Auto-launch + auto-hide Teams: 'I only see TeamsISO' experience

Two new persisted preferences in DISPLAY settings, paired to give operators the 'launch TeamsISO, never see Teams' experience the user asked for:

- LaunchTeamsOnStartup: TeamsISO auto-starts Teams in the background each launch (fire-and-forget background task in App.OnStartup, after the main window has materialized so a slow Teams launch doesn't delay the UI).

- AutoHideTeamsWindows: as soon as Teams' windows materialize after launch, hide them. New TeamsLauncher.AutoHideAfterLaunchAsync runs a polling loop (250ms / up to 15s) that catches the splash, main window, and any follow-up panels Teams opens. Teams takes 2-5s to render its main window and the splash arrives separately, so a one-shot hide right after launch wouldn't be enough.

When TeamsISO starts and Teams is already running (from a prior session), the auto-hide path still fires so the 'I only see TeamsISO' rule applies even when Teams was launched externally.

Operator drives everything through the IN-CALL bar (mute / camera / share / leave / marker) + participants DataGrid (ISO routing). Eye-toggle in the rail still restores Teams windows on demand.

Both toggles default to off — opt-in. Persisted via UIPreferences so they survive process restart.

src/TeamsISO.App/App.xaml.cs

@@ -221,6 +221,42 @@ public partial class App : Application
 
             await _viewModel.InitializeAsync(CancellationToken.None);
 
+            // Auto-launch Teams in the background if the operator has opted in.
+            // Combined with AutoHideTeamsWindows this gives the "I only see
+            // TeamsISO" experience — Teams runs but never appears on screen,
+            // and all interaction routes through the IN-CALL bar + participants
+            // DataGrid. Fire-and-forget so a slow Teams launch doesn't delay
+            // TeamsISO's window from appearing.
+            if (_viewModel.Settings.LaunchTeamsOnStartup && !Services.TeamsLauncher.IsRunning())
+            {
+                _ = Task.Run(() =>
+                {
+                    try
+                    {
+                        if (Services.TeamsLauncher.TryLaunch(out var launchError))
+                        {
+                            if (_viewModel.Settings.AutoHideTeamsWindows)
+                                _ = Services.TeamsLauncher.AutoHideAfterLaunchAsync();
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            logger.LogWarning("Auto-launch Teams on startup failed: {Error}", launchError);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    catch (Exception ex)
+                    {
+                        logger.LogWarning(ex, "Auto-launch Teams on startup threw");
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+            else if (_viewModel.Settings.AutoHideTeamsWindows && Services.TeamsLauncher.IsRunning())
+            {
+                // Teams is already up from a previous session. If auto-hide is
+                // on, hide it now so the operator's "I only see TeamsISO" rule
+                // applies even when Teams was launched externally.
+                _ = Services.TeamsLauncher.AutoHideAfterLaunchAsync();
+            }
+
             // Background update check, throttled to once per 24h. Fire-and-forget
             // so a slow / offline update server never delays startup. Surfaces a
             // banner via UpdateBanner if newer; failures just log.

