After update from 2.6.6 on windows 10, window does not appear, preview black

[v4k0nd]

Overview

After update from 2.6.6 on windows 10 pc (which I am currently using with a remote desktop software), the window does not appear, only a black preview on the taskbar.
This did not happen on my windows 10 laptop.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Have 2.6.6 on windows 10
2. Download 2.7.0 from main site
3. After update. only this shows up, no window, clicking on it does nothing:
   

Expected Behavior

Full window appears

Actual Behavior

Nothing visible on screen.

Context

I have downgraded to 2.6.6 via clicking the installer of 2.7.0 and selecting uninstall then right after installing 2.6.6.
Then tried updating again, rebooted, still didnt work, then downgraded.

KeePassXC - 2.7.0
Revision: REVISION

Operating System: Windows
Desktop Env:
Windowing System:

[droidmonkey]

Try the portable zip

[v4k0nd]

Try the portable zip

Has the same result as above.

[droidmonkey]

Try this installer, doesn't use msvc libraries: https://github.com/keepassxreboot/keepassxc/releases/download/2.7.0/KeePassXC-2.7.0-Win64-LegacyWindows.msi

Want to narrow down the cause.

If that still doesn't work, try removing your settings from AppData/local/keepassxc

[v4k0nd]

Got a new error after installing:

However after an uninstall and reboot, then install, I got the same no window, blank preview with the legacy too..

[v4k0nd]

Deleting my settings from appdata/local/keepassxc (while it is installed) did not help.
Should I have uninstalled keepassxc, then delete my settings, then reinstall?

[droidmonkey]

You seem to have much bigger problems at this point. This is beyond just our program

Last try, can you do this: https://keepassxc.org/docs/KeePassXC_UserGuide.html#_screenshot_security

[v4k0nd]

Very good guess, that fixes it. So I am remotely logged in to my main pc so I guess that is why I never see the window, but running .\KeePassXC.exe --allow-screencapture launches it so that I can view it.

Now, all my other programs (and games) work perfectly while I am remotely logged in, so I never thought this could be a problem.

Was this feature not present on previous versions (lower than and including 2.6.6)? Since the previous version works just fine.

Edit # 1: changed the phrasing of what was the problem

[phoerious]

If you are using it remotely, then it probably does launch, you're just not seeing it without the flag.

[v4k0nd]

For anyone else trying to set this up so that the shortcut in the start menu launches keepassxc viewable through remote desktop software, append the --allow-screencapture to the end of the target field.

"C:\Program Files\KeePassXC\KeePassXC.exe" --allow-screencapture

This only solves the "problem" if you open the program from the start menu.
If you want to run it on startup with this flag, check out this comment (requires registry edit): #7580 (comment)

[droidmonkey]

Make sure to include that very important detail (remote access) in the future ;-)

[v4k0nd]

EDIT: As of 2.7.5, there is an option in the GUI for allowing screencapture

I seem to come back to my comment often, when on a new machine I want to always allow screencapture (as the last line of my previous comment shows), but I forget where the keepassxc registry is.
So I created a powershell script to append --allow-screencapture to the correct registry key for me.
CAVEAT: only works if you already set keepassxc to run on startup!

$registryPath = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"
$entryName = "KeePassXC"
$arguments = "--allow-screencapture"

$keePassEntry = Get-ItemProperty -Path $registryPath -Name $entryName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

if ($keePassEntry -ne $null) {
    $currentValue = $keePassEntry.$entryName
    if (-not $currentValue.Contains($arguments)) {
        $newValue = $currentValue + " " + $arguments
        Set-ItemProperty -Path $registryPath -Name $entryName -Value $newValue
        Write-Host "KeePassXC registry entry updated successfully."
    } else {
        Write-Host "KeePassXC registry entry already contains the --allow-screencapture flag."
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "KeePassXC entry not found in registry. Please make sure KeePassXC is installed and set to run at startup."
}

[tmfksoft]

Just ran into this myself, may be worth KeePass showing a warning message on startup to let the user know KeePass won't be visible while screen capturing. Left me and some colleagues scratching our heads for a while and just assumed it was a corrupted install.

We use KeePass on a virtual machine we access via VNC so we're unable to open KeePass and enable screencapture.

[manujarvinen]

Just ran into this myself, may be worth KeePass showing a warning message on startup to let the user know KeePass won't be visible while screen capturing. Left me and some colleagues scratching our heads for a while and just assumed it was a corrupted install.

Same here, I was installing my system remotely and started thinking something was broken.
A warning message on startup would be nice.
Also, I couldn't close the program unless I went to task-manager and killed it. Which made me suspect it was broken even more.