Miniplayer Controls Overlay Remains Visible

Hi guys.

I was stumbling with the same problem and it was driving me insane.

So happy that I wound others with the same problem, and still very sad! 😟

For me stopping the Touch interface did the job. A little tedious but still the overlays don't bug me anymore. Hopefully, we will see an update that fixes the issue!

p.s. I'm with a Wacom Intuos5 tablet.

Hi Jeff, it appears you and I are the only 2 people in the world to experience this madness.

So I am right there with you. I totally understand the phenomenon you describe in this post and am completely frustrated by it.

The only difference for me is the cause. For me it is the driver/software for a Corsair keyboard known as the Corsair Utility Engine (CUE).

I reproduced my issue off of a clean install of Windows 10 as I could not get the "enable full keyboard integration" to become unchecked again without such a drastic move. If I uncheck it, even changing tabs and going back to the Advanced tab in iTunes preferences has it checked again. All was well once again following the clean install for about a week - right up until I installed this software again and restarted my PC. It even still worked until I manually restarted. I thought my issue was gone and then voila, no more album art/mini player in iTunes without seeing the play controls statically and the full keyboard button magically checked itself on permanently again.

The last time prior to my clean install, I tried removing the keyboard software and uninstalling iTunes. I cleaned out all remaining traces of iTunes leftover in AppData and wherever else I could find ran CCleaner and then reinstalled. No go. Only the clean install reset things back to normal.

Apple support/engineers were no help, Corsair was no help and the end user was left to wallow in his own troubleshooting knowledge with a problem that would not go away.

I gave up for months and then somehow I magically stumbled upon this thread!

Since you seem to be the only person on the planet who understands what I am going through and successfully quasi remedied your own issue, I was hoping you may engage me in some conversation to help me hopefully do the same.

The control click album art player does not show Up Next, and I cannot stand having to see the overlay on the standard player as if I am mousing over the window.

Anyhow, I am pleased to have met you digitally and hope this finds you! Thanks in advance!

Update:

Ok so I took the needed plunge and uninstalled my keyboard software. Restart. Cleanup of residual folders and files. CCleaner. iTunes still will not release "enable full keyboard integration."

I then uninstalled ALL Apple software. Renamed sentinel file in iTunes folder to sentinel.old and renamed preferences.plist in iTunes Media folder to preferences.plist.old. Restart. Cleanup of residual folders and files. CCleaner. Restart.

Reinstall iTunes with new music library. iTunes still will not release "enable full keyboard integration." Point iTunes to original library. It recreates a new sentinel and preferences.plist but the behavior is of course the same.

I still have not reinstalled they keyboard driver and software that creates this iTunes behavior in the first place.

At this point, I am thinking that the keyboard software must create a new service that continues to run despite the software being uninstalled. This service running must be what clogs up iTunes mini player feature by way of the static ON of the "enable full keyboard integration" setting.

So I begin investigating services. Two catch my attention: "Human Interface Device Service" and, due to what was causing Jeff's issues above, "Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service." Tried to Stop them both individually and together. Stopping the HID Service prevents my keyboard's media buttons from working. The media keys were working when iTunes was working fine prior to the initial install of keyboard software. Touch Panel Service makes no noticeable effect. Regardless, these services running or not has no bearing on resolving "enable full keyboard integration" to be turned off.

There must be another service running that is causing this that the keyboard software installed, although non jump out at me. I am as stumped as ever, but feel I have made progress nonetheless. At least I will tell myself that!

Uninstalling and reinstalling Apple software is no fun. I do not wish to reinstall my OS again and do need to use the keyboard software for macros and LED controls so even if I clean install yet again, this problem will resurface. There has to be answers and resolution within my existing install. If only I can find it!

That is where I am at this point. Everything back up and running and thank goodness my well groomed iTunes Library in operable order (I always have concerns there also doing stuff like this). I will be leaving the keyboard software uninstalled for now on the manhunt for the mystery service or other cause.

Ok the cause is pinpointed for sure.

It is the "Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service" and must be related to your original issue as well.

I cannot for the life of me figure out why this only manifests after installing my keyboard software, however it is plain as day. Trick is restarting iTunes.

Close iTunes. Stop service. Open iTunes. "enable full keyboard integration" is no longer checked and mini player functions normal. Close iTunes. Start service. Open iTunes. "enable full keyboard integration" is Checked and cannot be changed. Mini player has the overlay 24/7. Rinse repeat.

I have never connected a tablet or other writing utensil and do not use a touch keyboard, nor do I have a touchscreen display. I do not understand why this service suddenly becomes an issue for me upon installing my keyboard software, but I do feel I can keep the service from running after installing the keyboard software again and that should keep my iTunes behaving.

So strange, but so happy to have isolated the root problem. Now to do a little more research on this service.

I also want to take a moment to thank the OP Jeff. Jeff, without your self diagnosis, I would have NEVER thought to look at that service in a lifetime of guessing.

THANK YOU!

best guess as to why this service is an issue is that it controls the little touch keyboard that runs down in the system tray. If that is always running, iTunes must recognize this and give it full keyboard control of it's program.

Now a bigger mystery is if I check that box for full keyboard control with the service disabled, there is no noticeable difference and the mini player still works as intended. I cannot tell what that option does in it's intended environment!

Thank you so much! I never would have found that on my own, and it was so annoying!