Fences partially overwrites windows on top of it

from Stardock Forums

Has someone experienced, and fixed, the issue where one or more fences will overwrite the contents of windows above it? This happens at least once per day for me, but only with inactive windows/apps.

fences
18,009 views 24 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having issues. Could you post a video of the issue so we can understand your problem

Thank you.

Basj,

Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Video probably wouldn't give any more info than a picture. Besides, it's not something I can produce myself. It just "happens" and I've not found out what triggers it.

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

From the picture. That should not happened. As far as I know Fences only work on Desktop, never on top of any windows active or inactive. Please try the purge and reinstall problem to see if it help. : https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#reinstalling

Please re-download fences in your account. Reboot reinstall and reboot again. Test to see if the problem still there and report back.

Thank you,

 

Basj,

Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 3

From the picture. That should not happened. As far as I know Fences only work on Desktop, never on top of any windows active or inactive. Please try the purge and reinstall problem to see if it help. : https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#reinstalling

Please re-download fences in your account. Reboot reinstall and reboot again. Test to see if the problem still there and report back.
End of basj's quote

Yeah, I would have been flabbergasted if that was the intended behavior ;)

 

Is it possible to backup my settings, or should I wipe as much as possible?

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Fences Snapshot will give you a backup of a setting you like 

 


AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Well, it took a few hours, but it happened again. Seems to happen every time the folder is updated (these are folder portals) and the fence is refreshed while there are windows on top of it.

 

Any more ideas on how to fix it?

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

What is that portal fences link to? Cloud or network drive?

Thank you,

 

Basj,

Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 7

What is that portal fences link to? Cloud or network drive?
End of basj's quote

 

Network drive. The NAS hasn't hibernated or anything when it happened the last few times.

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 9

You could try this workaround. https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#folderportalsempty
End of basj's quote

 

Well, that doesn't solve the problem. For one, the files are available, so it's not an issue. Also, I don't want fences with shortcuts in them. It would mean an extra click. Besides, the problem is when the fence redraws itself - not that I cannot see its contents.

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.

Quoting basj, reply 3

Please try the purge and reinstall problem to see if it help. : https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#reinstalling
End of basj's quote

Have you done this...?

----------------
Sean Drohan
Stardock Customer Service Manager

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting tiwas, reply 12

Yup. I did the purge, but it didn't help.
End of tiwas's quote

Does it last past an F5 (refresh) or a restart of Windows Explorer?

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting sdRohan, reply 13
Does it last past an F5 (refresh) or a restart of Windows Explorer?
End of sdRohan's quote

Windows explorer's not the problem. The drawing of the window is. If I minimze the windows on top and the restore them they will draw correctly. After a while, the fence will partially overwrite it again.

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting tiwas, reply 14

Windows explorer's not the problem.
End of tiwas's quote

Fences runs in Windows Explorer process and the reason for the ask.

----------------
Sean Drohan
Stardock Customer Service Manager

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting sdRohan, reply 15
Fences runs in Windows Explorer process and the reason for the ask.

End of sdRohan's quote

 

Ok, so next time it overwrites you want me to open a window explorer window and refresh it?

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting tiwas, reply 16

Ok, so next time it overwrites you want me to open a window explorer window and refresh it?
End of tiwas's quote

No... Restart Windows Explorere from Task Manager:

I want to know if that works....

----------------
Sean Drohan
Stardock Customer Service Manager

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top

Ok, thanks. Will try next time it happens. Part of the problem is that it some times happens within seconds while it can take a day next time. And obviously, if I click on a window on top of it the problem will go away for a while.

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Ok, I just wanted to update you about my situation. After I restarted explorer.exe, the issue has not resurfaced. However, I have yet to restart my computer - and I hope I'm not expected to restart explorer.exe every time I restart my computer. :)

Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top

Ok, so I spoke out of turn. A few minutes after I posted the update the problem manifested itself again. This time, it was because I shut down the NAS. Could it be a timeout thing? If the NAS doesn't answer requests quickly enough? Even so, it shouldn't paint over other windows. That's a bug you should figure out. If you want to you can send me a fences version with debugging enabled.

Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting tiwas, reply 20

Ok, so I spoke out of turn. A few minutes after I posted the update the problem manifested itself again. This time, it was because I shut down the NAS. Could it be a timeout thing? If the NAS doesn't answer requests quickly enough? Even so, it shouldn't paint over other windows. That's a bug you should figure out. If you want to you can send me a fences version with debugging enabled.
End of tiwas's quote

I am not asking you to do it every time, but again, did a restart of WinExp fix it?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting sdRohan, reply 21
I am not asking you to do it every time, but again, did a restart of WinExp fix it?

End of sdRohan's quote

 

For the time being, but it hasn't been long.

 

Is it possible to delay the start of fences? That might at least fix an annoyance, and it may be (at least a partial) a solution to this problem.

Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting tiwas, reply 22

Is it possible to delay the start of fences?
End of tiwas's quote

I am afraid not - it runs in the WinExplorer process.

----------------
Sean Drohan
Stardock Customer Service Manager

Reply #24 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting sdRohan, reply 23
I am afraid not - it runs in the WinExplorer process.

End of sdRohan's quote

 

Even though it's a wrapper on top of the explorer.exe process it should be possible to delay startup. There's code to display the windows (fences), which is not part of explorer.