Mouse cursor does not hide in fullscreen (1.1.2)

[FredNurk]

I don't think it'll be fixed any time soon as the guys at Videolan are in denial that it is their problem.

The eggs will be several layers thick on their faces soon...

[squall]

I don't think it'll be fixed any time soon as the guys at Videolan are in denial that it is their problem.

The eggs will be several layers thick on their faces soon...

lol!
Yeah this problem is getting to be really annoying. I first noticed it after updating from 1.0.5 (Goldeneye) quite some time ago now.
At first I tried about a million things to fix it myself, E.g. changing settings in VLC (must of tried every combination possible..), updating graphics drivers, I even tried re-installing Windows and only installing the latest VLC BEFORE ANY other program was installed... without any luck.

Everytime there's an update I quickly install it hoping it's going to make the mouse hide on fullscreen once again, but alas, it does not so after a short while of trying to deal with it, I eventually re-install my trustly old version of 1.0.5 Goldeneye and enjoy not having to move the mouse cursor out of the way anymore. Although the latest versions have some good things going for them, the "Docked playlist" NOT being one of them... but things like changing the order of playlist items more easily, and multiple selection removal etc.

Ah well we can only hope that VideoLAN eventually look further into this annoying problem, then they might regain some support for their newer versions of this program.

OS's used that VLC has had this problem on:
Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit.
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit.
Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64bit.

[FredNurk]

I don't think it'll be fixed any time soon as the guys at Videolan are in denial that it is their problem.

The eggs will be several layers thick on their faces soon...

lol!
Yeah this problem is getting to be really annoying. I first noticed it after updating from 1.0.5 (Goldeneye) quite some time ago now.
<snip>

Interesting. I try to keep the installation files for everything I install or update, but my VLC folder has only these versions in it:

vlc-0.8.1-win32.exe
vlc-0.8.4a-win32.exe
vlc-0.8.5-win32.exe
vlc-0.8.6c-win32.exe
vlc-0.8.6d-win32.exe
vlc-0.9.9-win32.exe
vlc-1.0.0-win32.exe
vlc-1.0.2-win32.exe
vlc-1.0.3-win32.exe
vlc-1.1.5-win32.exe
vlc-1.1.7-win32.exe

Maybe I should Google for version 1.0.5 since that appears to be the last version before the hide-mouse function stopped working.

[heat84]

I don't think it'll be fixed any time soon as the guys at Videolan are in denial that it is their problem.

The eggs will be several layers thick on their faces soon...

lol!
Yeah this problem is getting to be really annoying. I first noticed it after updating from 1.0.5 (Goldeneye) quite some time ago now.
<snip>

Interesting. I try to keep the installation files for everything I install or update, but my VLC folder has only these versions in it:

vlc-0.8.1-win32.exe
vlc-0.8.4a-win32.exe
vlc-0.8.5-win32.exe
vlc-0.8.6c-win32.exe
vlc-0.8.6d-win32.exe
vlc-0.9.9-win32.exe
vlc-1.0.0-win32.exe
vlc-1.0.2-win32.exe
vlc-1.0.3-win32.exe
vlc-1.1.5-win32.exe
vlc-1.1.7-win32.exe

Maybe I should Google for version 1.0.5 since that appears to be the last version before the hide-mouse function stopped working.

ftp://ftp.videolan.org/pub/videolan/vlc/1.0.5/win32/

I didn't even have to Google. I surmised that VideoLan would have an FTP and an archive. I was right on both counts. I was a little worried about the latter though.

[tesuji]

I"ve tried various 'fixes' but didn't uninstall/reinstall-

Guess I should mention -
Vista Home prem.
No Bittorrent ever
VLC updates regularly

Same symptom (with each version since 1.03)- Controller fades but mouse pointer remains

Using ver. 1.1.9 (current afaik)

What Finally WORKED is going to TOOLS/Preferences (Show All)
I changed the value for 'Show Video Title for x milliseconds' to 0 (zero)
I also changed 'Hide Cursor and Full Screen Controller for x milliseconds' to 0 (zero).
Essentially saying 'Don't show the cursor and controller AT ALL' ( -unless I move the mouse

Now I'm working with a perfectly acceptable interface -when I click the fullscreen button
the On-screen Controller AND MOUSE auto-hide instantly and reappear when I move the mouse.
As long as I leave the mouse/cursor on the controller they remain visible - when I move the mouse off of the controller
they both disappear almost instantly.

