Latest version installation not permanent anymore

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. May I know what message actually appear when you said " it insists on an installation every morning at startup."

Also, we need few more details on your system.

1. Windows 10 or 11? Also need its full version and OS Build number. Please use Winver.exe.
2. Fences full version number.

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Having checked the circumstances more, it is not a next-day thing but a reboot one, and it doesn't appear for some time after the boot is finished. But it does come up eventually.

It makes no difference whether I tick agree and continue or not. But if I don't and just cancel, when I check the Fences 5 info, I see my registration, etc.

PAYMENT IMAGE DELETED 

So it is really just a nuisance as Fences remains operational.

I have completely uninstalled it using Revo Uninstaller (which removes everything ) and reinstalled on a new download, but same  problem.

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.

Hm. Are you seeing a prompt for activation? It seems to be indicating there is no license file found.

Can you share a screenshot of the folder "%programdata%\Stardock\Fences5" ?

After sharing a screenshot, deleting the contents, then logging off and logging on might help. You'll get a prompt to enter your serial number, which will allow you to use the correct license.

I'm starting to see double! Cannot understand why it is persistent as I've checked my subscription (Oct 2024) and it keeps saying ACTIVE

I did the Purge as best I could (it went to CMD to do,it, but I'm familiar with such) and seems to say it was installing Fences, but I never saw the usual install screens.

Today, after I did it again it all,  it finally did prompt for the licence etc which I  cut and pasted from my account, and yet the nag still eventually popped up. It's the same licence and user as I have been using these past few days, to your direction.

Does it need a registry deletion or adjustment. ?

I cannot delete the directory it is in , even after uninstall, but could probably do it in DOS in  Safe mode. But won't.

Any ideas?

Oh, here is a screen shot of the dir (in 2 parts)

Go to your 'downloads' folder.  If there is a 'Stardock' folder, delete it.  If it asks you to update again, it should be the last time.  If that is not the case, do let me know.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

I use Firefox and its download is on a separate Data drive. There is no Stardock folder in it (I cannot see any reason there should be).

Here is the only Stardock folder on my PC with Fences installed

Yesterday I "uninstalled" Fences, and checked and ran the purge thing which said there were no registry entries. I then booted into Safe mode and removed the /Programs files. Stardock folder. I then reinstalled Fences, yet again, and used my current registration and email, as I have been.

Also, yesterday, I installed Fences (same downloaded file) on my new win11 laptop and it seemed OK until it said Fences was installed on another computer and I would have to "disable" it to continue on the laptop, which I did. It remained steadily installed for at least several hours. So, today I uninstalled it then went to my PC and installed Fences, which id did, but after an hour or more the same "install" thing appeared.  As I have been doing, I simply cancelled the alert, even though it took three tries to achieve.

So, as it stands we are back to square one, the same ongoing problem on my Desktop win10. In October I bought a new subscription and reinstalled it, but it was only recently (like 10 days, maybe) that this behaviour started, and persists.

I am afraid that is irrelevant.

You have a downloads folder provided by Windows.  Copy \ paste this into Windows Explorer address bar, then enter.

%USERPROFILE%\Downloads 

If there is a 'Stardock' folder there, delete it.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

It only contains one very old text file

Your subscription has nothing to do with this if what I am reading is true, that you are being asked to install, not activate...

Did you manually create any Scheduled task to install Fences?

Or any other routine to install \ do anything Fences related?

If I am off here, that you are indeed being asked to activate, not install, that you are just eventually getting to an install, can you film the entire process, upload it to a cloud service of your choice (OneDrive, GoogleDrive, YouTube, etc) and past a shared link to it in a reply?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

No, the prompt comes up to install,.. yes/no. If No , I have to cancel twice (each time this occurs) and then it vanishes and Fences is fully operational, adjustable and happily activated..  for maybe another hour or so. If Yes, it then just continues without the need of any further  input, then vanishes too. 

Until  the reinstall prompt reappears. sometime later..

I will film all this but not today, I

I'm happy to nudge it along when necessary but will send you a YT private link when I do that.

There is just nothing native to the app that would have it auto-run the installer.  That is why I asked if you, somehow, created a Scheduled task to do anything like that...  

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

I understand that the Fences app works properly on all other devices but it is only on my Win10 desktop that it trips up.

This is the screen that popsup  Now I look at it yet again it seems like allicence issue, yet I only use ,by cut and paste, that that which appears under my account. Keep in mind the problem-free installation on my laptop was exactly the same, and again, cut and pasted and it was fully aware that it was already used in another installation and had to be removed..

I'm sure if it differed even in one character it would be rejected, surely.

My installations are very vanilla-flavoured, I have never used a scheduler although I can appreciate why some might. I keep my systems as squeaky clean as possible and very stock standard. 

I will do that film sequence soon, but I have to say that the popup that appears is asking for an installation. If I agree to it, it prompts for nothing further and just functions normally. If I check the "About", it seems normal, although it doesn't actually say much; it just gives some management options.  If I don't agree it takes two cancellations for it to go away, yet Fences appears normal regardless.

It is almost like it somehow has to ask even though there is nothing that fails if is let continue, or not.

I'll see if the popup appears after the same interval from startup.

If I really hard to I could back up my system then nuke the drive, reinstalling and setting up fences before anything else, and see what happens. But that is more effort than it is worth since I only do that maybe annually.

I'll be back later today.

I need to find a way to convince you that an installer randomly firing up without any action by you has nothing to do with licensing. 

Something is firing up the installer and it needs to be knowable what that is.  There is nothing in the installers that would make them fireup themselves. 

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

I might recommend Process Explorer in tree mode; unlikely it provides the answer but it may provide a hint at what process launched the executable, as well as the command line parameters. Agreed that the installer would never just launch on its own.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

I'm OK on what you say about the random factor, I know it isn't part of Fences, just a consequence. It only appears after I have not been "on" the computer which can be an hour or part day time.

I've downloaded the process-explorer and while is defintely on the go, do you want me to save it and send you the file. I've no idea what I might be able to discern from it with your direction. The fact that Show Process Tree is ghosted implies it starts in that mode.

Do you have any software installed that keeps your apps up to date like WinGet, IObit Software Updater, or anything else listed here?

https://www.lifewire.com/free-software-updater-programs-2625200

If you do, and you temporarily disable it, does the issue persist?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Well, we might be getting somewhere. I do have  a registered  IObit updater running and although I would have thought its installation well preceded this Fence  problem, regardless, it could well be the trigger

I've totally uninstalled it using Revo uninstaller (which removes everything and leaves nothing).

I'll give it 24 hours and if no popup, will let you know.

It seems that was the instigator and you can see it in its behaviour.

There has been no reoccurrence since so I am happy to say, thanks for your patience, and suggestions.

Regards

Mal

Very pleased to read and ty for the update.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager