The minimize button disappeared!

Thank you so much for this little app - works like a champ 🙂

Can you post the 2 lines of code (just getting started with iphone & mac development) ?

Thanks,

Bink

Sure, here's the entire source code 🙂

#import <Carbon/Carbon.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
SetSystemUIMode(kUIModeAllHidden, 0);
SetSystemUIMode(kUIModeNormal, 0);
return 0;
}

Note that this still applies to 10.5.5, and it's not VMWare specific - the same issue occurs with Citrix ICA client running full screen. It's actually pretty easily reproducible, as well as fixable - it will apply to all apps running (regardless of space) when there's a full-screen app running in a different space. Apps launched since the full-screen app started don't exhibit the problem, but apps launched beforehand do.

You can run another full-screen app that resets this (e.g. front row, or screensaver) to restore functionality. If you have a hot-corner that activates the screen saver, you can simply move to that to kick the screensaver in and then back out again to get the functionality back.

Indeed, I'm running 10.5.5 myself.

The screen-saver idea is a nice idea - didn't think of that, but then I don't generally like having assigned corners for things.

I did see that running any full-screen app would fix the issue, which is why I wrote my tiny app - it's basically a minimalist full-screen app, which should be a lot quicker than firing up even a screen-saver.

The real fix however would be for the OS to correctly handle switching from a full-screen app when shifting between spaces, which seems to have been broken for a while.

I have the same issues, on my brand new MacBook Pro running 10.5.5 with spaces. Very annoying!

… so the fact Apple are ignoring this problem and blaming a third party rather than working with them to solve it (even though I doubt it is VMWare's fault) is pretty annoying.

Just because first tier support doesn't know anything about the problem doesn't mean Apple is ignoring it. I've never spoken to any first-tier tech support person that sounds like they even know how to breath, much less fix a problem beyond checking if the power cord is plugged into the wall.

Since Spaces is new technology, there are lots of issues with apps that were never programmed to respond to the situations that Spaces puts them in. If the apps are not properly relinquishing control when the space switch happens, it could well be that it is VMWare's (and others') bug.

Submit a bug report using a free Apple Developer Connection account. You'll get an update on the status of the bug report, which you can then use as valid basis for whether they are actually ignoring it.

I've noticed that, once the minimize button goes away, I can open the "customize toolbar" window without making any change and simply select "done" to restore it.

It's a nuisance to be sure but it works.

...fyi, it appears that 10.5.6 does not fix this issue.

Confirmed that this is still a PROBLEM in 10.5.6. My "full screen" app is Parallels 4.0.3 which runs in "spaces" space #2. Using the keyboard shortcuts to move back to screen one kills the minimize button on many apps, NOT limited to Safari, iTerm, keychain access and Adium.

Minimize buttons do not seem to be affected in Finder windows or iTunes.

Same issue here - minimize button is greyed out and command+M doesn't work either. Just started happening. I have a fullscreen app open and switch between it and another Space using the control+arrow keys.

http://www.pyroteknix.org/MinFix.dmg temporarily fixes the problem but it always comes back.

Thank goodness for this thread because I've been stalking this bug for months now... I should have just googled this problem first instead of relying on a friend of mine who is Mac certified and trying to get a job with Apple.

Here is a little more information that I've been able to collect regarding this bug... For me at least, I'm able to replicate this bug whenever I switch TO a Space that has open applications when switching FROM a Space that is directly adjacent to it that is also running an application in full screen mode. It doesn't seem to happen when switching to a Space that is not adjacent to the Space that has a running application in full-screen mode. So for instance, if you have 6 Spaces set up (3 rows x 3 columns) and run a full screen application in the 4th space (2nd row, 1st column), any applications that are running in Space 1, Space 3, or Space 5 will have the minimize button disabled when switching to that Space. For me, it occurs regardless of whether or not I use hotkeys to switch Spaces or if I do it from the toolbar icon.

This appears to only affect native Mac applications. For me, it doesn't seem to affect any applications that are written in Qt or Flex; only carbon/cocoa applications.

The MinFix application posted by an earlier user works great as an ad-hoc fix, however, it only fixes windows on the current Space that you run it from. If you are like me and switch between Spaces a lot before noticing the problem, it has to be run once from each space that has applications that have been affected (sort of a pain). Does anyone know if there is any way the code can be modified so that it will restore the minimize button to ALL windows across ALL spaces?

Actually, after testing, it happens every single time I switch back and forth from a full-screen app using the arrow keys (in this case, Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection).

I have the same setup and issue. Have noticed it at least with Firefox, Mail, and Adobe Reader.

10.5.7 does not fix this issue

First, the fact that Apple is blaming this on VMWare/Parallels is just bogus. VMWare and Parallels are using OS X APIs. Why should the use of APIs in one app break essential functionality in other apps? Their response must be based upon some niggling technicality, but ignores the fact that if this is so easily possible that TWO different software vendors of major Mac applications have done it by mistake, it is Apple that is to blame, and not the other software vendors.

Second: the missing button behavior only takes place when you switch between spaces, or switch directly to a space, either using your assigned keyboard or mouse shortcuts, or by switching to VMWare through some other means, such as Option-Tab.

If, instead, you use the "Activate Spaces" keyboard or mouse shortcuts, and click into a space, it doesn't happen. If you click the VMWare icon on the dock, it doesn't happen. This is so arbitrary.

Also, aside from using the clever little utility in this thread, or closing and reopening the app in question, another easy fix is to use the "Activate Spaces" shortcut. Click into the Fullscreen VMWare session, click on the Windows Desktop, then Activate spaces again, and click back to your other space. Grey buttons gone.