Bug in Fences with folder portal

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

1. Windows full version and OS Build number. Please use Winver.exe.
2. Fences full version number.
3. Does the issue appear on any portal Fences or only specific portal fence pointing to specific folder?
4. Post a video showing your issue, so we understand it better.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Hey Basj,

1. Windows 11 PRO 24H2 Build #: 26100.8246

2. Fences: 6.46

3. All folder portals work except one. 

4. Will work on video, don't have software installed to currently do. 

Not sure how to include screenshots, so including these screen grabs.  This is my root folder. At this level, the fence title should be "Exercise Tutorials" but is instead "Romanian Deadlift - Barbell"
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T68AETKrCCiDGWkRyCulKI5kD1sL0nnh/view?usp=sharing

This is one level down in the Arms directly from above
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JulTzgDucNgvoNI9c74EsAxXgp7VEKav/view?usp=sharing

This is many more levels deeper in the same directory tree:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oq21B5aNzmWukL10-XBGC4Rrd11Cga5A/view?usp=sharing

The title on the fence never updates. That's the issue. I find that this happens 2-3x a year. I would normally blow away the fence and recreate, which temporarily fixes it, but I spend weeks reapplying my view sets as I'm navigating throughout the directory tree from the root. Be nice if there was a "resync root name" or some type of button like that. 

Pressing SHIFT + Left mouse clicking always takes me back to the root properly from what ever sub directory I'm in, so it knows what is the correct root path, the title doesn't get updated during navigation up or down the tree. 

Few more questions.

1. Is the linked folder located externally or on network location?
2. If you create a new Portal Fence link to that same location does the issue appear the same?

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

1. The issue exists on a shared network drive folder. Permissions are set correctly to view and modify files as needed. 

2. If I create another folder portal to the same directory and navigate up and down, there is no issue. It works fine on the duplicate folder portal. After a few months it beomes borked and the title no longer updates, even through navigation works fine. For this particular directory, it's a huge pain to reset views non stop to make work productive. 

After a "few moments" mean after few minutes or after few sleep wake cycles?

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

basj, thanks for bringing this to dev team's attention

Hi JonnyRando, this shouldn't be happening.

Would like to get more information about what's going on. We might send a test build to help us get more information.

Getting to the root of the flow... seems like it breaks after?

I'm wondering how you "reset the view" to make it go back to working.

(1) Is it navigated at startup, when this happens? Or at the root at time of startup? (Varies?)
(2) When it gets "stuck", I imagine it's "stuck" with the name of the root folder, correct? Or something else?
(3) Has this been happening for a long time, or only with more recent versions?

Thanks for more detail. Working to figure out how to reproduce, or at least hypothetically reproduce, and getting fine tuned about the behavior pattern being seen.

Dr W, 

No issues with running a test build for you. 

(1) Is it navigated at startup, when this happens? Or at the root at time of startup? (Varies?)
I can navigate up and down without issue. I can use the arrow and SHIFT+Arrow successfully. The path name does not update. Once it's stuck, it's permanent unless I delete the folder and create a new one. Then after a month or so, the directory label stops updating again. This is a huge pain as I need to non-stop reset views for details and then large thumbnails depending on the directory.... and there are tons. This would be a nice future feature if fences could store that view data somewhere in the event a portal needs re-created, it could use those settings. 

(2) When it gets "stuck", I imagine it's "stuck" with the name of the root folder, correct? Or something else?
When the label gets stuck, it picks a random directory that I must have been in at the time and then stays there. It's not the root path, but a sub directory. 

(3) Has this been happening for a long time, or only with more recent versions?
I've run fences for ages over many versions, the issue has been out there for a long while. Not a recent thing. 

Wow – yes I'd like us to get to the bottom of this.

Ironically – we weren't aware of this issue from specific reports, but had identified this weakness while working on other things, and recent v6.42+ builds were supposed to improve this situation proactively. We changed from a system of saving the title of the navigated-to directory to the registry (therefore changing the save data on each navigation), to only the root folder name being saved / only saved further if manually edited, and the navigated-to folder name being applied exclusively at the display layer at runtime. This was meant to reduce save-trashing and also more reliably track nav changes like this. So, disappointed that the new version didn't help. But, this helps us get started.

The nav view matters – likewise this data should (A) be being saved at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Fences\ViewStates, and (B) not being reset upon removal of the portal. Can check to see if there's a clearance mechanism going on that we're forgetting, and could be over-reacting to network drive unavailability, but, senses say "no". So am surprised the view is not restoring. Testing just now, erasing a portal, creating a different one & editing its view, then re-adding the prior folder portal did restore the portal view correct, but, yes, doesn't mean there's not something in the way.

DR W

Got it. Confirmed that the reg key exists and verified the long list of directories and modified view sets. 

I created a test folder portal, changed various views in different folders and blew away the portal. Re-verified that the data was still in the registry. Re-created a portal to the same directory and those view set changes were retained. 

Also tried with the main directory in question that doesn't update the title bar path and settings look good there. I guess I could blow away the broken portal and re-initialize a fresh one with the settings being retained now. THANK YOU for that feature alone. This was such a bear to redo each time. 

I left the borked portal in the event you want me to run the debug incase you did want to figure out the title bar issues; but at least there's a good work around now.