Fences won't enable » Forum Post by howard28956

Quoting sceasary,

The IT department has a script to plant a support-icon (connects to the support website) once it is missing from the desktop. Each time I remove it and reboot, this icons reappers out of the folder.

I'm not sure that this is the issue that blocks Fences (I had this icon for ages), but if it does - where do we go from here?

Hi sceasary

It might we worth checking with your IT department and see if they have a solution for you. I'm not sure if that is the issue, but would be best to eliminate that being the cause or not

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

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sdrohan

Join Date 10/2012

+715

Quoting sceasary,

reply 72

Hi Everyone,

I have the same problem (enable fences does not work). I've tried moving all icons to a folder...but:

The IT department has a script to plant a support-icon (connects to the support website) once it is missing from the desktop. Each time I remove it and reboot, this icons reappers out of the folder.

I'm not sure that this is the issue that blocks Fences (I had this icon for ages), but if it does - where do we go from here?

In Windows Event viewer, do you see 'Fences Settings' crashing?

Quoting sceasary,

reply 74

Hi Basj and everyone.
Alas, the problem persists on version 4.1.0.2-J104

In Windows Event Viewer, do you see Fences crashing?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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I should of come here first. 4 pages of people with the same issue.

Where are older versions of fences4, please? If that fails, how do I get a refund?

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Quoting sdRohan,

reply 31

To be frank, Fences 3 is not Fences 4 and Window10 is not Windows 11. Those are big variables, Alexxie.

To be even franker. Fences3 worked on Win 10, Fences4 worked on windows 10. BUT after a fresh install of windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.2913, Fences4 wont work and constantly says "Enable Fences" at the top of a right click Context menu.

No, it doesn't help to load Fences3 first. Not one thing on the advice pages or threads works.
Having to jump through hoops isn't helping either.
No, I am not new to Stardock Software. I have;

1 x Decor8
1 x active Start8
4 x active Start10
1 x active Start11
2 x active Fences3
... and, if it were a physical product, 1 x dead brick, Fences4

You say thousands of installs, thousands isn't everyone.
SO.. personally, my last resort is to get an older version prior to v4.10.06 before sending in a refund request. Please.

Thanks for reading.

P.s.
As a precaution, before my fresh install, I backed up Fences registry keys. And as a LAST resort, even tried merging them back, that didn't help either.
I'm on my 3rd install of Win10 in two days, because here I was thinking it was me, it isn't.

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I'm having the same issue; newly built PC, fresh Windows 11 installation, the right-click options aren't doing anything. I've tried purging and reinstalling, no change. I can't be bothered to sandbox. I can get into the Fences app itself by opening the app from the Start menu so no biggie there but I want to lock the fences and can't figure out how to do that without the right-click menu... how can I lock the fences outside of that right-click option? Registry setting I can manually set or something else?

One note that I haven't seen mentioned; one of the first things I did was to create the registry entry to enable the full right-click menu instead of the brain-dead stupid cut-down menu that Windows 11 defaults to. I've now tried to revert that change to see if that might be related to this issue but deleting the key has no effect... unsure why, that's apparently how reversion is accomplished. That's the only thing I can think of that might be non-standard for my config that hasn't been done by the majority of users who aren't having issues.

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Quoting Ray-Smith,

reply 80

I'm having the same issue; newly built PC, fresh Windows 11 installation, the right-click options aren't doing anything. I've tried purging and reinstalling, no change. I can't be bothered to sandbox. I can get into the Fences app itself by opening the app from the Start menu so no biggie there but I want to lock the fences and can't figure out how to do that without the right-click menu... how can I lock the fences outside of that right-click option? Registry setting I can manually set or something else?

One note that I haven't seen mentioned; one of the first things I did was to create the registry entry to enable the full right-click menu instead of the brain-dead stupid cut-down menu that Windows 11 defaults to. I've now tried to revert that change to see if that might be related to this issue but deleting the key has no effect... unsure why, that's apparently how reversion is accomplished. That's the only thing I can think of that might be non-standard for my config that hasn't been done by the majority of users who aren't having issues.

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I believe your issue is directly link to that mod you've done on Windows 11 context menu. Try undo it and see if it resolve your issue.

Quoting ulysses001,

reply 79

To be even franker. Fences3 worked on Win 10, Fences4 worked on windows 10. BUT after a fresh install of windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.2913, Fences4 wont work and constantly says "Enable Fences" at the top of a right click Context menu.

