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Start11 v2.49.5 Beta Feedback Thread

Start11 v2.49.5 Beta Feedback Thread

With the Start11 2.49.5 (eventual final release will be 2.50) beta release today, we are creating this thread so that users can report any observed issues.  

Obtaining Object Desktop Insider Builds

Object Desktop Manager

Object Desktop members can get beta and Insider builds from within Object Desktop Manager with 'Enable Object Desktop Insider builds' enabled:

image-20240219-210025.png

Stardock Download Page

Or via their download page in the ‘Object Desktop Insider’ section

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Obtaining Beta Releases

Stardock.com

If a beta was released, Object Desktop Members would see it in the ‘Object Desktop’ section.

Individual purchases would see it on their registration of the product under their download page.

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Steam

  • Right-click the Product in Steam

  • Properties

  • Betas

  • Select the beta branch at the top right (there is no password)

Example

https://cdn.stardock.us/support/uploads/steamwebhelper_2024-02-19_17-44-35.png

Reporting an issue

Please include the following for anything found:

  • Exact Windows version \ build (winver.exe)

  • Detailed steps to recreate the issue seen

  • Screenshots and videos are very helpful.  Videos can be uploaded to a cloud drive service (GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive, YouTube), with a shared link included in your post.  Images can be copied and pasted directly into a post.

  • If there are specific apps that the app does not work (well) with, please note what apps and their exact versions.  If any app is not common, a link to a trial version would be appreciated.

Thank you for your interest and any time you put into making Star11 v2 a better product.

101,946 views 81 replies
Reply #26 Top

Quoting Chris, reply 25



Hi, quick question about the monitor layout above:

Monitor 1 is the laptop own screen physically situated per the layout above
Monitors 2 & 3 are a Samsung C49RG9x 49" monitor configured as 2 x 2560 x 1440 monitors (Samsung "PBP" - "Picture by Picture" mode).
Monitor 2 is configured as the main display with Start112.49.3 configured as a vertical taskbar on this monitor only.

When accessing (right clicking) the taskbar tray icons (bottom left of monitor 2) is there a way to bias the tray icon dialog to appear in monitor 2 only?
Currently they appear in monitor 1 where the borders of monitors 1 & 2 overlap.


I guess a workaround is to position monitor 1 to be below monitor 2 in display settings but then the mouse pointer tracking can get confusing...

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.

Note while waiting, please provide few more details.

  1. Windows 10 or 11? And need its full version and OS Build number. Please use Winver.exe.
  2. If you disable the Samsung PBP mode, reboot the system, does the issue goes away?
  3. If you change all the taskbar to bottom mode, does the issue goes away?
  4. If you change the Start11 taskbar enhance mode from on to off or from off to on does the issue goes away?

Thank you.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #27 Top

when using the Windows 10 taskbar button style (the Windows 11 button style looks pretty bad vertically imho), the highlight on the left of the button is very thin and very hard to see...

Reply #28 Top

Quoting harscoet, reply 27



when using the Windows 10 taskbar button style (the Windows 11 button style looks pretty bad vertically imho), the highlight on the left of the button is very thin and very hard to see...

In what way is the windows 11 button style looking bad to you?  It should look just like the Windows 11 one but stacked vertically instead of horizontally?

With regards to the Windows 10 look.  It should be identical to the Windows 10 taskbar when on a vertical taskbar.  Size of indicator included.  The issue here seems to potentially be a colouring issue?  It uses the OS accent colour but that seems to be blending in with your taskbar colour.

Have you overridden your start menu colour in Start11?

Reply #29 Top

In Windows 11 style, having the dots underneath the buttons and thus in between the buttons is odd to me when vertical. The dots would be better on the side to match what the horizontal taskbar does, and not between the buttons.

I upgraded from Windows 10 and I didn't change the colors. The highlight was more visible on Windows 10, I'm pretty sure it was wider but I don't have it anymore to compare. Maybe you are not considering the display scaling? This is on a 4k 27" monitor with 150% scale and the highlight is only 3 pixels wide, about 0.5 mm, and barely visible. Btw, in the screenshot above, all but the 2nd button have the highlight, not just the focused one, and the unfocused ones are even harder to see due to the little color contrast, in addition to how thin they are.

Reply #30 Top

Quoting harscoet, reply 29

In Windows 11 style, having the dots underneath the buttons and thus in between the buttons is odd to me when vertical. The dots would be better on the side to match what the horizontal taskbar does, and not between the buttons.

