Not sure how to categorize this issue. Bug or local glitch?
The software is fine, no issues at all until I try to SAVE a new file, or edit settings. The net result is that the IDE itself will lock up. If I were to better describe the issue, it is as if there is an invisible window that covered only the Arduino IDE. Trying to click any place on Arduino I get the error ding from windows that I am trying to do something I am not allowed to do, in the old days on Macintosh this would have been a Quack sound.
Unfortunately this also means that to resolve the issue I have to force quit JAVA Platform SE binary.
I have uninstalled Arduino, and reinstalled in different places. I have scrubbed the bits from the system. Still it seems to persist. It is starting to feel like the only resolution is a clean install of windows, only since I have no idea what has gone wrong or how to resolve. This issue has persisted multiple versions of Arduino and several OS updates.
Edit: As this bug is active right this second. I want to add that while the issue is active. All open instances of Arduino are effected. That is I have 3 instances open and one serial monitor. The serial is running fine. The program looks healthy. All instances might as well be located behind a wall of glass. No other programs are effected. -There are no flags in Event Viewer.
Sounds like the behaviour when an application becomes non-responsive. It looks normal till you e.g. click the close button after which the applicvation window turns greyish / out of focus or whatever the description is. Do you see the text "not responding" in the title bar?
I can't help you with your problem. The only suggestion that I have is that you run arduino_debug.exe from a command prompt for your instances and report the output here when you encounter the issue. Location should be C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\ for a normal install.
No there is no change in status from windows. Just the ding.
There is no error in the Logs.
The only time not responding comes up is if I actively try to force the windows to close. Basically the program is telling Windows it is waiting for something. Assuming something from the user, but the prompt that the user must check is not being shown.
Confirmed that not only does the behavior look like Arduino is waiting for the user to click something the user cannot see. When opening a prompt and trying to click on any other IDE window this is EXACTLY the behavior, a ding. Arduino says it's waiting on the user. But for what?!? How do I click on a task that cannot be seen?
Sorry, no help then.
Just that I have another app that, in Win10, insists on opening its file dialog behind it's main window - tab away and back, and the dialog appears.
C
Np, thanks for asking questions. The issue you describe does sound like this and I have seen other apps do exactly what you describe and it can be extremity frustrating. But I don't see any other window or prompt open in Alt Tab.
One might think a repeatable bug is an easy bug to solve. But this one is like the issue is in another dimension, so the fix is impossible without super powers.
Similar use case, then. For my issue, until I used alt-tab, I got so frustrated I started disconnecting the second monitor when about to use the app.
Can you "show desktop", then go back to the app?
Anyway, doubt I can help further.
For no obvious reason it just stopped happening. I doubt it is resolved or gone. Just not presenting at the moment... Will confirm or deny show desktop as soon as I can get it to happen again.