msulewski

Join Date 08/2007

Downloads in Deskscapes not working

Files do not download to Domain Users Directory

I have used Deskscapes at work for a long time. Recently our network forced all user directories to migrate to the network drive rather than to default to local folders in user profile.

With the latest versions of Deskscapes, when I download an animated background, it does not copy to the domain mapped users folder, so it does not run after being downloaded, and does not show up in the interface after closing the Deskscapes UI. If I try to download the file again in the UI, it indicates that it has copied to "\\servername\userfoldername\Stardock\Dreams", but there is no file there, and it will not apply to monitors and run.

If I go to the dreams.stardock.com site and open the background from there, it DOES save a copy to the cached folder: "C:\ProgramData\Stardock\Deskscapes\ExtractedData", and that will run, but it does not save a copy anywhere else.

I suspect it might work if I could tell (Override) Deskscapes what the mapped drive is to download to, but there is no setting to manually tell deskscapes to do that.

Any Ideas?

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basj

Join Date 03/2001

+1684

Hello,
I have forwarded your questions/problems to the Stardock Support team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate you feedback and patience.

Thank You,
Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

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sdrohan

Join Date 10/2012

+732

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.

I cant really get in depth with network issues but I would recommend actually mapping:

"\\servername\userfoldername\Stardock\Dreams",

To an actual drive letter

then adding it to DS:

If that fails, you may want to get with your IT people to see what they can recommend.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

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Thanks. NO, Mapping the drive does not work in relation to installing new Deskscapes items from within Deskscapes.

Can I map the drive letter and add it to the folder list, sure. But that is not the issue.

The issue is I cannot download and install a new Deskscape fom the "Online" tab inside of deskscapes. When I do, it proceeds to "Download" (Heaven knows where) the file. Then, instead of allowing me to Apply the deskscape, it shows me this:

Note: It shows me the path that the file should be located in, and gives me a new "Download this background" button, which does nothing, and the file is not in the location shown in the path. I have full privileges to the path. As far as getting with my IT people, I am the head of my IT people and we are all scratching our heads.

There is nowhere to modify where it thinks it should be downloading. So the only option I have is to go to http://dreams.stardock.com, search and find the dream I want, then open the file from there. If I do that, the file gets downloaded to "C:\ProgramData\Stardock\Deskscapes\ExtractedData" and I can at least run the dream, but it still does not copy the dream anywhere else.

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OK. I have FINALLY found the culprit. I don't know if this is a Windows 10 "Improvement" or not, or how it got activated, BUT it appears that "Offline Folders" was enabled on my system. This effectively copies your user directory to a local copy on your system in the ..\windows\CSC folder.

This copy is controlled by the system, and not even you can read it. While those files are there, you cannot tell in windows explorer that they are no longer in the User folder they look to be. (Holy smoke and mirrors, Batman!)

I had to:

1: Turn off and disable the "Offline Folders" service.

Once I disabled the service, Deskscapes started downloading the files to where they needed to be, and allowing them to be used.

2: I had to take ownership of each folder and file stored there (in the CSC folder, one directory at a time!)

3: Copy the files back to where they once belonged.

What a pain!

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