I upgraded from Windows 10 and I didn't change the colors. The highlight was more visible on Windows 10, I'm pretty sure it was wider but I don't have it anymore to compare. Maybe you are not considering the display scaling? This is on a 4k 27" monitor with 150% scale and the highlight is only 3 pixels wide, about 0.5 mm, and barely visible. Btw, in the screenshot above, all but the 2nd button have the highlight, not just the focused one, and the unfocused ones are even harder to see due to the little color contrast, in addition to how thin they are.

Just for reference, here is what it look like on actual Windows 10 with left vertical taskbar.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #31 Top

with contrasting colors, the width of the highlight is actually fine.
The settings I had were 'Iris pastel' for the accent color with 'Transparency effects' on, and 'Show accent color on Start and taskbar' on.
When using a similar color (Purple shadow) and the same options on Windows 10, there is still a bigger contrast between the highlight/accent and the taskbar.

Reply #32 Top

Hi all, I'm seeing issues even after uninstalling without keeping settings, reboot, reinstall, reboot of 2.49.3.

Whether I place the taskbar on the right or left of my two screens. I don't see a start button on the taskbar, but clicking the app showing where the start button should be, opens the start menu. Which also means I can't click the app that's in the start button position and have to use keyboard shortcuts to bring the app back to the front. 

Also, on my second monitor, nothing shows on the taskbar except the date/time at the bottom. If I click on the taskbar where the start button should be, the start menu opens. Any apps I move to the second monitor still show on the primary monitor taskbar, not the secondary monitor taskbar.

I also just noticed that when I minimize an app on the secondary monitor, the animation makes it appear like it's minimizing to the top of the screen, not to the right where I have the taskbar. 

Reply #33 Top

Quoting jwhitecotton, reply 32

Hi all, I'm seeing issues even after uninstalling without keeping settings, reboot, reinstall, reboot of 2.49.3.

Whether I place the taskbar on the right or left of my two screens. I don't see a start button on the taskbar, but clicking the app showing where the start button should be, opens the start menu. Which also means I can't click the app that's in the start button position and have to use keyboard shortcuts to bring the app back to the front. 

Also, on my second monitor, nothing shows on the taskbar except the date/time at the bottom. If I click on the taskbar where the start button should be, the start menu opens. Any apps I move to the second monitor still show on the primary monitor taskbar, not the secondary monitor taskbar.

When you go to:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\Start11

Start11Config.exe -> Properties -> Details

Is the 'File version' 2.4.9.3?

If not, it has not been properly updated.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Reply #34 Top

All,

The Start11 beta has been updated to 2.49.4.

For details, please see:

https://forums.stardock.com/533419/get;3956008

As always, thank you for your time, feedback, and support

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Reply #35 Top

Quoting jwhitecotton, reply 32

Whether I place the taskbar on the right or left of my two screens. I don't see a start button on the taskbar, but clicking the app showing where the start button should be, opens the start menu. Which also means I can't click the app that's in the start button position and have to use keyboard shortcuts to bring the app back to the front.
This sounds sort of like a worse version of what I described and showed here: https://forums.stardock.com/532897/get;3954201

In my situation, the Start button is only gone when a specific pinned app is open.  If I close it, the Start button reappears.  Otherwise, as you said... the first app acts like the Start button unless you click on the app icon directly instead of the space around it.

I still see the issue in 2.49.4, but I haven't done any config wiping in a while and I tricked the problem onto a pinned app that I don't use often.

Reply #36 Top

Fixed in 2.49.5

So...  I've run into a tricky regression going from 2.49.3->2.49.4.  I say it's tricky because it involves other 3rd party software.  Normally, I wouldn't bother bringing 3rd party software problems to another 3rd party...  except that only 2.49.4 has this problem and downgrading immediately fixes it.  I don't want to stay on 2.49.3 forever, so I'm trying to report it anyways.

I use the default Windows taskbar hiding on my primary display, Start11 is not "enhancing" it.  On my secondary display, DisplayFusion(11.0.5) is creating a taskbar substitute as it is far superior to the Windows secondary taskbar.  In 2.49.3, this works fine...  although it doesn't work well if I let Start11 "enhance" the taskbar and replace the hiding behavior with the fadeout instead of default slide.

