Deskscapes and Windows Gadgets

Running Win7_64 Professional, ATI4870, Intel i920, 6GB of RAM, dual monitors

When running Deskscapes, initially everything works fine but after a while the desktop gadgets remain on top at all times instead of being covered over by the active window.

I can turn off deskscapes, reboot, and turn it back on and the gadgets will be covered up by the focus window again but only for a time. I'm not sure if it's related to the monitors shutting off (after 20 mins) or not yet but am watching for it.

I can also 'fix' it by closing the desktop gadgets and going back into the desktop gadgets gallery and reenabling them but then I have to reconfigure them as well.

Anyone else?

R

15,720 views 9 replies
Reply #1 Top

I'm having the same problem, does anyone know how to fix it? It's super annoying and kind of a deal breaker for me.

Reply #2 Top

Same thing here.  Exactly except I have only one monitor and run home premium.  My effects start withing minutes after rebooting and running programs   I will have to uninstall it until a fix comes out.  Sorry about that because the animation were really cool.  On the bright side I did not pay any money for the better animations. 

I wonder why more window 7 users do not have this problem or what is so special about us.  Plus my cpu runs at 21% just resting.

 I just spent $24 to renew my object desktop software so that I could install the latest version of Deskscape.  It looked like it had fixed the problem but after a while the desktop gadgets were back on top again.   I may never have animated desktops.

Reply #3 Top

I have Win 7 x64. Deskscapes are fine, but certain gadgets run goofy after the screen saver comes off. It doesn't matter about monitors (2). I just quit using those gadgets (and some widgets also) All my favorites run fine. My theory was that the ones in questions were sucking up available memory, as I have had that problem with some Deskscapes. I could just imagine that the first couple skins I make would be memory hogs or something else, so I am not mad at the creators if that is the case.

Reply #4 Top

I have wenstep "modules" (eg ram meter) that are unaffected by this.  Just the micosoft supported ones.

my gadgets are standard like clock calendar and weather.

 

These animated screen were gorgeous.  Damn I hate to give them up.  I hope there will be a fix for this.

Reply #5 Top

Microsoft no longer supports gadgets. Already with Win 7 I have found several that just don't work. When I try to find a web page of a creator to get updated ones, they are not there. Concentrate more on independent creators like those at Wincustomize as MS will soon just stop. Because the applications are all supported in one place, the gadgets made by people who are here are more likely to be comparable. Saying that, my favorite gadget is one that relays the earthquakes as they happen. He is still active creating gadgets. In fact, he has several that track computer health. I don't remember if I had trouble with them, but I did run them for a while. There is a lovely computer system information gadget made by another person that I have not been able to get it to work on Win 7, even before I installed Deskscapes. The one place is called addgadget.com that has the Earthquake gadget plus the others I mentioned.

Reply #6 Top

I stopped using gadgets in favor of Rainmeter after one of the skinners added every function I needed, but under Vista Ultimate 64 bit I never had problems with the sidebar and Deskscapes.  I used to keep the gadgets floating off the sidebar with the sidebar actually closed.  Not sure if that's the difference since Win 7 doesn't use sidebar anyway.  

Reply #7 Top

I haven't noticed it since I turned the opacity of the gadgets down to 80%. Give it a shot and see if it works for you.

The reason some dreams have a higher CPU usage is due to the format and bitrate the videos were encoded as. WMVs will always have a higher CPU usage than MPGs. Looking at what's been uploaded lately, a lot of the newer Dream creaters are using high bitrate WMV, which in my opinion is a big mistake.

While I haven't had the free time to create any new ones lately, try some of mine and you will notice a difference in CPU use.

Reply #8 Top

I solved the problem by searching the web and finding gadgets that had preferences where you can set "on desktop" or "on bottom"  I found a good site http://www.adni18.com/gallery/index.php with a lot of good looking gadgets.  Norton choked when I tried to install their weather gadget.  Has anyone else had experiences with this site?  Is it legit?

Deskscapes is now running  and looking good.

Reply #9 Top

Adni18 is definitely a legit side. The owner of the site also has skins including windowblinds on this site. Feel safe using adni18.com.