No, it doesn't help to load Fences3 first. Not one thing on the advice pages or threads works.
Having to jump through hoops isn't helping either.
No, I am not new to Stardock Software. I have;

1 x Decor8
1 x active Start8
4 x active Start10
1 x active Start11
2 x active Fences3
... and, if it were a physical product, 1 x dead brick, Fences4

You say thousands of installs, thousands isn't everyone.
SO.. personally, my last resort is to get an older version prior to v4.10.06 before sending in a refund request. Please.

Thanks for reading.

P.s.
As a precaution, before my fresh install, I backed up Fences registry keys. And as a LAST resort, even tried merging them back, that didn't help either.
I'm on my 3rd install of Win10 in two days, because here I was thinking it was me, it isn't.

Hello,

Please try this workaround: https://forums.stardock.com/518015/get;3886477. Try it and report back.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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Believe it or not. [and at your own discretion]

Pre-word: I still use certain OLDER software that requires specific windows files to be installed, pre install of the older software. After experiencing failure trying to install Fences4 on a fresh operating system install of windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.2913, this is what I found;

[The long version]

Nothing in this forum thread worked for me (thank you, regardless ) so I followed the same rule that I have to follow for some older software that I use:

I Installed: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

Fixed /the end

Cheers, bye.

P.S. 1: - I always encourage people to create a Backup & restore (Windows 7 style) before trying new options.
P.S. 2: - Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 may tell you it needs further files, let it do what it needs to do.
P.s. 3 - .Net 3.5x86 & or 3.5sp1 is needed for some "older" software in my experience, regardless of any other .net pre installs or .net updates (e.x .net 4.5 or .net 7.) & REGARDLESS if your OS is x64 bit.

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sdrohan

Join Date 10/2012

+715

Quoting ulysses001,

reply 78

Where are older versions of fences4, please? If that fails, how do I get a refund?

Quoting ulysses001,

reply 82

I Installed: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

Fixed /the end

Pleased to hear it. So you no longer require a refund, ulysses001?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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yes all in drive c

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Quoting sdRohan,

reply 83

Quoting ulysses001,

reply 78

Where are older versions of fences4, please? If that fails, how do I get a refund?

Quoting ulysses001,

reply 82

I Installed: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

Fixed /the end

Pleased to hear it. So you no longer require a refund, ulysses001?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

No thank you. But thank you for checking.
I would however like to know why it was .net 3.5 that got fences4 working. Is it supposed to be installed? Did I miss something in the documentation?

Cheers.

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sdrohan

Join Date 10/2012

+715

Quoting ulysses001,

reply 85

No thank you. But thank you for checking.
I would however like to know why it was .net 3.5 that got fences4 working. Is it supposed to be installed? Did I miss something in the documentation?
Cheers.

Its hard to say but .net 3.5 was initially released in 2007. I suspect there are a number of apps that expect it to be installed.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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Quoting basj,

reply 81

Quoting Ray-Smith,

reply 80

I'm having the same issue; newly built PC, fresh Windows 11 installation, the right-click options aren't doing anything. I've tried purging and reinstalling, no change. I can't be bothered to sandbox. I can get into the Fences app itself by opening the app from the Start menu so no biggie there but I want to lock the fences and can't figure out how to do that without the right-click menu... how can I lock the fences outside of that right-click option? Registry setting I can manually set or something else?

One note that I haven't seen mentioned; one of the first things I did was to create the registry entry to enable the full right-click menu instead of the brain-dead stupid cut-down menu that Windows 11 defaults to. I've now tried to revert that change to see if that might be related to this issue but deleting the key has no effect... unsure why, that's apparently how reversion is accomplished. That's the only thing I can think of that might be non-standard for my config that hasn't been done by the majority of users who aren't having issues.

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I believe your issue is directly link to that mod you've done on Windows 11 context menu. Try undo it and see if it resolve your issue.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

I offered that information since it might be useful diagnostic information if that's a common element for those of us who are having issues; I wasn't intending it to be the end of the discussion.

As I mentioned, reversing the change, which is supposed to work, isn't... so I need some sort of a workaround, I'm not reinstalling Windows for this. I'm looking for whatever Fences does when you select the Lock Fences option in the right-click menu so I can't do it manually since the right-click options aren't working; is there a registry entry that changes to lock the fences that I can do manually or something else that I can do? I don't care about the right-click menu items working, not really, it's the functionality that I care about that I currently don't have.

