Hi Basj, thanks for replying back and offering help, and sorry for the delay my end.

To answer your question - my windows version and os build number is: Windows 11 Pro version 21H2 os build 22000.2538

I just tried to install start11 it again, gets as fair as the requesting a reboot (which I accepted last time), and I accept yes, laptop reboots, get the login screen - use my thumb print reader to login/proceed.. goes through the quick logging in screen and then this time I get a blank White screen (sometimes got a blank Black screen).. no menu bar, no task bar, and no viewable desktop - only thing got is a movable mouse pointer. To get it back to usable laptop again have to go through the previous route of alt-ctrl-del, select task process management, kill start 11 task(s), and to services via task manager, disable the stardock start11 service, and then via ctrl-alt-del again reboot the laptop. It's a Lenovo P52 laptop.

I bit of additional information as the P52 also comes with a sep. P1000 quadro graphics (thought it may have been a intel graphics card issue) before disabling start11, I went into bios and set the laptop to use the quadro graphics card by default (not hybrid mode, where the intel graphics card would by default be used).. sadly made zero difference, so not sure if it's a graphics card issue?

Thanks again.

Ian

Yes, please update to the latest Windows 11 v23H2 and try reinstall Start11, test it and report back.

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

also notice via your accounts section here it isn't showing my laptop as been registered to the software, so suspect something keeps going wrong with the installation process - not 100% completing. Only showing 2 registrations out of 5, the other 2 been windows 10 pro laptops. weird. I have heard that windows 11 can still be pretty buggy at times.. one of the reasons I decided against upgrading to windows 11 on my other two laptops  which still run windows 10 (side note: using 0patch to keep them supported post microsoft windows updates next year).

Only other thought I have concerning the laptop which is having a problem installing start11, is to see if I can disable the anti virus software that was pre-installed with the laptop when I recently purchased it.. but normally when screens start going blank it suggests a graphic card issue but already tried switching from the intel graphic card to the P1000 Quadro one, and made zero difference... sadly with the blank screen cannot get to the graphics settings either.

Not sure if start11 generates an error log file or anything ?

Thanks.

Please test installation on Windows sandbox :https://forums.stardock.com/505872/start11-support-faq#windowssandbox. Try that and report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi I got windows sandbox installed however hit a major issue on going any further..

via instructions on https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/application-security/application-isolation/windows-sandbox/windows-sandbox-overview

it says on usage..

Copy an executable file (and any other files needed to run the application) from the host and paste them into the Windows Sandbox window.

Sadly  unable to do this.. if i try to drag and drop an executable into windows sandbox it just shows the no icon and won't allow it..

screen capture..

Hi thanks got some information.. firstly got start11 to install in the sandbox, working fine.. subsequently removed.. so at least know it's not a fundamental hardware issue.

I tried a fresh install this time as administrator but sadly same thing happens.. blank screen after logging in.. did the ctrl-alt-del task manager disable service route and rebooted to get back the desktop.. then (perhaps should have done this at the start) looked at the event viewer.. seems to be an explorer error caused by start11 (Start10_64.dll ?) on the start11 installation folder.. here is the error message..

Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 10.0.22621.4249, time stamp: 0x9d940356
Faulting module name: Start10_64.dll, version: 2.1.1.0, time stamp: 0x66d9d587
Exception code: 0xc0000409
Fault offset: 0x0000000000287f0d
Faulting process id: 0x0x2468
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1DB199BB21793C9
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\Start11\Start10_64.dll
Report Id: cccfff15-9768-47fb-8fae-7750060f6382
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID

Fault bucket 1458925900746444638, type 5
Event Name: BEX64
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: Explorer.EXE
P2: 10.0.22621.4249
P3: 9d940356
P4: Start10_64.dll
P5: 2.1.1.0
P6: 66d9d587
P7: 0000000000287f0d
P8: c0000409
P9: 0000000000000007
P10:

I hope this helps. Using latest released version of start11 v2.11, and again windows version in windows 11 pro version 23H2 os build 22631.4249. Keeping the software service disabled until the issue is rectified.

Thanks.

Do you have any third party apps installed that alter Windows Explorer, or have you ever had any third party apps installed that alter Windows Explorer which were uninstalled?

Have you been reinstalling Start11 on top of your existing install. Perhaps running the purge bat will help.

Follow the instructions in the Support area at https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1349320730/Start+Menu+purging+and+re-installing

Delete any old Start11 installers, and then redownload a fresh installer from your Account downloads, and try installing again. https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products

Hi I tried the start menu purge, and then reboot, checked the program files (x86) folder to make sure uninstalled, then reinstall start 11, sadly exactly the same problem (black desktop)  as before and same event viewer error (apart from datestamps).

Please try cleanboot as mention here: https://forums.stardock.com/505872/start11-support-faq#cleanboot. Do follow instruction carefully. Try it and report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi thanks for the reply - sadly never used WinDbg.. but willing to try, if I have any instructions.

I don't personally see the point trying a clean account as won't resolve the issue, other than to throw it back to 'another piece of software is interfering with stardock start11' - which in itself shouldn't causes memory buffer over runs for it to crash explorer and therefore the blank desktop - based on event viewer message. I agree debug information would hopefully be more informative.

also think would have difficulty using windbg given that my laptop is unusable after installing Start11 - no desktop to use.. blank screen / no taskbar.. only functionality I have to disable it is ctrl-alt-delete keys/ task manager / services.

The 'point' is finding out what is causing the issue.  Doing a cleanboot gets a PC as close to 'clean' as possible.

The issue reads like a Windows Explorer issue.  Are you using OpenShell when trying to install Start11?  If so, that could be bad.  Please uninstall OpenShell, reboot, and try the Start11 installation again.

If it fails (black screen \ no taskbar), do the CTRL + Atl + Del to get to 'Task Manager'.  Find 'Windows Explorer' and 'restart' the process.  If its not running at all (bad but would explain a lot), run it

That all said, if you are able to get it to reliably reproduce (and it seems you can), getting the debug with WinDBG is VERY helpful.  This is the guide we have for it

https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1347321935/Manually+Collecting+Start+Crash+Dumps

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager