Can not access display properties - help please

February 15, 2004 8:01 AM from

I have only recently purchased object desktop. As such these issues maybe becasue I am new to this product and need a driving lesson. Any help appreciated.

I have so far only installed Windows Blinds 4.2. I selected XP Corona as the skin to try first. I have noticed that the hide system tray icons no longer works, i.e. the sys tray icons don't get hidden if inactive. Is this

1) a feature of windows blinds in general?
2) a feature of only XP Corona?
3) something else that is not working?

I then tried to unload Windows Blinds to get back to the default XP windows to see if the system icons would disapper. This didn't work very well. Window Blinds unloaded, but I was back at Windows XP classic and not lunar. I can not get the display properties window at all. Right click on desktop or via control panel and nothing happens so I not configure my desktop.

I can restart Windows Blinds but still can not get the display window back, right click on desk top select properties still does nothing.

I need help.. Thanks

p.s. I am running Windows XP Pro with SP1

[Message Edited]

wincustomize

10,136 views 32 replies

Reply #1 February 15, 2004 8:16 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

It may be skin specific.

I'm using "Apollo" by Mike Bryant at present, and the inactive icons in sys-tray get hidden.

Try uninstalling Wb's, then see if you can access display properties again through control panel/right click desktop.
Apart from this, I can't tell you anything else.... but there will be others who can help you better than I can.

Hope you get it fixed soon, so you can see some of the other wonderful features Object Desktop has to offer.

Reply #2 February 15, 2004 8:46 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Many thanks,

I got the display properties back by rebooting, so the major panic is over

I am still having issues with the system tray. Just downloaded Ivory, looks very nice except the system tray again. One icon always appears outside the tray

I'll try Apollo and see what happens to the system tray.

Reply #3 February 15, 2004 9:07 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Let me know if it works on Apollo...

I guess if it does, then it must be skin specific

btw, I've found that some of the earlier wb skins are a bit "fidgetty" on the current version of WB's

heh, but that could just be me

[Message Edited]

Reply #4 February 15, 2004 10:06 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Open the WindowBlinds Configuration window, and go to User Overrides > Advanced Settings > in the dropdown box, make sure it is set to "Skin decides taskbar size" I've seen this cause problems when set to the other options.

Reply #5 February 15, 2004 10:28 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Thanks for the advice Wreckless Eric & Koasati. It was set to "Skin decides taskbar size", but I have played with changing this in the past. So I pressed apply changes again just in case. Previously been running Apollo for about 45 minutes without the icons becoming hidden.

I'll watch happens now I have reapplied "Skin decides taskbar size". Not sure what the timeout value is when an icon is classified as inactive, I'll leave it an one hour and check back.

Reply #6 February 15, 2004 10:44 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Right-clcik your taskbar and select Properties..... is "Hide inactive icons" checked? It could have been reset during your WindowBlinds install........ just another guess, I'm afraid.

Reply #7 February 15, 2004 10:56 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I was wondering that Koasati, but thought the settings in WB's would override it

Reply #8 February 15, 2004 11:17 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Hi Koasati,

I had checked that "hide inactive icons" was checked in the taskbar. I also reapplied skin decides taskbar size. Rebooted. Using Apollo skin and 30 minutes later system tray icons still will not hide.

I am puzzled....

Reply #9 February 15, 2004 11:36 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Just had a look in the registry and this doesn't look right,

under HKEY_CURRENT_USER the stardock installation created another HKEY_CURRENT_USER containing Software > Stardock > WinCustomizeTray

ie HKEY_CURRENT_USER > HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Stardock > WinCustomizeTray

This only contains "check updates" with a value of 6

Reply #10 February 15, 2004 11:37 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I am puzzled....

So am I..... I'm running Apollo right now, and the Hide Inactive Icons is working as it should. They hide within a few seconds.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know, right now, I'm stumped.