src/TeamsISO.App/MainWindow.xaml

@@ -123,11 +123,18 @@
                     </Grid>
                 </Button>
 
-                <!-- Nav: Launch Teams. Subprocess-launches the MS Teams desktop client. -->
+                <!-- Nav: Launch Teams. Click = launch / surface; right-click = stop.
+                     The previous "left-click toggles" behavior ambushed operators
+                     who'd hidden Teams' windows via the eye toggle next door —
+                     they'd hit Launch expecting Teams to come back and instead
+                     get a "Close all Teams windows now?" dialog. Now click is
+                     always idempotent-progressive (running but hidden → show;
+                     not running → launch). Right-click for stop. -->
                 <Button DockPanel.Dock="Top"
                         Style="{StaticResource Wd.Button.RailIcon}"
                         Click="OnLaunchTeamsClick"
-                        ToolTip="Launch Microsoft Teams">
+                        MouseRightButtonUp="OnLaunchTeamsRightClick"
+                        ToolTip="Launch Microsoft Teams (or surface its window). Right-click to stop Teams.">
                     <!-- Stylized 'video meeting' camera icon -->
                     <Path Data="M 4,8 L 16,8 L 16,16 L 4,16 Z M 16,11 L 22,8 L 22,16 L 16,13 Z"
                           Stroke="{DynamicResource Wd.Text.Secondary}"
@@ -1244,6 +1251,20 @@
                                           Margin="0,12,0,0"
                                           ToolTip="When checked, minimizing the window hides it and shows a tray icon. Useful for long unattended shows. Double-click the tray icon to restore."/>
 
+                                <!-- Phase E.1/E.2 "I only see TeamsISO" pair. With both ticked,
+                                     the operator launches TeamsISO and never sees the Teams UI —
+                                     Teams runs in the background and all interaction routes
+                                     through the IN-CALL bar + participants DataGrid. -->
+                                <CheckBox Content="Launch Microsoft Teams on TeamsISO startup"
+                                          IsChecked="{Binding Settings.LaunchTeamsOnStartup}"
+                                          Margin="0,16,0,0"
+                                          ToolTip="When checked, TeamsISO will auto-launch Microsoft Teams in the background each time it starts. Combine with 'Auto-hide Teams windows' for the 'I only see TeamsISO' experience."/>
+
+                                <CheckBox Content="Auto-hide Teams windows when launched"
+                                          IsChecked="{Binding Settings.AutoHideTeamsWindows}"
+                                          Margin="0,8,0,0"
+                                          ToolTip="When checked, Teams' windows are hidden as soon as they materialize after launch. Use the eye-icon button in the rail to restore them when needed. Drives Teams via the IN-CALL bar (mute / camera / share / leave / marker) and the participants DataGrid for ISO routing."/>
+
                                 <Separator Margin="0,16,0,8"/>
 
                                 <CheckBox Content="Record ISOs to disk"

src/TeamsISO.App/MainWindow.xaml.cs

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Windows;
+using System.Windows.Input;
 using System.Windows.Shapes;
 using TeamsISO.App.Services;
 using TeamsISO.App.ViewModels;
@@ -113,43 +114,89 @@ public partial class MainWindow : Window
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Toggle behavior: if Teams is already running, ask to stop it; otherwise
+    /// Three-state click behavior matching operator intuition:
-    /// launch via TeamsLauncher's fallback chain. First step toward the
+    ///   1. Teams not running → launch it via TeamsLauncher's fallback chain.
-    /// Embedded-Teams roadmap (Phase E.1).
+    ///   2. Teams running but its windows are hidden (we toggled them off, OR
+    ///      it launched into the tray) → restore the windows + foreground them.
+    ///      This is the case the previous "ask to stop" dialog was ambushing —
+    ///      operators don't think of a hidden Teams as "running and ready to
+    ///      stop", they think of it as "I clicked Launch and nothing happened".
+    ///   3. Teams running with visible windows → bring the most recent one to
+    ///      the foreground. (Stopping Teams is now a right-click action;
+    ///      see OnLaunchTeamsRightClick.)
     /// </summary>
     private void OnLaunchTeamsClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
     {
-        if (TeamsLauncher.IsRunning())
+        var toast = (DataContext as MainViewModel)?.Toast;
-        {
-            var confirm = MessageBox.Show(
-                "Microsoft Teams is currently running.\n\nClose all Teams windows now?",
-                "TeamsISO — Stop Teams",
-                MessageBoxButton.YesNo,
-                MessageBoxImage.Question);
-            if (confirm != MessageBoxResult.Yes) return;
 