I have yet to try re-upping the time before the mouse disappears because I'm happy the way it is now - but would suggest that this may possibly have reset whatever was causing the mouse to NOT disappear in the first place.

Hope this info helps somebody.

[squall]

Using ver. 1.1.9 (current afaik)

What Finally WORKED is going to TOOLS/Preferences (Show All)
I changed the value for 'Show Video Title for x milliseconds' to 0 (zero)
I also changed 'Hide Cursor and Full Screen Controller for x milliseconds' to 0 (zero).
Essentially saying 'Don't show the cursor and controller AT ALL' ( -unless I move the mouse

Now I'm working with a perfectly acceptable interface -when I click the fullscreen button
the On-screen Controller AND MOUSE auto-hide instantly and reappear when I move the mouse.
As long as I leave the mouse/cursor on the controller they remain visible - when I move the mouse off of the controller
they both disappear almost instantly.

I have yet to try re-upping the time before the mouse disappears because I'm happy the way it is now - but would suggest that this may possibly have reset whatever was causing the mouse to NOT disappear in the first place.

Hope this info helps somebody.

Thank you tesuji! Setting the "Hide Cursor and Full Screen Controller for x milliseconds" anywhere between 0 and 1005 works for me. Although it seems to take longer than the set time to hide, e.g. about 1000milliseconds makes the cursor hide within around 3 seconds. I found that setting it between 500 - 1000 worked well. Regardless, I'm glad to be using the new version of VLC again with a solution to this issue that works!

Hope it helps Videolan work out the cause.

Thanks again.

[tesuji]

You're welcome squall!
Glad my 'fix'? worked for you! Just common logic really- can't understand why I or anyone else didn't come up with the idea of setting controller/cursor appearance to 0 (zero) before. It's been months.
I figured setting to zero would work for every OS that the problem occurs on -torrent client /winamp minimized or not since 'zero' is telling VLC to NOT show the controller or cursor in full screen at all.
I am curious to know if setting to zero does in fact work for those formerly having the problem, that prefer to leave winamp or uTorrent unminimized as well?

[VLC_help]

Thanks, you really found out the issue.
I will send patch about this to mailing list, so hopefully it will be fixed soon.
EDIT:
Patch sent.

[tesuji]

Groovy!
I hope you're right and that I have touched on a key clue to the cause of the 'non-fading mouse pointer'.

I believe I can go a step further as well-
When I installed v1.19, I noticed that the default for 'Hide Cursor and Full Screen Controller for x milliseconds' is set at 5000.
Raznarukus said his "for some reason it was set at x1500ms" and he changed it to 3000ms stating that the 'highlighted default showed '3000' - I don't recall what ver. he saw that on but 1.19 shows no such 'default' or highlighting.
I contend that what happened is the default time was accidently set beyond the scope of the timer which might explain why lower numbers allow the timer to fade the controller and cursor appropriately. Of course I would never reverse-engineer or decompile VLC to discover if that is in fact the case.
5000ms is afterall a full 5 seconds; that's a long time for the controller to remain. I think the default was originally 1500ms (or possibly 1000ms back in 1.03) 1.5 seconds seems a much more realistic (and tolerable) amount of time for the controller's display considering it reappears instantly on mouse-move and remains as long as the mouse hovers on the controller.

Hopefully you folks at VLC central will now be able to clear this little glitch up once-and-for-all!

Incidently VLC principles, though not a programmer; I currently work freelance (L3 Tech support and Tech. Manual authoring; Consulted with Intel on original Quad-core chipset development; designed and drafted military grade enviromental control circuits with Honeywell) and am available for consultation with a focus on attention to detail!

[Viper5]

I just downloaded 1.1.10 and am having this issue. Using win xp pro. Anyone figure this out?

[VLC_help]

Patch hasn't been applied. So set the Hide Cursor and Full Screen Controller for x milliseconds to 1000, and press Save, then restart VLC.

[tesuji]

I just downloaded 1.1.10 and am having this issue. Using win xp pro. Anyone figure this out?

One has to wonder why someone seeking a solution wouldn't even read the most recent postings to the thread
before posting/inquiring.

THE SOLUTION HAS BEEN FOUND WHICH WORKS FOR ALL OS's /ALL CIRCUMSTANCES!

READ THE THREAD!!!

[HotMumu]

After reading 4 pages and trying all the tricks I have to thank the guys who found out about the tasks manager. Whenever it's open, the cursor stays always visible.

Seven x32. VLC 1.1.10


Problem solved for me. Thanks.

