Fences 5.84 Changelog (Released 09/25/2024)

09/25/2024

Version

Fences About UI: 5.84

Fences.exe: 5.8.4.7

Platforms

• Stardock: 09/25/2024

• Steam: tbd

Changes

• Added functionality to resolve excessive User Account Control prompts.

• Added the "Create debug package" option to the Troubleshooting area

• Added a new advanced (C++) logging option to the Troubleshooting area

• Updated Win11ContextMenu package's internal package icons (new installs only)

• Prevent rare situations where all icons could end up on the desktop upon app startup

• Prevent situations where a layout could not save when using old layout modes

• Added resilience for desktop folders relocated to removable drives

• Fixes ‘number of times opened’ sorting for items in a Fence.

• Fixed "icons bunch up on bottom" issue

• Fixed "layout stuck" issue

• New feature: Ability to "Swap Screen Contents" in the Layouts tab. If you've arrived at a multi-monitor configuration and your icons/groups are not on the correct monitor, you can swap them until it's right. Find this under "Adjust displays" link.

• Major Update: All users are now being migrated to the new multi-mon compatible auto layout adjustment system introduced in Fences v5.50. Unlike the previous options, this new system will keep track of your group positions on a per-monitor-configuration basis so that when you plug and unplug monitors/dock and undock, your groups and icons will be right where you left them. Additional messaging has been placed throughout the Layout tab area to emphasize and notify when users arrive to this tab. (Only users who currently have or have had in the past more than 1 monitor will be notified.)

• Major Improvement: Folder Portals now resize lightning fast, so you can see their contents rearrange in real-time as you resize your group. It's pretty neat! And now super responsive.

• Compatibility update: Peek performance and reliability has been further improved with the latest Windows Insider.

• Compatibility update: It was possible for some Folder Portals to delay showing if one of the folder portals was actively syncing (i.e. Dropbox). This has been worked around.

• Compatibility update: Roll-up Fence groups will remain open and expanded (vs retract) when you right-click on a file and navigate using Windows 11 Insider's new file context menu.

• Compatibility update: On the latest Windows 11 Insider builds, desktop icon spacing will now respond more favorably especially when changing DPIs and especially when desktop icon size is set to "large".

• Fix: When using Peek, you can now properly hold Control to multi-select files.

• Fix: Folder Portals now correctly scroll with the mouse wheel one icon at a time, instead of Explorer's default of 1.5x at a time.

• Fix: Folder Portals that have icons smaller than the desktop + are a single row in height would be taller than they should be on startup.

• Fix: Potential crash when changing Windows system themes.

• Fix: Using the pipe symbol "|" in title could cause issue with rules system.

• Fix: Rule picker will now better stay up to date if you create a new Fence group and then navigate back to the dialog.

• Fix: Mouse wheel + control now once again correctly resizes desktop icons .

• Fix: Peek could dismiss if you do a desktop lasso during Peek and release the mouse outside of the Peek area.

• QOL Improvement: Double-clicking on the "folder" or "up" icon of a folder portal title bar no longer triggers roll-up

***Reserved***

I have had to downgrade to the only other version I have that had backups that worked, Fences5_5.8.1.9-j126-Setup_sd, to get the Fences that vanished, back.

Quoting iPooped,

reply 6

I have had to downgrade to the only other version I have that had backups that worked, Fences5_5.8.1.9-j126-Setup_sd, to get the Fences that vanished, back.

That is strange. The change logs for 5.81 Beta and 5.81 Release are the same.

It's interesting that rolling back to the Beta fixed your issue.

Quoting pelaird,

reply 7

Quoting iPooped,

reply 6

I have had to downgrade to the only other version I have that had backups that worked, Fences5_5.8.1.9-j126-Setup_sd, to get the Fences that vanished, back.

That is strange. The change logs for 5.81 Beta and 5.81 Release are the same.

It's interesting that rolling back to the Beta fixed your issue.

I have no idea why it corrected the issue. But the fact remains, the beta (Fences5_5.8.1.9-j126-Setup_sd ) I was given here in a thread because of a past issue, works. The Beta release that was posted officially and the final release of 5.81, both cause my issues above

I have removed Fences5 with Revo, removed all registry entries, Rebooted and reinstalled 5.81 with the same result. Fences are jumbled, at least 4 are missing, not to be found.

For Stardock:

I have work to do, I actually make a living with my PC. Stardock software is for streamlining for me, I am not a 16yo that spends time messing about with the look of my PC as a hobby. It’s a work horse.

