Quick question (that really shouldn't need to be asked)

To disable Deskscape you just need to apply a wallpaper using Windows Setting (Setting->Personalization->Background-> Choose a picture. That should disable Deskscape.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

I did, and it did disable Deskscape. I however don't want it in a 'disabled' state, I want to exit the program.
Now it keeps running in the background, with an eternally present icon in the system tray, needlessly taxing my CPU. 

The system tray icon will use no cpu resources unless you actually interact with it (at which point it will show a menu and thus use a tiny amount of cpu)

Cool! And how do I shut that down? You know, like any other software that isn't a virus or some virtual tumor.

Open up the DeskScapes configuration window.  Click on "Settings" in the lower left.  Select "Settings" from the popup menu.  Click on the "Advanced" tab in the Settings window that pops up.  Uncheck the third item down, "Show DeskScapes icon in the system tray".

Open the Deskscapes menu, click on Settings and settings in the pop-up menu and select Advanced and uncheck "Show Deskscapes icon in the system tray".

That's only cosmetically hiding that the program is running. I'm asking how I exit the program. Shut it down. Stop the running process. You don't find it mildly dubious when software persist to run in the background forever, for no reason, without you actually using it? I don't know of any other software that does that, except my OS services, and maliciously hidden cryptominers attached to the software. 

The DSHost.exe is what is essentially 'running' and can be 'shut down' from within DS itself...

https://cdn.stardock.us/support/uploads/2022-03-08_16-13-28.mp4

You very likely have dozens of apps installed now that are running background processes on your PC, arti...  There is nothing nefarious going on here, trust me...

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

I'm running DeskScapes 11 Beta 5 and this option is not available.

It becomes available when you apply a Descscape dream. No need for it if Descapes is not running.

I actually was running DeskScapes, but after a Purge and Re-install of DeskScapes, it is now showing properly.

Glad to hear ..

Sure, it doesn't use a lot of resources, and you can HIDE it, but it is a dumb/unreasonable way to go with this on principle.
Even if it uses no resources or anything, why would this be such a hard problem to solve?

All but the bare minimum is unloaded when it is not enabled.

That's precisely the reason I posted this in the first place. There is neither need nor want for any "bare minimum" when I'm actively exiting a program. When I turn off my tv, I wouldn't be fine with it powering down to some 'secret/hidden standby mode' - because some random person decided on my behalf that that's the functionality I want. I'd take it back to the shops for some Russian slapping. 

When I turn things off / exit programs / shut things down -- I want them to not still drain any power or run anything in the background, since there is no reason for them to do so. It being programmed to keep running is well beyond strange, if it actually isn't doing anything. Somewhere in the building stage, someone decided for some reason to disable the default action of closing the program when you're trying to close the program. And if so, the statement:

doesn't quite cut it. That comment is why I haven't used the program, which I did pay for, since. "Others do it too" isn't a valid reason, but a meaningless cop-out, and developers assuming they can be trusted is why we have millions - to billions - of personal data-leaks on a weekly basis.                                                                            
- If there is an actual reason for it, and it isn't nefarious, then why is that actively not being shared?
- If there isn't a reason for it, then it's simply a bug that needs fixing: I want it to close -- it doesn't close.

I am afraid thats just how the software works.  It exists as part of explorer.exe which is why you cannot just 'quit' that.

It is not a case of something being disabled to stop it unloading, it is the case of a considerable amount of work required in order to undo everything it does and there is no justification for this.

As a heads up, your TV when in standby is really not asleep all the time.  It almost certainly has things set to run every so often to check for firmware updates, retune signals, latest guide data.  If your TV has record functionality then it will have to check for that.

Software works the way one builds it. If there's a 'start' button, I don't see a reason for the lack of any 'stop' option. The justification for putting in "a considerable amount of work required in order to undo everything it does" to include such an option, can be found in the payment received for it. When you're building software merely for your own convenience, by all means; let it autorun uncontrolled eternally. When you're getting paid for it, 'that's soooo much effort' isn't an argument. 

Thanks so much for the heads up, but it's misplaced. I was expecting that easy counter, that's why I said turn off - not stand-by -, and made it bold. Guess you still missed that. Have it again in size redundant.

If you turn off your pc the software will also not be running.  Turning off the TV from the mains (which almost nobody does these days) could be considered similar to uninstalling the software.