[FredNurk]

Please Note: I posted the non-bold text below before I saw the other replies to tesuji's post which was on the bottom of page 4. I didn't see all the posts on page 5!

I'll leave my findings here anyway. Thanks again, tesuji.


Thank you tesuji - that works for me, too, with version 1.1.11.

If I set the "Show video title for x milliseconds" to 5000, then the title does just that - it fades after 5 seconds.

But, if I also set the "Hide cursor and fullscreen controller after x milliseconds" to 5000, the mouse never fades.

I found that I must set that particular value to no more than 2000.

Set it to 4000, and the mouse won't fade. The controller fades after 4 secs.
Set it to 2000, and the mouse will fade after about 5 to 20 seconds. The controller fades after 2 secs.
Set it to 1000, and the mouse will fade after about 2 or 3 seconds. The controller fades after 1 sec.

[danifart]

Thank you for the fix tesuji. However could you update your post saying that these options are under "Video"? It may seem obvious but it wasn't for me and it may not be for others (I spent 5 minutes trying to find it, I was looking under "Interface") Thanks!

[VLC_help]

Patch was applied to VLC 1.2.0, so it should work correctly out of box.
http://mailman.videolan.org/pipermail/v ... 09179.html

[BilBg]

Patch was applied to VLC 1.2.0, so it should work correctly out of box.
http://mailman.videolan.org/pipermail/v ... 09179.html

I see the only change in the code is just to make the new default for "mouse-hide-timeout" 1000 ms (and not 1500)
That will have the same effect as if the user changes this value in the current VLC version without waiting for VLC 1.2.x

I guess the real problem code is not yet found (and this patch is just a workaround).

Since different people found different "sweet spots":
1) Different max values, e.g. 1005 or 2000
2) Different (old) min versions of VLC that work, e.g. 1.0.3 or 1.0.5 or 1.0.7
I guess this workaround may stop working in the near future.

Why?
Judging from the different working values the real problem may be CPU speed related.
This may be some old good part of the code which worked well until recently when people started using faster CPUs.

(Everyone knows how many old games start to show problems (e.g. too fast movements in some places) after you try to run them on newer machines)


I don't have this mouse pointer not-hiding problem using:
VLC 1.1.11
"mouse-hide-timeout" = 1500 ms

I Tested - these programs have NO impact for me (even when maximized) (= mouse pointer hides OK both in window and full-screen VLC):
µTorrent 1.7.7
Windows Task Manager
Process Explorer
Process Lasso
(as you know the last 3 run at High priority, may this have impact for some systems?)

Win XP SP3
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3500+ (@ 2210 MHz)
NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 (driver 191.07)


DirectX - directx_Jun2010_redist (9.29.1974) (18.04.2011) (XP, Vista, 7):




I suggest people which still want to test for Max working values of "mouse-hide-timeout"
to report at least the Type/Speed of CPU and GPU used.

(Just for fun I tested with 15000 ms (15 s) and mouse pointer hides OK both in window and full-screen after 15-20 sec)

 

[muiz]

I registered specialy for this problem.
I use the VLC plugin to watch my dreambox stream.
The only working vesion is 1.0.5
Allmost all newer versions wont work in full screen.
Im using 1.1.11 , it works in full screen, but the cursor stays.
Tried all fixes , but nothing helps.
I even tried nightly builds after 1.1.11 , but non of them work.
Went back to 1.0.5 and all works fine again.

[americhanac]

Bumping for a totally different reason yet related to the routine in question - hiding mouse in 1.1.11 (Luggage).

In my case, I am using a http pointer to the playlist on another system. Played is Directshow device raw output in YUV2 colorspace and Video capture from analog input so that means that A LOT of bandwidth is consumed.

VLC starts in a window mode. Streaming OS is Windows XP, client runs on Vista. Client's CPU is Athlon X2.

Problem:

When stream is put to full screen and mouse is moved a side to be "hidden" as it does not hide out of the box, the stream goes unto buffering and stops (?). It has to be started again. Stream also goes in the same state if I try to change anything via right click. Essentially, it works only in windowed mode.

Following and reading this thread, I have put "hide mouse" option to 0. Now, NO PROBLEMS with stream exist.

This cannot be anything else but the call that does not react well on wait state and it is most certainly VLC's bug.

As for me, it all works as expected and it is a perfect workaround - so thanks to all who contributed to this thread!

[dass.antony]

"@jimgdews" - you are right, i observed the same here. Closing the task manager helped hiding the mouse pointer on full screen mode. Thanks!

