SOLVED: Freezing Windows Explorer and desktop on startup

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try purge and reinstall steps as mention here : [Link]. Just make sure to redownload the latest Fences 4 version from your account page. Reboot after the purge. Reinstall and reboot again after the installation. Retest and report back here.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Hi, i have done the following.

Clean installed using your method , same issue.

disabled fences same issue

uninstalled fences - No problem. pc logs into windows and immediately available. Fences is definitely the problem.

i made 3 videos , please provide a method for me to send to you.

Need more information on your system.

1. Windows 10 full version number. Use Winver.exe to get them. and
2. Try review this thread, https://forums.stardock.com/502301.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi 

i tried the solution in the forum , which is adding exception for explorer and fences exe, Disable high entropy.

Did NOT Work.

Note that i also tried installing Fences in Sandbox mode, it did not allow me to enable fences after install, after reboot it loses all changes to windows(sandbox VM)

In Sandbox mode, what is the popup msg that came up not allowing you to enable it?

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

No message, just doesn not happen.

Tried to reboot the sandbox then fences was gone.

Would you like to anydesk to my Pc to try and fix?

Are your system setup in Corp Environment where its running agressive AV software such as Forcepoint/Websence?

Thanks

No Defender or Avg free

Is this a new Fences install with no old saved layout snapshots. Or there are saved layout snapshots from previous versions or previous installed?

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi, ive used fences for many years now. Was on version 3, it started to gove me this problem a few weeks ago. So i though fences 4 might have had a fix for this. So i purchased fences 4, however still the same issue.

So i your method to clean uninstall and install fresh copy, created new fences , Same issue.

When you do a fresh installed. Do you still see your old saved layout screenshot in there. Or you totally start over with no layout screenshot at all. Just need to confirm this. Since, from a few reports. If you have a Corrupted layout snapshot, it will effect your Fences loading since it will try to load that corrupted layout snapshot which will cause it to crash.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

No older snapshots anymore at all.

Had to create new ones. 

Hello,
I have forward your problem/question to Stardock Support Team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

The question then is, what did you do to change your system 'a few weeks ago'.

Is this system in a corp environment?

Are you syncing your desktop to OneDrive?  If so, stop it and see if it persists.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Hi. Dont know what changed.

Not syncing desktop to OneDrive.

Its a personal pc. I do use my work email and office but thats all work related. 

GeraldPakree,

Are you also using Start11 and WindowsBlinds11?

hi, no none of those.

If you were able to 'create new ones' that means Fences loaded its default set of Fences without issue, yes?

If so, for any new Fences you are creating, are they Folder portals?  If also true, and you create all your fences but NOT any folder portals, does your system reboot without issue?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Hi, i dont use folder portals, only fences, no rollup or hiding or anything.

Ok, so let's lay out some scenarios and you tell me where it gets hosed.

1) Install Fences 4, do not change anything (no new Fences, no new icons), reboot several times, and everything is fine. True\False?

2) Install Fence 4 and the Desktop freezes immediately or cant enable at all. True \ False?

3) Create a folder on the Desktop, cut \ paste ALL icons on the desktop into it (minus system ones - Trash, My Computer, etc). Install Fences. Everything is fine. True \ False?

4) If everything is fine for #3, as you create Fences and 1 by 1 move icons to them. It gets hoses when I move X icon. True \ False?

The effort for the last two is to determine if a specific icon (or set of) is causing Fences problems.  For example, if an icon is to a network location that it cant resolve or is not available.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Hi its sorted ,Thank you for pointing me in the direction of the icons and shortcuts.

Turned out to be my shortcuts to network shares. Only available when VPN is dialed.

Finally can use Fences again   

Hi I can confirm this bug, I also added a network shortcut recently and when the network shortcut is unavailable (ie the netwok device is offline) it gets stuck in a crash loop. Removing the network shortcut fixed this. Please fix this!

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I believe there is a workaround on network shortcut here:  https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#folderportalsempty.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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