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--- Troubleshooting [2021/11/01 06:14]
peternlewis
+++ Troubleshooting [2023/10/11 00:08] (current)
peternlewis
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 . Immediately after you have installed Keyboard Maestro on a specific Mac -- See [[#Situation_1_--_New_Install|Situation #1]].
-. Immediately after you have updated Keyboard Maestro to a new version -- See [[#Situation_2_--_After_Update_to_New_Version_of_Keyboard_Maestro|Situation #2]].
+. Immediately after you have update macOS -- See [[#Situation_2_--_System_Update|Situation #2]].
-. Keyboard Maestro’s behavior changes unexpectedly, and without apparent cause, some time (say a week or more) after it has been running as expected without any issues -- See [[#Situation_3_--_After_Working_Fine_for_a_While|Situation #3]].
+. Immediately after you have updated Keyboard Maestro to a new version -- See [[#Situation_3_--_After_Update_to_New_Version_of_Keyboard_Maestro|Situation #3]].
-. After you have created a new Macro, or added new Actions, that you have not used before -- See [[#Situation_4_--_After_New_Macros_or_Actions|Situation #4]].
+. Keyboard Maestro’s behavior changes unexpectedly, and without apparent cause, some time (say a week or more) after it has been running as expected without any issues -- See [[#Situation_4_--_After_Working_Fine_for_a_While|Situation #4]].
+. After you have created a new Macro, or added new Actions, that you have not used before -- See [[#Situation_5_--_After_New_Macros_or_Actions|Situation #5]].
 ===== General Troubleshooting =====
@@ Line 42: / Line 43: @@
 . To fix, see [How to Enable Google Chrome to Respond to KM Actions](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/announcement-google-chrome-68-disables-km-access-how-to-fix/10969)
-==== Situation #2 -- After Update to New Version of Keyboard Maestro ====
+==== Situation #2 -- After a System Update ====
+If Keyboard Maestro had been running fine, and then does not work as expected after upgrading macOS:
+. Immediately after a system update, it is wise to Restart an additional time. Many times we have found the system to not be in a totally stable state after an update, and a Restart gives a clean fresh start.
+. If lots of macros are failing, run the _Interactive Help Wizard_ from the Keyboard Maestro Editor Help menu and see if that helps.
+. Check the Security preferences pane and verify that you have all the relevant security permissions.
+. Keep in mind that after a system update (or any specific application update), your macro might break simply because things in the system or application have changed since the macro was created. See if the macro simply needs adjusting.
+==== Situation #3 -- After Update to New Version of Keyboard Maestro ====
 If Keyboard Maestro had been running fine, and then does not work as expected after an upgrade, then do the following:
@@ Line 54: / Line 64: @@
 . Upload example Macro that produces the issue.
-==== Situation #3 -- After Working Fine for a While ====
+==== Situation #4 -- After Working Fine for a While ====
 . If Keyboard Maestro has been working well, as expected, for a while (let's say a week or more), and then it suddenly behaves in an unexpected manner, then most likely that is due to something that has recently changed.\\
@@ Line 70: / Line 80: @@
 . If that does not help, then you can search (using the Browser Find menu) the below Keyboard Maestro specific issues to find one or more that relates to your situation.
-==== Situation #4 -- After New Macros or Actions ====
+==== Situation #5 -- After New Macros or Actions ====
 . The issue is most likely caused by improper use of the Action.
@@ Line 157: / Line 167: @@
 Often, adding pauses to your macro will solve the timing issues. A pause of 0.3 seconds is often enough, but in some cases (e.g. a [[action:Activate_a_Specific_Application|Activate a Specific Application]] action when there are many applications open and your system is running out of memory) longer pauses (several seconds) may be necessary.
-===== Action Issues =====
+===== Typing Issues =====
 ==== Sometimes Typing in Password Fields Drops Characters ====
@@ Line 167: / Line 177: @@
 This happens most commonly when you have a hot key trigger with the same key (eg Control-T) as a key you want to type in to a password field (eg "Hello there").  Because it is a password field, the only indication will be a missing bullet (•) (so ten instead of 11 bullets) and then an "invalid password" error, which makes this problem hard do diagnose.
+==== Sometimes Typing results in Characters Missing or out of Order ====
+This typically happens in web fields (especially Facebook) or cross platform apps.
+The system has a queue for keyboard events, so they are sent by Keyboard Maestro in the correct order and then processed by the system  in that order. The problems happen after that.
+Typically you see this in fields where the app is processing the field. Essentially the app reads the field, does some processing or checking and then writes the field back, and the typing happens fast enough (as could keyboard typing if you could type fast enough) that changes happen while the field is being read/written and so characters are jumbled or lost.
+You can slow the typing down by using Set Action Delay action (https://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/action/Set_Action_Delay) to increase the delay for normal typing. Only do it for the current macro (not permanently) since this issue is relatively rare, and generally only applies to certain apps or fields.
+==== Everything is lowercase in remote desktops/virtual machines ====
+Yes, unfortunately these types of environments seem to miss the shift key and the consequential uppercasing of lettings and symbols.
 ===== Clipboard Issues =====
@@ Line 244: / Line 266: @@
 Eg:
+    * Set Clipboard to Styled Text %CurrentClipboard%
+    * Filter Clipboard: Remove Styles
-    Set Clipboard to Styled Text %CurrentClipboard%
+===== Keyboard Maestro Issues =====
-    Filter Clipboard: Remove Styles
+==== Accessibility ====
+Keyboard Maestro requires accessibility permissions to perform many of its actions. Sadly the macOS system security permissions have been quite buggy since Mojave, and continuing through at least Monterey. See the [[assistance:Accessibility_Permission_Problem|Accessibility Permission Problem]] assistance for more information if you have trouble setting hot keys, typing keys, moving windows, etc.