[Stilez]

Just an update on this - I had the cursor/mouse hiding issue too (VLCPlayer 2.1.3, on Win 7 and Win 8.1 x64, Ivy Bridge E) and the posts above were extremely helpful.

So a quick update on what I found, that supports the view of those who posted previously, with thanks especially to BilBg's post.

Some users above suggested the issue was CPU dependent, perhaps linked to some kind of timing/race issue, as different users seemed to need different settings. In my case I tried playing with just two settings: "Show video title for x milliseconds" and "Hide cursor and full screen controller after x milliseconds" (both under "Video"). Those were enough.

Task manager was running and refreshing, but it didn't seem to be a problem, nor did VLC tray icon which was running too. So if those were problems, perhaps they are either fixed now, or they were a problem indirectly (ie they impacted on timing, or timing related system calls that were the problem). Either way they didn't seem to be an issue for now.

These were settings I tried, and what happened:

1) Initial VLC default settings: 5000ms (show video title) + 1000ms (hide cursor/controller)
2) Setting both to zero, quit, restart VLC player - worked both windowed and full screen immediately. But because of the zero delay it seemed a bit abrupt, though livable.
3) Setting zero (title) + 500ms (cursor/controller) failed. I wondered if the two might be linked and tried changing them together rather than one at a time - which worked.
4) Tried 1ms (title) + 1ms (cursor/controller) - worked. This showed me that non-zero timings of both would still work.
5) Tried 100ms (title) + 100ms (cursor/controller) which worked, then 500ms (title) + 500ms (cursor/controller) which didn't seem to fade the cursor, so I backed off a bit and tried 300ms (title) + 300ms (cursor/controller). This got interesting. They both worked - but the cursor probably took 3-4 seconds longer to fade than the controller.

What this suggests to me is that other comments here could be right. If there is a timing, speed or race condition going on, then perhaps the cursor only fades when some kind of condition is met, and that condition is becoming less likely to happen due to the speed/race condition going on, as you change the "hide" ms value?

This is just a speculation, but as the thread hasn't been updated for a while I thought it was worth adding my finding to it, for other users or debug purposes.

[krueger80]

Thanks to stilez for the summary.

In my case I needed to put the hide mouse and controls settings to 100ms. Even 110ms didn't work out. When trying some values between the result is not consistent, sometimes the cursor goes away and sometimes not.

This is some annoying stuff that should be fixed!

I'm on Windows 8.1, play on tv connected hdmi (output on tv only), v2.1.5.

[razzell2]

I"ve tried various 'fixes' but didn't uninstall/reinstall-

Guess I should mention -
Vista Home prem.
No Bittorrent ever
VLC updates regularly

Same symptom (with each version since 1.03)- Controller fades but mouse pointer remains

Using ver. 1.1.9 (current afaik)

What Finally WORKED is going to TOOLS/Preferences (Show All)
I changed the value for 'Show Video Title for x milliseconds' to 0 (zero)
I also changed 'Hide Cursor and Full Screen Controller for x milliseconds' to 0 (zero).
Essentially saying 'Don't show the cursor and controller AT ALL' ( -unless I move the mouse

Now I'm working with a perfectly acceptable interface -when I click the fullscreen button
the On-screen Controller AND MOUSE auto-hide instantly and reappear when I move the mouse.
As long as I leave the mouse/cursor on the controller they remain visible - when I move the mouse off of the controller
they both disappear almost instantly.

I have yet to try re-upping the time before the mouse disappears because I'm happy the way it is now - but would suggest that this may possibly have reset whatever was causing the mouse to NOT disappear in the first place.

Hope this info helps somebody.

Thank you tesuji
Here I am in 2017 with the same problem on Windows 10, using VLC version 2.2.6 Umbrella, my cursor/mouse remaining on the screen.
Your fix was great and the problem is solved.
I appreciate you, 6 years later!

[verbal_666]

Here I am in 2017 with the same problem on Windows 10, using VLC version 2.2.6 Umbrella, my cursor/mouse remaining on the screen.
Your fix was great and the problem is solved.
I appreciate you, 6 years later!

This is not a real fix, it's a small workaround, after W10 FALL UPDATE and mouse cursor not hiding. We need a real fix, 3.0 has too many bugs for installing (first of all it stops stream play when gets a "bad video packet", and video-playing remains dirty; no good to me). Hoping to see 2.2.8 or 3.0 in Stable Release asap.

[chk]

Is this fixed in the 2.2.8 release? I'm having the same issue here, on 2 computers running the Fall Creator Update...