Responsiveness - Windows10

Hello,

I´d like to know if I am the only one perceiving general slugishness of Fences3/3.0.3 under Windows 10 64x.
 

I have 4K display, and around 100 icons, no folder portals. The lag between clicking on the icon, and its actual selection, ranges between 1 and 2 seconds.

When I switch Fences off, everything is instant, and smooth. With Fences on, selecting, moving, or boxing icons gets very choppy, and slow.

My CPU is i4770, Windows is freshly installed, and this is the only app I´ve got issues with. 

 

Anybody else has similar experience?

 

Thanks,

JK

46,498 views 28 replies +1 Loading…
Reply #2 Top

Same issue here. Whenever you do anything on the desktop it forces a refresh. The icons move all over the place, possibly their original locations before Fences was installed, and after the screen is redrawen the icons move to their correct lositions. This can take up to 10 or more seconds.

I have gone back to an earlier build of Windows 10, 15007, which does not have this affliction.

I know you don't support beta builds of windows but this 'problem' has been carried over a few builds now and this may well be a long term situation.

Has Stardock had any communication with the development team of Windows 10 to discuss issues?

It's very frustrating when great software is being crippled in this way.

Regards.

n4ken

Reply #3 Top

Same issue here. Captured in GIF form, for anyone interested.
It's probably worth noting I'm on the developer preview, and that these issues started a few weeks ago for me.
I don't think it's a Fences change that did it, I'm fairly certain it's a Windows change.

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Reply #4 Top

Quoting networkauditor, reply 3

I don't think it's a Fences change that did it, I'm fairly certain it's a Windows change.

 

It is, however it's been many weeks now since this started and the insider preview build is now very close to RTM so considering we pay for Fences isn't it about time it gets addressed?

Reply #5 Top

Quoting Placeboprs, reply 4

and the insider preview build is now very close to RTM so considering we pay for Fences isn't it about time it gets addressed?

The way Win 10 is rolled out there will never be an end to "Insider Builds".

What you 'might' get is a public [stable] release which can [realistically only then] be addressed by Developers.

Chasing tails with insider build versions is virtually pointless if/when changes can be reversed thus simply undoing anything addressed by playing chasey with Microsoft's whims...;)

Developers [of any proggy] should really only be addressing public-use/stable releases so as not to allow inherent beta bugs to confuse THEIR own issues of compatibility...;)

Reply #7 Top

Same 1 to 2 second delay for me as well.  Even slower to make them disappear.

Reply #8 Top

It is great that after so many months since I brought attention to this problem many others finally experience it too.

Fences work much better on my laptop (full hd), so I suspect it has something to do with higher resolution (4K), and/or multiple monitors setups.

 

Reply #9 Top

Would you happen to be running the Preview version of Windows on the machine you're experiencing problems with? If not, this could potentially be a bigger issue.

Reply #10 Top

Of course not, always the most recent STABLE version.

Reply #11 Top

Created an account today specifically to post about this. Seems to have just started happening to me in the last 24 hours (though I don't think that I changed / installed anything, though I guess that could've happened in the background). My symptoms are kinda weird:

  • I have 3 screen setup: a laptop, a 4K monitor, and a 2560x1440 monitor.
  • The lag problem ONLY happens on my 4K monitor (where all of my Fences are usually located; though if I move the Fences to one of the other monitors, the lag issue on the 4K monitor persists)
  • The most noticeable effect is when I LEFT-CLICK on something: it takes about 0.5 seconds to 'register'. Like if I hold the left-mouse button down and drag the cursor to highlight a rectangular area, the mouse moves in real-time as it should, but the blue-bordered selection area takes 0.5 seconds to show up. Same thing if I try to pick up an icon...it takes about 0.5 seconds for that icon to actually move on the display.
  • Also of note: this lag ONLY happens on the desktop. If I have an application open, the mouse works normally, and there's no lag either in the application, or if I want to drag the application around the desktop.
  • Like I said, there's no left-click lag on either the laptop or the 2560x1440 display; only on the 4K monitor.

I've had the 4K monitor for a month and this wasn't happening until today. If I uninstall Fences, everything works normally. I agree: we're paying for this, and it's clear that it's not an individual issue, so hoping to see a fix soon.

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Reply #12 Top

Quoting MarkDavis, reply 12

Seems to have just started happening to me in the last 24 hours (though I don't think that I changed / installed anything, though I guess that could've happened in the background).

That's Win 10's 'quaint' updating service, I'm sure.

First point to note is whether or not you are on an Insider preview - something that cannot be supported [by anyone] in a timely manner.

If it is an actual Public Win 10 then it can be addressed, but still Third Party Developers are reliant on just how stable/predictable these forced updates actually are - [and often they are not].

Reply #13 Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 13


Quoting MarkDavis,

Seems to have just started happening to me in the last 24 hours (though I don't think that I changed / installed anything, though I guess that could've happened in the background).

That's Win 10's 'quaint' updating service, I'm sure.

First point to note is whether or not you are on an Insider preview - something that cannot be supported [by anyone] in a timely manner.

If it is an actual Public Win 10 then it can be addressed, but still Third Party Developers are reliant on just how stable/predictable these forced updates actually are - [and often they are not].

How can I tell whether this is the case or not?

Reply #14 Top

Quoting MarkDavis, reply 14


Quoting Jafo,






Quoting MarkDavis,



Seems to have just started happening to me in the last 24 hours (though I don't think that I changed / installed anything, though I guess that could've happened in the background).

That's Win 10's 'quaint' updating service, I'm sure.

First point to note is whether or not you are on an Insider preview - something that cannot be supported [by anyone] in a timely manner.

If it is an actual Public Win 10 then it can be addressed, but still Third Party Developers are reliant on just how stable/predictable these forced updates actually are - [and often they are not].



How can I tell whether this is the case or not?

Chances are if you're on the Preview, you'll know it. It's something you have to go out of your way to sign up for. Either that, or maybe you have a tech-savvy friend?
Anyway, the easiest way just to see is check for a build number in the bottom right of your desktop. If you see nothing, it's probably a "stable" release. If you see words there, it'll tell you exactly what you're on.

While I'm here, I'll note that I DON'T have a multi-monitor or 4K setup. Just a 1080p laptop. I still experience the issue. 

Reply #15 Top

I wish you´d drop the preview release theory, it distracts from the true cause of the issue.
None runs the preview release by default, unless that person very voluntarily opted to receive it, and as such is aware of potential difficulties.

Reply #16 Top

Yeah, it really doesn't seem from this thread like it has anything to do with W10 previews.  Not sure this will help, but what was odd for me is that I first noticed this while troubleshooting a mouse hardware issue: I'd disassembled my Logitech M325 mouse to clean off the scroll wheel (and while doing so temporarily un-paired with the Logitech unifying receiver.) And it was immediately after I put the mouse back together and paired with the receiver that I noticed the lag on the 4K screen; so of course my first thought was that it had something to do with the mouse, though I couldn't imagine what.

But then I noticed that the lag occurred with a different mouse and ALSO with my laptop's trackpad. And like I said, the problem disappeared when I un-installed Fences, and re-appeared when I re-installed / enabled it.  And then coming here and finding this thread confirmed that it was definitely a Fences-related issue. Nonetheless, I still found it remarkably coincidental that this problem appeared up for me immediately after trying to troubleshoot a mouse issue.

(FWIW, while troubleshooting the mouse, I may also have changed basic mouse settings like pointer speed while doing this, but like I said: (a.) it happens when I scroll and left-click with my laptop's trackpad, and (b.) it only happens on my 4K monitor, so doubt the settings had anything to do with this.) Anyways, sounds like this is a widespread issue so really doubt it has to do with that, just wanted to provide full info in case it's part of the puzzle.

Reply #17 Top

I´ve just tried to hook up 4K display to my laptop, and I immediately perceived slugishness of icons movement and in their response. Slow-down was more profound on the secondory 4K display, and less, but still noticable, on the laptop.

My best guess is that the algorithm of Fences, which is responsible for icons sorting, is unoptimized piece of code, and when it must perform its job on 4 times the amount of pixels compared to FULLHD, it just cannot perform.

Devs should get on this, it is no longer year 2000 when 1080p was hip.

Reply #18 Top

This is a 'recent' phenomenon and I have spent quite some time working on it. I have found that the size of the desktop icons has an effect on the problem.

Press and hold 'ctrl' key and scroll the mouse wheel up/down and your desktop icons will change size.

