topic Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS in Installation & update

Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Roderick_Anderson — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:22:32 GMT

Hi everyone, over the past few weeks I've noticed a recurring issue on Archicad 29 (not sure if 28 is also affected, right now I'm only working on AC29 projects) on macOS. I'm on the latest version of both Archicad (29.0.2) and macOS Tahoe (26.2).

The issue is that sometimes, you will have an Archicad menu background that remains on-screen on your Archicad window, and totally impairs your ability to work. See image below as one example that happened today.

The image above shows an example of the ghost menu background that is left after the menu goes away.

This is the File menu that generated this ghost background.

At first, I thought this issue was totally random, and that only happened after working in Archicad for a while. Sometimes it would not appear at all.

Today I figured out at least the situation under which this happens.

I work on a dual-monitor setup, with two 5K displays side-by-side. I will usually have Archicad on one screen, some extra palettes on part of the second screen, and then I have some extra room for maybe a browser window, our internal chat, etc.

I've identified that this ghost menu appears whenever I am doing something on a non-Archicad window on the second screen (I think this happens usually with my browser -Chrome- or my email program - I use Spark Mail), maybe due to an interruption, or maybe I'm researching something that I need for my Archicad work on Chrome, etc., and I am active on the non-Archicad window. If I come back to Archicad and simply click on the Archicad window somewhere (kind of just to make it the active screen), then all is good and nothing happens. But if I come back to Archicad, and before clicking on the window somewhere, I click directly on an Archicad menu that's where this ghost menu will appear. It does not happen every time, but that's the situation under which it does happen.

Today it happened, but I was in the middle of doing something, and kept working with this ghost partially blocking my Archicad screen, and then I repeated the behaviour (I was looking for some product specs and entering information as properties), and this time I clicked on the Options Menu (I already had the ghost of the file menu), and then I was left with two ghost menus.

If you click on any other window or program, the ghost menus go away (and the Archicad screen looks clean), but when you click back to the Archicad window, then the ghost menus return. Once they appear, the only wat to make them go away is to close Archicad entirely and reopen Archicad, then you have a clean workspace window again.

I'm pretty sure this has some relationship to macOS's new transparency look. I'll make one test later today setting the macOS window transparency to opaque and see if this makes any difference. If it does, I'll report it here too.

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Roderick_Anderson — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:57:30 GMT

I've tested again with the MacOS setting for tinted instead of clear windows on the Liquid Glass settings, but the result is the same, I still end up with the ghost menu if I click directly on an Archicad menu after returning from my Google Chrome window on the second screen.

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Laszlo Nagy — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:10:06 GMT

This is an issue reported by a number of users. It seems it is a macOS issue that occurs on various operating systems, not only Tahoe, but Sequoia and Sonoma as well. Some people say it may be related to a second monitor, some say it may be related to an external monitor, no definite answer so far as to the cause of the issue:

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Installation-update/ArchiCAD-28-3-0-amp-MacOS-Tahoe/m-p/677103#M38813

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Installation-update/Strange-Modal-Ghost-Dialog-Box/m-p/683569/highlight/true#M39064

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Installation-update/Archicad-29-Bug-empty-window-over-working-window-object-and/m-p/684249/highlight/true#M39015

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Installation-update/Drop-Down-Menu-UI/m-p/686464/highlight/true#M39069

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Installation-update/Issues-with-dropdown-menu-after-the-last-hotfix/m-p/686810/highlight/true#M39093

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

BulldogBen — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:01:55 GMT

I'm getting the same issue. I'm using a Mac Studio Display as my primary monitor. I'm on MacOS 26.2.

Any update on a fix yet as it's quite disruptive, and even closing and re-opening ArchiCAD doesn't resolve it - I seem to have to reboot!

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Lee Hankins — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 22:46:33 GMT

We’ve got two users out of 12 experiencing this and most of them have the same setup, Mac mini m2 with an external Dell Display. I am using a MacBook Pro M2Max with an LG monitor and don’t experience the issue.

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

macOS User NH — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 16:03:21 GMT

I got it to clear by changing display setting from extended to main, TBD if it's a permanent fix

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

BulldogBen — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 22:39:12 GMT

This morning I got some further info on this, and a workaround. It went like this...

Got the bug on my external monitor (set as Main).
Set the MacBook as Main: bug moved over to the laptop.
Set monitor as Main: bug moved back to monitor.
Tried changing display scale slider: bug scaled with it.

I also noticed that when I tried to capture the screen (using Parallels Toolbox) using full-screen capture the issue temporarily went away:

Using area capture it was there:

I hope all this gives ArchiCAD some more clues to help them get on top of this annoying issue. It's the only app I use that's affected. I've included some screenshots.

