Start10 removes acrylic blur - please help

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Need to know more on your system.

1. Windows version, please use Winver.exe to get to full Windows versions.
2. Start10 version installed.
3. Do you have Curtains or Windowblinds installed? Version for those too.
4. Screenshot with a light background would help to see the issue much much better.
5. Any other relevant information would help.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Hi, yes I have both installed (Start10 1.96; Curtains 1.17). Windows10 20H2 19042.870

And I already tried uninstalling both, then I reinstalled curtains and it still worked. After installing Start10 however, the blur changed. So I figured Start10 was the problem. But here's the funny part, I just tried uninstalling them both and reinstalling in the reversed order (Start10 first, then curtains) - and surprise, as long as only Start10 was installed, it worked again. Once both programs were installed the blur changed again.

Unfortunately that raises even more questions. Is there any toggle I am not seeing? I know there is one in Start10 if you select a different start menu style but I am not doing that currently, so that toggle isnt active and besides I think it only applies to the start menu itself.

Screenshot for comparision: Top is the "wrong" blur, bottom is the regular acrlyic blur I want back:

Hello,

There are places to set taskbar transparency. Please refer to screenshot below.

For Curtains. It depend on each Style. If the taskbar transparency mode is set to none. Than the Start10 Taskbar setting should work. If it is set to transparent or Blur than, I believe, Start10 will lost it control on it. This sometimes only can be seen if you restart Explorer.exe or Reboot the system.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi, I havent tampered with these settings and so they are exactly like shown in your screen.

My taskbar in general seems to have been broken by Curtains/Start10 - i cant even apply a theme through curtains on it anymore. It shows in the preview, but cant be applied.

It did work a few days ago tho...

Try purge and reinstall steps for both product using this link as guide :-

1. For Start10 https://forums.stardock.com/486022/start10-support-faq#reinstalling
2. For Curtains https://forums.stardock.com/500728/curtains-support-faq#CurtainsPurge

Just make sure to re-download the latest version from your account. Purge both, Reboot after the purged. Reinstall, and Reboot after each install. Retest it. Report back here.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hello,

I've tried your suggestion and completely purged the software. Unfortunately the problem persists. Once I install both, the blur changes. THis is very weird. 

Do you have any other software that changes Startmenu or Taskbar installed? You said it did work before, so what has change since then? New software installed? New driver update? Setting change?

Please do a Cleanboot https://forums.stardock.com/486022/start10-support-faq#cleanboot and report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi, I followed this advice, no luck. i didn't install any software and can't pinpoint the exact moment it stopped working.

However I did notice that in the curtains in settings the "apply style to taskbar" was unchecked, maybe I accidentally clicked on that before. Anyway I enabled this and now I can apply curtains-styles on the taskbar again - as long as Start10 isn't installed, because the problem persists.

Since I switched back to the original start menu a few weeks ago anyway I have simply uninstalled Start10 for now and will use curtains to apply a theme to the taskbar.

Thanks for the help.

Quick update on this: After a week I reinstalled Start10 and the acrylic blur was back. It worked for about another week until yesterday suddenly the blur changed again - I did not install any new software nor did I change my theme at all - so I think there's really a bug in the software somewhere there.

That don't seem like Curtains and Start10 is causing the issue. If it is, that will happen when you reinstall Start10, no? Something else has change. Below is how the blur change on my system. Please post yours so we can understand what is happening in your system.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

It is definitely related to the stardock software (Start10 and/or Curtains), as the problem will go away when I uninstall one of them.

For reference, see my first post in this thread (I've also posted the blur).

And from the video it looks like you as well have the wrong blur? This is not the acrylic blur that is windows's standard. You can see how it looks different in the preview window of Start10 (where it shows the acryl blur) but your actual taskbar has the normal blur. I'd be curious if you uninstalled Start10 if you'd have the acrylic blur again?

Again, see my screenshot at the top for reference (difference between acrylic and "old" standard blur)

I'm really confused about this issue

EDIT:

Setting the transparency of the taskbar to "BLUR" in curtains fixed the problem for now. That fix didnt work last time though so either something on my machine is broken or there is a bug? No idea, anyway, for now the problem is resolved once again...

Hello,
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

Hi, I just fixed it for now (see edit of my above post). It didnt work last time however, so there might still be a bug somewhere - either that or my Win10 is messed up. Dont want to do a full reinstall just for my taskbar though hehe