-            var asked = TeamsLauncher.StopAll();
+        if (!TeamsLauncher.IsRunning())
-            if (TeamsLauncher.IsRunning())
+        {
+            if (!TeamsLauncher.TryLaunch(out var error))
             {
                 MessageBox.Show(
-                    asked == 0
+                    $"Could not launch Microsoft Teams.\n\n{error}",
-                        ? "No Teams windows responded to close."
+                    "TeamsISO — Launch Teams",
-                        : $"Sent close to {asked} Teams window(s); some may still be exiting.",
-                    "TeamsISO — Stop Teams",
                     MessageBoxButton.OK,
-                    MessageBoxImage.Information);
+                    MessageBoxImage.Warning);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                var autoHide = (DataContext as MainViewModel)?.Settings.AutoHideTeamsWindows ?? false;
+                toast?.Show(autoHide
+                    ? "Launching Microsoft Teams (will hide windows automatically)…"
+                    : "Launching Microsoft Teams…");
+                if (autoHide)
+                {
+                    _ = TeamsLauncher.AutoHideAfterLaunchAsync();
+                    _teamsWindowsHidden = true;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    _teamsWindowsHidden = false;
+                }
             }
             return;
         }
 
-        if (!TeamsLauncher.TryLaunch(out var error))
+        // Teams is running. Always try to restore + foreground its window —
+        // if windows are already visible, ShowWindows is a SetForegroundWindow
+        // no-op besides bringing them forward; if they were hidden by our
+        // own toggle, this is the operator's intuitive "show me Teams" path.
+        var shown = TeamsLauncher.ShowWindows();
+        _teamsWindowsHidden = false;
+        toast?.Show(shown > 0
+            ? $"Teams is already running — surfaced {shown} window(s)"
+            : "Teams is running but has no visible windows yet");
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Right-click on the rail Launch button asks to stop Teams. Split out
+    /// from the left-click so a normal click is "open / surface" rather than
+    /// the previous "open OR ambush you with a stop dialog".
+    /// </summary>
+    private void OnLaunchTeamsRightClick(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
+    {
+        if (!TeamsLauncher.IsRunning()) return;
+
+        var confirm = MessageBox.Show(
+            "Microsoft Teams is currently running.\n\nClose all Teams windows now?",
+            "TeamsISO — Stop Teams",
+            MessageBoxButton.YesNo,
+            MessageBoxImage.Question);
+        if (confirm != MessageBoxResult.Yes) return;
+
+        var asked = TeamsLauncher.StopAll();
+        if (TeamsLauncher.IsRunning())
         {
             MessageBox.Show(
-                $"Could not launch Microsoft Teams.\n\n{error}",
+                asked == 0
-                "TeamsISO — Launch Teams",
+                    ? "No Teams windows responded to close."
+                    : $"Sent close to {asked} Teams window(s); some may still be exiting.",
+                "TeamsISO — Stop Teams",
                 MessageBoxButton.OK,
-                MessageBoxImage.Warning);
+                MessageBoxImage.Information);
         }
+        e.Handled = true;
     }
 
     /// <summary>

src/TeamsISO.App/Services/TeamsLauncher.cs

@@ -44,21 +44,39 @@ public static class TeamsLauncher
     /// <summary>
     /// Launches Teams. Returns true if a launch was started successfully (the
     /// process may take a few seconds to actually appear). False if every
-    /// fallback path failed.
+    /// fallback path failed; <paramref name="errorMessage"/> includes the
+    /// reasons each attempt was rejected so the operator can see why.
+    ///
+    /// Path order matters:
+    ///   1. <c>ms-teams:</c> URI — new Teams (MSTeams AppX) registers this
+    ///      handler at install. Activates through the AppX shell so the
+    ///      stub <c>ms-teams.exe</c> in WindowsApps gets the right context.
+    ///   2. AppsFolder shell verb — direct AppX activation. Belt-and-braces
+    ///      fallback if a misconfigured registry breaks the URI handler.
+    ///   3. Classic Teams Update.exe — pre-2024 Teams installations.
+    /// We deliberately DON'T try the bare <c>ms-teams.exe</c> WindowsApps
+    /// path: it's a 0-byte AppX placeholder that fails silently when invoked
+    /// without AppX activation context. Looked plausible, never worked.
     /// </summary>
     public static bool TryLaunch(out string? errorMessage)
     {
         errorMessage = null;
+        var attempts = new List<string>();
 
