AutoCAD switches drawings by ITSELF! :o

[DWG Destroyer]

I've been getting this strange problem every now and then whilst using AutoCAD, I’ll be looking at a drawing file on screen (hands off keyboard & mouse entirely) and every so often it will hop to another open drawing by itself! This enigma has the whole office baffled, we've replaced the mouse & keyboard with a brand new set, fully reinstalled acad from scratch and still this revenant discommode is at large. A problem unique to my machine, it has not spread anywhere else, my machine is virus free with the latest mcafee protection. System scans report to be ok also. Ghost in the machine?!

Cheers guys!

[MikeScott]

Does it actually open the file? or does the cursor jump up there? or does it just travel up there in a straight line? Each is a different set of events.

 

Someone MIGHT be messing with you.. we used to do that kind of thing to the new guy through remote access to his machine.

 

I'd uplug the network cable and see if it still does it.

 

If it does, and it's definately not the mouse (ie- you have a different mouse on the computer, no network connection open, and it does it anyways), it might be a graphics card glitch affecting the mouse position, assuming you get it on different programs too.

 

I once had a mouse with a scratch on the plastic where the laser comes out.. the laser would sometimes hit it just right, and randomly start cruising straight up to the corner. I don't know why it wasn't constantly doing it, but after awhile it happened more frequently.

 

Also, for the record.. two virus detection systems and one malware detection system is recommended before calling a machine "clean." When one scanner claims to "do it all" they're trying to give you a selling point, rather than accurately depict the true state of affairs, which is that different companies have different viruses they look for, and different methods of doing so..

 

I have found viruses on "clean" machines.. cleaned those up (confirmed by two virus scanners), and then found like 69 items with a malware scanner.

 

No they weren't just ad-cookies.. there was a hijacker which I was looking for in the first place, and two trojans that my other scanners failed to find. No, the scanners didn't find each other either.. though McAffee tends to have files that show up as pups sometimes on Search and Destroy Spybot (free spyware detector).

 

Look at virus detection write-ups by non-virus detection companies, and you'll see that it's a commonly understood thing that there is no foolproof "one-stop shopping" for virus detection.

[DWG Destroyer]

Nope, the cursor sits idle while im sitting there with my arms crossed, and suddenly ACAD will just pop open another drawing. Heheh yeah that thought crossed my mind too and I have tested for prankers, but sadly this is not the case. Thanks for your input regarding thorough virus scanning, but even further action on this has not sought me an answer to my troubles! Sadly this problem is unique to ACAD, so a graphics card glitch is most unlikely. It’s not overly frequent, it might occur once every day or two. Nevertheless!

[ReMark]

Does this random occurence of file switching happen in any other program like MS Windows or Excel for instance?

 

Is your version of 2009 current with all service packs/updates?

 

What version of Windows are you running?

 

When did the problem FIRST occur? Prior to it first happening had you changed or added anything like a piece of software or some new hardware?

[MikeScott]

I'm sorry, I wasn't getting a clear picture of events here.

 

So the mouse cursor isn't moving, but the dwg is popping open? Check your graphics card against those recommended by Autodesk. (sorry I don't have the link).

 

I had a problem once with clicking the mouse and having it activate an icon behind the window I was in. It wasn't consistent, and with the delay in starting up the new drawing, it took awhile to realize that it's what was happening. Not sure if you're getting that effect here.. since your "second" drawing is already open in a nearby window, and therefore should be pretty instantaneous.

 

I assume then that a ctrl-tab signal (or similar) is being sent from the keyboard somehow.

 

You said you changed keyboards and still got the effect, so that indicates a problem in either the socket for the keyboard/motherboard, unless you have a habit of hitting buttons by resting something on the numeric keypad or keyboard. So changing ports can help, especially if you're running it wirelessly.

 

Or, actually, if you have a wireless keyboard, it's picking up an errant signal in the office (which seems more likely).

 

Another clue to the specific signal being sent is what drawing is being opened.. is it the "next" tab, or the "previous" tab, and does anyone know a keyboard shortcut to get to the next CAD window or the next taskbar Tab? It depends how you prefer to run the mulitple CAD drawings. (ctrl+tab does it for many programs).

 

In any event, pressing those keys on nearby systems might trigger it to happen. That's the easiest to test for, though it's more likely that the signal is random, occasionally happening to hit the right frequency or whatever, unless there's someone else's wireless keyboard being used nearby.

 

"once or twice a day"... is it random throughout the day? or is it right near the same time? Try to be aware of what other things are happening at that time, and look for patterns that way.

 

Per Microsoft's troubleshooting wireless keyboard/mouse device interferences:

Items such as wireless routers, radios, cell phones, desktop fans, fluorescent lights, and large metal objects like computer cases and metal furniture may interfere with the signal of the keyboard. Try to keep such items away from the keyboard, and check the behavior of the keyboard.

 

Do not put the mouse or the receiver near any electrical devices, especially transmitters such as cordless or cellular telephones or other wireless mouse devices or receivers. A distance of at least 8 to 12 inches is recommended. Do not put the mouse or the receiver on metallic surfaces or objects, especially long metallic rails or cables. We recommend that you keep the mouse and the keyboard a minimum of 3 feet from metallic objects.

[DWG Destroyer]

Hey

 

Sorry for the delayed response! Still no luck with it I’m afraid… In answer to your suggestions;

 

I have now sussed that AutoCAD will switch to a different drawing regardless of what is on your screen. You could be viewing an email in outlook and ACAD will prompt itself to the top with one of your open drawings at random.

Running ACAD 2009 up to date with all service packs on Windows XP (XP itself is also regularly updated with service packs).

Problem manifested shortly after the upgrade to 2009, previously running 2008 with no problems. Aside from upgrading to 2009, no other changes have been made to software or hardware (aside from new mouse & keyboard!).

No wireless technology is present at my workstation, and wired peripherals & their sockets all appear to be in good condition. As for hotkey drawing opening I may have digressed slightly, what I meant to portray is that ACAD will only bring forth a drawing window that I have in the background, it won't open a new drawing. Still you are right in suggesting that this hotkey access might be the problem, but a quick Google to find such keys returned only links to specialist programs etc.

Woe is me!

[ReMark]

The problem you are describing refers to an anomoly called "stealing focus" I believe.

[DWG Destroyer]

Hmm

 

Did some research on this "stealing focus" and ended up with the I.T. guy getting involved in doing some tweaks to my system, but still this has not fixed the problem. Also, in addition to switching drawings by itself, it will occasionally zoom in or out a notch, as if i were using the scroller of my mouse, though we have already ascertained it is not a hardware problem! GAH!!

[ReMark]

The problem reminds me of another song by the Police: Ghost in the Machine.