Platform Timer Resolution...Still

Paused/Disabled DeskScapes Eats Battery

https://forums.stardock.com/391294/page/1/#2722409
from Stardock Forums

I decided to search before I posted.  And found my own post on the subject from ten years ago.

According to the email I received when I filed a support ticket earlier this week, this isn't a topic that email support is offered on.

TL;DR - When DeskScapes is installed but not being used, it STILL (ten years later) demands a higher platform timer resolution.  I don't mean "paused when on battery power," I mean "I don't even have a DeskScapes background loaded--just a JPG I picked through Windows."

The only way to return the platform timer resolution to Windows' default idle is to completely uninstall DeskScapes.

What reason is there for this behavior?  The program is not doing anything, and its impact on battery life is to cut it in half on my Zephyrus G14 which is otherwise very efficient (the reviewers and their 10 hour-plus claims aren't wrong in "real world").

deskscapes
10,091 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hello,

I have forwarded your report to the Stardock support team for their review and recommendations.

Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates.

We really do appreciate your feedback, thanks.

 

AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Video playback tends to require more accurate timers in order to achieve smoothness but nothing should be altered unless a background via Deskscapes is being played.

Couple of questions.

1) Which version of DeskScapes is this?

2) If you sign out and back in again does the problem continue?

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Neil, reply 2

Video playback tends to require more accurate timers in order to achieve smoothness but nothing should be altered unless a background via Deskscapes is being played.

Couple of questions.

1) Which version of DeskScapes is this?

2) If you sign out and back in again does the problem continue?
End of Neil's quote

1) 10.02.0.
2) Signing in/out has no effect.

The wallpaper was set through Windows Personalize.  Truth be told, I installed DeskScapes and didn't even launch it--I use it for winter snow/Christmas but not during other times of the year.  

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

So I'm less sure it's DeskScapes.  But it's still something Stardock.  Here's why.

When I ran powercfg -energy, Windows pointed a finger at Explorer, DeskScapes, Groupy...  In fact, it blamed Rainmeter too (for lowering the platform timer resolution).

I removed DeskScapes and WindowBlinds.

Windows no longer said anything about Groupy.  Or Rainmeter.

Stripped of WindowBlinds, the platform timer resolution stays where Windows wants it.  I suspect that anything which interacts with Explorer is then hooked into WindowBlind's desire to lower the timer resolution even if that application doesn't do so on its own.

Now, I understand WindowBlinds is a UI customizer, so there may be valid reasons for it to insist on hammering the CPU.  But for my laptop, which I bought for the allegedly epic battery life, I settled for a different way of getting transparency back that doesn't show up on Windows energy reports.