Settings under App changing randomly for unknown reason

I noticed that several settings under App would suddenly change, sometimes even right before my eyes. Does anyone have an idea why? Or is this a bug?

Here are the settings I have changed so far:

1. backup location - changed twice, both from custom directory to the default directory
   
2. backup to keep - changed once, from 7 to 4
   
3. animation speed - changed thrice, once from normal to fast, twice from normal to slow
   
4. single-clicking the tray icon - from toggles show/hide all to bring notes to the front
   
5. closed notes to keep - changed once, from 32 to 34
   

I think the problem first occurred after I changed the backup period from 6 to 24 hours. A week after I did that change, I checked my custom directory and was surprised that there were no new backups, then noticed that the settings under App reverted the location to default. Since then, I checked the settings under App every day, and noticed that every few days, something suddenly changes there.

I have observed it for several weeks, but until now, I don't see any patterns. They don't simply revert to default as slow is the default animation speed but it once changed to fast. Neither does it only affect changed settings as both backup to keep and closed notes to keep are already set to default and were never changed, yet they were still affected. Restart also doesn't fix the problem as I have just restarted yesterday but the last 2 changes (speed from normal to slow, closed notes from 32 to 34) just happened today. But the most surprising is some of them changed even while the App settings is open, where I saw the text changed from "normal" to "fast" amd 32 to 34 right before my eyes.

I find this problem really unsettling so I would greatly appreciate an immediate resolution, but even just a clue on what is causing it would be helpful.

When stickies is loaded and active some defragglers will change stuff in Stickies. I have never had the windows deflaglger mess up stickies when running in background, but, for example Pirifoem Defraggler will really mess up stickies when it's run while Sticky's is loaded. I like the way Pirifoem defraggler defraggilates so I occasionally run it but I have to exit stickies before I run it.

SPOOK. Quick wrote:When stickies is loaded and active some defragglers will change stuff in Stickies. I have never had the windows deflaglger mess up stickies when running in background, but, for example Pirifoem Defraggler will really mess up stickies when it's run while Sticky's is loaded. I like the way Pirifoem defraggler defraggilates so I occasionally run it but I have to exit stickies before I run it.

Not sure if that's the case in mine as first, I don't use Piriform Defraggler, and second, the last time Windows' defraggler run doesn't coincide with the time these issues occurred.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is, there's something running in background or running that is hooking into stickies. For example I have this old program called bookshelf 98 and when I click the icon in the taskbar the stickies change color dialog box pops up and then the bookshelf pops up. So bookshelf has somehow hooked into a key code or something into stickies and grabbed the color change dialog box. So, I recommend you find out what's running when you're running stickies that it does this problem to see what's hooking into stickies. But I don't think it's stickies. 
Try running stickies as a portable portable app, as a single instance, or as allow multiple.

As an afterthought, I think the only way to keep these other programs from hooking into stickies. might be to run stickies in top memory. But then that would probably make stickies it its own operating system.

SPOOK. Quick wrote:I guess the point I'm trying to make is, there's something running in background or running that is hooking into stickies. For example I have this old program called bookshelf 98 and when I click the icon in the taskbar the stickies change color dialog box pops up and then the bookshelf pops up. So bookshelf has somehow hooked into a key code or something into stickies and grabbed the color change dialog box. So, I recommend you find out what's running when you're running stickies that it does this problem to see what's hooking into stickies. But I don't think it's stickies. 
Try running stickies as a portable portable app, as a single instance, or as allow multiple.

If that's the case, then it indeed is a bug. I think it's Stickies' problem. I don't think hooking into other programs is a normal behavior for an app, so far I have never encountered an app with the same problems as this. Also, just now it happened again, "backup to keep" changed from 7 to 6, after I changed its own settings (snap distance from 10 to 15). It seems to be interfering even with itself, where adjusting something within the app sometimes cause something in App settings to change.

About your last sentence, what do you mean by "single instance" and "allow multiple"? Sorry but I'm not that techy, but I'm willing to learn if you're willing to explain those. Regarding trying it as a portable app, I might try that one. I'll get back to you if that resolves the problem.

Btw if I restore a backup, will it also restore all of my settings? Also, is "Associate .sti and .ssk files with Stickies" on by default, or is it another setting messed up by this bug?

