Periodic Fences 4.0.7.2 hang/flicker on Win11

from Stardock Forums

Running Fences 4.0.7.2 on up-to-date Windows 11 Pro 21H2 build 22000.978. Periodically - like once every couple of days - all the fences on my desktop start flickering at a rate of about once per second, and when that happens I get no response from trying to start any of the programs in any of the fences. While this problem is happening, I can still start the same programs from the start menu without any problem, and any running programs I have continue to run normally, so the problem appears to be only with Fences. Usually, after a minute or two the flickering stops, and the fences then go back to behaving normally.

Any suggestions on why, and/or a fix?

fences
20,742 views 19 replies +1 Loading…
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try purge and reinstall steps as mentioned here: [Link]. Just make sure to redownload the latest version from your account page. Reboot after the purge. Reinstall and reboot again after the installation. Retest and report back here.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Well, I carried out the purge and reinstall steps as detailed in your link, but the problem remained the same, so I have been putting up with it. What I have noticed since my previous post is that every time the problem happens, minimising any one of the open windows on my desktop will stop the flickering of the Fences and lack of response. The problem usually happens when I double-click on one of the icons in a Fence - the flickering of the Fences starts, and the app that I'm trying to start does not appear. As soon as I minimise any one of the windows I have open on the desktop, the flickering stops and the app I was trying to start appears. The problem happens with multiple different icons in the Fences, and it doesn't matter which open window I minimise - any one will do to fix the problem.

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

Do you have any icons/shortcut within a Fence that link externally like Network drive or network shares folder etc?

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

No, all icons within Fences are for programs installed on the local PC hard drive.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

No, I don't use Deskscapes. As for your cleanboot suggestion, after looking at what is involved, I have more productive ways to spend my time, so I'll put up with the few seconds delay two or three times a day when I need to minimise one of the open windows to stop the Fences flickering and get response back.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Thanks for the information.  I was looking all over the place and it looks like it really is just a fences issue.  I have been restarting the explorer through the task manager and that instantly fixes it but it is a pain to always do.  I hope you guys resolve this.

I will say that this is not because i use multiple monitors as it happened before that as well. I was just getting fed up of having to restart the explorer.

Like the other user mentioned, it happens most often when selecting a desktop icon (with minimized fences in my case).

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

So I guess it's not just me. I'm experiencing the same thing, but it's not tied to launching/selecting a desktop icon. For me, it can happen in the background while I'm working, or sometimes when I minimize windows. Relaunching Explorer makes it stop, but that's a workaround, not a solution.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I think it is best if any of you could also post a video capturing this issue so we can understand the flickers better.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Here's a link to a short bit of video showing the flickering. While it's happening, I cannot start any program from its icon in a fence - the same program will start no problem off the start menu. As soon as I minimise any open window, the flickering stops.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mZqtfZ8A3gT5Cbx27

p.s. My desktop background is a slideshow from the images in my pictures folder, with the image changing once a minute. I've also noticed that when the flickering starts, if I don't do anything about it until the next image change that Windows does, rgw changing of the image also stops the flickering.

+1 Loading…
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting njhp94, reply 10

My desktop background is a slideshow from the images in my pictures folder, with the image changing once a minute. I've also noticed that when the flickering starts, if I don't do anything about it until the next image change that Windows does, rgw changing of the image also stops the flickering.
End of njhp94's quote

Try putting a regular jpg image as you desktop wallpaper, not a slideshow, and see if that affects your flickering problem, please.

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Try disable "automatically pick an accent color from my background". When this is on, Explorer will flicker every time you change your background". Loading and applying new accent color. And since you load new image every minute, every minute Explorer will do that. Causing Fences also flicker.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting swilcox32, reply 13

My background is just a jpg, without an automatic color, and I have the same issue.
End of swilcox32's quote

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try purge and reinstall steps as mention here : [Link]. Just make sure to redownload the latest version from your account page. Reboot after the purge. Reinstall and reboot again after the installation. Retest and report back here.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 14


Quoting swilcox32,
reply 13

My background is just a jpg, without an automatic color, and I have the same issue.



Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try purge and reinstall steps as mention here : [Link]. Just make sure to redownload the latest version from your account page. Reboot after the purge. Reinstall and reboot again after the installation. Retest and report back here.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

End of basj's quote

 

Did that, still happening. Minimizing the last window made it stop, but that doesn't always work. See video.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0af9TBdAd26FXkYYJxQlZti_w

Windows 11 Home, 10.0.22621 Build 22621

Fences 4.10

Intel(R) UHD Graphics 750, Driver 27.20.100.9664

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, Driver 31.0.15.3118

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting swilcox32, reply 15

Did that, still happening. Minimizing the last window made it stop, but that doesn't always work. See video.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0af9TBdAd26FXkYYJxQlZti_w

Windows 11 Home, 10.0.22621 Build 22621

Fences 4.10

Intel(R) UHD Graphics 750, Driver 27.20.100.9664

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, Driver 31.0.15.3118
End of swilcox32's quote

Please try Cleanboot, to see something else is conflicting with Fences. https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#cleanboot.

Also look into this post with regards dual GPU system. : https://forums.stardock.com/490929/get;3745196 Reply#11,#12 and #13. Check and try these first before trying the cleanboot.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

I am experiencing the same problem and I'm still looking for a solution.  Disabling my screen background and accent do nothing, restarting Windows Explorer is the only fix that actually works.

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top

I'm also having the same issue. I'm on a Surface Laptop Studio 2 running the latest Win 11 with all updates installed.

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting couturemarc, reply 17

I am experiencing the same problem and I'm still looking for a solution.  Disabling my screen background and accent do nothing, restarting Windows Explorer is the only fix that actually works.
End of couturemarc's quote
Quoting Aylwyn, reply 18

I'm also having the same issue. I'm on a Surface Laptop Studio 2 running the latest Win 11 with all updates installed.
End of Aylwyn's quote

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Need more details please.

  1. Windows 10/11 full build number. Use Winver.exe
  2. How to reproduce the issue? And specific steps to reproduce it consistently?
  3. Restart Explorer.exe resolved it, yes?
  4. Post video grab of this issue would help us understand the issue more.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.