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Quoting Ray-Smith,

reply 87

right-click options aren't working; is there a registry entry that changes to lock the fences that I can do manually or something else that I can do? I don't care about the right-click menu items working, not really, it's the functionality that I care about that I currently don't have.

I just had a look and tested. You know how to create a DWORD?

If it isn't already there:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Stardock\Fences\Settings
DWORD (32-bit) LockedNew Value 1 (Hexadecimal)

Value 1 = locked
Value 0 = unlocked

Reg key

Cheers

+1

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I have the same problem.

I have an old Dell, running Fences just fine. (which I am about to decommission)

I now have a BRAND NEW PC, Windows 10 Pro (19045.5371) 22H2, from the exact same Windows install as the DELL (the Dell is 19045.4412), just a different KEY (Not OEM, it's MSDN). I am not wasting my time repeating all those tests that were told to other people WHICH NEVER WORKED (hack this, registry that, sandbox...).

(By the way, this brand new install IS a sandbox, by definition)

This machine is essentially still bare, except that I installed Notepad++ and Open Office, which work. And I removed TONS of Microsoft crap (OneDrive, office, Cortana, Music, etc...)

Fences WILL NOT WORK. The "Enable Fences" check box is checked ON THE SETTINGS CONTROL APP, but not on the context menu. And no fence is ever created.

There are no errors in the Application log, or System log.

The claim "Well, there would be other people having this issue" doesn't fly, as this forum shows there ARE other people having this issue. Lots of them.

I have a 5 station license key, and this install activated fine, but won't work. I also tried .NET 3.5 install, and that didn't help.

I write software for a living, and have for decades. You should know what the other dependencies are BEFORE you release it. Because this is clearing missing a component.

I need to know what is missing that makes this work, so I can install the dependency myself to get it working, since I paid for it.

-Scott

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Quoting christopherweber,

reply 89

I have the same problem.

I have an old Dell, running Fences just fine. (which I am about to decommission)

I now have a BRAND NEW PC, Windows 10 Pro (19045.5371) 22H2, from the exact same Windows install as the DELL (the Dell is 19045.4412), just a different KEY (Not OEM, it's MSDN). I am not wasting my time repeating all those tests that were told to other people WHICH NEVER WORKED (hack this, registry that, sandbox...).

(By the way, this brand new install IS a sandbox, by definition)

This machine is essentially still bare, except that I installed Notepad++ and Open Office, which work. And I removed TONS of Microsoft crap (OneDrive, office, Cortana, Music, etc...)

Fences WILL NOT WORK. The "Enable Fences" check box is checked ON THE SETTINGS CONTROL APP, but not on the context menu. And no fence is ever created.

There are no errors in the Application log, or System log.

The claim "Well, there would be other people having this issue" doesn't fly, as this forum shows there ARE other people having this issue. Lots of them.

I have a 5 station license key, and this install activated fine, but won't work. I also tried .NET 3.5 install, and that didn't help.

I write software for a living, and have for decades. You should know what the other dependencies are BEFORE you release it. Because this is clearing missing a component.

I need to know what is missing that makes this work, so I can install the dependency myself to get it working, since I paid for it.

-Scott

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Need to know few thing

Fences version installed.
If you check your Task Manager Startup do you see Fences listed to start twice?
Do you have security software installed such as Forcepoint/Websence or something similar to it.

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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Quoting basj,

reply 90

Forcepoint/Websence

I've never heard of them. I said this is a new install. I used Fences4-fs-setup_sd-4.exe 4.1.0.6

I installed Fences 2 (Fences2_setup_sd.exe - 9.5.1.0) as I still has an old install and key. (Apparently trying to be honest and use current keys I paid for shot me in the foot.) It is installed on top of Fences 4, but all the UI said is Fences 2. Fences 2 installed. So I configured it.

In response to your reply, I uninstalled Fences 2. The uninstalled fences 4 (Fences4-fs-setup_sd.exe 5.9.3.0). Then ran some file I got years ago called "Purge_Fences.bat" (But remember, this is a NEW Windows install, never had any Fences before, so what is there to "purge").

The output, which appears to have failed at every step, is:

C:\Windows\system32>echo off

SUCCESS: The process "explorer.exe" with PID 5824 has been terminated.

'"C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\Fences\uninstall.exe"' is not recognized as an internal or external command,operable program or batch file.

ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Fences not found

ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Stardock\Misc\Fences not found

ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Stardock\Misc\Fences not found

ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Stardock\ObjectDesktop\FencesPro not found

ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Stardock\ObjectDesktop\FencesPro not found

ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Stardock\Misc\Fences2 not found

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Stardock\Fences

InstalledPath REG_SZ C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\Fences\

FirstInstalledDate REG_SZ 2/9/2025 12:54:33 PM

FirstInstalledDateTime REG_QWORD 0x67a8a58a

InstalledDate REG_SZ 2/9/2025 3:46:00 PM

InstalledDateTime REG_QWORD 0x67a8cdb8

IsRegistered REG_DWORD 0x1

The operation completed successfully.

The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

Press any key to continue . . .

Then rebooted, and ran the Fences 4 install (9.5.3.0), and it is working. UNTIL... I installed Fences4-fs-setup_sd-4.exe (4.1.0.6) again. Now the destop is GONE!!! EVERYTHING. No Icons, No "My PC" no Network... Even though the desktop settings are supposed to display them.

So I tried to uninstall it, IT WON'T LEAVE. I reboot and my desktop is STILL gone. I ran that Purge, and it's STILL won't show me the desktop.

Looks like I have to BRAIN WIPE my PC to get things back. Thanks a lot (sarcasm)

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Quoting christopherweber,

reply 91

Fences 4 install (9.5.3.0),

Don't remember if Fences 4 have this version ever, refer here: https://www.stardock.com/products/fences/history. Latest Fences 4 should be 4.22 or (Fences.exe 4.2.2.1)

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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Well, I didn't write these myself. I got them from the web site somewhere, a few years ago.

Pretty annoying when EVERYTHING on my desktop is gone. Like it's been double clicked to "hide icons", except that wasn't it. Even a right click wouldn't bring up a menu.

Only the task bar and my chosen background wall paper was present.

My solution: Uninstall ALL the stuff, run that "Purge_Fences.bat" script I was given 10 years ago, and re-run the 12,990,864 byte one

(the hashes are identical between Fences4-sd-setup.exe and Fences4-fs-setup_sd.exe... whatever the different name is supposed to mean. )

Now, it seems to be working.

Again, it would be nice if developers knew what dependencies their apps need and either provided them, or instructed the user where to fulfill them.

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Something might has change in Purge_Fences.bat. From my system, it look to me the date modified has changed. Please get the latest version from here: https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1332477959/Fences+purging+and+re-installing. Do know that this same purge will be use on all version on Fences, up to version 5, across multi OS versions. So, it was informed to me that, it is normal to see several error notification from it.

Quoting christopherweber,

reply 93

Again, it would be nice if developers knew what dependencies their apps need and either provided them, or instructed the user where to fulfill them.

As just a user, I can't answer your this one, however, 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.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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As I said, I got one of those versions working.

However, it spent the next few days nagging me to update. I finally did yesterday, and it only says I now have version 4.22. Copyright 2025. So I can't compare it to what I had before. Nor do I know if I could reinstall it (licensewise), since this is a new laptop, I might end up having an issue and re-installing the OS, or even replacing it.

I powered down last night (whatever that means in Windows these days, since it's not really a power down, but I didn't hibernate either) , and this morning I boot up, log in, and one of the fence is EMPTY. All the shortcuts had wandered out of the fence and were hiding under other things. (It was a fence called "Folders" and had shortcuts to folders, obviously).

I had to right clock and pick auto arrange and they all moved to places where I could see them, The fence was still empty.

The I turned off Auto Arrange, and dragged them back where they belong.

I will see if they stay, but I've had incidents (more often if I leave "Auto arrange" on) that icons slip out of the fence and I have to hunt them down and drag them back.

I wanted a tool that keeps the desktop organized (because Microsoft start menu is garbage), not have to play "farmville" with my PC.

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sdrohan

Join Date 10/2012

+715

If you install the trial for Fences 5, does this resolve your issue?

https://www.stardock.com/products/fences/download-trial

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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Does my 5 unit license become invalid with fences 5? Do I have to pay for it again?

Because right now Fences 4 pestered my about updating, but only to the next version 4. It's not telling me to update to version 5.

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sdrohan

Join Date 10/2012

+715

Quoting christopherweber,

reply 97

Does my 5 unit license become invalid with fences 5? Do I have to pay for it again?

Fences 5 could be purchased at a discount for having Fences 4, yes. The goal is to see if you issue is resolved with it.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

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