sdRohan sdRohan

Fences 3.10 Issue Report Thread

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Fences 3.10 Issue Report Thread

from Stardock Forums

With the Fences 3.10 release, we are creating this thread so that users can report any observed issues.  

Obtaining Fences 3.10

Object Desktop members can get the release from within Object Desktop Manager 

Individual purchases (as well as Object Desktop Members) can also be obtained from your account page: https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products

For guest check-out purchase (no account), from this link: http://www.stardock.com/support/productkeyretrieval

Reporting an issue

Please include the following for anything found:

  • Exact Windows version \ build (winver.exe)
  • Detailed steps to recreate the issue seen
  • Screenshots and videos are very helpful.  Videos can be uploaded to a cloud drive services (GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive, YouTube) and links included in your post.  Images can be directly added.
  • If there are specific apps that Groupy does not work (well) with, please note what apps and their exact versions.  If any app is not common, a link to a trial version would be appreciated.

Thank you for your interest and any time you put into making Fences a better product.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

support
401,537 views 168 replies
Reply #51 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting sdRohan, reply 49


Quoting EB64,
reply 43

Scummy thing to try and force people using WPE to your version of the same kind of software...



That WPE does not work well with this version is not intentional - some of the changes needed for this version just happened to conflict with how WPE renders images on the desktop.

Again, there is nothing nefarious about it.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

End of sdRohan's quote

Funny, then, how it worked just fine with the previous version of WPE. Should be a simple thing for you to find what you changed that is causing the conflict and correct this.

Also funny that in nearly every reply where you say they're not compatible, you advertise your "DeskScapes" software which does basically the same thing.

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Reply #52 from Stardock Forums Top

Dude, it's like you haven't used software before.  Chill out and downgrade until it's updated.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #53 from Stardock Forums Top

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.

Quoting EB64, reply 51

Also funny that in nearly every reply where you say they're not compatible, you advertise your "DeskScapes" software which does basically the same thing.
End of EB64's quote

Seeing as we make them both, we have a lot of control over how they function. Obviously, we can't control how WPE works.

Edit: We are seeing what can be done to resolve this issue. Again, sorry for the frustration and thanks for your patience.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #54 from Stardock Forums Top

ok this version 3.x is a total f-up...

I uninstalled, rebooted, then installed the latest 3.x

it loaded up the latest fences I was messing with trying to restore... so I went into the configure, then "Layout & snapping" and chose yesterday's layout.

It rattled around for a while then it loaded and unloaded explorer a couple times and now I'm back to the "Fences has detected that Explorer was not closed properly, ...." crap

So 3.x won't read an older snapshot, and that's what the problem is loading it up.

Please tell me how to roll back to the latest 2.x before I foisted this mess on myself by taking your install!!!

Reply #55 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting nickybham, reply 48

I appreciate that a legit copy of the 3.09 installer is being provided via the change log. I don't want to sound impatient, but is there an estimate of when the file will be posted to the change log? I am eager to resolve this issue and restore my previous workflow. 
End of nickybham's quote

 

Just bumping this back up in the thread. Any estimate on when the 3.09 install file will be posted to the change log?

::eagerly clicks refresh:: ... ::eagerly clicks refresh:: ... ::eagerly clicks refresh:: .........

Reply #56 from Stardock Forums Top

ok looking at the changelog -- the rollups weren't added until 3.0 so it would be nice to be able to download I suppose the 3.09 install... what's so difficult about providing a way to do that?

Reply #58 from Stardock Forums Top

yikes -- I'm an idiot -- thanks for pulling my head out -- now to uninstall/reboot/install once more :)

Reply #59 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting sdRohan, reply 53


Quoting EB64,
reply 51

Also funny that in nearly every reply where you say they're not compatible, you advertise your "DeskScapes" software which does basically the same thing.



Seeing as we make them both, we have a lot of control over how they function. Obviously, we can't control how WPE works.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

End of sdRohan's quote

Hey Sean, I am one of the developers of Wallpaper Engine and we're happy to add a workaround for Fences, as it's popular with our existing users and we have received a lot of emails and posts on our forums about this since the release of your update earlier today.

I am somewhat confused as to what you introduced in 3.10 of Fences that broke compatibility with Wallpaper Engine as the apps worked well together until 3.09.

