Murrdox

Join Date 02/2006

Icons outside Fences re-arrange themselves after monitor wake from sleep

I've been using Fences for many many years but I'm a bit frustrated by this issue.

I have dual monitors, which are slightly different sizes. My main monitor is set to 150% scaling (it's a 4k monitor) while the other monitor is set to 100% (it is a 1080p monitor) I don't know for sure if this contributes to the issue, but I'm mentioning it in case it does.

I have several fences that I have setup on my main monitor. Then I have a handful of icons that I like to keep on my desktop NOT inside a fence (some files, recycle bin icon, etc). When my monitor wakes from sleep mode, all these icons that are NOT inside a fence end up moving down to the lower right of my main monitor, which frustratingly is right where I keep one of my main Fences. SO I have to move the fence and re-arrange my icons.

I have recently tested turning Fences OFF, and re-arranging my icons around the desktop. None of them move after waking my monitor from sleep. So this has to be related to Fences in some way.

I should mention that I already have Auto-Arrange icons turned OFF and I have sorting turned OFF.

Any help here?

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Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please post some more information on your system. Refer here: https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1387954197/Contacting+Stardock+About+Fences+Issues. Important: Fences version and Windows full version numbers. Use Winver.exe.

Also, post screenshot on your Layout setting.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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Fences Version 4.12

Windows Version: 22H2 OS Build 19045.3086

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Not sure why your Layout & snapping page don't look like mine. There are differences in Layout auto-adjustments.

Please try purge and reinstall steps as mention here : [Link]. Just make sure to re-download the latest version from your account page. Reboot after the purge. Reinstall and reboot again after the installation. Retest and report back here.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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I was about to reply back and say that this worked successfully. I had a couple days after doing the full removal and reinstall where my icons stayed where they were.

Then I got home from work today and turned on my monitors / work my computer from sleep mode.... and they're all back down to the lower-right of the main monitor again. I'm perplexed as to why this issue seems to be inconsistent. I'm wondering if maybe part of it has to do with the ORDER that I turn my monitors back on? I'm in the habit of turning them off at night when I'm not using my PC.

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Hello,

May I know, did you usually wake up your pc first before turning on your monitors? Or the other way around? And when the issue happened, does the restore last auto save snapshot, restore the fences properly or not?

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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I'd suggest giving it a go without turning the monitors off and see what happens

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

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I have the exact same problem. Windows 11, 49" samsung monitor.

My guess its because i also have a VR helmet which might load its drivers before the screen loads up. So might be some issue there.

I had this problem on Windows 10 also though, and back then i didnt have a VR headset

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It's hard to replicate because for some reason it is not consistent. However I turned off sleep mode on my system and just tested powering my monitors off and on a few times. One time when the main monitor came back up, I saw the icons move around on the desktop. So I think whatever is causing this, it probably is somehow related to the monitors turning on.

For what it's worth, my main monitor is a Gigabyte (why did I say Samsung? I got confused with my TV brand). My secondary is a BenQ.

Also yes, restoring the Fences snapshot does work. Usually I turn my monitors on, and then I wake my computer from sleep mode.

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Any further suggestions here? Any chance Stardock will be able to patch this issue in a future Fences version?

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Have you done the purge and reinstall steps I suggested above (Reply#3)? If you did, please post again your Layout & snapshot page.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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Can add to the thread starter, I have tried the reinstall steps. But problem still exist.

As a matter of fact I've had this problem as long as I can remember, several years in fact. With version 3 of the program on windows 10.

It still randomly at some startups forgets where my desktop icons should be located, the stardock boxes are OK, but not my other non-boxed icons. And if I use restore layout in the program it's fixed.

I can also add that the bug happens to me today after an update of Asus armoury program was updated. Dunno what happens there. But as soon as the monitor is reinitialized or something then at next boot thr icons is a mess.

