Licensed version of Rectangle Pro intermittently stops working

[REmenecker-SR]

From time to time, my licensed copy of Rectangle Pro stops responding to both keyboard shortcuts AND to selecting window positions from the menubar. When it stops responding/working, it does so with all application windows, not just specific applications. I have yet to determine a pattern behind the problem and need help with further troubleshooting so that, hopefully, with more details, you can reproduce the issue and address it.

Specifics:

• macOS Monterey (12.6.3)
• Rectangle Pro (2.7.9) [licensed version]

Problem:

• Application intermittently stops responding to window positioning via keyboard shortcuts or position selection from menubar dropdown.

Troubleshooting:

• Logging out of macOS and logging back in does not resolve issue.
• Quitting Rectangle Pro and relaunching it does not resolve issue.
• Restarting Mac does resolve issue.

Trying to determine what is causing Rectangle Pro to stop responding to Window positioning commands.

[rxhanson]

Thanks for reporting and providing the initial details.

Typically this means that Rectangle Pro stops receiving window information via the accessibility API. When this happens, you'll see all of the window actions greyed out in the menu all the time (sounds like this is what you're seeing).

In your case, since it's working properly for some period of time, it's likely that there is another application that is using the accessibility API or event stream, and that application could be affecting it. If you have other apps with accessibility privileges that also run all the time, perhaps you could try not running those next login session and see if the issue comes back? (just trying to narrow it down)

If you can upgrade to Ventura, this seems to have been improved by Apple (although you'll want to restart your Mac after the upgrade).

Let me know what you find and we can take it from there.

[REmenecker-SR]

Ryan,

Thanks for the quick response. I am slowly working through the apps with other Accessibility privileges where I can when it doesn't cause issues with my system. I am also checking for updates to any of the other apps that have Accessibility privileges.

The items that currently have Accessibility privileges are:

• Dropbox
• LMIUIAgent (LogMeIn)
• Logi Options
• Logi Options Daemon
• LogMeIn
• PopChar
• Rectangle Pro
• RingCentral Meetings

One thing of note, in your message you mentioned the windows actions being greyed out, but I am not seeing that. (See attached screenshot.)

I can upgrade to Ventura. However, at the moment I am in the midst of a project with a critical deadline. If my MacBook were to go sideways during the upgrade or my local development environment have problems, my boss's and his boss's heads would explode! So best I wait on that item! ;-)

[REmenecker-SR]

@rxhanson —

I disabled all apps except for Rectangle Pro in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Accessibility. After disabling all other apps, I have had two times when Rectangle Pro stopped positioning windows.

As mentioned previously, when the app stops working, the menu items are not greyed out. Also, the app does not freeze, as I am able to exit the app by selecting Quit from the app menu.

Neither quitting the app and relaunching nor logging out and back in, restores app functionality. The app's functionality is only restored by restarting my Mac.

Is there any logging available from the regular application package? If not, is it feasible to do a test build with debugging/logging on which I could run until the problem occurs again?

Since the problem is so intermittent, starting a Spindump on Rectangle Pro and leaving it running until the problem occurs would impair my system. If I can get a sense of when it actually starts happening and what I was doing just before then, I could try repeating and starting Spindump then test.

Is there any other logging tool in macOS or other tool that may help identify the other process(es) that may be interfering with Rectangle Pro?

Thanks, Rob Emenecker

[rxhanson]

Thanks for following up with details.

To view the logging, open the menu bar menu and hold the option key, then select "View Logging..."

The logs will start as soon as this is opened, so you'll want to perform some actions with the log window open to get any output.

If we don't see anything of value from the logs, I'll give this some further thought on what I can add of value to the logs for when this happens.

[REmenecker-SR]

Great! Thanks, @rxhanson!