-===== Keyboard Maestro App Issues =====
-==== App Freezes (Locks up, Spinning Beachball) or Other Strange Behavior due to SIMBL ====
-If Keyboard Maestro freezes, locks-up or is exhibiting very strange behavior, check to see if you have [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIMBL|SIMBL]] installed in this folder:
-`/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/`
-**SIMBL** is very clever, but some of its extensions can lead to bizarre behavior, crashes, freezes and other strange, unexpected behavior in one or more apps or the macOS itself.  So if you have it installed, pretty much all bets are off as far as stability goes for your Mac.  See [[https://macremover.com/uninstallguides/2018/06/19/remove-mysimbl-macos/|How to remove mySIMBL and SIMBL in macOS]].
-**More Help From Apple:**\\
-[If an app freezes or quits unexpectedly on Mac - Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/if-an-app-freezes-or-quits-unexpectedly-mchlp2579/10.14/mac/10.14)
 ==== Secure Input Mode ====
@@ Line 269: / Line 281: @@
 Keyboard Maestro 6 and later detects the case where the Secure Input Mode flag is left on and alerts you to the issue.
-Choose Interactive Help (v9+) (previously Assistance in v8) from the Help menu and click the *Something unexpected is happening* link and Keyboard Maestro will tell you if there are any obvious issues.
+Choose Interactive Help (v9+) from the Help menu and click the *Something unexpected is happening* link and Keyboard Maestro will tell you if there are any obvious issues.
 A related, very unusual case is that Terminal has a Secure Keyboard Entry mode (in the Terminal menu) - if you turn that on, that may also cause problems.
@@ Line 323: / Line 335: @@
 assuming that `Keyboard Maestro.app` is in the Applications folder.
 ===== Palette Issues =====
@@ Line 337: / Line 347: @@
 If you wish to briefly hide all the palettes (eg while watching a video), you can use the [Conceal Macro Palettes until Application Switch](https://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/action/Conceal_Macro_Palettes) action.
-==== White Menus or White Switchers or Palettes ====
-For some people, the menus or switchers sometimes appear completely white.  When this happens, restarting Keyboard Maestro Engine is the only solution.
-It is also seen in Photoshop and maybe other applications.  See [this thread](http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/photoshop_menus_become_completely_blank) or [this thread](http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1320946)
-According to those threads, Adobe believe the issue to be a Mac OS X bug, and have a patch solution to resolve it (within Photoshop) and are working with Apple to resolve the problem properly.
-This issue appears to have been resolved in 10.9.3 and later.
@@ Line 368: / Line 368: @@
 ===== Script Issues =====
-==== Execute Script Actions are Not Working ====
-Your variables are sent to your scripts by placing them in environment variables. However, the total size of the environment variables is 256k.  Therefore if the total size of your variables exceeds about 256k scripts will stop working.  Adjust your variables to reduce the total size.
@@ Line 380: / Line 375: @@
 To learn how to set a path in a Keyboard Maestro Execute Shell Script Action, see
-[[action:Execute_a_Shell_Script#Path_in_Shell_Scripts|Execute a Shell Script]]
+[[action:Execute_a_Shell_Script#Path_in_Shell_Scripts|Execute a Shell Script]].
@@ Line 452: / Line 447: @@
 ===== macOS Issues =====
-==== Yosemite and Accessibility Settings Problems ====
-Yosemite (10.10 GM1 through 10.10.2) has a serious problem adding applications to the accessibility pane properly.  This is affecting other applications that require accessibility as well.  It seems to commonly impact Keyboard Maestro by the Keyboard Maestro Engine not being added to the accessibility settings pane.
+==== Mojave and Later Security Preferences Issues ====
-This bug was finally resolved in Yosemite 10.10.3.  So if you are having problems with accessibility under Yosemite, upgrade to 10.10.3 or later, and then launch Keyboard Maestro.  Then ensure both Keyboard Maestro and Keyboard Maestro Engine are listed and checked.
+Sadly the System Security Permissions have been rather buggy since Mojave, and this continues right through to Monterey. Combined with the increasing number of different permissions you need to enable can make it challenging when starting out with Keyboard Maestro, or after major system updates. These forum topics cover various issues:
-If you must stay on version 10.10.0-2 for any reason, see the forum topic on [possible solutions](http://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/yosemite-accessibility-permission-problems/541/18).
-==== Mojave and Catalina Issues ====
 See Forum topics:
   - [Resolving Catalina/Mojave Accessibility/Security Permissions Issues ](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/tip-resolving-catalina-mojave-accessibility-security-permissions-issues/16620)
-==== Big Sur Issues ====
-See Forum topics
   - [Resolving Big Sur Accessibility, Security, and Other Issues ](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/tip-resolving-big-sur-accessibility-security-and-other-issues/20159)
   - [macOS Big Sur: Using and Upgrading To ](https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/macos-big-sur-using-and-upgrading-to/19637)
 ===== Virtual Machine Issues =====
@@ Line 478: / Line 462: @@
 In Parallels, make sure the ”Enabled Mac OS X system shortcuts” preference is enabled, which will ensure Parallels reads the keyboard from the keyboard queue.
 ===== Other Issues =====

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