I don't think you're Associate to .sti and .ssk files is any problem.
You are right, this isn't normal behavior for a program. I would think the stickies would be encapsulated to be protected from any exterior program input. This is a tough one, could be almost anything, I'm thinking maybe the windows registry. Or  could be trying to load stickies twice. I associate my problems with hooking into stickies by me running Vista.
I don't think I'm smart enough to figure this one out, right now the best I can give you is experiment.
For allowing multiple look in the command line inputs in The Help there are several different ones there.
TR is the best bet for this one. He should be able to follow your great description of the events and figure out what's going on.

Darn the luck, looks like TRs out this week, I don't want to leave you hi and dry, so I'll give it another try.

I had the same problem when I was experimenting with multiple USERS. But it would also overwrite the content of the Stickie of the prior USER I Exited. I got the Fix using -allowmultiple with Stickie as a Portable. (Using multiple USERS)

Also I need to qualify my notes on using Vista. Stickies is not supposed to run on Vista, But I never had any problems with Stickies and Vista other than my 15 year old Vista using my 25 year old programs. 

Here is the answer to your problem. In the Stickies Folder there should be a file called "activity.log", it is a text file so just double click it. You should be able to see exactly what happened. (I forgot all about the log, sorry)

If you still want to try "As Portable" here is a link that has some notes.
Near the end is a section called "TO RUN AS PORTABLE:"
https://zhornsoftware.forumotion.com/t270-2022-02-17-fff-as-portable-and-allowmultiple-stickies-configuration#849.

I have tried Stickies as a portable app ever since you suggested it to me (on Feb 7) through the recommended app by the developer (the one in PortableApps.com), and so far, it's working well, with the issue only popping once after that (on Feb 8, "backup to keep" changed from 7 to 6) and never again.

However, I'm not sure if the change to the portable app is the one that resolved the issue as I haven't changed anything in the settings yet, nor did I try reinstalling the original app. I have checked the activity log under the "Data" folder, but the only thing written there is "[ERR_DB  ] Updating database from < 3 ([tags], filling empty [search] fields" with date and time on the installation of the portable app, not on the time the issue occurred, so still no clue as to what caused it.

I'm not sure whether to try your recommended solution of "allow multiple" as I'm the only user on my PC, but I'll check it out if the issue appeared again.

Btw thanks for the help, and I also really appreciate your effort to follow up on my issue.

Although it's dangerous to ever say "it's not my app" because there can be strange bugs, I'm still inclined to say that.  It's not a problem which I've heard about before, and the app has been knocking around and I've been dealing with issue for quite a while.  Admittedly the Settings dialog is a little newer than most of the rest of the app, but nonetheless it's been years.

Does the issue still occur if you leave the Stickies Settings dialog open, but without input focus? From what you're saying it sounds as if something is sending key presses to the app.  If you have input focus set to to a spin control for example, pressing the up and down arrow keys will change the value.  Similarly a space key press will change a check box.

Do you notice any similar behaviour in any other apps, or strange keypresses, or cursor movement happening?

If you have companion apps or utilities running on your system, try closing them all and see whether anything changes.

Tom

Admin wrote:Although it's dangerous to ever say "it's not my app" because there can be strange bugs, I'm still inclined to say that.  It's not a problem which I've heard about before, and the app has been knocking around and I've been dealing with issue for quite a while.  Admittedly the Settings dialog is a little newer than most of the rest of the app, but nonetheless it's been years.

Does the issue still occur if you leave the Stickies Settings dialog open, but without input focus? From what you're saying it sounds as if something is sending key presses to the app.  If you have input focus set to to a spin control for example, pressing the up and down arrow keys will change the value.  Similarly a space key press will change a check box.

Do you notice any similar behaviour in any other apps, or strange keypresses, or cursor movement happening?

If you have companion apps or utilities running on your system, try closing them all and see whether anything changes.

Tom

Thank you for taking note of the issues I have experienced. However, it hasn’t reoccurred ever since my last response, and following the tests you mentioned did not trigger it, nor are there other apps with the same issue. I think you might be right, that something is sending keypresses to Stickies settings, but it seems to only affect the original app, not the portable version.