Windowblinds Service causes Context-menu problem

Windows Context-menu

from Stardock Forums

The lowest part of my file/folder context-menu

Hi,

For years I have a strange problem with my file/folder context-menu in Windows 10 (my most recent build: 20H2, build 19042.804, but I already had this problem in Windows 7, and even in earlier Window versions). 

I never knew what caused it, and kind of accepted it, but I got more and more annoyed, so I decided to ask help in the Windows tech forum a few days ago.

With some help (extensive problem solving in/with clean boot mode, with disabling/enabling Services and Startup items, via msconfig, System configuration), I was finally able to pin-point the problem.

This is the problem:

When you have a really long file/folder context-menu in Windows, that doesn't fit the screen, as I do, and you have to scroll down for the lowest items, then the text of these items is completely scrambled (SEE SCREENSHOT), as if more than 1 text is displayed at the same time on every line of the context-menu.

If the Windowblind service is DISabled (via clean boot, and consecutive normal boot, with the Windowblind service disabled), and all other services and startup items are ENabled then the lowest items of the context-menu are displayed completely normal. I tried all other combinations of Services and Startup items, but was not able to replicate the problem then. It only occurs with the Windowblinds service enabled.

So, I think this is a Windowblinds bug?

 

Best,

Arnoud

60,944 views 31 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Would like to know more things.

  1. Windowblinds versions.
  2. Is the issue only happened on any WB theme or just few theme. If only few please specify which theme so we can try to reproduce it in our system.
  3. Monitor/s resolutions and scaling applied (100%, 125% etc)

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi Basj,

 

WB version is 10.84 (..059 - Windows 10).

It occurs with all WB blinds, in the screenshot I used for example Frosted Blue by Don (don5318), but as I said it happens with all skins.

The only way to get rid of it, is to select the 'Default Theme'  but as I understood it, this basically disables all WB skinnable items (so, that might be comparable by disabling the WB service.. ?).

 

Thanks,

Best,

Arnoud

Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

I used to have this issue long time ago. But now, I don't see it anymore. Not really sure what I did to solved it. I would suggest 3 things.

  1. Make sure your graphics driver is using the latest available driver.
  2. Try the purge and reinstall step as mentioned here : https://forums.stardock.com/486023/windowblinds-support-faq#reinstalling. Redownload the latest WB installer, reboot after the purge and reinstall. Reboot again and retest. If it the issue still there.
  3. Try the cleanboot to see if there is something else creating the issue : https://forums.stardock.com/486023/windowblinds-support-faq#cleanboot

Try those first and report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Okay,

Ad 1.: Graphics driver NVIDIA GF GTX 1080 is running with the latest update installed

Ad 3.: I did just that, please see my initial post... So, I already checked all services and startup items in clean boot mode (took quite some work), and none of them recreated the problem, only the WB service did.

Ad 2. I could do that, I'll report back on it.

Best,

Arnoud

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

UPDATE:

Basj, I did the Purge, it took me a while, because after re-installing WB (last version/installer from stardock website), I was not able to reach the stardock.com domain again (the same with the wincustomize.com domain, before the purge there was no problem with reaching these sites, and strangely enough I had to add both sites manually to the exceptions in my Antivirus software).

So, concerning my problem, nothing changed, it is still exactly the same with the context-menu.

Ad 1 and ad 3, I had already done, so now I have done all you suggested.

Are you able to replicate my problem? Just to remind you, it concerns the file/folder context-menu and it should be a long list, so it doesn't fit on the screen and you have to scroll down for the lowest items in the menu. 

Arnoud

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

No, I can not reproduce/replicate it. Here a screenshot with my very long menu.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Anyway, I have forward your problem/question to Stardock Support and Dev Team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience.

I wonder, if you have a dual GPU system. My last system, if I remember correctly, was Intel i5 2500K which has internal GPU and external GTX 1050. That system having the same problem as yours. My current PC is Ryzen 5 2600 which do not have internal GPU.

If you do have internal GPU, this solutions Reply#12 & #13 might also help you. https://forums.stardock.com/490929/get;3747145

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Okay,

ad reply#6: did you scroll down all the way in the rightmost submenu? 

ad reply#7:

Thanks, I will keep an eye on the thread.

I don't have an internal GPU, I have a AMD Ryzen 7 1800X processor on an AMD motherboard (Asus Crosshair VI Hero).

Best,

Arnoud

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting arno1971, reply 8

ad reply#6: did you scroll down all the way in the rightmost submenu?
End of arno1971's quote

Yes. Its all the way to the right.. and some need to bounce back to the left since not enough space on that side.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

 

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Okay I see, yes strange then that I do have this issue and you don't.

I hope Stardock Support/Dev Team still have an idea/solution.

 

Thanks Basj,

Arnoud

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Basj, I just realized that in your demonstration (video), you didn't test the file/folder context menu, so, from within windows explorer, total commander (which I use frequently) etc. That is where I have my problem (realize that windows 10 has 6 different context menu categories).