In 2.49.4, Start11 is somehow tricking DisplayFusion into thinking that the taskbar is reserving space from the screen bounds and that the working area is no longer the entire screen.  DisplayFusion's taskbar on the other screen ends up moving upwards away from the bounds by the same amount the taskbar normally takes and then reserves the space above that for its own taskbar...  which takes 2x the space from the working area of the desktop.

When the taskbar is hidden, things look normal.  When the taskbar slides up, DisplayFusion moves its taskbar up by the same amount.  It's evidently reading some size from the real Windows taskbar to figure out the space to reserve... and 2.49.4 is now messing that up somehow.

Again...  this feels weird bringing this problem up with Stardock... except that the move from 2.49.3 to 2.49.4 is the cause.  Which is super strange because I asked Start11 not to "enhance" the taskbar.  But it's obviously doing something new with this version.

Open the spoiler for a GIF of the issue:  (okay, never mind...  spoiler tags don't even work on the forum for some reason)

Windows 11 Home 24H2 26100.2605

Reply #37 Top

There is a section on the right side of each page of the Config app that is missing, like an invisible overlay.

The cut-out stays in the same place as the window is scrolled.

EDIT: I had created a Restore Point before installing 2.4.9.4, so I reverted back to 2.4.9.3 using the RP, everything in the Config app was back to the expected behavior. I then Uninstalled 2.4.9.3, and installed 2.4.9.4, and the same issue appeared again. It doesn't make the app unusable, but it's annoying.

Windows 11 Pro - 22635.4660; Start 11v2 - 2.4.9.4 Beta

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Reply #38 Top

Please specify the parameters for the Data Values. Also, is the listed Registry location correct? All the other custom Registry settings are at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8.

Reply #39 Top

Hi. I have a question.

Will the beta features, such as this one:

  • New registry keys to override taskbar button sizes (need to change other S11 settings once altered to force refresh)
    • S11_TBIconSize

    • S11_TBBtnWidth

    • S11_TBBtnHeight

will be available as settings in the final version's GUI?

Thanks in advance,

Paul

Reply #40 Top

Quoting pelaird, reply 38

Please specify the parameters for the Data Values. Also, is the listed Registry location correct? All the other custom Registry settings are at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8.

I spent some time testing this feature and I really like it a lot

You are correct "\start8" needs to be added to the end of registry location

Also the value you give to each entry determines the size. (clicking modify and changing the value)

correct me if I am wrong but I believe the following values are the default sizes for each

icon size 24

Taskbar height 48

taskbar width 44

 

so therefore you could add a value probably between 1 - 100 for each size modification

restarting explorer is all you need to do to see a change if done correctly

 

Great feature, love it! I would love to also see taskbar labels next to change the size of never combined buttons

Reply #41 Top

Quoting PhoenixRising1, reply 40


Quoting pelaird,

Please specify the parameters for the Data Values. Also, is the listed Registry location correct? All the other custom Registry settings are at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8.



I spent some time testing this feature and I really like it a lot

You are correct "/start8" needs to be added to the end of registry location

Also the value you give to each entry determines the size. (clicking modify and changing the value)

correct me if I am wrong but I believe the following values are the default sizes for each

icon size 24

Taskbar height 48

taskbar width 44

 

so therefore you could add a value probably between 1 - 100 for each size modification

restarting explorer is all you need to do to see a change if done correctly

 

Great feature, love it! I would love to also see taskbar labels next to change the size of never combined buttons

Thanks, I’ll check it out.

Are you seeing the issue I described in Reply #37?

Reply #42 Top

Quoting pelaird, reply 41

Are you seeing the issue I described in Reply #37?

I didn't even notice it, but yes I do appear to have a white box in the same location as you

Reply #43 Top

Quoting PhoenixRising1, reply 40


Quoting pelaird,

Please specify the parameters for the Data Values. Also, is the listed Registry location correct? All the other custom Registry settings are at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Stardock\Start8\Start8.ini\Start8.



I spent some time testing this feature and I really like it a lot

You are correct "\start8" needs to be added to the end of registry location

Also the value you give to each entry determines the size. (clicking modify and changing the value)

correct me if I am wrong but I believe the following values are the default sizes for each

icon size 24

Taskbar height 48

taskbar width 44

 

so therefore you could add a value probably between 1 - 100 for each size modification

restarting explorer is all you need to do to see a change if done correctly

 

Great feature, love it! I would love to also see taskbar labels next to change the size of never combined buttons

The values are in pixels (before OS scaling).  You can save time with changes by just opening the config and changing pretty much any setting.  The taskbar blur option is a good choice.