-        // Path 1: URI scheme. The shell handler picks whichever Teams client
+        // Path 1: URI scheme. The shell handler picks the registered Teams
-        // is registered (new MSTeams.exe takes priority on modern Windows).
+        // (new MSTeams takes priority on modern Windows). UseShellExecute=true
-        if (TryStart("ms-teams:", useShell: true)) return true;
+        // is required — Win32 Process creation can't open URIs directly.
+        if (TryStart("ms-teams:", useShell: true, out var err1)) return true;
+        attempts.Add($"ms-teams: URI → {err1}");
 
-        // Path 2: new Teams' WindowsApps shim.
+        // Path 2: AppX activation via the explorer.exe shell. Modern Teams
-        var newTeams = Path.Combine(
+        // ships as MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe; if other code on the box has
-            Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData),
+        // clobbered the URI registration, this still works because it goes
-            "Microsoft", "WindowsApps", "ms-teams.exe");
+        // through the AppsFolder verb the OS itself uses for Start menu launches.
-        if (File.Exists(newTeams) && TryStart(newTeams, useShell: false)) return true;
+        if (TryStart("explorer.exe", false, out var err2,
+            arguments: "shell:appsFolder\\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MSTeams"))
+            return true;
+        attempts.Add($"AppsFolder shell → {err2}");
 
         // Path 3: classic Teams Update.exe with --processStart hands off to
         // the actual Teams.exe via Squirrel.
@@ -80,11 +98,17 @@ public static class TeamsLauncher
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                errorMessage = ex.Message;
+                attempts.Add($"classic Update.exe → {ex.Message}");
             }
         }
+        else
+        {
+            attempts.Add($"classic Update.exe → not found at {classicUpdater}");
+        }
 
-        errorMessage ??= "No Microsoft Teams installation was found. Install Teams from https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams and try again.";
+        errorMessage = "No Microsoft Teams installation could be launched. " +
+                       "Install Teams from https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams and try again.\n\n" +
+                       "Attempts:\n  • " + string.Join("\n  • ", attempts);
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -123,8 +147,9 @@ public static class TeamsLauncher
         return asked;
     }
 