I found that I could change the size and the effect of the problem reduced dramatically.

I found I had to change just one mouse click of the wheel to reduce the size slightly and the desktop icons barely move when the screen refreshes.

Restore the original size of the dektop icons and the screen refresh problems return.

The problem started for me after build 14986 of windows 10. The problems persist even to todays latest build 15301.

There is a chance that microsoft released a general update to everyone even for the release users.

No developer can promise to fix faults that are introduced to beta builds. What does get me mad is that Microsoft continue to add more 'go faster stripes'

and gadgets onto of a build that has persistant bugs in it.

I believe the problems are down to windows.... unless of course Stardock developers have used some unofficial obsure method in their code and only now

has it come to the surface. I don't know it's only a thought but whoever is responsible it needs to be sorted quickly.

Reply #19 Top

Quoting kenmcfall, reply 19

This is a 'recent' phenomenon and I have spent quite some time working on it. I have found that the size of the desktop icons has an effect on the problem.

Press and hold 'ctrl' key and scroll the mouse wheel up/down and your desktop icons will change size.

I found that I could change the size and the effect of the problem reduced dramatically.

I found I had to change just one mouse click of the wheel to reduce the size slightly and the desktop icons barely move when the screen refreshes.

Restore the original size of the dektop icons and the screen refresh problems return.

FWIW, I tried this (ctrl+scroll) and while it changed the size of the desktop icons, it didn't affect the magnitude of the problem for me; i.e. my left-click lag was always about 0.5 seconds irrespective of the size of the icons.  Seems like it's manifesting in slightly different ways for all of us, which perhaps suggests some sub-optimal code.

Reply #20 Top

Quoting MarkDavis, reply 20

Quoting kenmcfall,

This is a 'recent' phenomenon and I have spent quite some time working on it. I have found that the size of the desktop icons has an effect on the problem.

Press and hold 'ctrl' key and scroll the mouse wheel up/down and your desktop icons will change size.

I found that I could change the size and the effect of the problem reduced dramatically.

I found I had to change just one mouse click of the wheel to reduce the size slightly and the desktop icons barely move when the screen refreshes.

Restore the original size of the dektop icons and the screen refresh problems return.



FWIW, I tried this (ctrl+scroll) and while it changed the size of the desktop icons, it didn't affect the magnitude of the problem for me; i.e. my left-click lag was always about 0.5 seconds irrespective of the size of the icons.  Seems like it's manifesting in slightly different ways for all of us, which perhaps suggests some sub-optimal code.

The problem is you are comparing different things.  Some users here are on the insider build of Windows 10 which has its own issues, you are on the release build of Windows 10 and the issue you are having is probably unrelated to the insider build problems (which had MS changes to how icons are arranged on multiple monitors)

Reply #21 Top

Seems to be fixed with 15031, when I double click an icon on my desktop it reacts appropriately and immediately :)

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Reply #22 Top

^^ I thought that we'd decided that it had nothing to do with W10 Preview/Insider releases...as I mentioned earlier, I'm just a regular non-power user and I never download any betas/previews/insider releases or whatever, and I'm still experiencing the desktop lag thing, which is as bad as ever. FWIW, it appears that I'm running: W10 Version 1607 (OS Build 14393.693)...does that help at all?

ALSO, while I described my lag issue as ONLY appearing on my 4K exernal monitor when in my laptop+2-external-displays setup (the 4K monitor is my "Main Display" where all of my Fences are), I took my laptop to a coffee shop (with no external monitors), and the lag was happening on my laptop screen (which it never does when I have my external monitors hooked up). So I guess there goes my theory that it has to do with my 4K monitor...it really does seem to be simply occurring on whatever display has the bulk of my Fences on it. Have the devs addressed this yet? Seems to be a real problem...

Reply #23 Top

The reason the lag persists even with the 4K display disconnected is that there still remains "virtual" 4K desktop, which is taken into account during Fences computations.

Reply #24 Top

Quoting Placeboprs, reply 22

Seems to be fixed with 15031, when I double click an icon on my desktop it reacts appropriately and immediately :)

Same! It's still not 100% as good as non-fences responsiveness, but it's well back into the "usable" range now. :)

Reply #25 Top

Not for me. Just as bad as ever. Whichever monitor my Fences are on is laggy beyond belief / still well-within the totally-unusable bucket.