start menu doesn't draw completely

Monday, July 24, 2006 by martintd | Discussion: WindowBlinds

Ever since the last WB5 when I install most skins the stat menu doesn't completely draw. Usually it will pop-up with everything but an empty whole where the most recent apps show up, when I run the mouse up and down where they would be they appear. I have tried to adjust the different settings to no avail. Interestingly enough however, if I import a visual style they ALWAYS seem to work fine, it is just the ones that are wb. I am on windows xp sp2 running on a acer laptop 64 meg video ram, 512k ram. Any ideas.
25 Reply 4 Referrals
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Bichur
Reply #1 Monday, July 24, 2006 1:29 PM
I've been getting that once in a while - clicking start to close it and clicking to re pop it up works.

I don't just get the recent apps hole, sometimes it's all invisible until i mouse over, then just the shortcuts appear.

For me, I'm thinking it's my video drivers - apparently mine are dated from 1999.

Haven't tried changing to a non per pixel skin to see if it happens.

Neil Banfield
Reply #2 Monday, July 24, 2006 2:04 PM

Bichur: What graphics card do you have?

We have seen a couple of reports of this and I believe they have all been on slow graphics cards, or when the PC is under heavy load.  It is limited to skins with per pixel startmenus.


thomassen
Reply #3 Monday, July 24, 2006 3:09 PM
I have that issue as well. Don't know when it started. It doesn't allways happend, jsut occationally and I ahven't been able to figure out why. What happends is that I click the start button and nothing seem to happend. But if I move the cursor over where the startmenu should be the buttons gets drawn as I move across them.

Windows XP SP2+
Dell Dimmention 8300
2.8GHz
1GB RAM
ATI RADEON 9800 (Driver version 6.14. Cataclyst 6.5)

thomassen
Reply #4 Monday, July 24, 2006 3:11 PM
We have seen a couple of reports of this and I believe they have all been on slow graphics cards, or when the PC is under heavy load. It is limited to skins with per pixel startmenus.


My GFX card isn't the newest, but I'd say it runs at a decent speed. But thinking of it, the issue might have occured whenever there's a few things going on. And I have been running just per-pixel skins lately.

JonECook
Reply #5 Monday, July 24, 2006 3:25 PM
I have the same problem, I can run old skins like DogmaX4 without problems but skins such as Ecliz Deluxe, Inspiration in Glass and so forth will showw the start nmenu once then it will either not show at all or only in parts. When I do a mouse over the menu items appear but not the menu border.

More clicking on the start button just produces inconsistent results.

I am running on a Compaq Presario with Win XP2 (online updates all up to date) and an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 with 64mb graphics ram. Laptop has an additional 1Gb of memory.

According to the WB5 Systems page this graphics card allows per pixel skins but this fault is really frustrating, the best of the new skins are useless if the start menu doesn't function correctly.

garsgolfer
Reply #6 Monday, July 24, 2006 3:36 PM
I've been experiencing the same issues with the start menu and newer skins such as Ecliz Deluxe... will show the start nmenu once or twice, then all of a sudden it will show nothing or parts.

As taken from Windowblinds System Information: Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins. Very annoying.

Bichur
Reply #7 Monday, July 24, 2006 3:45 PM
Bichur: What graphics card do you have?


I'm at work - I got that info in a post somewhere, let look....

JonECook
Reply #8 Monday, July 24, 2006 3:51 PM
Seems we are not the only post on this subject:

Invisible start menu
By maxthegold
Posted July 2, 2006 20:39:46

This is what the system info says on my Compaq.

WindowBlinds 5.0 System Information Report:

STATUS : WB+ SRV+ HLP+ UI+ TRAY+

WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC.

WindowBlinds appears to be activated on this PC

Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.

You have one monitor in total.

(Default Monitor) 1 is attached to MOBILITY RADEON 9200

Wblind.dll 2006/07/14 17:23:04
Wbsrv.dll 2006/07/14 17:22:54
Wbconfig.exe 2006/07/13 18:37:40
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 17:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 21:29:06
Tray.dll 2006/04/13 17:29:04


Just one further thought this is a laptop with a 1280x800 screen could that be a problem?



