Windows 24H2 Causes Issues in DeskScapes 11

Hello,
I have forwarded 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

Hi AlkorArman,

Thanks for posting. I was able to reproduce item #2 from your list.  This is now logged for review.

Internal Ref: ODNT-9919

I've also noted this was possible without entering sleep mode.  In my reproduction, it seems to occur on all 3 monitors, whenever DeskScapes transitions to the last background in the cycle (I have 3 images set per playlist on each monitor, cycling every 30 seconds).

For the other two issues, can you please provide some more information to help isolate reproduction steps?  In particular, I'm curious:

• Are any of the images Animated, or are they all Static?
• For each Playlist's "Settings" tab in DeskScapes, can you tell me what exact options you have selected? If you change them (such as the "Changing speed" setting), does that effect the issues for you?
• Are these things you can reproduce without going into Sleep mode?
• When you said: "The default background color is dark blue." where exactly did you set this? Does changing that effect the issues?  
• Do the issues occur all the time, or only sometimes?  On all monitors, or only some?  Does changing anything else you can think of in your settings make either of the problems stop reproducing?

As much additional information as you can provide for exact reproduction steps may be helpful. 

Best regards,

Adam McGuinness
Stardock Customer Support Specialist

Hi Adam,

Thanks for reviewing my issues.  Here are answers to your questions.

• Are any of the images Animated, or are they all Static?

All the images are static png files.

• For each Playlist's "Settings" tab in DeskScapes, can you tell me what exact options you have selected? If you change them (such as the "Changing speed" setting), does that effect the issues for you?

For each of the three playlists, I have not checked "Sequentially change through backgrounds" or "Automatically change when video ends".  Each of the three playlists has a different "Changing speed" time, 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes.  I just changed the settings on all three to 5 minutes to see if that changes any behavior.

• Are these things you can reproduce without going into Sleep mode?

Yes, sleep mode only creates the screen background "white-out", not any of the other symptoms.

• When you said: "The default background color is dark blue." where exactly did you set this? Does changing that effect the issues?  

That is set under Windows "Settings->Personalization->Background->Choose your background color"

• Do the issues occur all the time, or only sometimes?  On all monitors, or only some?  Does changing anything else you can think of in your settings make either of the problems stop reproducing?

All the problems occur all the time.  I can right click the background and select "Refresh",  which makes the desktop icons disappear on the monitors which they don't properly exist.  But soon after they reappear.   The problem with the desktop icons happens on all three monitors.  On the monitor that actually has most of the desktop icons, running the mouse cursor over those icons creates a graphics mess (icons stacked on top of icons).  The screen background turning solid white after waking from sleep mode also happens on all three monitors.  So far I haven't found any settings that stop the problems from occuring.

Thank-you!

Thank you for clarifying the answers to these questions. This will be added to the logged issue.  However, following your same steps with the same build of Windows 11 24H2, I still have not been able to reproduce your 1st and 3rd issues. 

To investigate/isolate what's happening here on your system, you may try seeing if the issues persist after a Clean Boot.  Instructions for attempting this can be found here:

https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1346928700/DeskScapes+Clean+Boot

Please let us know if this helps. 

Thanks again and best regards,

Adam McGuinness
Stardock Customer Support Specialist

Thank-you for the reply.  I followed the instructions for a clean boot and rebooted.  Of course, the desktop had no issues at this point (desktop icons behaved as they should). The backgrounds on the three monitors display the pictures that Deskscapes had last displayed.  Naturally, they were static (didn't cycle through).  Then ran the restart Deskscapes script.

Unfortunately, I still have the same problems as before.  The desktop icons from monitor 3 appeared on all three monitors until running "refresh".  Later they reappeared.

On a positive note, many services that I was running at startup won't be re-enabled

Best Regards.

Hallo,

Deskscapes 11, Fences, Object Desktop etc. not running under Win 11 24H2 Build 26100.4061. No chance to get it work. Any solutions???

I haven't found any solution for Deskscapes 11.  I am using Start 11 and that works with Win 11 24H2.

Hello!

I'm having similar issues since I upgraded computer to Windows 11 Pro (Version 24H2)  I get the white desktops and the eradicate behavior where all desktops (3 monitors) all seem to be going on and off as if crashing.  I didn't experience this behavior with DeskScapes 11 before this change and have been a long time user of DeskScapes with many years of Windows operating systems.  But now DeskScapes seems unusable for me and, if I can't find some stabilizing remediation, I may have to abandon my use of DeskScapes and just stick with the default desktops of Windows.  This would be sad since I've long enjoyed Stardock DeskScapes.  In any case, I have confirmed it is a DeskScapes 11 problem since I'm not experiencing any problem once I stopped using it.

Thank you

dancarig

Northville, MI 

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please create your own thread for your issue. Also include these information.

1. Windows 11 full version and OS Build number. If you have mentioned that please restate it in your new thread.
2. All Deskscapes, Fences, etc full version number.
3. Monitors count and its details such as resolution, scale, connection type etc.
4. Elaborate details on what don't work.
5. Tell us what you have done to try to resolve or check on your issue.
6. Did you try install/reinstall latest video codec.

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

From what I read internally, this issue was reproduced internally and it was logged for Dev to look at. Hopefully this will be address soon. We appreciate your feedback and patience.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

I just updated to Windows 11 24H2 and now all deskscapes backgrounds open in Active Movie Window and not as background.  I've been using deskscapes for years with no issues.  Only after 24H2 update has the problem started.

Edition Windows 11 Pro

Version 24H2

Installed on ‎7/‎16/‎2025

OS build 26100.4061

Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.26100.84.0

Deskscapes 11.02

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I am running Deskscape 11.02 on Windows 11 24H2 OS Build 26100.4652. And I don't see the issue. Animated backgrounds work as normal. Perhaps you try changing these settings.

Also consider installing latest Codec pack: https://codecguide.com/download_kl.htm 

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

I've tried all of that before I posted the question.  The settings in deskscapes are exactly the same and downloaded the Codec pack as well.  Made no difference. Every one I try to apply opens in "ActiveMovie Window"  I've also uninstalled and reinstalled Deskscapes.

Please try purge and reinstall steps as mention here : [Link]. Just make sure to redownload the latest 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.

Followed the instructions and still the same.  All deskscapes open in ActiveMovie Window.  Now when I reinstalled Deskscapes, it is from Object Desktop.  You said to redownload from account page.  I don't have Deskscapes available to download by itself from account page.

Yes, you should have it, just need to click on the "View Individual downloads" or "Product Downloads" link to open up the full list. Deskscapes should be in there.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Went through it again.  Purge, reboot, re-install from account page, reboot and it is doing the same thing!

Would like to recommend Clean Boot : https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1346928700/DeskScapes+Clean+Boot. And try to see if there is conflicting issue with other background program. Try it and report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Followed the above instructions to perform Clean Boot. Did everything precisely as to the instructions. Everything went according to the steps until I ran the batch file. I attached a pic of what appeared. Deskscapes did not start and nothing happened

Hello,
I have forwarded 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