Would be nice also if you could add the ability for the boxes when they expand if they could be on top, as its hard to see what is in them if you have another program in the foreground

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Hello yes, I did test your suggestion for the purge and reinstall steps. I indicated that did not work back in my Reply #4 above. I could have been a bit more explicit about that though. Sorry.

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Quoting Murrdox,

reply 12

Hello yes, I did test your suggestion for the purge and reinstall steps. I indicated that did not work back in my Reply #4 above. I could have been a bit more explicit about that though. Sorry.

Can you test what asked in reply #6? (Do not turn monitors off manually)

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

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Yes, I tested this as well. Whether my monitors are coming out of sleep mode or I'm turning them on manually... I get the same behavior. I thought at one point it might relate to the order I turn them on? So I spent several days turning them on in a specific order (primary first, then secondary) and that worked for a while and then it happened again. So I don't think that made a difference, it's just that the issue is inconsistent.

Sorry I missed that you'd asked me to re-post a picture of my layout after the full purge and reinstall. Here's that for you.

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Try un-select, When I plug in a new primary monitor, move my icons to it. And select Store my Fences' position on a per-screen-resolution basis and test that setting.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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I don't think this has anything to do with sleep mode. It's about the drivers or windows components being updated so the monitor is re-added. And then the program think it's a new monitor.

You could also try win+P and change windows monitor layouts see if that triggers the bug

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This is what I suspect is happening as well. I didn't have this issue with my previous monitor, so I think it might have something to do with how my new Gigabyte monitor is detected by Windows when it powers up. Still, if I shut off Fences, none of my icons ever move around or are reshuffled or rearranged and shifted to the bottom right. It only happens when Fences is enabled.

I have made the configuration changes that were recommended, and I'll report back on whether that works or not.

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Unfortunately these setting changes didn't work. Interestingly, I sort of witnessed the icon shuffling this morning. When I turned the power on, the display was actually up, and I saw the monitor resizing itself and for a brief period it looks like the resolution was lower, and the fences and icons were all sort of squished together for a second. Then the monitor restored the correct resolution, the fences returned to their normal positions, but all the icons got shuffled to the lower right of the screen.

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Quoting Murrdox,

reply 18

Then the monitor restored the correct resolution, the fences returned to their normal positions, but all the icons got shuffled to the lower right of the screen.

Can you post a screen shot of that?

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

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It happened too fast to get a screenshot. I could perhaps use my phone to film my monitor powering up and see if that catches it. Usually I don't see anything like I did yesterday though. The monitor just comes up looking like that from black. Seeing the icons move around this time was the first time that'd ever happened.

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How do you have these two settings set?

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

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I have turned off Auto Arrange. I still have Align to grid turned on.

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I'm sure this problem will never be solved. As I said earlier It's been around for ages, and the devs haven't been able to seen it or solved it all this time. I have low hopes

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Hello Murrdox and sysshad,

Have you guys tried Cleanboot? https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#cleanboot. It might be something else is causing the icons moving around. Please try it and report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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As I've said previously, I'm 99% sure it is not anything else causing the icons to move around. If I uninstall Fences, and just arrange my icons on my desktop, everything stays exactly where it is supposed to be.

My FENCES stay exactly where they are supposed to be. BUT if I have fences installed, and I have any icons that are NOT inside a fence, then they get shuffled around my desktop most times when my monitor comes out of sleep mode.

I think this might have something to do with the fact that my monitor can act as a KVM switch. It may be that when it powers off/on, Windows is re-detecting it. However even with all KVM functionality turned off and unplugged and just acting as a normal display, Fences continues to cause this behavior.

It's driving me nuts, and to be honest at this point I'm to the point where I'm about to be DONE with Fences. It's too annoying to constantly have to re-organize my icons. Fences is supposed to be HELPING me organize my icons!

I'm not completely unsympathetic, it is likely my brand of monitor that is contributing to this issue, but this is a main-line Gigabyte monitor, not some weird off-brand or something. This issue should be fixable.

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