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Reply #44 Top

Quoting Neil, reply 43


The values are in pixels (before OS scaling).  You can save time with changes by just opening the config and changing pretty much any setting.  The taskbar blur option is a good choice.

What about the issue in Reply#37?

Also, what exactly does each setting control?

Reply #45 Top

Is this what the new Registry settings represent?

Reply #46 Top

Quoting pelaird, reply 45

Is this what the new Registry settings represent?

This is correct. And I believe my sizing chart in reply 40 is at least somewhat accurate.

For example, for icon size; any value below 24 will be smaller and any value above 24 will be bigger. For comparison I set my value at 28 and like that number myself

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Reply #47 Top

Quoting PhoenixRising1, reply 46


Quoting pelaird,

Is this what the new Registry settings represent?



This is correct. And I believe my sizing chart in reply 40 is at least somewhat accurate.

For example, for icon size; any value below 24 will be smaller and any value above 24 will be bigger. For comparison I set my value at 28 and like that number myself

Are you noticing Windows Apps do not respect the TBIconSize setting, and that they seem to change size based on the "Taskbar size" setting? Win32 apps behave as expected and respect the TBIconSize setting.

Reply #48 Top

Quoting pelaird, reply 47

Are you noticing Windows Apps do not respect the TBIconSize setting, and that they seem to change size based on the "Taskbar size" setting? Win32 apps behave as expected and respect the TBIconSize setting.

I think you may be right. If I set the value really high such as 70 I do see different sizes. Especially with never combined activated. I dont notice any issues if the value is 30 or below however. So it does appears that taskbar height is the issue for oversized icons working two different ways

Reply #49 Top

Quoting basj, reply 26


Quoting Chris TH,



Hi, quick question about the monitor layout above:

Monitor 1 is the laptop own screen physically situated per the layout above
Monitors 2 & 3 are a Samsung C49RG9x 49" monitor configured as 2 x 2560 x 1440 monitors (Samsung "PBP" - "Picture by Picture" mode).
Monitor 2 is configured as the main display with Start112.49.3 configured as a vertical taskbar on this monitor only.

When accessing (right clicking) the taskbar tray icons (bottom left of monitor 2) is there a way to bias the tray icon dialog to appear in monitor 2 only?
Currently they appear in monitor 1 where the borders of monitors 1 & 2 overlap.


I guess a workaround is to position monitor 1 to be below monitor 2 in display settings but then the mouse pointer tracking can get confusing...



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.

Note while waiting, please provide few more details.

 

    1. Windows 10 or 11? And need its full version and OS Build number. Please use Winver.exe.

 

    1. If you disable the Samsung PBP mode, reboot the system, does the issue goes away?

 

    1. If you change all the taskbar to bottom mode, does the issue goes away?

 

    1. If you change the Start11 taskbar enhance mode from on to off or from off to on does the issue goes away?

 


Thank you.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi Basj,

Pls note, when I described the problem as tray icon dialogs appearing incorrectly this was a mistake, I meant the tray icon right-click menus. Aplogies!

Answers as follows:

1. Windows 11 24H2 [Build 10.0.26100.2605]

2. No it's the same behavior with the relative monitor positions regardless of PBP mode.

3. Well, yes the issue goes away when the taskbar is on the bottom because the right-click menus now appear above the taskbar in the same monitor boundary

4. Ok, turning Enhance mode from On to Off (restarts Win Explorer) results in the taskbar reverting to bottom of screen with the behaviour as per (3) above.
    Subsequently Turning Enhance mode from Off to On results in the desired behaviour (after manually restarting Win Explorer): right click menus staying within the monitor boundary *except* for Bing Desktop. 

Conclusion is that it's most likely a quirk in the Bing Desktop app...

Reply #50 Top

Quoting pelaird, reply 44


Quoting Neil Banfield,



The values are in pixels (before OS scaling).  You can save time with changes by just opening the config and changing pretty much any setting.  The taskbar blur option is a good choice.



What about the issue in Reply#37?

Also, what exactly does each setting control?

The config issue looks to be a manifest issue in the config exe.

Should be sorted in the next update.