So please forgive me when I complain of inconvenience, I don’t mean offence, I’m just direct.

More questions.

Please tell me:

1. Why does the "Configure Fence"s option move from the sub context menu to the main context menu, it seems a random occurrence.
2. Where has "Lock Fences" gone?

When Opening the layout page, settings automatically jump from Per Screen to Per monitor and the Fences are instantly defaulting back to messed up and missing.

I have no other choice. I have lost hours of work production time due to apparently having to BETA test a released software. I am (in my opinion) understandably frustrated.

No.

It's been fine up until 5.5, so that has to tell you something? As per my comments and my account purchase info, I've had no issue with other versions of Fences all the way back to Fences3

Hey? On reboot it's back in the sub menu. Do you mean it alternates if accessed? As per what you quoted from me, it seems "random"

Since when?

At least you have the decency to respond. I've made a complaint ticket for the lack of responses to my concerns against the apparent inclusion of other users issues.

regards.

Hi Sean,  I did as you asked and it did not fix the issue.  This version is not remembering Fence locations, nor does it restore them.  Please advise.

Per monitor will soon be the only option available so any issue with it needs to be resolved with it set. 

You have had the attention of several people here, iPooped, including the lead developer.  I get that you are frustrated (as are we) but accuracy regarding our continued involvement would be welcome.

Since I do not see that you have ever created your own thread as we had hoped you would, I have done so for you.  Please review it and respond accordingly.

https://forums.stardock.com/529991/thread-for-ipooped-and-his-monitor-issues-with-fences-581

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

As for creating a thread, this is the feedback thread. I am giving feedback on things in 5.81 that do not work with a 6 monitor configuration.

@ipooped and thingmaker

A while back someone with a similar issue fixed their setup by purging "Fences 4" which was still active running along Fences 5

https://forums.stardock.com/529682/page/1/#3940366

Edited by Admin for clarity: Sean Drohan

I never got Fences 5.81 to work properly. Initially, it wouldn't allow me to add icons to any fences, rendering the fences I created useless because they were empty. That was only part of the issue. Every time I rebooted my PC—which I do daily—the fences would reset, returning to their initial empty state.

I might have reinstalled Fences 5.81 at some point, and after doing so, the icons started to populate the fences, and I could create portals to folders. Everything looked fine, but after the next reboot, the same problem occurred: the fences were empty again, and all my folder portals were gone.

Customer service wasn't helpful; they expected me to troubleshoot the issue by sifting through loads of posts, which was overwhelming. The one post I found that seemed related mentioned dual monitors, but that wasn't my issue. My problem was that every time I rebooted, everything reset to the first time I installed Fences 5.81. Nothing I tried addressed this issue.

Frustrated, I gave up on Fences 5.81 and reverted to Fences 2.0. However, Fences 2.0 initially wouldn't load either, giving me a notice that it was "corrupted" and needed to be reinstalled. I couldn't add a single fence to Fences 2.0. I tried setting compatibility to Windows 7 and checked "Run as Administrator," but Fences 2.0 still wouldn't install correctly.

By chance, I tried opening Fences 2.0 by right-clicking and selecting "Run as Administrator," and to my surprise, it loaded perfectly. Unfortunately, I lost all the data I deleted while trying to fix Fences 2.0 before discovering that all I needed to do was manually select "Run as Administrator."

The problem is that I don't know how to write a script to automatically set Fences 2.0 to "Run as Administrator," so I have to manually select it each time, which prevents Fences 2.0 from running automatically after a reboot. I suspect that the same Windows 11 issue that blocked Fences 2.0 from loading automatically is also preventing Fences 5.81 from loading properly and saving settings after a reboot.

I’m looking for help with this issue. Specifically:

1. Bypassing the Windows 11 Restriction: Finding a way to bypass whatever in Windows 11 is preventing Fences 2.0 from loading automatically as "Run as Administrator."
2. Creating a Script or Shortcut: Writing a script or setting up a shortcut that forces Fences 2.0 to automatically load in "Run as Administrator" mode. The compatibility settings don’t seem to work automatically, and I don’t know enough about scripting to write one myself.

This might also be helpful for Fences 5.81, though I haven't tried it yet. I just want to get what I had working again. Fences 2.0 worked fine for years, even after upgrading to Windows 11, but something corrupted my login account, which I rebuilt, and nothing has worked right since then.

A script or solution would be greatly appreciated.