Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Start with WindowAutoLayout Logs. They show which profile and app restore worked on, which windows matched, and why restore failed.

Logs live under:

%APPDATA%\com.rique.windowautolayout\logs

OBS Opens White Or Blank

Use the latest release first:

Latest Release

Check the OBS entry:

• process name is obs64.exe
• Pull hidden/tray windows is on
• Wake running tray apps is on
• Restore if minimized is on
• detection timeout is at least 25 seconds

Expected behavior:

1. OBS is detected as already running.
2. No duplicate OBS process is started.
3. OBS is activated through its tray icon path if hidden.
4. WindowAutoLayout waits for OBS to repaint.
5. The saved layout is applied.

OBS Already Running Prompt

Close the prompt, keep OBS running, and check:

• the active profile has one OBS entry
• process name is obs64.exe
• Wake running tray apps is on
• WindowAutoLayout is current

The restore path should wake the existing OBS process instead of starting another one.

OBS Dock Moves Instead Of OBS

Fix:

1. Open the real OBS main window.
2. Open Layout.
3. Select the main OBS window, not Stats, Chat, or another dock.
4. Save the layout.
5. Restore again.

If a custom title rule is causing the dock match, remove or tighten the rule.

App Does Not Launch

Check:

• executable path exists, if set
• process name matches the real exe
• arguments are valid
• working directory exists, if set
• app is not blocked by Windows security prompts

If executable path is blank, WindowAutoLayout tries Windows discovery paths and Start Menu shortcuts.

App Is Running But No Window Is Found

Common causes:

• app is hidden in tray
• app is still loading
• app is elevated
• title rule is too strict
• class rule is too strict
• login/update/splash window appears before the main window

Try:

• increase detection timeout
• enable hidden/tray pulling
• enable wake running tray apps
• remove strict title/class rules
• save the layout from the real main window again

Window Moves To Wrong Monitor

Fix:

1. Refresh monitors.
2. Pick the default monitor again.
3. Check the profile target monitor.
4. Check app-level target monitors.
5. Save the layout again.

Monitor IDs can change after unplugging displays, driver updates, or display rearranges.

Show Desktop Still Hides Things

Turn on layout lock for the selected profile. Show Desktop minimizes windows; layout lock restores matching windows while the lock is active.

Hotkey Does Nothing

Check:

• hotkey is enabled
• accelerator text is valid
• another app is not using the same hotkey
• WindowAutoLayout is still running in the tray

Try changing the hotkey, saving, and changing it back.

Startup Restore Does Not Run

Check:

1. Start with Windows is on.
2. Restore on launch is on.
3. The intended profile is the default startup profile.
4. The Run key contains WindowAutoLayout.
5. The Run key command includes --startup-restore.

Config Is Broken

Config lives here:

%APPDATA%\com.rique.windowautolayout\config.json

If WindowAutoLayout cannot parse it, the app backs up the bad file with a timestamp and creates a clean config.