool for this type of problem - that's a good find. The development Windows builds of XBMC report what app is taking the focus to help fix this problem, but this isn't in Dharma.

JR
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#3
I saw that too, but I don't have that utility or a canon product at all! Anything else
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#4
Run the Task Manager (press ctrl-shift-escape) and this will show you a list of all processes running on your PC. You need to see a column titled "PID": if it isn't there click the View menu then "Select columns" and tick "PID (process identifier)".

Now run your winfocusmon tool again and wait for XBMC to lose the focus. Look at the report and note the line:

Code:
PROCESS PID: 408

Note down the number, 408 in this example, and look in Task Manager to see what process matches this PID. It's a shame winfocusmon doesn't list the PID along with the process names as it would make this easier.

JR
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#5
Crap, sorry shoulda mentioned that I already set up tsk mgr to view pid's and weirdly 408 doesn't show up. I think its an intermittent svchost that only stays running momentarily. Do you know of an app that can save a log of what apps are stating and stopping? I haven't tried process explorer yet as I don't really know if it can help or not.

Also should mention the revision of xbmc I'm using is the 2nd version I have tried.

Thanks for all the help so far
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#6
Note that the PID will change. It's effectively a random number and the PID for a process will be different each time the process starts. Your winfocusmon app should tell you what PID took the focus and simultaneously what process is using that PID.

You could try using a nightly build as that reports what process is taking the focus. Export or back up your library first though, as the nightly builds will upgrade it to a version that v10.1 cannot use.

JR
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#7
I find a Windows update 'reboot required' notification will minimize the XBMC window 4 hours after I had selected 'remind me in 4 hours' or whatever it is. I just click open XBMC on my Harmony and it brings it back again, ie, maximizes it.
Desktop / Media Server: Win10 x64, ThermalTake Commander G42 case, Asus Maximus VII Hero, Intel Core i5 4460 3.20GHz, Gigabyte Geforce GTX750, CM M 1000w, 8GB GSkill, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 120GB, 2x WD Black 1TB RAID 1, WD 6TB + WD 4TB spanned, single 3TB

Intel NUC with Openelec in TV room.
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#8
Lightbulb 
FIXED! Laugh

thanks for the good advice everyone!

heres what I did to find it:

ran winfocusmon and procmon together while a video was playing, this time it caught the process name. it was my damn printer driver checking for updates, specifically the AiOHostDirector.exe file.

I figure this is a media pc and if I want to print then screw it, I'll use the bedroom comp for that!

again thanks for the advice people, just wanted to come back here and explain what it was and how I found it, didn't want to be the douche that figures it out and never lets others know what it was.

here are the 2 tools I used,
http://12bytes.org/software/winfocusmon

and

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysin...s/bb896645

hope its ok to post links
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#9
Awesome. Thanks for letting us know your solution and the tools you used.
Desktop / Media Server: Win10 x64, ThermalTake Commander G42 case, Asus Maximus VII Hero, Intel Core i5 4460 3.20GHz, Gigabyte Geforce GTX750, CM M 1000w, 8GB GSkill, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 120GB, 2x WD Black 1TB RAID 1, WD 6TB + WD 4TB spanned, single 3TB

Intel NUC with Openelec in TV room.
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#10
I've also been having the same issue recently with aiohostdirector stealing focus and doing a quick google search this thread is the only report I've found of someone else having the same issue. I noticed what was doing it myself while watching some videos in MPC which reports the process that steals focus from it.

Anyways, just thought I'd chime in to let you know that you're not alone on this one.
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#11
Hopefully this isn't too old of a thread to be bumping. I am in the same boat as HungOver. I've been having a problem with a process periodically stealing focus. It steals it from games, movies, etc. Like HungOver, I noticed that MPC records the application that takes focus. I will be reporting this issue to Kodak who can hopefully fix the issue. I unfortunately use their software with my AIO device.
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