Curtains crashes explorer.exe

AV Exception

from Stardock Forums

Hi!

I'm running a trial copy of Curtains, I used to use WindowBlinds back in the day on Windows XP (such interesting times). Switched to Mac for a few years and just recently switched back to Windows, so I decided to see what's new with Stardock.

Sadly, Curtains seems to make my explorer.exe crash from time to time, specifically when switching virtual desktops with my trackpad. The Event Viewer shows this relevant log:

Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 10.0.19041.488, time stamp: 0xb1a44bf9

Faulting module name: explorer.exe, version: 10.0.19041.488, time stamp: 0xb1a44bf9

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x0000000000042038

Faulting process id: 0x5a0c

Faulting application start time: 0x01d6a1d6e9a9a4f6

Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe

Report Id: 760c4c08-c8f2-49c7-978c-b39c056d4925

Faulting package full name: 

Faulting package-relative application ID: 

I'm pretty sure it's Curtains because it didn't seem to happen before I installed.  I'm using the built-in Midnight theme, I just enabled the Acrylic background for Windows Explorer (I've tried without it but it happens regardless). This is recent install of Windows 10 v2004 (less than a week old) on a Razer Blade 15 Advanced (2019), so I'm pretty sure it's a rather "clean" environment for it.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

curtains
12,319 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try installing and running Curtains under Sandbox (https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-windows-sandbox-windows-10-may-2019-update)  and see if the issue still there. If not than maybe something that is running in the background is interfering with Curtains.

Try that and report back.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

To rule out a few things, could you go into Curtains settings, click the cog on the left and click the bottom button "more style settings".  Then untick Enable style transparency effects and sign out and in again.

Does the problem continue to happen?

Also how advanced a windows user would you consider yourself?  I.e. if we asked you to install windbg to catch a dmp file would that be something that be too much for you, or something you would probably be comfortable with if we provided full instructions?

Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 1

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please try installing and running Curtains under Sandbox (https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-windows-sandbox-windows-10-may-2019-update)  and see if the issue still there. If not than maybe something that is running in the background is interfering with Curtains.

Try that and report back.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'm familiar with it. I don't think this is the best way to go about it, though:

  • Curtains does not alter the UI of the sandbox meaningfully, it only seems to set Windows accent and background color
  • Acrylic transparency does not show in Explorer
  • Microsoft Precision Touchpad input doesn't seem to be captured by the sandbox
  • If it worked at all, seems like the outmost ideal place to run it (it's a brand-new, empty, next to no software and many syscalls are probably faked by Windows but of course I don't know it for sure) - so it's very unlikely to fail

I did try it in there... no problem, except it doesn't even style anything inside the sandbox.

Quoting Neil, reply 2

To rule out a few things, could you go into Curtains settings, click the cog on the left and click the bottom button "more style settings".  Then untick Enable style transparency effects and sign out and in again.

Does the problem continue to happen?

Also how advanced a windows user would you consider yourself?  I.e. if we asked you to install windbg to catch a dmp file would that be something that be too much for you, or something you would probably be comfortable with if we provided full instructions?

Disabling transparency altogether was one of my first "instincts", so I tried it that... didn't really change much. Even if it did, it kinda' defeats the purpose of using Curtains on this nice hardware :(

Although I'm returning from a long time on a Mac, I'm pretty advanced so I wouldn't mind trying to do the windbg to try and get a dump. I'm not a Windows dev, but I'm pretty sure we'd need some symbols for that right?

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

I'm using the built-in Midnight theme, I just enabled the Acrylic background for Windows Explorer (I've tried without it but it happens regardless). 

 

 

mobdro

 

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting evilbonn, reply 5

I'm using the built-in Midnight theme, I just enabled the Acrylic background for Windows Explorer (I've tried without it but it happens regardless). 

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please start a new thread of your own and also include details on your Windows : Windows 7,8,10 or 11? And its version numbers.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.