-    private static bool TryStart(string target, bool useShell)
+    private static bool TryStart(string target, bool useShell, out string error, string? arguments = null)
     {
+        error = string.Empty;
         try
         {
             var info = new ProcessStartInfo
@@ -133,11 +158,13 @@ public static class TeamsLauncher
                 UseShellExecute = useShell,
                 CreateNoWindow = true,
             };
+            if (arguments is not null) info.Arguments = arguments;
             Process.Start(info);
             return true;
         }
-        catch
+        catch (Exception ex)
         {
+            error = ex.Message;
             return false;
         }
     }
@@ -224,6 +251,60 @@ public static class TeamsLauncher
         return windows.Count;
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Fire-and-forget background watcher that polls every 250ms for up to
+    /// <paramref name="timeout"/> and hides any visible top-level Teams
+    /// windows it finds. Used after launch so the operator never sees the
+    /// Teams UI flash on screen — Teams takes 2-5s to splash + render its
+    /// main window, and the splash arrives separately from the main window
+    /// (so we keep polling past the first hide to catch follow-up windows).
+    ///
+    /// Returns the Task so callers can await completion if they want, but
+    /// production code should fire-and-forget. Exceptions are swallowed —
+    /// failure to hide is harmless (user just sees Teams briefly).
+    /// </summary>
+    public static Task AutoHideAfterLaunchAsync(TimeSpan? timeout = null, CancellationToken ct = default)
+    {
+        var deadline = DateTime.UtcNow + (timeout ?? TimeSpan.FromSeconds(15));
+        return Task.Run(async () =>
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var hiddenAny = false;
+                while (!ct.IsCancellationRequested && DateTime.UtcNow < deadline)
+                {
+                    // Poll for visible windows. Each iteration may catch new
+                    // ones — Teams sometimes opens a small splash, then a
+                    // larger main window 1-2s later, then a "What's new"
+                    // banner. Keep hiding until we've gone a full second
+                    // with nothing new appearing.
+                    var hidden = HideWindows();
+                    if (hidden > 0)
+                    {
+                        hiddenAny = true;
+                        // Settling delay: after we hide windows, wait a beat
+                        // before polling again so we don't busy-loop while
+                        // Teams' window manager catches up.
+                        await Task.Delay(750, ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                    }
+                    else if (hiddenAny)
+                    {
+                        // We hid at least once; if the next poll finds
+                        // nothing, Teams has settled. Bail early.
+                        return;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        // Teams hasn't materialized yet; keep waiting.
+                        await Task.Delay(250, ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            catch (OperationCanceledException) { /* expected on cancel */ }
+            catch { /* defensive — auto-hide is best-effort, never breaks the app */ }
+        }, ct);
+    }
+
     // ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     // Keyboard-shortcut forwarding (PostMessage path).
     //

src/TeamsISO.App/Services/UIPreferences.cs

@@ -39,7 +39,13 @@ public static class UIPreferences
         bool AutoDisableOnDeparture = false,
         SortMode ParticipantSort = SortMode.JoinOrder,
         bool MinimizeToTray = false,
-        bool ControlSurfaceLanReachable = false);
+        bool ControlSurfaceLanReachable = false,
+        // Phase E.1 / E.2 quality-of-life. With both true, the operator launches
+        // TeamsISO and never sees the Teams UI — Teams auto-starts in the
+        // background and its windows are auto-hidden as soon as they materialize.
+        // All control happens via the IN-CALL bar + participants DataGrid.
+        bool LaunchTeamsOnStartup = false,
+        bool AutoHideTeamsWindows = false);
 
     public static Prefs Load()
     {

src/TeamsISO.App/Themes/WildDragonTheme.xaml

@@ -538,11 +538,25 @@
         <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{StaticResource Wd.Text.Primary}"/>
         <Setter Property="Cursor" Value="Hand"/>
         <Setter Property="Padding" Value="10,0,0,0"/>
+        <!--
+            Stretch + a Grid template lets long Content strings wrap rather
+            than get clipped by the 380px settings panel. Without this, the
+            previous StackPanel template let the ContentPresenter grow
+            unbounded horizontally and the parent's clip-to-bounds chopped
+            off the right side.
+        -->
+        <Setter Property="HorizontalAlignment" Value="Stretch"/>
+        <Setter Property="HorizontalContentAlignment" Value="Left"/>
         <Setter Property="Template">
             <Setter.Value>
                 <ControlTemplate TargetType="CheckBox">
-                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
+                    <Grid HorizontalAlignment="Stretch">
+                        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
+                            <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto"/>
+                            <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
+                        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                         <Border x:Name="Box"
+                                Grid.Column="0"
                                 Width="18" Height="18"
                                 BorderBrush="{StaticResource Wd.BorderStrong}"
                                 BorderThickness="1"
@@ -556,9 +570,27 @@
                                   StrokeEndLineCap="Round"
                                   Visibility="Collapsed"/>
                         </Border>
-                        <ContentPresenter Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}"
+                        <!--
-                                          VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
+                            ContentPresenter resources inject a TextBlock
-                    </StackPanel>
+                            style with TextWrapping=Wrap. When CheckBox's
+                            Content is a plain string (the common case here),
+                            WPF wraps it in an auto-generated TextBlock; the
+                            resource lookup applies our wrapping default so
+                            long labels flow onto multiple lines instead of
+                            being clipped at the column edge.
+                        -->
+                        <ContentPresenter Grid.Column="1"
+                                          Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}"
+                                          VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                                          HorizontalAlignment="Stretch"
+                                          RecognizesAccessKey="True">
+                            <ContentPresenter.Resources>
+                                <Style TargetType="TextBlock">
+                                    <Setter Property="TextWrapping" Value="Wrap"/>
+                                </Style>
+                            </ContentPresenter.Resources>
+                        </ContentPresenter>
+                    </Grid>
                     <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                         <Trigger Property="IsChecked" Value="True">
                             <Setter TargetName="Box" Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource Wd.Accent.Cyan}"/>