Furthermore, the statements made in your Fences Support FAQ about Wallpaper Engine are also outright false, would you be so kind and remove this wrong statement?

https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#WallPaperEngine

Wallpaper Engine in specific requires the desktop to be not painted at all outside of the desktop's icon-draw routines.

Wallpaper Engine is below the Fences window and only intuitively requires that the Fences window does not draw the static wallpaper on top of it. Since Fences is expected to be on top of Wallpaper Engine, we don't think that this is unexpected or anything special that Wallpaper Engine is requiring in order to work, like your FAQ makes it sound. Fences merely needs to have a transparent background so the wallpaper of Wallpaper Engine is visible, which seems to have worked fine before.

Wallpaper Engine uses a publicly available method to provide an animated wallpaper which is documented here and used by many similar programs:

https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/856020/Draw-Behind-Desktop-Icons-in-Windows-plus

We are happy to add explicit compatibility for Fences if you could provide a public method/trigger/API to make Fences stop painting the wallpaper. But in our opinion would make more sense to make Fences compatible with all other live wallpaper apps by studying the link above (in short, if the icon window is a child window of a WorkerW window and not Progman, then Fences shouldn't draw the static wallpaper over all other windows below it).

Feel free to send me an email via [email protected] or reach out via a private message here for technical details or if you require us to make any changes from our end, though as of right now we consider this an issue introduced in Fences 3.10 that should be fixed from your end.

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Reply #62 from Stardock Forums Top

After the update performance of switching desktop pages become AFWUL. I mean, I got Nvidia 2060 SUPER, but Fences behaving as if it can produce only 15 fps now.

UPD: and I can't just roll back to the previous version because my copy is connected to Steam.

Reply #63 from Stardock Forums Top

As everyone else, I am extremely disappointed by the fact that Fences purposefully disabled Wallpaper Engine from working to promote their own competitor software.
If you go to windows wallpaper settings and change from image to solid, you can momentarily trick Fences into not redrawing your wallpaper on top of Wallpaper Engine, and see both working together fine just to see that their argument of it not working is false.

Now, the installer provided to 3.09 don't work with Steam, which is my version. How am I supposed to downgrade to previous version?
If this is not solved I'd rather keep my Wallpaper Engine and never use Fences again, but I will make sure to open a ticket for refund with Steam and leave a negative review.

Stardock is shooting on their own feet.

Reply #64 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Tim3795, reply 59


Quoting sdRohan,
reply 53






Quoting EB64,

reply 51


Also funny that in nearly every reply where you say they're not compatible, you advertise your "DeskScapes" software which does basically the same thing.



Seeing as we make them both, we have a lot of control over how they function. Obviously, we can't control how WPE works.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager



Hey Sean, I am one of the developers of Wallpaper Engine and we're happy to add a workaround for Fences, as it's popular with our existing users and we have received a lot of emails and posts on our forums about this since the release of your update earlier today.

I am somewhat confused as to what you introduced in 3.10 of Fences that broke compatibility with Wallpaper Engine as the apps worked well together until 3.09.

Furthermore, the statements made in your Fences Support FAQ about Wallpaper Engine are also outright false, would you be so kind and remove this wrong statement?

https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#WallPaperEngine


Wallpaper Engine in specific requires the desktop to be not painted at all outside of the desktop's icon-draw routines.


Wallpaper Engine is below the Fences window and only intuitively requires that the Fences window does not draw the static wallpaper on top of it. Since Fences is expected to be on top of Wallpaper Engine, we don't think that this is unexpected or anything special that Wallpaper Engine is requiring in order to work, like your FAQ makes it sound. Fences merely needs to have a transparent background so the wallpaper of Wallpaper Engine is visible, which seems to have worked fine before.

Wallpaper Engine uses a publicly available method to provide an animated wallpaper which is documented here and used by many similar programs:

https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/856020/Draw-Behind-Desktop-Icons-in-Windows-plus

We are happy to add explicit compatibility for Fences if you could provide a public method/trigger/API to make Fences stop painting the wallpaper. But in our opinion would make more sense to make Fences compatible with all other live wallpaper apps by studying the link above (in short, if the icon window is a child window of a WorkerW window and not Progman, then Fences shouldn't draw the static wallpaper over all other windows below it).

Feel free to send me an email via [email protected] or reach out via a private message here for technical details or if you require us to make any changes from our end, though as of right now we consider this an issue introduced in Fences 3.10 that should be fixed from your end.

