How do you toggle the scroll-lock in the output window?

Question

_{Thursday, November 4, 2010 10:31 PM | 1 vote}

I'm using Visual Studio 2010.

OK, so I start a build and I watch the progress in the output window. Everything scrolls by - fine. I click the cursor in the window and it stops auto-scrolling - cool! I can scroll back and forth and look at the output. So how do you reverse this action and enable autoscrolling again?

You would think there was an obvious way to turn auto-scrolling back on just by experimenting with the UI - you would be very wrong.

You would think you could search Microsoft's documentation for something related about "scroll lock" that explains this feature - you would be just as wrong!

You would think you could search Bing for something useful on this - you would be just as wrong.

This is a great example of extremely poor user interface design in Visual Studio 2010. Eclipse has this same feature, and it was pretty easy to figure it out just by playing with the UI.

Basically there needs to be a forum discussion dedicated to UI Design Defects in Visual Studio where we can point out these problems to Microsoft.

- Eric

All replies (8)

_{Thursday, November 11, 2010 2:28 AM ✅Answered | 1 vote}

Hi Eric,

Based on your question, I researched the options of Visual Studio 2010.

In Projects and Solutions >> General, you can check “Show Output window when build starts”.

Regarding your concern, as I know, I cannot find anywhere could be set. If you have any findings, please feel free to let me know.

Another hand, you could feedback your concern in MS Connect. https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/Feedback?wa=wsignin1.0

Regards,

Larcolais

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_{Tuesday, November 9, 2010 4:30 AM}

Hi Eric,

Thank you for posting.

If I misunderstood, please feel free to elaborate your questions kindly.

Based on your description, I try to reproduce your scenario on my side. If you click the cursor in the output window, the view will be stopped on the current cursor line. But, the build process is going on. When you will rebuild your project, the scrollbar will scroll auto again.

Regards,

Larcolais

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help.
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_{Wednesday, November 10, 2010 4:59 PM}

Thanks for replying.

Yes, I have already seen that behavior. When auto-scroll is off the build process continues. When I rebuild the solution the output window will start auto-scrolling again.

What I want is to be able to turn auto-scrolling off and on at my discretion:

1. I am able to turn it off by clicking the cursor in the window.
2. I can find no way to turn it on, other than to wait for the build to finish. I don't want to wait for the build to finish, I want to enable auto-scrolling again so I can continue to monitor the build process.

Does that more clearly explain the situation.

Cheers, Eric

Eric Kolotyluk - software developer, music DJ, swing dancer

_{Friday, November 12, 2010 4:34 PM}

OK, I have submitted feedback via MS Connect.

Thanks for directing me there.

Cheers, Eric

Eric Kolotyluk - software developer, music DJ, swing dancer

_{Tuesday, November 23, 2010 1:36 AM | 14 votes}

Pressing Ctrl+End key while in the Output window will return you to scrolling.

Cheers,

- Darren -

_{Wednesday, November 24, 2010 1:03 AM}

Thanks, I'll try that.

How did you know that? Is it documented somewhere?

Cheers, Eric

Eric Kolotyluk - software developer, music DJ, swing dancer

_{Friday, July 26, 2013 3:57 PM}

I found a post on SteveonSecutiry that says Ctrl+End toggles auto-scrolling in the output window. It seems to have worked for me to turn it back on after I somehow disabled it.

_{Wednesday, September 25, 2013 5:39 PM}

That works for me (VS2010).

Thanks!