Strange and annoying tab key behaviour PT12 Windows

[zillmer]

I have a strange issue with PT12 and Windows 10, although the behaviour also occurred on windows 8/8.1

When running PT with the focus on the PT window, if I press the Tab key it brings up the application switching that would normally be accessed by pressing Alt-Tab. The difference is that unlike alt-tab the open application windows remain on screen and can be selected using a further press of the tab key.

Pressing enter then switches to the highlighted application.

As a result of this behaviour I can't use tab to transient at all.

I have reinstalled PT, trashed preferences, changed keyboard, tried both a wired and wireless keyboard, all to no avail.

Has anyone experienced a similar issue or have any suggestions on how to fix this?

[JoelG]

It wouldnt be "sticky keys" would it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky_keys

I've accidently turned it on before, its a pain!

Joel

[zillmer]

No, I've checked sticky keys and it's not enabled.

I have however managed to narrow down the issue, so would appreciate if others could try this.

If I start PT and load a session and keep focused on the PT window everything works as per normal.

If I then switch away from Pro Tools using Alt+Tab to another program, and then Alt+Tab back to PT, the problem occurs.

What I notice is that on Alt+Tabbing back to Pro Tools the Menu Bar items are Underlined, but no Menu Bar option is highlighted.

In this state Tab will exhibit the behaviour described in the OP.

To get around this I have to press Alt twice more. The first time causes the File menu item to be highlighted in blue, and the second time returns PT back to a normal state.

[yoerik roevens]

Yup,

I have exactly the same thing. Extremely annoying. It affects lots of shortcuts, not just tab to transients. As said, the only way to fix it I could find is double-tapping ALT.

[DAWgEAR]

Thanks, zillmer!

I was experiencing the same thing, but backwards: I use a DNA Hotkey Matrix and several of the commands involve using the Alt key to access the menus for shortcuts not already provided by Pro Tools (e.g. Alt+V+o+t to assign a key command to toggle track list). I was unable to get the Alt key to access the menus from the keyboard, independent of the Hotkey Matrix. Alt+Tab and pressing the Alt key twice seems to toggle this behavior. Inconvenient, but at least I now know how it works.

Thanks Joel G!

Unrelated to Pro Tools, my non-DAW PC has been beeping at me for weeks. The sticky keys tip was the solution. I must have inadvertently turned it on at some point. Stumbling upon your post while searching for a solution to a Pro Tools issue was a serendipitous event!

[JoelG]

Well, glad it helped someone out, even if it was completely off topic

Joel

[VisionsMusicGroup]

zillmer, are a god among men. Thank you for your "off topic" (cough) post. Because of this, you solved an issue I've had since PT 11.3, and some version thereafter that caused the Windows-Ding-of-Death whenever I foolishly minimized Pro Tools for a second.

I hadn't even considered it was an errant ALT key, but sure enough when I hold ALT-TAB long enough and PT pops up, I [now] clearly see the File underline as you described. Hitting ALT once more (for me) allows me to access PT again. THANK YOU.

I shouldn't even tell you how I had to get around this, with unsaved sessions... unplugging or turning off my audio interface so PT pops up asking me to save and quit :) quite embarrassing. But, no more.

Did I say thank you? Thank you.
Jc

[onosendai]

I have just recently switched to using pro tools on a windows machine and I have the exact same behaviour and it's been drivning me absolutely nuts. I have disabled everything possible OS-wise and the only way to get out of it, is by double tapping "alt". I hoped it was a bug, because I simply can't comprehend how this can be part of a normal workflow. I use "alt" and "alt+tab" a lot.
There seems to be a lot conflicts with the pro tools hotkeys and windows. This is a non-issue in OSX and it seems windows is less flexible in terms disabling certain keys to alleviate these conflicts.

Maybe I'm just not getting it due to being a OSX-user for a decade. If anybody longterm PT-windows users have any workarounds do share.

It would make me very happy

[taylor4814]

So how are the Menu Bar (File, Edit, etc.) keyboard shortcuts supposed to work in PT 12? Are the menu names supposed to display the underline all the time?
As in: File Edit (etc...)

[tmc3p]

Anyone found a solution? i have the same problem, and it's no annoying!