Bichur
Reply #9 Monday, July 24, 2006 4:02 PM
Neil Banfield

GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X

don't ask me what driver version it's 43.xx or 45.xx - something old - I did a reformat which put it back to 2003 and I've never updated.

Yrag told me once they were from 1999.

LittleBearJason
Reply #10 Tuesday, July 25, 2006 8:42 PM
Im having the same issue, I run a Diamond Multimedia Radeon 9250 PCI

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central

JonECook
Reply #11 Wednesday, July 26, 2006 8:49 AM
Wonder how long it will be before someone from Stardock actually looks at this problem? They don't seem to be paying much attantion as yet!

This is not the only poston the subject and surely we are not the only people having this problem - come-on StarDock let'sat least see that you are showing some interset in what is being discussed in the forums!

aimzzz
Reply #12 Wednesday, July 26, 2006 9:21 AM
Mine behaves exactly like Bichur's description (Reply #1)

Here is my system info:

WindowBlinds 5.0 System Information Report:

STATUS : WB+ SRV+ HLP+ UI+ TRAY+

WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC.

WindowBlinds appears to be activated on this PC

Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.

You have one monitor in total.

(Plug and Play Monitor) 1 is attached to RADEON 9600 SERIES

Wblind.dll 2006/07/14 17:23:04
Wbsrv.dll 2006/07/14 17:22:54
Wbconfig.exe 2006/07/13 18:37:40
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 18:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 22:29:06
Tray.dll 2006/04/13 17:29:04

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is my vid card driver info

Driver Packaging Version 8.252-060503a-032464C-ATI
CATALYST® Version 06.5
Provider ATI Technologies Inc.
2D Driver Version 6.14.10.6614
2D Driver File Path System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video\{5D3B289C-1AA6-4629-BF07-224280A696CA}\0000
Direct3D Version 6.14.10.0399
OpenGL Version 6.14.10.5819
CATALYST® Control Center Version 1.2.2314.20337
AIW/VIVO WDM Driver Version 6.14.10.6238
AIW/VIVO WDM SP Driver Version 6.14.10.6238


Neil Banfield
Reply #13 Wednesday, July 26, 2006 10:36 AM

JonECook: I have already posted once on this thread and am aware of the problem.  Almost every single poster here has a low end graphics card which fits in with our belief that it is timing related.  The exception being the 9800.


aimzzz
Reply #14 Wednesday, July 26, 2006 10:52 AM
Neil- Just curious
It's a moving target, but at this time, what do you consider to be the minimum specs for a non-low end card?


(Some of us know you are watching)

Bichur
Reply #15 Wednesday, July 26, 2006 12:21 PM
has a low end graphics card


I know I do.
I will see about updating the drivers later this week to see if it improves.

kryo
Reply #16 Wednesday, July 26, 2006 7:20 PM
I experience this as well. It seems to only happen the first time you open the start menu after using a direct3D app, in my case.

sleepydawg
Reply #17 Wednesday, July 26, 2006 8:46 PM
Having the same problem. Thing is, it use to work just fine. Still does with older skins.(with per pixel borders). I was thinking that it might have something to do with newer versions of SkinStudio, along with the slower cards. Anyways, I have had enough. On my way to buy a new card. Maybe an "XFX 7600 GT". Hope that works. If not, Iam gonna cry cry cry

Kuruus
Reply #18 Thursday, July 27, 2006 9:09 AM
I have the exact same problem at work and have emailed Stardock support but haven't had an answer to date. What puzzles me is that earlier verisions of WB worked just fine with all the alpha blending, see through sections, etc. What the heck changed to make this problem suddenly appear?

I've also experimented with trying to modify some of the alpha-blended blinds and, even though I have the settings for the start panel exactly like those that work the darned things still come up as clear until I run my mouse pointer over them. Go figure!

Anxiously awaiting Stardock's support's reply....

Neil Banfield
Reply #19 Thursday, July 27, 2006 1:34 PM
The startmenu code was changed to resolve a flicker issue reported by some users.

sleepydawg
Reply #20 Thursday, July 27, 2006 6:40 PM
? OK That did not tell me to much. Is it fixed? Is that the cause? But hey Neil i am glad you are watching.

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