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Zoom/JW Library unwanted screen minimising

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
December 7, 2023
16 replies
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Hi,

I have been experiencing the following issue when screen sharing on Zoom: I use two monitors, one set up with JW Library and Zoom and the other with the second screen for JW Library enabled (with the yeartext/media playing). When I go to share that second screen, it automatically minimises. I can bring it back up by clicking the window in the taskbar. The same thing happens when I stop screen sharing. It's not the end of the world, just inconvenient. Anyone know how to fix this?

Screen sharing

Best answer by CasB

The minimize issue of Jw Library media window in combination with screen sharing by Zoom, can be very easily worked around!

Just switch off the very sensible full screen mode of the media window:

1. one double-click on (the center of) the media window of jwLib,

the media window jumps to the first monitor,

2. drag this media window back to the second monitor and

3. click on the Maximize button (at the top-right of the window). That's it!

This ensures that the media window of jwLib leaves the full screen mode and stays in so called ''windowed mode' and maximized.
When the second window is in (maximized) windowed mode (instead of full screen mode), it is stable and will not be set off the screen even when other windows are placed on it! This mode prevents that Screen Sharing by Zoom would minimize the media window. Also any sound sputters are gone.

Notes

- You only have to execute this 'maximize-operation' once when Jw Library has started.

- An optional visible taskbar on the second monitor where a maximized window resides, can easily be hidden by Windows Taskbar Settings. Just right-click on the taskbar to navigate to these setting.

- The fullScreen issue exists a couple of years on Windows. In fact, it was introduced to support gaming. Years ago, a fullScreen window minimized even when you hovered the mouse cursor over it! Today, on W10 and W11 a FullScreen mode window can still easily knocked of the screen by another window.

- The latest version of the tool 'JwLibMediaWin' from Anthony Corbett, mentioned earlier in a post by 'Swiftmist81' at 2024-03-03, is updated in Dec. 2024, performs a similar operation, keeps guarding and locks/disables the second screen for mouse and keyboard input.

Enjoy serving at the sound/video desk.

Show previous replies

C

CasBAnswer

Newcomer

The minimize issue of Jw Library media window in combination with screen sharing by Zoom, can be very easily worked around!

Just switch off the very sensible full screen mode of the media window:

1. one double-click on (the center of) the media window of jwLib,

the media window jumps to the first monitor,

2. drag this media window back to the second monitor and

3. click on the Maximize button (at the top-right of the window). That's it!

This ensures that the media window of jwLib leaves the full screen mode and stays in so called ''windowed mode' and maximized.
When the second window is in (maximized) windowed mode (instead of full screen mode), it is stable and will not be set off the screen even when other windows are placed on it! This mode prevents that Screen Sharing by Zoom would minimize the media window. Also any sound sputters are gone.

Notes

- You only have to execute this 'maximize-operation' once when Jw Library has started.

- An optional visible taskbar on the second monitor where a maximized window resides, can easily be hidden by Windows Taskbar Settings. Just right-click on the taskbar to navigate to these setting.

- The fullScreen issue exists a couple of years on Windows. In fact, it was introduced to support gaming. Years ago, a fullScreen window minimized even when you hovered the mouse cursor over it! Today, on W10 and W11 a FullScreen mode window can still easily knocked of the screen by another window.

- The latest version of the tool 'JwLibMediaWin' from Anthony Corbett, mentioned earlier in a post by 'Swiftmist81' at 2024-03-03, is updated in Dec. 2024, performs a similar operation, keeps guarding and locks/disables the second screen for mouse and keyboard input.

Enjoy serving at the sound/video desk.

R

Rick13

Newcomer

Thanks. We’ll give this a try.

N

NMPBV

Newcomer

A fix (or workaround) that worked for us is set a separate device as a host, leave the meeting (without ending the meeting) on the computer, enter again and retrieve the host privileges. That makes the second screen to stop disappearing for a while.

C

CasB

Newcomer

Hi NMPBV (and all others),

Have you tried my workaround/Fix/SOLUTION posted at 2025/02/18 yet? It probably will surprise you.

C

Cpool

Newcomer

Resolution Below.
We recently ran into this issue. After the first screen share in a Zoom meeting, not only would screen sharing minimize JW Library’s presentation window, but even just clicking the Zoom meeting window would cause JW Library’s presentation window to minimize.

We traced the problem to Zoom’s screen share control toolbar. When this toolbar appeared on our shared (second) screen, it would steal focus from JW Library, causing the presentation window to minimize. Once this toolbar came up on the second screen one time, Zoom would then continuously take control (minimize JW Library presentation) of that screen whenever it was the ‘active’ window (clicked on).

Resolution:

In Zoom’s Screen Share settings, make sure “One participant can share at a time” is selected instead of “Multiple participants can share simultaneously.” Doing this prevents the share screen toolbar from appearing on the second (shared) screen.

You can change this during a meeting by clicking Screen Share > Advanced Sharing Options, but note that this will require a restart of the meeting window for the change to take effect.

C

comfortablynick

Newcomer

I know in our case the share screen toolbar has never appeared on the second screen. That would be something to avoid since it interferes with the full-screen sharing. I would also imagine most KHs have Zoom configured correctly and already have "One participant can share at a time" set, since we've never used the feature to allow multiple participants to share. I'm afraid your solution won't fix this. Since this issue is intermittent, you may have just not seen it reappear yet.

C

comfortablynick

Newcomer

I don't have a fix for this, but I do have a way to mitigate the effect it has on the program. I don't like the option of dragging the main JW Library window over since it interferes with the quality of the meeting.

What we did was take a screenshot of screen 2 showing the yeartext and then made it the desktop background image in Windows. If you do it correctly, you don't see any difference on the KH monitors at all when Zoom steals focus. The A/V operator just needs to put JW Library back in focus after sharing the screen on Zoom, but this is seamless as far as all the viewers are concerned.

One note: when hovering over the taskbar to put Zoom back in focus, it may appear that it's just going to be the yeartext, but just do it anyway. It will show the media being played. If you do the Zoom share well in advance of starting the media playback, this is all very seamless.

T

TJTimo

Newcomer

After much testing have found a solution. Works 100% for us.

Step 1: open your zoom and JW Library. JW library will put the text up in 2nd monitor/screen.

Step 2: move the mouse to 2nd screen, double click the years text. This will move the year text to a "window", probably on the first/computer screen.

Step 3: drag this small year text screen to the 2nd (kingdom hall) monitor, and click the maximize button (next to the x) top right.

Done.

If your Windows taskbar is still showing, you can auto hide it in Windows settings, and it disappears.

This fixed this very annoying issue completely. It seems that the way jwlib grabs control of the screen for the year text initially puts it into a battle with zoom over control... But when you maximize it in a "Windows window" it always wins and there is no battle. Hope this helps.

-t