Fences 4 Portals show no icons on boot

from Stardock Forums

I have a number of portals to various network folders on my desktop. This arrangement works as expected on a Windows 10 machine and on a Windows 11 machine, both of which only have a single monitor. On a second Windows 11 machine with two monitors, after boot, the Portals are "empty" i.e. they show no icons. If I double-click the desktop (hide the non-existent icons) and then double-click the desktop a second time, the portals will be populated and properly show the icons for the contents of those network folders.

A "regular" FENCE (i.e. not a portal) works fine and, immediately after a boot, shows all icons as expected.

What can I do to avoid having to do the "double-double click" whenever I boot up this machine?

fences
16,386 views 14 replies
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

@basj

The article you linked is one of those “Let’s throw EVERYTHING at the wall and see what sticks” articles. Fortunately, the specific suggestion you linked will actually work. In fact, I am using an approach that is very similar: The network folders accessed by my portals contain only shortcuts – on a nightly basis, I synchronize all shortcuts with their counterparts on the local machine. A secondary desktop screen contains Portals to those LOCAL copies.

While this setup works, it is a lot of effort. In fact, “double-double-clicking” is a lot easier.

 

SERVICES running on your local machine have an option for a startup type of “Automatic (Delayed Start)”. Is there an equivalent of that for TASKS such as Fences.exe?

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

@basj
Did you, by any chance, find an answer to the question I asked in December? 
("SERVICES running on your local machine have an option for a startup type of “Automatic (Delayed Start)”. Is there an equivalent of that for TASKS such as Fences.exe?")

Basically, I would like to delay the start of Fences until AFTER the network is available.

(Apparently there is a group policy setting called "Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon" . This sounds like it might do what I need it to do but I have no idea if or how that would work.)

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

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

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

That the 2nd PC has two monitors should be irrelevant.  If you unplugged the 2nd monitor, is it still reproducible on that PC? 

~SD

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

You are correct: The problem is the same with or without a second monitor. Fences starts before the network is available and thus can't display the contents of any portal that points to a network location. So "somehow" I need to speed up the start of the network or slow down the start of fences.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

@basj


Did you, by any chance, find an answer to the question I asked in December?  (You advised me, to "keep an eye on this thread" but there hasn't been any news)

I just completely uninstalled Fences, ran a purge, and then re-installed Fences and loaded the latest saved snapshot, but this did not resolve the problem.

One piece of information that may be of interest: The Windows 11 machine I am having this problem with had been loaded from scratch i.e. Windows 11 installed onto bare metal. On a different Windows 11 machine which had been upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11, Fences 4.1.0.6 works just fine.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello again,

No, I did not. That is why I forward this thread to Support for they with more in-depth knowledge on the software could address your question. Just to update, what version you have running currently? Fences is now on 4.11 Link to its install can be found here: https://forums.stardock.com/517370/get;3881371. Try that version and report back.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

@basj

Thanks for the quick response!

While I normally do not install Beta versions, this time around, I followed your advice and installed the version of Fences you linked. Even though the thread is entitled “Fences 4.10.06 Release Feedback Thread” it is, indeed, version 4.11.

Unfortunately, the problem still persists: upon re-boot, portals are still not populated with icons.

 

I also have another problem that is also mentioned in the thread you linked:

Right-click Desktop ==> VIEW ==> CONFIGURE FENCES does absolutely nothing.

To actually configure Fences, I had to create a separate shortcut on the desktop.

(I have had this problem on both of my Windows 11 machines. I just did not mention it before as I wanted to get the “Empty Portals” problem out of the way first)

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

For the right click context menu to configure Fences don't work. Did you changed Default Windows 11 right click menu to Windows 10 menu style? If you did, that is the issue. Please revert back to default Windows 11 style.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Yes, I had changed the right-click menu and, yes, your solution worked but: Now it's a matter of deciding, which is the bigger PITA: Do I want the right-click menu I prefer, or do I want easy access to the Fences configuration? I decided, for now, creating a desktop shortcut for the Fences configuration is an acceptable work-around. Hopefully your gurus will actually fix this bug sometime in the future.

Resolving the "Portal icons not showing" problem is more  important to me: The Fences configuration is accessed only occasionally, whereas I run into the "Portal icons not showing" bug each and every time I boot up that machine.

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Hopefully the Dev can work out something to make it work on both situations. I do know under Windows 10 its default right click menu>config Fences still work under the latest version.

As for the portal Fences issue I have forwarded your problem/question to Stardock Support Team again for their assistance. Appreciate your feedback and patience.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.

If I understand still, your lone remaining issue is that Fences folder portals are rendering before your network is visible by the PC in question. When the network is available (seconds later I suspect), double-clicking the desktop to hide all Fences, then again to make the visible again, works to render the icons in the network locations.

However, you feel this is unacceptable and are hoping Fences startup can be delayed to have the tardy network services spin up before it does.  There is no such option for Fences - it does not have a service - it runs in the Windows Explorer process and is available as soon as it is.

What may work as an alternative is after you feel the network is available, use F5 (refresh) with the Desktop having focus.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

@ sdRohan

There are TWO issues outstanding: (details earlier in this thread)

1. Configure Fences not accessible via right-click menu (Work-around: create shortcut on desktop)

2. Portals do not populate (Work-around: open any portal folder then click on any portal frame [F5 does not work])

While I do have work-arounds for both bugs, the problems should be fixed at some later time.