A work-around for now is to "Fill" the screen with the ArchiCAD window (from Window > Fill menu or green pill at top left). If you want the menu to show without moving mouse to top of screen use this setting:

Many thanks

Ben

PS Here's my display setup for context:

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

MendoPermaculture — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 19:11:37 GMT

I am reporting this same issue as above.

I am on a Macbook Pro M1 Max, Sequoia 15.4.1. The issue appears on my ASUS external monitor, and goes away when set to "main".

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Glen_W — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 02:41:45 GMT

no it is happening on Archicad 28 as well.

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Glen_W — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 02:43:53 GMT

I am using a Mac Studio with two Samsung monitors. Same problem

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

AndersNilsson — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:05:45 GMT

Same issue.

MacBook Pro Sequoia, Archicad 28

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Patrick M — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:10:17 GMT

lets be very clear though Laszlo... this is a bug that people ON mac using certain OS may be experiencing... but it is not an issue that Mac/Apple is likely to come up with a solution to, right?
So unless everyone needs to switch to Windows and only use a single monitor, we need it reported as a bug and fixed. Since it isn't happening in other software, that I have seen, it seems ownership on a fix is in Graphisoft's lap, AFAIK.

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

BulldogBen — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 07:27:01 GMT

Hi everyone, enthusiastic Noob here.

I've had the problem too, but I now know how to avoid it thanks to GraphiSoft Support. They also say they have a fix on the way. Here's the part of their response to me that was most helpful...

On single-monitor setups, this issue does not usually occur because the menu bar typically reflects the active application. However, on dual-monitor setups, Archicad’s menu bar may remain visible but inactive. This can be reproduced by following these steps:

Open Archicad on monitor A.
Switch to monitor B and open another application (for example, a PDF in Preview).
The Archicad menu bar on monitor A becomes grey and inactive.
Switch back to monitor A and click directly on one of the menus (e.g. View).
The empty outline of the View menu remains visible even after moving the mouse away.

This behaviour can be reproduced repeatedly by switching between monitors and clicking different menus. It affects all menus except Help.

As a temporary workaround, please avoid clicking on Archicad’s menu bar when it is grey and inactive. Clicking on any Archicad dialog box or window will usually make Archicad the active application again and restore the menu bar. Once Archicad is active, the menu bar can be used normally.

A permanent solution has been identified and is planned for inclusion in AC29.1.0-preview and AC28.3.3.

Looks like they have worked hard to reproduce it and a fix is on the way 🙏🏻 The reason it happened to me so often is I was watching a tutorial on one screen, then moving my mouse to ArchiCAD on the other and often going straight to a menu.

(I do have a nagging issue with Tool Tips stopping working which I though was related, but seems to be a separate issue)

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

AndersNilsson — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:21:25 GMT

Pressed like, because of the upcoming permanent solution 🙂

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Eduardo Rolon — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:38:43 GMT

I marked this as a solution though it is a workaround because a fix is in the works.

Need to add that you can cause this behavior without having a second monitor if you use Enscape within AC.

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

yuwal — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 01:08:10 GMT

Moderator Edit:

This post merged from another separate post.

Hello. I’m reaching out to ask for help finding a solution while using my MacBook.

I’m using a MacBook M3 Pro connected to an external monitor, and sometimes while working I get ghosting/afterimages on the toolbar. Does anyone know how to clear it?

Right now I have to quit and restart the program every time, so I’m wondering if there’s another way.

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Glen_W — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:36:31 GMT

Following the above conversation, you can't get rid of them without a reboot of Archicad. However, you can avoid it happening if you click into the main part of Archicad before clicking on a toolbar ( this is if you have been in another application) and I believe on another screen. I hope this makes sense and if you are like me you will get it wrong from time to time

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

yuwal — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:50:52 GMT

I appreciate your explanation. it’s very clear.
I hope the update can be processed in the near future.
thanks.

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

yimyammer — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 03:23:31 GMT

I've had the same problem for months and nothing I try causes it to go away.

The only thing that helps me is to put it in full screen mode (credit to BulldogBen) but the minute I exit out of full screen, I see its still there.

(I'm using a MacStudio with 2 flat screen TVs instead of monitors plus 2 iMacs one of which has a second monitor all controlled by one keyboard and mouse via universal control )

Re: Bug with ghost menu backgrounds sticking around on-screen on macOS

Patrick M — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 18:05:41 GMT

really hoping this is fully addressed in the upcoming hotfix/update, and not just baindaid- solution for multiple monitors on mac.. this is on a laptop, not connected to my second monitor...