OSX: Sierra/High Sierra/Mojave: Licecap captures black screen if two monitors connected EXTERNAL MONITOR ERROR

[esaruoho]

If I'm on monitor#2 on macOS Sierra/High Sierra - licecap captures a black screen on monitor#2. if I have monitor#2 connected, monitor#1 records black screen. i have to yank out monitor#2 to be able to get a non-blackscreen version from LiceCap. Detail: I do see my cursor moving in the animated gif, but everything else is black :)

[BMorearty]

I too am seeing a black recording with only a cursor on High Sierra--but I see it even after yanking out my second monitor.

[esaruoho]

@bmorearty did you restart licecap after yanking out monitor?

[BMorearty]

@esaruoho Oops, no I didn't. After restarting it worked. In fact after restarting it worked even with my second monitor attached. (Recording on the first monitor.)

[esaruoho]

can verify this still happens with 1.27.

[justinfrankel]

Hmm using 1.28 with a RMBP and thunderbolt display, everything is fine -- can you go to "about this mac", "System report", and post a copy of your system report? or email it to me (support at cockos dot com)?

[esaruoho]

@justinfrankel I will when I'm at the office tomorrow! I use a rig where I have one Thunderbolt display and one HDMI display - and will write a few steps to replicate and send the details.

[esaruoho]

@justinfrankel Oh, I've sent a system report your way now :)

[justtonytone]

@justinfrankel i am having the same issue, let me know if you need anymore system reports to help debug the issue.

[asoorm]

macOS High Sierra Version 10.13.2 Macbook Pro 13" 2017 Intel Iris Plus Graphics

[esaruoho]

@justinfrankel how can we help with this, please? :) it's pretty much the only bug I've been having with this app, since starting to use it in May 2017.

[justinfrankel]

Maybe someone with this issue can debug it a bit? I can't duplicate on any of my macs.

[justinfrankel]

Actually, try this: https://landoleet.org/licecap128clang.dmg

[esaruoho]

I'll try this on Monday! thanks :)

[esaruoho]

@justinfrankel i ran this on a setup with 2 external monitors, using licecap128clang.dmg.

unfortunately, this was the result (i recorded using 2nd monitor)

[ucg8j]

Licecap is a great piece of software, and this is the only issue I have encountered having used it for a year.

My specs are consistent with @asoorm macOS High Sierra Macbook Pro 13" 2017 Intel Iris Plus Graphics

Additionally, I have replacated this issue with a 24inch and a 27inch external monitor. My current fix is: Unplug monitor, restart machine, take LiceCap screencapture, plug second monitor in. I tried OSS alternatives, but none are as good as Licecap.

[nicwinn]

Sometimes happens to me as well. Using monitors on HDMI or Thunderbolt.

LICEcap: Version 1.28

My fix:

1. unplug the external monitor
2. start LICEcap
3. test
4. plugin the monitor
5. run LICEcap on the external monitor

My guess is a memory issue. Somehow this forces it to clear out and start over.

[JulieMarie]

Glad I found this today. LICEcap had been working just fine on my external monitor(s) until I tried to use it today and got the black screen. When I saw @nicwinn comment about memory, I actually restarted my Mac before going through the rest of the steps and I'm back to LICEcap working.

[jillesme]

Yep it happens sporadically for me as well 😞 . I have "Giphy Capture" as back-up but it's nowhere near as good as LICEcap.

[joemidi]

Thanks for this! I can't install things on the work laptop, so trying to find another bit of software for a quick Gif was have taken ages!

[aarcro]

LICEcap 1.28

First day with the tool. Worked fine with my normal HDMI second monitor through caldigit USB-C dock. Switched to AOC USB-C travel monitor and now recording black, even after restarting LICEcap.

If I start LICEcap on the AOC, it always records black. If I start it on the main screen, it will record correctly there, but only black after moving it to the AOC.

[ganjarpanji]

also experiencing this issue 😢 1.28

[frumbert]

Can Confirm MBP 2015 has same issue

and only occurs once the external 4k monitor is connected via HDMI. Recording from either monitor records only black; unplug + relaunch app then records from internal screen ok. Not the end of the world, but slightly annoying

[sriharshachilakapati]

I can also confirm this to occurring on my 2017 MacBook Air

[nicwinn]

Y'all this has to be some sort of memory issue. I'll go out on a limb and say we power users have a lot of hidden processes running in the background. Google Chrome is a big offender on my list which just so happens to be where I am usually capturing something in Licecap. With all that said, my next step after a reboot would be a Safe Boot into Safe Mode. (be sure to wait on the bong sound or it will disable Bluetooth and you will lose your keyboard, if you are using one) This startup process will do a few things, one of which(flushing a lot of system cache files) may permanently fix the issue. I haven't tried it myself so Licecap may not run at all in Safe Mode if too many resources are toggled off. But the Safe Boot process itself may clear something out of the way for when you go back to it in a normal reboot.

