Large dream files crash desktop / deskscape

from Stardock Forums

I noticed this problem with the free version, but am still getting it now I have bought the product.

If I select a dream that has a small file size, it works fine, but anything more than a few MB then my desktop hangs - no errors messages and only a reboot fixes it.

I'm running a Sony Vaio - duo-core with 3gb ram, so I dont think its a performance issue. Also on Vista home Premium.

How do I go about getting my money back if this can't be fixed ?

deskscapes
5,114 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

You should download DEBUG DIAG from Microsoft and then create a rule for "explorer.exe" and then load that large .dream and see if you can get some debug information from it.  If it is totally hanging then I would think you ran out of pooled or non-pooled memory. On a final note, I downloaded 2 different .dreams from wincustomize that I know will hang explorer for me. They dont hang the server like you experienced but they do lock up explorer and I have to restart it through taskman. Anyway, the point I'm making is that it only happens on those 2 dreams. Maybe if you haven't tried already then you should attempt to download a different large dream and see if you get the same response.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Just to check on something did you uninstall, restart, and then install the full version? Or did you install the full version over the trial? If you did the second uninstall everything, restart, then download and install just the full version. This too would cause some errors like this for you.

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

On a final note, I downloaded 2 different .dreams from wincustomize that I know will hang explorer for me.
End of quote

If either one of these are dreams that I created, let me know so I can look into it.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

This does bring up a question. Are you only trying certain dreams? If so what ones?

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

I am having the same problem. All of my 150meg or higher dreams worked fine and then all of a sudden they stopped working. I can only play dreams that are about 10meg or lower.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Well bad news for me but after installing Impulse my dreams are constantly paused.  They will start playing again when I have my personalize window open. And I have a Sony Vaio VGN-FZ280E and I have never had any problems with deskscapes until about a week ago.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

I just paid for stars and blissfull dream, messed with them a bit and then noticed i was getting explorer crashes also.  Freaked out a little and thought i had wrecked windows! :S Fixed it though (thank the gods).

Do the dreams your having problems with allow you to change background image?  The reason I ask is that the stars dream does, so i downloaded a pic to desktop to try it out.  I then (stupidly) moved the pic to my documents.  This caused explorer to crash over and over when that theme was loaded.  Fixed it by changing the options to no background.  No more explorer crashes.

Hope this helps.