Reply #11 February 15, 2004 11:45 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

under HKEY_CURRENT_USER the stardock installation created another HKEY_CURRENT_USER containing Software > Stardock > WinCustomizeTray

ie HKEY_CURRENT_USER > HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Stardock > WinCustomizeTray

Yikes! I don't know what to tell you about that. The registry is a spooky place for me. I did take a look at mine, and see nothing like that.
Hopefully Gary(yrag) will pop-in, and help. He's very good at trouble shooting such problems...

Reply #12 February 15, 2004 12:00 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I would (also) suggest at this stage, not to touch anything there either.

I have two instances of HKEY_CURRENT_USER for wincustomise tray as well,(one about 6 rows below the other) but dont have the problems you have. The value of the second instance is also 6.

I'm sure you'll get the problem sorted, there's some good folks here

[Message Edited]

Reply #13 February 15, 2004 12:29 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Look in Task Manager and see if 'Trayserver. exe' is running

Reply #14 February 15, 2004 12:33 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Gary!

Reply #15 February 15, 2004 12:39 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Hey, Randy...

Reply #16 February 15, 2004 1:05 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

No trayserver.exe was running, although the program does exist on disk under c:\program files\common files\stardock. Double clicked on it, it now appears in task manager, but nothing happens to the icons in the system tray.

Very confused, the system tray worked fine until I installed Window Blinds.

Reply #17 February 15, 2004 1:11 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Do you have Stardock Central installed and if so, what version?

Reply #18 February 15, 2004 1:21 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Yes, I have Stardock Central v 1.22.247 build: 38

Reply #19 February 15, 2004 1:32 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

OK...first things first. Open SDC and in lower left corner under software tab, click show 'Pre-release Versions'. In SDC settings/General (right click SDC Tray Icon) click 'Show Beta/Alpha releases of Stardock Central'. Open and close SDC and let it update (to 1.24(b).42 Build 39 Beta 3). After it does, install newest version of Window Blinds (4.20c(b).002). When it's all said and done it sounds like you had a shareware version installed and didn't un-install it before installing WB4, but do the SDC thingy first and see what happens.

[Message Edited]

Reply #20 February 15, 2004 1:47 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

updating now, I'll post back when finished.

I only had the purchased copy of CursorXP before, I've never installed any other Stardock product before purchasing Object desktop yesterday.

Is it possible to include the purchased CursorXP I have into SDC? Just that I could then keep tracks of any new releases to CursorXP as well.

Many thanks.

Reply #21 February 15, 2004 1:56 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Yes...register it under 'Misc' in 'Registration Info' in lower right corner of SDC. It will then show under the 'Misc' tab in the upper tabs in SDC. (You will need your CursorXP serial number to enter into Registration info and make sure all were purchased under same E-mail addy)

Reply #22 February 15, 2004 1:57 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

CursorXP will be listed on the Misc tab, under Software. Be sure to enter your registration info on the Misc tab in the Register Products dialog. Also, it will not be listed as installed until you install it via SDC.

[Message Edited]

Reply #23 February 15, 2004 3:06 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Thanks Guys, this is just not my day.

I now have two problems.

1) registering previous CursorXP purchase, I still have my original serial number for Cursor XP that begins CX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXXX

If I cut & paste this into SDC under misc tab and click register I get a connection error 1001 "stardock central has been unable to contact its server......." I turned off Norton Personal firewall and retired and got the same error..

2) I have updated via pre-releases to Window Blinds [beta] 4.20c[b].002 and I still have the issue with system try icons not being hidden. (still using apollo skin)

I appreciate the help you have offered, any further suggestions welcome.

Reply #24 February 15, 2004 3:34 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Take that back... item 2 appears to be solved, i.e. my system tray icons have now started to disappear!

The show hidden icons button has just appeared! I'll revert back to XP Corona skin and see what happens.

Any extra advice on how to get my CursorXP into SDC most welcome.

Reply #25 February 15, 2004 3:38 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I'll take back the take back...

XP Corona has disappeared from the list of skins under Windows Blinds....

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