src/TeamsISO.App/ViewModels/GlobalSettingsViewModel.cs

@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ public sealed class GlobalSettingsViewModel : ObservableObject
     private UIPreferences.SortMode _participantSort = UIPreferences.SortMode.JoinOrder;
     private bool _minimizeToTray;
     private bool _controlSurfaceLanReachable;
+    private bool _launchTeamsOnStartup;
+    private bool _autoHideTeamsWindows;
 
     public GlobalSettingsViewModel(IIsoController controller, ToastViewModel? toast = null)
     {
@@ -59,6 +61,8 @@ public sealed class GlobalSettingsViewModel : ObservableObject
         _participantSort = uiPrefs.ParticipantSort;
         _minimizeToTray = uiPrefs.MinimizeToTray;
         _controlSurfaceLanReachable = uiPrefs.ControlSurfaceLanReachable;
+        _launchTeamsOnStartup = uiPrefs.LaunchTeamsOnStartup;
+        _autoHideTeamsWindows = uiPrefs.AutoHideTeamsWindows;
 
         // Bring the auto-apply flag in from the presets store so the checkbox
         // reflects the user's prior choice when the settings panel opens.
@@ -222,7 +226,41 @@ public sealed class GlobalSettingsViewModel : ObservableObject
             AutoDisableOnDeparture: _autoDisableOnDeparture,
             ParticipantSort: _participantSort,
             MinimizeToTray: _minimizeToTray,
-            ControlSurfaceLanReachable: _controlSurfaceLanReachable));
+            ControlSurfaceLanReachable: _controlSurfaceLanReachable,
+            LaunchTeamsOnStartup: _launchTeamsOnStartup,
+            AutoHideTeamsWindows: _autoHideTeamsWindows));
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Auto-launch the Microsoft Teams desktop client when TeamsISO starts.
+    /// Paired with <see cref="AutoHideTeamsWindows"/> gives the operator a
+    /// "TeamsISO is the only window I see" experience — Teams runs in the
+    /// background, all interaction happens through the participants DataGrid
+    /// + IN-CALL bar.
+    /// </summary>
+    public bool LaunchTeamsOnStartup
+    {
+        get => _launchTeamsOnStartup;
+        set
+        {
+            if (SetField(ref _launchTeamsOnStartup, value)) PersistUiPrefs();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Auto-hide Teams' top-level windows as soon as they materialize after
+    /// a launch (whether triggered via <see cref="LaunchTeamsOnStartup"/>,
+    /// the rail button, or the eye-toggle). Runs a brief background poll
+    /// that calls <c>TeamsLauncher.HideWindows</c> every ~250ms for up to
+    /// 15 seconds, catching splash + main + follow-up panels.
+    /// </summary>
+    public bool AutoHideTeamsWindows
+    {
+        get => _autoHideTeamsWindows;
+        set
+        {
+            if (SetField(ref _autoHideTeamsWindows, value)) PersistUiPrefs();
+        }
+    }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Record each newly-enabled ISO's normalized output to disk under