Arnoud

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Btw, I checked my NVIDIA settings like you suggested (solution 12/13 in the link you provided) but all seemed to be good, and I checked just to be sure, I only have one GPU.

Best,

Arnoud

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

Please post a video on how you recreate the issue, so that I can try to follow and recreate it on my end.

Thanks

Basj

Stardock Community Assistant. 

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi Basj, I am not at all handy with making videos like this, so instead I made a few screen captures.

1. opening total commander

2. right-clicking on a file/folder (folder in this case)

3. scrolling down to the uttermost item at the bottom.

Best,

Arnoud

 

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

P.s. you gotta be kidding me... I just found out that the problem only exists in Total Commander (last version/update 9.51), not in Windows explorer, not in XYplorer, and not in Directory Opus (these are the file managers I cross-use). I never thought of the possibility that that would make a difference. But it is still the case that disabling the WB service in a clean boot session, will solve the issue, so, in Total Commander as well.

Best, 

Arnoud

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

I need to scale my display to 150% to saw it happened on Total Commander in my system. My menu not long enough to see it on 100% scale. I would say it is not fully compatible with Windowblinds. You can set WB to ignore it/don't skin it, if you really need to use Total Commander. Or use those other Files managers. For me, Windows explorer still work well.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

 

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

Yes, I think you are right about a probable compatability issue. 

The thing is, I use (the paid version of) Total commander for more than 15 years now, and I am really hooked to it, but I'll consider to put it on an ignore list in WB like you suggest. 

Thanks Basj,

Arnoud

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top

Great, glad to help.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Update: so, I just found out, it is not only with Total commander. It is also with the filemanager XYplorer (paid version, but I think that  doesn't make a difference). In Directory Opus (another file manager, once again, paid version), it is fine but that is only because there, the context menu is scrollable with the mouse, so even the lowest 'off-screen' items show normally then.

So, it seems like it has to do something with the way file managers handle their context-menus I guess(?)

Best,

Arnoud

Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top

I have the EXACT same problem with long menus in Media Player Classic HC, so it's not just 'file managers'.  I tried all the skins that came with WindowBlinds, always the same result ... and since Basj himself confirms that this problem exists, why is there no solution yet?  The problem is not solved just because the original poster said he would set the programs in question to be excluded from skinning...

Has there been any progress with that issue yet?

Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Yellow99, reply 20

I have the EXACT same problem with long menus in Media Player Classic HC, so it's not just 'file managers'.  I tried all the skins that came with WindowBlinds, always the same result ... and since Basj himself confirms that this problem exists, why is there no solution yet?  The problem is not solved just because the original poster said he would set the programs in question to be excluded from skinning...

Has there been any progress with that issue yet?
End of Yellow99's quote

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I can't seem to reproduce the issue on MPC. The longest MPC menu I can see is the Recent files list. Please post a screenshot of your issue and way to reproduce it on my system.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 21

I can't seem to reproduce the issue on MPC. The longest MPC menu I can see is the Recent files list. Please post a screenshot of your issue and way to reproduce it on my system.
End of basj's quote

It's not directly an MPC problem, that's just where I noticed it (when I access my SAT receiver through MPC-HC, I get a 50+ channels menu list; it's not there 'by default').  But it seems to be a problem with scrolling menus in general.

You already DID manage to reproduce the problem on your system, please see all the previous posts in this thread.  The problem wasn't solved then; the original poster only said that he would exclude the programs in question from being skinned (which IMHO is not a solution).

Sooo... any news / progress on this yet?

Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top

If you are referring to issue mentioned above, no, I believe, there is nothing on it yet. As I mentioned about its compatibility issue, but to be sure, I have forward your problem/question to Stardock Support Team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #24 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.

Quoting Yellow99, reply 22

You already DID manage to reproduce the problem on your system, please see all the previous posts in this thread. 
End of Yellow99's quote

Only when:

Quoting basj, reply 16

I need to scale my display to 150% to saw it happened on Total Commander in my system
End of basj's quote

I have little doubt that if a clean boot was done:

https://forums.stardock.com/486023/windowblinds-support-faq#cleanboot

And if no 3rd party shells were left installed, that this issue would not likely be seen.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Reply #25 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting sdRohan, reply 24

I have little doubt that if a clean boot was done:

https://forums.stardock.com/486023/windowblinds-support-faq#cleanboot

And if no 3rd party shells were left installed, that this issue would not likely be seen.
End of sdRohan's quote

Hi; I do not remember having any 3rd party shells installed except OpenShell, which is needed for a 'Classic Start Menu' (and nothing else).

Since even basj was able to reproduce it on his computer (see postings above) and didn't find a solution, are you SURE that it's a problem with '3rd party shells'?  Can you CONFIRM that 'oversized menus' scroll without a glitch on YOUR computer?