Deskscapes 3.5 configuration program has stopped working

from WinCustomize Forums

**UPDATE** 2/16:  I can't say for sure if this is what fixed thing but I was playing with tweaking my video driver settings.  Then I started the Deskscapes configuration program and selected dreams that had been crashing it.  They previewed properly.  I restored my driver to its default settings and it still worked.  I'm thinking changing the settings caused something to reset in the driver so that even when I set it back the reset option remained reset.

 

All of a sudden, I can't use the program to change backgrounds.  It was working just two days ago.  Now when I invoke it, it never displays the current background image and eventually freezes.  In uninstalled and reinstalled but the problem has not gotten better.  Here's the about screen dump:

 

Your computer has a Windows Experience Index base score of 5.7
Your Windows Graphics Experience score is 5.9

DeskScapes appears to be activated on this PC
DeskScapes engine appears to be running
(SyncMaster 245B/245BW/245BPlus(Digital)) 1 is attached to ATI Radeon HD 5570

Deskscape.dll 2011/11/01 14:10:18
Deskscapes.dll 2010/09/27 10:06:03
DreamControl32.dll 2009/11/09 16:10:17
DeskscapesConfig.exe 2011/11/01 14:10:45
UI\Deskscape.dll 2011/10/26 12:13:21
UI\DeskscapesVideo.dll 2009/10/24 12:04:54
DreamTasks.exe 2010/09/24 13:01:26
DeskscapesVideo.dll 2010/01/19 17:02:22

If I right-click on a dream file it will allow me to set it using dreamtasks, but the configuration program itself fails.

4,165 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I had this problem today,for some reason my antivirus had blocked it from connectin to the internet.

When i allowed it to connect it started working fine again.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Have you added any additional folders to search for dreams and wallpapers in?

It may be it is scanning those and is finding something it dislikes.

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

 

@Muckyman, I didn't realize it needs to connect to the internet just to set the configuration.  I'll try adding it to the AV safe list.

@Neil, I hadn't added any folders but I just tried reducing the list to the only one that actually has .dream files. 

 

Ok, made both changes and it still freezes while never showing the preview.  I know it depends on DirectX.  I downloaded the latest version and the install said it's already installed.  I might try unistalling and reinstalling DirectX next. 

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Dang.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

You might consider updating or re-installing video drivers.  Video drivers have fixed me up a couple of times on DeskScapes (ATI).  Don't know why it might appear all of a sudden for no apparent reason though.

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I'm at the latest version of the video driver as well, AMD Catalyst 11.12, updated yesterday.

There appears to be no way to uninstall DirectX nor install on top of itself if it's the same version.  No repair install is possible.   X(

Last Friday I did an in-place reinstall of Windows Vista 64 bit.  some things came out worse for the task.  It may be longer than a few days since it last worked, maybe last week sometime.  I know I changed the background sometime last week through the configuration program.  This week I used the double-click method, but that leaves me without access to the effects, etc..  

A few minutes later:  I can use the effects menu as long as I don't try to change the dream file from within the program.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Well here's a couple of admittedly hair-brained ideas from the peanut gallery-

Since you've reinstalled Vista and Vista has all that UAC and "run-elevated" stuff, I'm wondering if your permissions etc might no longer be up to par.  Will the DeskScapes config work if you run it from the StartMenu launcher with a right-click "Run Elevated" option (instead of from a desktop right-click)?

Also, if you restored the dreams and the dreams extraction folder via backup software, I've run into the problem before where the new user, even if it's an Admin, can't read the restored files until I've gone through a "take ownership" process (on XP).  Obviously you can read the dreams you've directly executed so far, but I'm wondering if it might be an issue in the extraction folder or maybe with some of the dreams you haven't loaded yet.  If DeskScapes is trying to read something and can't, it would probably stall.

Ya, it's a little bit of a stretch.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Try removing/renaming C:\Users\Public\Documents\Stardock\Dreams then do a fresh install of DeskScapes.

Use what is included with the program and see if config is OK. If so, it may only be a bad dream. (no pun intended)

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

@Wizard, deleting that folder seems to have helped some.  I can now select a dream or a few and they display properly before the program crashes.  I'll unistall and reinstall next and update this post.

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Still crashing after the uninstall & reinstall.  Guess it's time to open a support ticket.

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Dang