Groupy 1.32: Does not create groups when CTRL is held or "+" clicked. Ignores application exclusions.

Groupy sometimes doesn't group. Always ignores ZBrush exclusion.

from Stardock Forums

System & Software:

  • Windows 10, v. 1909
  • Groupy 1.32
  • ZBrush 2020.1.3

 

Issues:

  • In Settings/Application Grouping, Groupy is configured to "Group newly opened windows if the Ctrl key is held down..." Occasionally it ignores this and does not group my windows:

    Example: using Windows File Explorer, holding down Ctrl while right-clicking "Open in new window" usually groups the new window. Not always.

    Example 2: using Windows File Explorer, clicking the "+" sign at the top (where the Groupy tabs are) to open a new tab sometimes opens a new window instead.
  • In Settings/Application exclusions, I excluded ZBrush 2020. However, Groupy ignores this:

    EVERY time I hit "Ctrl + s" to save something in ZBrush, Groupy groups the main ZBrush window with the Save window.

    This resizes the main window to the Save window's size. It's extremely annoying.

    I have to turn Groupy OFF every time I work in ZBrush. This doesn't happen with any other application and the exclusions seemed to work with past versions of ZBrush (2019, 2018).

—

P.S. this should technically be in the Groupy section of the forums but I don't know how to move it.

Moved to "Groupy"

11,863 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Try the purge and reinstall steps as mentioned here : https://forums.stardock.com/488142/groupy-support-faq#reinstalling

Just make sure to re-download the latest version again from your account. Reboot after the purge and reinstall. Reboot again and retest. Report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Thank you; I uninstalled, restarted & reinstalled.

 

The purge bat file seemed like it didn't do anything, I'm not sure — it neither uninstalled the software nor forced a restart — so I just did it the normal way.

So far so good though, everything is working as expected!

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Great, glad to know you get it working.

Thank you,

Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Nope: even after reinstall, Groupy randomly does things it shouldn't.

I have it set to "Only group windows of the same application or type with each other" and yet, I just tried to open a window in Chrome and Groupy grouped it with another completely different application that's even on my exclusion list.

Tried again, and this time it grouped a Chrome window with a Windows Explorer group.

 

This won't fix everything but one idea for the next version: add another key option(s) besides "Ctrl" for "Group newly opened windows in the Ctrl key is held down whilst opening them."

Sometimes I do want new windows to get grouped, but the problem is that "Ctrl" is commonly used to do other things: "Ctrl + S" to save, "Ctrl + N" to open a new window, etc. I have a feeling Groupy is confusing these with "Ctrl held to group".

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

When opening Chrome with groupy saved group, for it to work, you will need to turn off Chrome completely, no Chrome should be running in the background.

For those "random" groupy behavior please post screenshots of your setting on, "Settings" and "Application Grouping" and some videos grab on that "random" behavior.

Thank you,

Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

The problem with "random" things the impossibility of anticipating when it will happen again, so I doubt I can get video.

I am not opening Chrome with a saved group. I am using Chrome separately, not with Groupy. When I open a new Chrome window using CTRL+N, Groupy occasionally grouped it with a totally different window/application it shouldn't.

I might be misunderstanding what you're saying but it's not reasonable to expect that a user cannot have both the Chrome web browser and Groupy running at the same time.

To clarify, these would be the steps to reproduce:

  1. Using Windows 10 v 1909
  2. Using Chrome v 83.0.4103.61
  3. Using Groupy 1.32
  4. Only using Groupy to group Windows Explorer tabs. NOT using Saved Groups, NOT intentionally using with Chrome.
  5. Click on Chrome to select it as the active application
  6. CTRL+N to open a new Chrome window
    • Groupy unexpectedly groups the new Chrome window with Windows Explorer (the default Windows file browser)
    • OR, Groupy unexpectedly groups the new Chrome window with Firefox. Or any other App.

Here's a REAL screenshot; "luckily" it happened again just now:

 

My Groupy settings:

^ I don't have Chrome or Firefox excluded currently because it's occasionally useful to Group their windows (when it's done purposely, not accidentally/randomly like the issue I'm reporting). But if that's the only solution right now, then I will have to.

 

^ See above ESPECIALLY. I have selected "Only group windows of the same application or type...".

 

I hope this is all clear. Thank you.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

The option to group windows when ctrl is held down will group with the last active window.  This is for when you want to group things regardless of other settings.

It is unrelated to the option to only group when ctrl is held down.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

I managed to get video: https://i.imgur.com/nrQCkft.mp4

Here I am clicking the "+" to open a new tab, and closing using "CTRL+W"

As you can see, for the first 15 seconds Groupy behaved as expected. At 00:15, it opened a new window instead of a tab. At 00:26, it does that again. Then at 00:30 (after I manually grouped the windows by holding Shift), it reverted back to normal behavior.