End of Tim3795's quote

 

thank you so much for the input, we love fences and WPE very much. i hope you both can find a workaround very soon! thanks again!

Reply #65 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi,

I'm also facing the Explorer-Error after updating to the latest fences version.

 

After setting the security exceptions for the fences exe like described by Stefan in https://forums.stardock.com/502301/page/1/ in Reply 8, it seems to work again.

As the previous version was running with my security settings and the issue appeared after the update, for me it looks like a bug in the new version.

 

Kind regards

Georg

Reply #66 from Stardock Forums Top

I just tried to update to the latest version (3.10) as per the update message that was displayed.  The install seemed to go OK, but after re-booting my laptop I ended up with no desktop shortcuts/fences or anything.  Doing a right-click on the desktop to access the Fences application, instead of seeing "Configure Fences" I saw "Enable Fences" in the menu.  So I tried selecting that and nothing happened.

Nothing I did would get me my desktop back with fences or shortcuts or anything.

My Intel i7 based laptop is running Windows 7 professional with service pack 1 and all the latest updates.

I finally ended up downloading "Purge_Fences.bat" and used it to remove Fences.  I then re-installed version 3.0.5 and was able to restore a previous screenshot to put everything back to normal (for that version).

So unless I get some guidance, I will NOT be upgrading to version 3.10.

Reply #67 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting NoxAegis, reply 64

As everyone else, I am extremely disappointed by the fact that Fences purposefully disabled Wallpaper Engine from working to promote their own competitor software.
End of NoxAegis's quote

That is just not so. 

That said, we will make every effort to see what can be done to resolve it.

Thank you for your patience and patronage.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #68 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Entsafter, reply 66

After setting the security exceptions for the fences exe like described by Stefan in https://forums.stardock.com/502301/page/1/ in Reply 8, it seems to work again.
End of Entsafter's quote

That is good to know, ty.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #69 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.

Quoting FrancisBauer, reply 67

I just tried to update to the latest version (3.10) as per the update message that was displayed.  The install seemed to go OK, but after re-booting my laptop I ended up with no desktop shortcuts/fences or anything.  Doing a right-click on the desktop to access the Fences application, instead of seeing "Configure Fences" I saw "Enable Fences" in the menu.  So I tried selecting that and nothing happened.

Nothing I did would get me my desktop back with fences or shortcuts or anything.

My Intel i7 based laptop is running Windows 7 professional with service pack 1 and all the latest updates.

I finally ended up downloading "Purge_Fences.bat" and used it to remove Fences.  I then re-installed version 3.0.5 and was able to restore a previous screenshot to put everything back to normal (for that version).

So unless I get some guidance, I will NOT be upgrading to version 3.10.
End of FrancisBauer's quote

Please see:

https://forums.stardock.com/505007/get;3806834

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #70 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Tim3795, reply 59

Furthermore, the statements made in your Fences Support FAQ about Wallpaper Engine are also outright false
End of Tim3795's quote

Hello Tim,

I will pass on the information you have provided and we thank you for it.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #71 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi Fences team:

I have issue between Fences and Wallpaper Engine here

It looks like Fences can not work with Wallpaper Engine that when I use Fences, Wallpaper Engine movable wallpaper will hide on the Fences behind

And I need scale down Wallpaper engine [Desk icon opacity] from 100% to down it to see Wallpaper Engine wallpaper

I hading offing Fences Translucent Fence backgrounds, but no work, please help me on this issue, tks!

My system version

OS: Win10 x64

WallPaper Engine: Build 1.6.22

Fences: 3.1.0.5

https://imgur.com/8Oi7oXr https://imgur.com/By8mtat https://imgur.com/4npLI

Reply #72 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi Team,

I have updated to Fences Version 3.1.0.5 today 23 Jul 21 and I am unable to "Enable Fences" when I do a right click on the context menu on the Desktop.

I have Object Desktop which has Fences and Start10 only.

Do I have to renew my license for Object Desktop in order for Fences to work?

Windows Version: 21H1 Build: 19043.1110

Thanks.

Reply #74 from Stardock Forums Top

I have just downloaded the Fences update and although my icons are there the Fences Boxes have disappeared. I did another restart, and I get this? I tried as suggested but nothing happens, I tried another restart, Should I download previous version until this is resolved?

Many thanks

SA