NeoSmart Technologies' ToolTipFixer 1.0.0

[russellc]

It happens to everything >.<

The technical explanation is that in the Win32 API, tooltips are coded to have HWND_TOPMOST as their z-index - meaning that they are on top of everything.

However, due to a series (many) (obvious) bugs and miscodings in the Windows Shell, when you perform certain actions with dialogs and Windows that are supposed to appear above current windows (like the context menu when you right click the start menu items) end up coming even above the HWND_TOPMOST entries as well - that's not supposed to happen.

Then it seems (from here on in, i'm only guessing based on what i can see) that the parent window/dialog (in this case, the start menu, then the taskbar) inherits the window status when the child is closed, and keeps it.

Think of it like Dominoes. The first window is made topmost - no problem. as it closes, it's parent takes that z-index. then its parent, and the next, and the next - until you end up with something in the same x-y plane as a HWND_TOPMOST item, and it ends up with a lower z-index; therefore obscuring that item from view.

Basically, it is something that could be avoided by properly handing off z-indexes and keeping these always under HWND_TOPMOST items.

Thanks for the explanation. This had to be one of the most annoying bugs ever in Windows XP.

[Computer Guru]

Well I installed it (on WinXP SP2) but I could still reproduce teh bug. Any ideas?

Press ctrl+shift+esc

Do you see "ToolTipFixer.exe" in the list?

[Computer Guru]

Just figured out your error, punio4: you don't have the .NET 2.0 Framework installed, do you?

New version out.

Fixes glitch in the uninstall routine

Slightly improved memory management (now running at the bare-minimum really)

Improved (faster) window handling

No more t.txt

You can view full changelog at http://neosmart.net/jira/browse/TTF?report...changelog-panel

Download: http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=10

If you're upgrading from 1.0.0, it might be a good idea to run this first:

Start -> Run -> CMD.exe

cd "C:\Program Files\NeoSmart Technologies\ToolTipFixer\"
InstallUtil.exe /u ToolTipFixer.exe

If you don't, you'll have to reboot before it will work again. Future upgrades will not need this command.

Cheers!

[anonymous_user]

Press ctrl+shift+esc

Do you see "ToolTipFixer.exe" in the list?

yes

[Shasoosh]

Hmm. Runs on startup, creates a t.txt in my root, eats up 8 mb of ram, and made an unrecoverable system error after install.

Sorry, but looks rather dangerous.

Also, I don't know since when, but I don't have that problem on my computer. Tried the right click open thingy... Nothing happens.

I thought that its a patch, not something that runs in the background.. Thanks

uninstalled ... i don't think this bug worth 6-8 mb of ram.. slow machine here

[CoolCatBad]

I created the problem, as explained in the first post, then downloaded and ran the fix.

Got an error message during install, but rebooted and problem is fixed. Only now I discover Net framework is required, but no species of Net on this machine. Strange.

No other problems as encountered above. XP Pro SP2.

[Punio4]

NeoSmart Technologies' ToolTipFixer 1.0.0 is a patch to address this issue that Microsoft refuses to fix: just run the (free, small) patch once, and you're set.

I'm sorry, but from your description I expected it to be a patch, not a process installer.

You should state that this is an installer for a background process that prevents the bug from occuring.

[CoolCatBad]

No processes from the patch here.

[Avi]

Microsoft already said they fixed it in Vista... search their forums... i hope they'll fix this in xp sp3...

[Computer Guru]

Yeah, you need .NET 2.0 installed.

Only the people with Windows' source code or those that have reverse-engineered Windows can actually patch it; so ToolTipFixer runs in the background (as a service) and intercepts calls for HWND_TOPMOST to circumvent the bug. Sorry if the description was misleading.

[wynaut]

Tried experimenting by ticking and unticking the "Keep the taskbar on top of other windows" option under the taskbar's properties but couldn't work. Did found out that when it is unticked, the tooltips are no longer behind the taskbar.

[Computer Guru]

yeah, but it's a real pain to get to the start menu or the system tray if the taskbar isn't on top of other Windows....

[NienorGT]

Muahahahha this frigging bug is a 14 old bug??? (My computer history at home started in 2003 so I missed a lot)

Like others I think it sucks a bit to have a program 24/24 for this bug, is it possible to fix the bug when it happen manually each time?

If it's possible, you could add an option in the taskbar right click to run the script to fix the bug...

Since it's not a bug that happen every now and then it could be enough.

[L3thal Veteran]

Its just a small process that runs in the background, guys. You make it seem like it will make your PC run dog slow and consume 200mb of RAM or give you a BSOD.

[NienorGT]

Its just a small process that runs in the background, guys. You make it seem like it will make your PC run dog slow and consume 200mb of RAM or give you a BSOD.

No, 7MB is not a lot, that for sure. But 7mb just to fix an eventual not constant bug, that's little annoying.

(But it still less than using Vista :p )

[Computer Guru]

lol, so true ;)

Anything sitting in the taskbar will waste that memory too. But what I can do (and will) is create a tiny app that DOESN'T run constantly, and you can create a shortcut in the quicklaunch bar and run it from there whenever you need.

(BTW, 6-7MB is the bare minimum for anything .NET - and that's with tons of pre- and post-build optimizations.

"Why does it have to be .NET" well, it doesn't - but the Windows API has grown appallingly bloated and buggy with all these years so I choose to code in .NET instead)

[f0rbez]

This is cool. Although I usually don't like any extra running apps in the background, I think this is well worth it. And maybe this will bring enough attention to the bug so that Microsoft actually fixes it. Thanks Guru.

[NienorGT]

Anything sitting in the taskbar will waste that memory too. But what I can do (and will) is create a tiny app that DOESN'T run constantly, and you can create a shortcut in the quicklaunch bar and run it from there whenever you need.

Perfect (Y)

I hope you will succeed!

Put both in options at the install. (Automatic Service or Manual Fix)

Then contact Autopatcher team to add that :p

[MonoApe]

Hi,

Just installed TTF (how friggin' ridiculous that M$ can't fix such a common and irritating bug?) and surprised to see how much memory it's using: 100MB on my machine.

I'm running a fully updated (inc. .NET 2 and 3) WinXP machine. I rebooted to see if that helped, but no.

I see someone else reports 7MB. Any suggestions why mine is so high (although I'm keeping it running even if it does 'cost' 100MB! :)).

Thanks.

[biatche]

Would be nice if this app isn't written in .net =/

[Denis W. Veteran]

There seems to be a bug:

If you leave this tool running and hit Windows+D, it also hides the taskbar. :s

It sometimes happens: if I hit Windows+D and the taskbar still remains, then I click on my desktop and quickly hit Windows+D a couple of times, the taskbar may disappear.