Start8 not show user account picture

from Stardock Forums

Hello! I'm on Win 8.1.1/64 bit and use Start 8 v1.45.

In config menu is checked "Show user account picture", but the picture not show, only the border. Picture remain black square.

Other icons (My Computer, Documents, Games etc.) is shown on top, but only my picture not.

What is the problem? Please someone help me. Thanks! (Sorry my bad engllish.)

bartak 

start8
8,096 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

I'd like you to submit a support ticket here so we may see what's going on: https://esupport.stardock.com/index.php?/Tickets/Submit

If you could submit a screenshot that would be excellent too.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Thank You!

I wrote to a support and sent a support ticket and a screenshot of the error as well.

bartak

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Same problem. Start8 version 1.47. The picture associated with my profile does not show up on the start menu at the top where it should I get a black box or a generic picture of a body.

 

I just don't understand what the problem is at all.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Go to start8 config and uncheck "show user picture" and then re-check it again. That did it for me.

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Nope tried that didn't work. I have also uninstalled and reinstalled Start 8 and changed and checked every different setting on the configure menu and none of them fix it. Its getting kind of annoying.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Well after the total lack of interest from Stardocks staff on this issue and the fact that since 1.45 all kinds of issues have emerged I have solved the problem for me. I simply went and paid the $3 for a copy of Startisback instead. Its working perfectly and my user picture displays exactly where it should. Also my shut down menu no longer has the hibernate option on it whereas with Start 8 no matter how many times I turned off the option it remained on the menu and was fully functional.

 

Anyone else wants a copy of startisback: http://www.startisback.com/#download-tab.

 

Start 8 was a great piece of software originally but something got broken in 1.45 and Stardock have done bugger all to remedy this so they have left little choice but to shop around to other suppliers.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

I did not see any tickets in the system under your email address Duncs35, so I'm unsure how we've shown a lack of interest. Please contact us if you're having any issues: https://esupport.stardock.com/index.php?/Tickets/Submit 

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

I needed an answer for this as well, but I found out how to do it myself:

 

Basically, your user account picture for Start8 is stored as  a User.bmp in the "c:\Users\Ray\AppData\Local\Temp' folder, no matter even if you have changed the TMP or TEMP values in your user environment variables. So, if you have accidentally erased this by a cleaning program, Start8 will not regenerate it for you. But you can manually do it yourself. Here are the steps:

 

NB: You will have to know how to change hidden file attributes

 

1. Navigate to 'C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures'

2. Copy (i.e. make a backup of ) one of the .accountpicture-ms files.

3. Change its extension from .accountpicture-ms to .bmp (note: it may not yet be opened as a valid bmp file)

4. Use an image converter (such as ImageBadger Image Converter, which is what I used) to convert the .bmp to .jpg (by now it will be a valid graphics file)

5. Open, and re-save it as a .bmp

6. Then, place the file back into 'C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures'

7. Restart your explorer.exe process or simply reboot.

 

That should do it. Anyway,  I hope this scores me some Stardock brownie points towards whatever I want to purchase next!