desktop / desktop/desktop

Shift+Right Click in Window Task Bar does not open menu

Open
#18,343 2 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
enhancement not-planned windows
Dominant language
TypeScript
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Avg merge
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Description

### The problem

In Windows, when Shift-right-clicking on an application in the Task Bar, every other application shows a basic context menu with common commands, like Move, Size, Minimize, Maximize, and Close.
![image](https://github.com/desktop/desktop/assets/12725835/34d3c32b-93e4-42be-8f9c-997dd41d1362)
(Note: this is different from simply right-clicking on the Task Bar item, which shows a different context menu.)

However, GitHub Desktop does not show any menu, even one with the default commands that every other application seems to have.

This context menu is required for at least two scenarios that cannot be easily completed another way:
1. If the application window is outside of the viewable area (reduced screen resolution, on a second monitor that was disconnected, etc.), the user can shift-right-click on the Task Bar item, select Move (or press 'M'), then press the Up and Left arrow keys (to lock the window to the mouse cursor in X and Y directions), then simply move the mouse to reposition the window. This always works, regardless of where the window is (assuming the option can be selected).
2. Quickly closing a bunch of applications or windows using the Task Bar by shift-right-clicking on each item, then pressing 'C'. This works well (at least for right-handed users) because the right hand can stay on the mouse can go through the items, while the left hand holds the Shift key and presses 'C'. It also allows closing minimized applications without making the window visible, which can greatly reduce the amount of time to close several applications (the window does not need to be opened/rendered before attempting to close the application).

Note: The default context menu *is* visible when right-clicking on the upper-left application icon in the main window and the area that would usually be the Title Bar, like other applications.
![image](https://github.com/desktop/desktop/assets/12725835/c46fee13-b92e-4e9f-a4fe-681b68d19cc3)
It's just missing from the Task Bar item.

### Release version

Version 3.3.11 (x64)

### Operating system

Windows 10 x64 22H2 build 19045.4046

### Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Hold down the Shift key on the keyboard, and right-click on the GitHub Desktop item in the Windows Task Bar
1b. Observe nothing happens. Expected to have a context menu appear

2. Do the same Shift-right-click with other applications, like Paint, Explorer, Chrome, etc.
2b. Observe a very similar context menu appears for all of those applications, all with at least the Move and Close commands.

### Log files

N/A

### Screenshots

![image](https://github.com/desktop/desktop/assets/12725835/356e788c-f1ea-4cec-a8c6-9d7ad1f07326)
![image](https://github.com/desktop/desktop/assets/12725835/aca0e182-2f12-45ab-bacc-eb07ebae9aa4)
![image](https://github.com/desktop/desktop/assets/12725835/e94c78db-5e4a-4a68-acfe-19c12d6013e5)
![image](https://github.com/desktop/desktop/assets/12725835/8c723a6b-6a9e-4a63-b11e-51fcd318b22c)

### Additional context

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

No source files or tests are named in the issue. Reproduce the Shift-right-click behavior on Windows, then trace the application's taskbar and window integration; done means the taskbar item shows the standard context menu, including Move and Close, without changing the existing title-bar menu.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
electron, typescript
Domain
desktop
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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