Here's another example:

I then opened Handbrake to compress that video recording and... Groupy grouped Handbrake with File Explorer (see screenshot within screenshot below). And then I went to get a screenshot of that and it further grouped Snip & Sketch with both File Explorer AND Handbrake (top):

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Neil, reply 7

The option to group windows when ctrl is held down will group with the last active window.  This is for when you want to group things regardless of other settings.

It is unrelated to the option to only group when ctrl is held down.
End of Neil's quote

 

Please clarify. I think you meant "only group when *SHIFT is held down."?

 

In Settings/Application Grouping, I have Groupy configured to "Group newly opened windows if the Ctrl key is held down..."

I have this enabled so I can right-click on a folder in Windows File Explorer, HOLD CTRL, click "Open in new window" and have that open in a new Groupy tab. So that I can easily and quickly group new Explorer windows together.

Unfortunately even that doesn't always work as expected. Sometimes it just opens a new window, not a new tab.

 

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Here's another video for you: https://i.imgur.com/UblBSsD.mp4

Steps:

  • Right click on any folder
  • Hold CTRL
  • Click "open in new window"

Expectation: opens in new Groupy tab, like at :04.

Unexpected behavior: sometimes opens in a new window, like at :09.

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting LongFurby, reply 10

Here's another video for you: https://i.imgur.com/UblBSsD.mp4

Steps:

 

    • Right click on any folder

 

    • Hold CTRL

 

    • Click "open in new window"

 


Expectation: opens in new Groupy tab, like at :04.

Unexpected behavior: sometimes opens in a new window, like at :09.

End of LongFurby's quote

Would the behaviour only happen if you close a tab from the group first?

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

No, like I said, the behavior happens randomly / unexpectedly. I had to try multiple times to get it on video because there's no certain or reproducible sequence of actions that trigger these behaviors.

 

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

We have made changes which may address this in the 1.36 beta which is going out later today.

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

Thanks Neil, I'll check it out as soon as I can get the update (the Groupy app is telling me there isn't one yet; I'm on 1.32)

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting LongFurby, reply 14

Thanks Neil, I'll check it out as soon as I can get the update (the Groupy app is telling me there isn't one yet; I'm on 1.32)
End of LongFurby's quote

As it is a beta the app will not show it.

You can download it from your account though.

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

I really wish I could say the problems are gone with this update, but instead, both of the old issues persist AND a new unwanted behavior has appeared:

When clicking "+" for a new Groupy tab, the newly-created active tab doesn't appear at the end of the tab lineup as expected:

Example: I have 5 tabs and the 5th one in the row (the right-most one) is selected. I click + and expect the new tab to appear next to it, in the 6th position. Instead it appears in the 2nd position (from the left). When I click + again, the new one opens in 3rd position, and so on.

Even that is unpredictable: I just had the 1st position tab selected, hit +, and the new one opened in 3rd position.

 

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting LongFurby, reply 16

I really wish I could say the problems are gone with this update, but instead, both of the old issues persist AND a new unwanted behavior has appeared:

When clicking "+" for a new Groupy tab, the newly-created active tab doesn't appear at the end of the tab lineup as expected:

Example: I have 5 tabs and the 5th one in the row (the right-most one) is selected. I click + and expect the new tab to appear next to it, in the 6th position. Instead it appears in the 2nd position (from the left). When I click + again, the new one opens in 3rd position, and so on.

Even that is unpredictable: I just had the 1st position tab selected, hit +, and the new one opened in 3rd position.

 
End of LongFurby's quote

That is very strange as tab insertions have to happen at the end of the list as the slots are filled left to right.

Are these groups ones which you have previously closed windows from or fresh ones where nothing has ever been closed?

The z brush issue you have is probably an issue their end I am sorry to say.  File save dialogs cannot be grouped with their parent so if that groups it means someone didn't parent it correctly.

Could you doublecheck the signing date on groupyctrl.exe please by the right click properties menu in explorer.  I just want to be sure it was replaced correctly.

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi,

Just to clarify, by "both issues" I meant these:

  1. Groups different applications together with File Explorer (https://forums.stardock.com/500088/get;3779601)
  2. Opens new window instead of tab (https://forums.stardock.com/500088/get;3779606)

I'll have to check on the ZBrush issue again. UPDATE 06.25.20: no further issues with ZBrush at the moment.

Re: tabs — Seems to happen only with Saved Groups, especially re-opened ones.

GroupyCtrl.exe sign date: ‎Tuesday, ‎June ‎9, ‎2020 3:15:04 PM