SD Central & Office Apps Crash

from WinCustomize Forums
Microsoft Office and SD Central Network Edition crash if WBs is active. I must open Outlook in safe mode, and SD Central does not render properly and freezes, and I must use Win Task Mgr to end the task. Both Office and SD Central work fine if I switch to the default WindowsXP theme. I tried to uninstall SD Central but was not able to, some temp installation files are missing. I reinstalled SD Network Edition over the the copy I have on the HHD, but this did not fix the problem. Any and all help will be appreciated, this is driving me nuts!
windowblinds
4,016 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
What versions are you running (Office, WindowBlinds, and SDC - especially whether they are beta versions).

Are you running other programs as well - especially customization programs?

Do you have the MCP options in SDC Tools > Settings selected or deselected?

Some more information would be helpful to anyone trying to help.

If you can reproduce the issue by unloading all other programs > return Windows to the default XP theme including all icons > load and apply WindowBlinds skin > start Outlook and/or SD Central consistently, then I would say you have an obvious issue with either the version of WBlinds installed, a beta version of SDC, or with the Stardock MCP function.

Stardock MCP option can be selected/deselected via the Tools > Settings dialog in SDC. You might try the opposite of the current setting to see if it helps. My understanding of the MCP options are: (1) support for the automatic notification in the system tray, and (2) smart start functionality to load the Stardock products quickly, sometimes before other services.

If you use DesktopX, or the System Tray functionality in ObjectDock, disabling the Stardock MCP will probably create issues with those programs.

Uninstalling and reinstalling WindowBlinds seems like it might be an option, and if you delete the WB sub-directory after unload > uninstall > reboot, you should be able to install a non-beta version which is compatible.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will drop by.

Note - if the reinstalled SDC will allow you to uninstall, you may want to opt for that, then reinstall without being connected to the internet and use the "Tools > Settings" dialog to select "Check for Stardock Central Release updates on startup" and "Prompt before updating Stardock Central" - which will deselect the "Check for Stardock Central Beta updates on startup" and force a prompt. Also, deselect the "Show pre-release (alpha/beta) versions".

Once you have these settings selected, you can close > reconnect to the internet > start Stardock Central > register products (Tools > Register products) > install the programs available to you.

You will want to save any downloaded themes/skins, etc. - then uninstall any programs that were installed via SDC prior to uninstalling SDC, if you go this route.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for the heads-up Corky O. I should explain I am a computer "user" and not a programmer, artist or have any other special technical skills.

Using WindowsXP Pro SP2 with all of the latest patches. Intel P4 EE 3.4. 2GB RAM. Two 160GB RAID 0 drives + one 160GB separate. Stardock is for my visual pleasure as I spend most of my leisure time on audio / video pursuits.

I looked in the Stardock Central folder and checked the options on all of the executables, but could not find the "tools" mentioned anywhere. I am using SDC v2.10.00 full, loader 1.05.00. I do live dangerously maybe since I try the alpha / beta offerings. I have stand alone Object Desktop, but it is version 3.x and I do not have it installed. I am strictly a network user. These issues started yesterday (Friday) evening, and I have never had operational problems with Stardock products in the past, including DesktopX and ObjectDock. I do save downloaded themes / skins in a safe place so I can avoid having to download them again if I am forced wipe this system clean.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Damper,

Sorry, I should have been clearer.

The "Tools" I mentioned is the Tools menu located on the menu toolbar in the Stardock Central interface itself.

Just start Stardock Central, and you should see the Tools menu, open it and go to Settings - you should see the options I am referring to.

I am running Stardock Central 2.10.343, which is the most recent "Released" version (non-beta).

By the versions you indicated above, I am not clear on whether you are a current customer or not. If so, you may want to update to the most recent "Released" versions of SDC (2.10.343)and WindowBlinds (4.51.047).

If you want to remove WindowBlinds, and try installing again - you can use the zapper utility Link - which you download > double-click > use the "uninstall" tab to select WindowBlinds, then click "Apply", and "OK" to uninstall.

Reboot computer > remove any WindowBlinds folder left in "\Program Files\Stardock" folder > reinstall WindowBlinds.

Note - you will want to verify that you either have the stand-alone installer, or the option to install WindowBlinds in SDC, before uninstalling the product. I mention this due to my being unclear on your current customer status.

Your system looks like it is well beyond any minimum requirements for the software, so I would say you are looking at one of the following:

- beta version bug in one of the programs
- corrupted or incomplete file somewhere in programs
- skin that created an issue for some reason

If it was me, I would go with removing programs and installing from scratch as follows:

- Unload all Stardock programs
- Uninstall all Stardock programs (assuming ability to reinstall current versions)
- Reboot machine
- Open "My Computer" > open Tools menu > select "Folder Options" > click View tab > select "Show hidden files and folders > click "Apply"
- Delete the Stardock folder in "\Program Files" directory and any Stardock folder located in "\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data" folder
- Reinstall SDC using the method described in my first comment (to prevent any beta versions being installed to allow testing of programs)
- Start SDC, and update if offered (it will be a "released" version based on choices during install)
- Reboot machine
- Install Stardock programs (non-beta versions)
- Test functionality of programs
- Test compatibility with other programs on computer

If all goes well, you can just apply skins and enjoy, or install some beta versions to use - your choice.

One last note - I always recommend returning Windows to the default Windows XP theme including all icons before doing any installing or uninstalling to prevent problems.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Many thanks Corky O! For a time Saturday night everything cleared up on its own, and worked fine until I shut down. This morning I am right back at ground zero. I think I will go the rout you suggest and uninstall the suite and start from scratch. BTW I checked my WB version and it is 4.4, with no other builds. WBconfig.exe is v4.5. It appears the problem is with this version of WB, because when it is not running, Office and even SDC work fine. I still have Object Desktop 2004 CD as a stand alone. I may install that just in case I run into trouble with the network version re installation.

I did find the Tools in the SDC after I got SDC open after shutting off WB. I just unchecked the boxes you mentioned, but have not had a chance to see if that helps.

Again, thanks for your help and patience. It is much appreciated.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central