I am sorry but we have no plans to alter how the software functions as it is working as designed.  I appreciate this isn't what you wanted to hear but the design was chosen for a specific reason.  For example disabling the service would break other users on the same computer who may be using them.  Likewise shell extensions that provide pause/config options would remain in the same way if you install say 7zip they remain even if you close the app window.

If you are the only user then feel free to disable the service and reboot.  Be aware you would have to restart the service in order to use the software.

Uninstalling would be more like selling my TV (Also: "almost nobody"? Really? With the insane rise in the costs of energy, combined with the ever increasing popularity and availability + affordability of smart-switches/plugs; who the hell leaves their TV on stand-by 'these days'?).

Having to reboot in order to simply shut down a vanity-program is indeed not what I wanted to hear, although I wasn't expecting any effort at all - let alone actual fixes. But it's fine. I think this, plus the fact I've been paying for a full year since the release of windows 11 for products that simply aren't functional, nor updated, makes for a good milestone to stop throwing cash down this well. Paying for a Stardock-subscription feels like I'm basically handing over unemployment checks. I'm done enabling lazy development.

Sorry to see you go - we hope you change your mind in the future.

Incidentally, here is the lastest update for Start11 (1.26):

https://forums.stardock.com/514539/start11-126-beta-issue-report-thread

Our release of Fences 4 and Start11 on Steam:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1815630/view/3249930904617865547

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1811010/view/3381659291151635424

Or request for beta testers for WindowBlinds 11:

https://forums.stardock.com/513840/windowblinds-11-testing

Again, hope to see you back soon.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

 

 

 

 

- Start11, which still lacks the most wanted basic customization: vertical taskbars, requested on pretty much day 1, by quite a horde. of people paying you for it. You mentioned something (vague) in September/November last year, and clarified or replied to approximately nothing and nobody since. Meanwhile the sheep your clearly respected customers paid for a full year of software that doesn't include the function(s) actually wanted.

- Fences4, which is a tool to organize my desktop as I see fit - as long as it's in a forced grid, without any empty spaces, and only horizontally aligned. Three features my bare desktop does offer. You said you were going to come back to this feature request in January 2018. Your customers are still waiting for this functionality. Heck, your customers have been waiting for 4.5+ years for a mere adequate respond to the request.

- Windowblinds11, of which you seriously put that link there to imply there's any positive aspect about you lot still only chilling in a beta-testing-process, nearly a full year after it should've been available.
You should be grovelling - responding with nothing but mea culpas for the total sum of f*-all you've provided paying customers with. Instead, you opt for this ridiculous snarky reply - implying you actually have a single thing to be proud of. You've coughed up a couple links to software that continues to marginally offer only part of what it's supposed to do. What an accomplishment.

You're a year behind, yet still you make a mockery of those that pay you, in spite of your blatant and well-known tardiness.

Maybe consider climbing out of your hammock, and start delivering what's both expected and promised.

Arti, thanks again for the feedback.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Ya, my pleasure.

Considering Fences is a somewhat big deal in your repertoire:
I just noticed a horribly annoying pop-up of some program advertising their new product. It intrigued me, because the little window was basically showing me Fences, so I clicked & downloaded it -- Now I have Fences twice, with a different UI in the menu.

In my opinion obvious theft is arguably worse than annoyingly lazy development, so have a heads-up:
They stole your software. Poorly.

            ⇊ Fences ⇊                                                                    ⇊ Shameless Thieves ⇊

⇊ Many handy options..⇊ CTRL+H  ⇉  Replace all "Fence" with "Box"⇊ They clearly care about convenience. Didn't even bother to rename Folder Portals. Conveniently.

Even though they actually do offer free placement of icons - see my earlier commentary on Fences 4 - I do think copy-pasting someone else's proprietary software and spreading it around as freeware to advertise your paid software, is a bit of a **** move.

If this doesn't constitute intellectual property theft, nothing does.

"iTop Easy Desktop Free"

 

I have seen this as well. I think offered by iObit.

I no longer use Fences so I had no interest in iTop, so I haven't checked it out.

Ok, thanks.

For future reference: My post was mostly meant to be a general notification. I'm not actually taking inventory of which random user is/isn't aware and/or why (not).