Feature Tracking Window resizing fails

[AngeloM]

This has been happening to me for months now and I've been through 3 or 4 version revisions and it doesn't get fixed so i'll report what's happening..

Celestron AVX mount accessed via focus motor USB
CPWI 2.5.6, SharpCap 4.1.14091.0 12/30/2025
All ZWO cameras, 294mc 578mm 662mc 715mc all exhibit the issue.
Tonight Imaging the moon and using feature tracking to keep a lunar crater in the sensor area.
The Feature windows opens, I start tracking and minimize the window. It doesn't actually fully minimize. It just reduces down to a narrow sliver of a window at bottom left. The problem is that when I restore the Feature Track window it goes 'full screen' covering everything. The restore icon on the tab just shrinks the window down to a sliver and maximize goes full screen. I just won't let me resize the window and won't ever go back to the size it first opens to; which is a window taking up about 1/4 of the total screen space. The only way to get the window to be normal is to exit sharpcap and restart again.


Normal open window:

Normal Feature Track Window

FeatureTrackingScreenshot-1.png (764.1 KiB) Viewed 559 times

Minimized Feature Track Window

FeatureTrackingScreenshot-2.png (636.96 KiB) Viewed 559 times

The window only displays a normal windows when first opened. Once minimized it will only minimize or go full screen. This behavior started about 3-4 revisions ago.

Other software that is usually running is PHD.

Thank You and Happy New Year...

Thank G for SharpCap for without it I would have given up months ago.

[admin]

Hi,

glad to hear that SharpCap is making your astronomy easier and keeping you from giving up

I'm not seeing the same behaviour as you with the Feature tracking window... When I minimize it, it goes to the bottom left (as it should - the other option would be to have it go to the taskbar but that is more annoying in the end). If I restore it from there (double click on the title bar of the minimized window) then it comes back to the size that it was before.

I did spot that there is a maxmize button available on the feature tracking window that shouldn't be there - I will remove that. You should be able to minimize that window but not change the size apart from that.

I am a bit puzzled as to why it is behaving differently for you - what version of Windows are you using? Perhaps that has some influence on this...

cheers,

Robin

[AngeloM]

Hi Robin

I'm using Windows 11 Pro Version 25HS
I have the ASCOM platform installed and use CPWI which provides ASCOM drivers to control the Mount. I direct SharpCap to use CPWI.

Sharpcap 4.1.14091.0 12/30/2025
PH2 Guiding 2.6.14
The computer is a LE fanless mini PC mounted to the Scope Tripod.

The feature tracking started about 3 revisions ago. Might it be helpful to you if I roll back versions of sharpcap until the issue goes away; or uninstall and reinstall the official current version? I usually download the newest version every few weeks which puts often me between official versions.

I'll try and recreate the steps but with the 17 degree f weather it's hard for my old bones to get out at night.

All I can say is that once the window goes full screen it will only minimize or go full screen. So I have to close & reopen sharpcap to get it back to the initial standard size window. I only get the normal size window when first starting feature track. Once I have feature track setup and minimized the window will only restore to a full screen or minimize. It won't go back to the standard window again. Also note that, as you may see in the screen shots, the feature tracking window isn't actually minimizing fully; Its just reducing to a small sliver of a window sitting just above the task bar.

I'll work on providing more specific steps to create the issue.

Michael

[admin]

Hi Michael,

please give the very latest versions a try when you have a moment - I did remove the option to maximize that window, which might just help in this situation. The only resizing now allowed should be minimize and then restore to previous state.

cheers,

Robin