Trying and failing to install newly purchased copy

[RobCairns]

Tried installing just purchased premium edition BackYard EOS  3.1.17 on my Surface Pro 3 w/ second display (windows 10 Pro V 1809). Splash screen and window opened up on second display but was very small. After registering I moved the window to the Surface Pro and it was still way too small so I clicked on the "window" button next to the close "X" button and the window disappeared. Thought it had crashed so started it up again and found that in the task manager there were 2 copies of the process. Closed both of those and tried running again. Now it runs and after the splash screen is displayed (w/loading messages) the window does not get displayed. (but instance is still in Task Manager). After several unsuccessful attempts to get it going decided to uninstall the program. Did so and reinstalled. No window. I get a black flash on the screen after the splash screen closes and nothing.

A very dissatisfying initial experience to what I thought was a highly rated mature program. Please help me resolve this!!

[admin]

Hi Rob,

BYE is mature and stable.  This may look like a graphics driver issue; but it's just a guess for now.  I'm trying to make sense out of your description and it is hard to follow.  

What is the Window button next to the X?  Is this in BYE?  A Surface pro feature?  Something else?  

Is your Windows up to date on the Surface?  Including Microsoft .net?

Did you try a reboot after the installation? 

Can you also try and install on a second PC to confirm it works there at least?  If it does at least we'll know it is setting on the surface and we can focus there to find the root cause.

 

 

[astroman133]

Is the "window button next to the close button" the Minimize button which makes the window disappear from the main desktop and appear as an icon on the task bar? If so, the method to make the BYE window reappear is to click on the task bar icon. This is like virtually every Windows GUI application ever written.

Perhaps if you killed BYE while it was minimized it now starts up in a minimized state. I tried to duplicate this behavior but could not. How did you close BYE if it was not visible on the screen???

I have used virtually every version if Backyard EOS since its early release and have never seen the "too small" window that you are describing on versions of Windows from XP to 10. I am having trouble visualizing what you are describing. Perhaps a screenshot would help.

If your issue is a due to a corrupted configuration file then perhaps if you uninstalled BYE and re-installed it, but to a different directory it would create new, uncorrupted config files.

[RobCairns]

Thanks for the fast response. 

What is the Window button next to the X?    Maximize / Restore. Forgot the name when I posted. Expected the window to maximize but it disappeared.

Is your Windows up to date on the Surface?  Yes - Last update Aug 2   Including Microsoft .net? Not sure - have not specifically upgraded. Assume it updates w/Windows 10 updates.

Did you try a reboot after the installation?  Yes.

Can you also try and install on a second PC to confirm it works there at least? Sorry don't have a second PC available. Note that I have not experienced problems with other software I installed on the Surface Pro, even ones that had reported issues w/ graphics drivers. Also note that it initially worked on the secondary display. I was able , for example, to register it and I started looking in the settings on how I could maximize the window (notebook setting was not  checked BTW). Failure occurred when I dragged the window to the Surface Pro display and hit maximize.

[admin]

I have a hard time wrapping my head around this behavior.... "Failure occurred when I dragged the window to the Surface Pro display and hit maximize". 

astroman suggestion to re-install BYE in a separate foldler might be a good test to try.  When you re-install in a separate folder Windows sees it a separate software and this may trigger something.

Keep us posted.

[RobCairns]

Replying to Astroman.

If so, the method to make the BYE window reappear is to click on the task bar icon. This is like virtually every Windows GUI application ever written. Yes, I did not mention that there was an icon in the task bar but clicking it did not restore the window. Right clicking presents a 3 item menu -  BYE 3.1 (which starts a new instance of BYE), pin to task bar, and Close window. Mouse over presents a popup w/ the window being totally black and selecting it has no effect.

How did you close BYE if it was not visible on the screen???  Closed it in task manager or right clicked on task bar and selected Close window.

 Perhaps a screenshot would help. Would love to if I could get a window 🙂

[RobCairns]

astroman suggestion to re-install BYE in a separate foldler might be a good test to try.  Will do. 

[astroman133]

Is it possible that BYE is positioned on the secondary display? If there actually is no secondary display then it may exhibit the symptoms of the window not being visible when restored to its normal size.

[admin]

46 minutes ago, astroman133 said:

Is it possible that BYE is positioned on the secondary display? If there actually is no secondary display then it may exhibit the symptoms of the window not being visible when restored to its normal size.

This is possible, but there is logic in BYE to bring the app in view, this should include (if me memory serves me correctly) bringing the app in view form a monitor that was previously connected bit is no longer connected a application start up time.

This could be an interesting test.  Plug both you monitors as it was initially and start BYE.  Does it start and can you see the app on either monitors?  If yes drag the app on the primary monitor, close BYE, disconnect the secondary monitor, and start BYE again.  Is it displayed?

Regards,

[astroman133]

Just to be clear...This does not seem to be due to an installation failure.

With my Win 10 x64 Pro system I tried several ways to try to get BYE 3.1.18 RC1 to launch on a secondary monitor that was previously in use, but not now. With my test I was not able to re-create your symptom with regard to the window not appearing on an active monitor..

What happens if you connect your secondary monitor and launch BYE? Does it show on the secondary monitor?

[RobCairns]

Thanks for all the feedback. I cNt address any of the questions right now because I have come gotten sick today and haven’t been able to look at the application. However I can tell you that last night I did a reinstall from anothe4 folder, but more significantly I found that the uninstall did not remove 4 files in the folder in Program Files 86 so I trashed the folder before doing the reinstall.  It took quite a while to complete the initial startup and while it did not work initially on the third or fourth attempt I did get a window in the primary display. It was , as before smaller than expected and I was going to get a screenshot to post today but have to wait until I am feeling better.

i appreciate the feedback. It shows there is an active community that cares about the s/w s success and that is really good. I wasn’t trying to slag it but was excited to get started and was frustrated by the initial attempt to get it going.

[admin]

Yes, the forum is very active.  Even 10 years after initial release I still read all posts and I reply to 99% of them.  I'm on the forum on average 5 to 10 timers per day. 

The more I think about your issue as describe the more I think this is an issue with the surface graphics card.  What is your resolution?  1920x1080?

Regards,