[esaruoho]

@nicwinn I appreciate the suggestion, however, no app should require Safe Boot in Safe Mode to start functioning with multiple monitors. Also, Google Chrome is just "an area of the screen" to LiceCap - I have never had issues recording areas of the screen that include Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Firefox, MSEdge, Ableton Live, Unity Editor, Renoise, Virtual machines etc, with LiceCap.

[frumbert]

I tried the safe mode boot to clear caches. this works - once. a seconds recording is black again.

Interestingly if I plug in an external monitor (1440) using a mini display port to dual-link dvi adaptor then start licecap on the external monitor and record, i do not get the black background in the recording. If however I then move licecap to my mbp monitor and record, the black appears. The black then stays regardless of which monitor I connect it to. When connecting a 4k monitor to the hdmi port, i always get the black box regardless of which monitor I start on.

so it's got something to do with graphics switching or graphics memory when it changes.

[nicwinn]

@esaruoho First, I didn't mean to suggest that it was because I was trying to capture the Chrome window specifically, just that I have it open because it is my goto browser and it is a resource hog. That in combination with 1) a host of other applications in the foreground and 2) all the various "system extras" I have running in the background. Second, I didn't mean to suggest always going into safe mode to run a capture. Just that since I believe memory might have something to do with it and the safe boot process supposedly dumps some system caches, then a one-time maintenance reboot might be worth a shot for some folks. If it does work well in safe mode only then it may be possible that some third-party configuration is fouling up the process.

[nicwinn]

Next, try reducing motion and transparencies in the accessibility pane of the system preferences. I am not sure what is causing our problem, but since March when I first joined this thread I have been a lot more attentive to memory usage because of other issues (mainly my battery was always draining because of a snagging sleep prevention, but that is another story) I have not experienced the black-screen-of-worthlessness since.

[ganjarpanji]

@nicwinn IMO if this work, this could be just a workaround though, proper fix in the app side will be much better :)

[frumbert]

Reduce motion isn't needed for me; reduce transparency seems to be the workaround.

[nicwinn]

@nicwinn IMO if this work, this could be just a workaround though, proper fix in the app side will be much better :)

Agreed. Just brainstorming. Note: I have made several gifs since my last post and had zero issues.

[conr]

Unplugging all external monitors and restarting LICEcap resolved the black screen recordings for me on my MBP with the following specs:

[dialex]

Same issue. I'm not connected to any external monitor. I'm using the latest licecap (1.28). The restart mac didn't solve the issue.

As soon as I move to another workspace this happens:

[reaperblog]

Frankel pls MacBook Pro 15" 2015, Dell monitor connected through thunderbolt hub HDMI.

[ladjzero]

Same issue. Mac 10.13.6 (17G65) licecap Version 1.28

[zhoulaosan0]

I'm using MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) 10.13.3, unplug external monitor, reopen Licecap then records from built-in screen.

[dialex]

But did you try to switch to another virtual desktop, using the Ctrl+Left/Right arrow or the three fingers gesture? That's what causes the "motion blur" in my recording.

[IAfanasovMob]

Have the same issue. restart of mac and accessibility settings adjustments doesn't help

[arjunlol]

Having the same issue, tried disconnecting monitor and restarting 😕

[voronianski]

the same issue here :(

[wolasss]

I have the same issue: Macbook Pro: and Licecap 1.29

[dialex]

Hello @justinfrankel, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again. Because an issue softly creeping Left its bug while I was updating And the issue that was planted in my mac Still remains Within the sound of silence

😢

[gvilarino]

Same issue here:

[gmarinov]

still happening? Mojave.

[esaruoho]

@gmarinov this seems to be a stupendously well-neglected issue and looks like there are no fixes forthcoming to this - unless if someone figures out how to fix it as a 3rd party and send in a PR.

[luis-admios]

Go to system preferences > Privacy & Security > Privacy > Add LICECap to the 'Allow the apps below to control your computer' list and enjoy. yw!

[gmarinov]

@luis-admios no

[luis-admios]

@gmarinov it worked for me.

Update: It works only on the primary display not in the second, if I try to capture the second monitor the issue persists.

[JulCesWhat]

Restarting licecap work for me in Mojave. Might help someone

[woodyhayday]

As @luis-admios said, adding to privacy & security seems to have fixed for me:

Perhaps all this bug needs is a prompt to load that mac setting if somehow accidentally dismissed without checking the box.