Windows laptop problem with DT not fitting screen.

I have created a problem for myself on my Acer Aspire F 15 laptop. It is usually connected to a 43 inch 4k monitor and another more humble monitor when working at home. I obviously don’t edit on the laptop screen and use the 43 inch monitor. The problem is I am now travelling and the DT program window’s right and left edges are cut off. Like it expects a different resolution on the screen. It is the only program responding this way. I am blaming myself and windows and not DT, but I wonder if anyone else has ever resolved a similar issue?

This is also when your DT window is maximized? It even stays like this when you unmaximize and maximize again? I sometimes have two monitors with different resolution and haven’t had such a behaviour yet.

You can force darktable to reassess the window sizes and which monitor to use by removing these 4 lines from the darktablerc file:

ui_last/window_h=
ui_last/window_w=
ui_last/window_x=
ui_last/window_y=

Not sure why this isn’t picked up by darktable in the first place. Might be a window manager issue instead of a darktable thingy.

Anyway: Hope this helps.

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Not exactly the same effect, but perhaps also a bit of help: I sometimes experience something slightly related. I’m typically working in full-screen mode (F11). The next program start restores the windows differently in maximized mode, but not filling the screen => I just double-type F11 and that’s it. Perhaps this may also help you.

I tied to open darktablerc file using notepad and remove the 4 lines. However, it wants to save it as a text file and said I did not have permission to save to the location I got the file from. I am a little unsure what I am doing here and what file extension to save it as.

Thanks, I tried F11 as suggested but no resolution.

It should have no extension, just darktablerc. Is it located under your home directory or elsewhere? Under your home you should have full rights to it.

Tried the F11 idea but it did not work for me. Thanks for suggestion.

Also today I noticed that if I contract the left or right panel the remaining ones fit on screen. I just can not have left and right opened at the same time.

it is located in program files > darktable > share > darktable

I notice it has X and Y values of 0 and w =900 h=500

I notice it has

OK, that’s the system-level config file, which is (I assume based on observation) overridden by the user config. Your user config file should be C:\Users\(your account ID)\AppData\Local\darktable\darktablerc.

If you truly need to edit the system darktablerc, you’ll need to run your editor (notepad, etc.) as administrator, then open the file from it, or open a command prompt as administrator, navigate to the folder and run notepad from there. But there should be no reason to do that. Your personal darktablerc is what you’re looking for.

One additional note - You won’t see AppData unless you’ve enabled visibility of hidden files in Windows Explorer. On Windows 11 that’s View | Show | Hidden items. If not identical, it’s close on Win 10.

I found that and deleted the lines but to no avail as problem persists. Thanks for suggestion. However, I notice I have two darktablerc files. I did not touch the default one.

image

I suspect darktable (default) was a backup somewhere up the line.

I can’t comment on your issue, but you could always edit the system file and see if the issue is coming from there now that your local file is no longer providing override values for those settings.

Something like this:

  1. Start | Command Prompt (right click, run as Administrator)
  2. In the command prompt, type:
    cd "c:\program files\darktable\share\darktable"
    copy darktablerc darktablerc.backup
    notepad darktablerc
  3. Make edits and save
  4. Close command prompt

Try running darktable again…?

When I install the next weekly build of DT will a new darktablerc file be uploaded anyway?

I am now able to handle Dt by turning off the left panel when editing. A little bit inconvenient, but not the end of the world.

What actually is your screen resolution? Reminds me of this.

Probably it will be replaced, which is the risk of editing system files. However, I’m guessing that once you close DT it will write the sub-optimal, but still workable, window info to your personal darktablerc and they will take precedence over the system values. So you should still be OK. I think.

At least if not you know a semi-workaround now. :slight_smile:

Thanks for your help. The next issue is calibration of the monitor which has gone strange now it is disconnected from my home system. Since I left my Spyder at home I will limit my edits while travelling this time. Seem to have tweaked to near normal, but missing my big calibrated monitor. Cheers.

On resizing DT: the normal windows “minimize, resize, close” icons disappeared on mine, I’m not sure if it happened with the installation of 4.0 or a while after. Is this a new feature, and is there a way to restore it?

an update of darktable doesn’t touch your darktablerc - it even doesn’t touch your darktable config directory. It’s updated to your current session settings when exiting a darktable session (the database are updated on first start of a darktable update with changes to the databases and during editing within your session)

Just to clarify, my statement about updates replacing the darktablerc was in the context of us discussing the system config file C:\Program Files\darktable\share\darktable\darktablerc, not his private per-user file.