Not all processes seem to work

[Universal-Invariant]

e.g., I can move notepad++ but not opera. I imagine this is because opera runs multiple processes so the line "iParam = GetMainWindowHandle(groups[2].Value.Trim());" likely fails or if it is on a different desktop it might be 0.

Or possibly because I use a vbs script to launch opera and so it is hidden behind wscript. But trying to move wscript also fails to find the windows. Just seems like a more robust solution would be preferable.

[MScholtes]

Hello @Universal-Invariant,

this is an issue with programs that open several process instances like Visual Studio or Browsers: you cannot determine easily which process belongs to the active window,.

You may see it with Powershell:

ps -Name opera | select Name,MainWindowHandle

Only one process has a window handle.

Maybe you can work with the windows title:

VirtualDesktop /GetDesktop:1 "/MoveWindowHandle:Title of active Opera window"

(you may have to mask the title with ^^ if you accidently move the command line window:
VirtualDesktop /GetDesktop:1 "/MoveWindowHandle:T^^itle of active Opera window"
)

Greetings

Markus

[Universal-Invariant]

Hello @Universal-Invariant,

this is an issue with programs that open several process instances like Visual Studio or Browsers: you cannot determine easily which process belongs to the active window,.

You may see it with Powershell:

ps -Name opera | select Name,MainWindowHandle
Only one process has a window handle.

Maybe you can work with the windows title:

VirtualDesktop /GetDesktop:1 "/MoveWindowHandle:Title of active Opera window"
(you may have to mask the title with ^^ if you accidently move the command line window: VirtualDesktop /GetDesktop:1 "/MoveWindowHandle:T^^itle of active Opera window" )

Greetings

Markus

What if the code is extended to deal with multiple processes with the same name? It could easily check and find those with a window handle and work on each of those instances? I can't really use the title of opera since it changes although maybe there is a common substring it might cause problems in a few cases.

It would seem that if VD simply checked for the number of processes with the same name or looped over each one trying to move it then it would would be much more robust?

[MScholtes]

Hello @Universal-Invariant,

I can switch Edge windows just using the expression "Edge" in the name of the window to move (and with Chrome this works similiarly). Maybe you could try to move Opera windows with (example with desktop 1)?

VirtualDesktop /GetDesktop:1 /MoveWindowHandle:opera

(you may have to mask the title with ^^ if you accidently move the command line window)

Greetings

Markus

[Universal-Invariant]

Hello @Universal-Invariant,

I can switch Edge windows just using the expression "Edge" in the name of the window to move (and with Chrome this works similiarly). Maybe you could try to move Opera windows with (example with desktop 1)?

VirtualDesktop /GetDesktop:1 /MoveWindowHandle:opera
(you may have to mask the title with ^^ if you accidently move the command line window)

Greetings

Markus

Doesn't work, if I use your command I get

Unhandled Exception: System.TypeInitializationException: The type initializer for 'VirtualDesktop.DesktopManager' threw an exception. ---> System.InvalidCastException: Specified cast is not valid.
   at VirtualDesktop.IServiceProvider10.QueryService(Guid& service, Guid& riid)
   at VirtualDesktop.DesktopManager..cctor()
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at VDeskTool.Program.Main(String[] args)```

But if I use VirtualDesktop11-24H2 it closes out the terminal without doing anything.

[MScholtes]

Hello @Universal-Invariant,

I installed Opera on a testing machine: it works like it does with Chrome or Edge:

VirtualDesktop11-24H2.exe /GetDesktop:1 /MoveWindowHandle:o^^pera

moves Opera to the desktop 1 (according to your comment you need VirtualDesktop11-24H2).
When your terminal window disappeared I guess it was moved to the selected desktop, Use ^^ to mask the window name that not the terminal is moved.

Greetings

Markus

[Universal-Invariant]

Hello @Universal-Invariant,

I installed Opera on a testing machine: it works like it does with Chrome or Edge:

VirtualDesktop11-24H2.exe /GetDesktop:1 /MoveWindowHandle:o^^pera
moves Opera to the desktop 1 (according to your comment you need VirtualDesktop11-24H2). When your terminal window disappeared I guess it was moved to the selected desktop, Use ^^ to mask the window name that not the terminal is moved.

Greetings

Markus

Ok, that does work for me too so it is clearly having to use ^^.

"Insert ^^ somewhere in window title parameters to prevent finding the own window. ^ is removed before searching window titles."

By "own window title" is it when the window title is anything or if the window title contains the string too? Cause I'm pretty sure it didn't have opera in it. Maybe it is due to the command itself containing opera? e.g., if I run "VirtualDesktop11-24H2.exe /GetDesktop:1 /MoveWindowHandle:" in a terminal then it will match the terminal first due to somehow becoming part of the current "title"?

Likely the windows terminal wasn't terminated but moved over and I didn't notice it.

You might want to update the docs to mention this about ^^ because I saw it but didn't try it because I didn't think it was applicable(not something one typically uses). Also, originally I was trying uppercase. Not sure if it is case sensitive not that it matters in this case. Maybe if there is nothing to move you could add a "diagnostic message" such as listing the windows that were found using some looser checks like ignoring case and listing all matches and such? It does print out a message when running by displaying the window title.

In fact, when I ran it in the terminal with a random string it moved the terminal. So it seems to default to moving the terminal. This is probably something one wants to avoid because it seems to just disappear as if the command crashed the terminal or exited it.

Not sure the best route but I think making it a bit more clear will help others in the future from having such issues.