ObjectDock - StartMenu Error

"StartMenu helper file was injected but failed to take effect.

Can not show start menu at this time, please try again."

This is an intermittent error (maybe every 5th or 6th time I try the Start Menu Icon in the Dock) and the Start Menu actually does appear and I can mouse over it, but it disappears in a second or so and then the error appears. Otherwise, when the error does not appear, the StartMenu works normally from the dock.

This is the free version of Object dock, pushed on me from the Impulse Menu, which I do like very much. It works well with Windows Blinds, Xp Pro, Sp3.

Also, when Windows starts (with OD also starting with Windows) an error messgae about ODImg.DLL being unavailable for OD and PNG and TGA files will not be available.

I read a reply along the lines of "well the paid version doesn't have this problem, wink wink". Great, but a flawed free version does not encourage me to buy a version which very well might have the exact same error, regardless of what a forum post says! 

Help me fix this and you likely have a sale, as I would like my tray icons in the dock as well!

 

9,263 views 11 replies
Reply #1 Top

I get the same problem with ObjectDock plus and the startmenu. The startmenu works fine even after the error when activated via Windows hotkey.

Reply #2 Top

That's bad...and good. Bad that it's a bug, good that there is a workaround...bad that I have disabled the Windows hotkey for gaming purpoes good that it is easy to restore. Thanks for the info.

Stardock guys, fix!

Reply #3 Top

The start menu issue is a known issue. It occurs in a minority of users but it is something we hope to address in the 2.0 version of the software. As I said before only some users have have this trouble.

Reply #4 Top

Please add me to the minority.  I wonder if it happens to a minority of the users, or if only a minority of users report it?

Reply #5 Top

Quoting kati42, reply 4
Please add me to the minority.  I wonder if it happens to a minority of the users, or if only a minority of users report it?
End of kati42's quote


We believe it to be the first one as we often test this out on our machines here and have had a very hard time ever replicating it. The developers are looking into as a priority though because even with it being a small percentage of people having this trouble it is reported well. Sorry for the trouble.

Reply #6 Top
I had the same problem, and people did in this forum link also:

https://forums.wincustomize.com/?postid=307467#reply

Changing from xp to classic windows did nothing, but the Start VBS option worked great and it works now!

I'm quoting "Bichur"

"I use the freeloader version - no issues except as to where the menu appears...

so I use a .vbs instead

copy into notepad:

set wShell=wscript.createobject("wscript.shell")
wShell.sendkeys "^{ESC}"

save as: start.vbs

point a shortcut on the dock to it"

I just opened notepad, copied his script, saved as c:\start, (changed the .txt at the end to .vbs) then added a new dock (not the default start one) and had it point to that file - voila it worked! I can get the Start Menu now!

P.S. Add me to the minority!
Reply #7 Top

I encountered the same Start Menu problem as stated above so i tried the vbs script and it works. But I noticed something weird: When I have the vbs shortcut in my dock, the regular Start Menu-Dock Item (the one that didn't work anymore), works now too! But as soon as I delete the vbs shortcut I get the error message (helper file failed to inject..) again. I have no clue why this happened so I registered here to report this, maybe it might help the developers to resolve the problem somehow.

edit: If the shortcut is put into a different dock, the error will appear again too, it only helps if it's in the same dock. And I also noticed: when I open the start menu from the task bar and then I try to click the start menu dock Item it will give me the error too, eventhough the vbs shortcut is there too. Only opening it via shortcut will let me open it with the basic dock item again (as long as they're in the same dock).

Reply #8 Top

As a follow up, I ended up purchasing ObjectDock Plus and I really do like it. Once I found some aftermarket icons and became more comfortable with the customizations it really turned my desktop into something I've always wanted and never had. It's what XP should have been ages ago..anyway, late to the party is better than never going at all!

Yet, the "Startmenu helper file failed to inject" does still exist in this version and I think I might have a clue as to when it appears, as it seems to only appear after I have to do something to the original explorer.exe instance if that instance hangs. And explorer hanging generally only happens with Dreamscenes.

So, if a dream hangs (switching between dreams or when it loops for example) and I have to kill explorer.exe and recreate a new one, sure as shooting the "failed to inject" error will show up if I try and access the start menu nad I have to kill the dock then restart the dock to fix it. not a terrible workaround, no rebooting required for instance.

I thought it was comodo's "windows defender" style hook and call interectping/blocking at first, but that doesn't seem to be it since that stuff has always been on and the dock otherwise works normally with it on and the error still shows up when it's off.

Reply #9 Top

Count me in the minority too.  I want to buy this, but not until it is fixed.  I'm running XP SP3 on a HP NC8230 laptop with 2GB of RAM.  The VBS work around seems a little cheesy.  Any idea when 2.0 will be out?

Reply #10 Top

Same here till the fix stuff.

 

As it is, 3rd party nonstardock startmenu's can be used instead to give one the same capability.


Stardock cant claim it cant be done, there are dozens of alternatives and I use one of them now as a startmenu alternative.

 

Reply #11 Top

Sorry for my english. I tried to explain what I do in Xp an it works for me. Go to the instalation folder and select "objectdock.exe", click with right mouse button and go to properties-->advanced options and uncheck the two first options accept and close. Thats all. This works fine to me.