Open Shell forum - don't expect any help from its forum

dalchina · 29 Jan 2019

Hi, For weeks I've been trying to resolve an explorer hang when launching Open Shell- it's been a persistent problem that various people experienced with Classic Shell. Where this was resolved, each reported case was different.

I would advise you not to waste your time trying to use the forum. The replies from one user, Xenhat, are utterly dismissive and somewhat unpleasant.

Xenhat

Open Shell is a community effort by independent developers who have their own lives going on, and aren't paid to do so.

Furthermore, please search for existing issues before submiting new ones. This bug report hasn't been replied to because it is not believed to be a bug caused by the start menu code itself, and has several duplicates bug reports already.

(Notification received that the thread was closed)

My reply:

I have spent 10s of hours doing procdumps and trying to use a process of elimination. I told you I have read threads on this in Classic Shell forum. Frankly you insult me my then saying I should search for existing issues when I plainly said I had.

I am a very experienced member of tenforums, and devote a lot of my time helping people there - for free. It is unfortunate the same attitude is not present here.

So if you use Open Shell, just hope you don't run into problems. It seems you're on your own if you do, alas.

Darl · 29 Jan 2019

These claims seem problematic for a few reasons, let me explain...

1. Entitlement
The poster is correct, this is an open source software we are discussing, not a paid software of which you may have expectations like Windows with its stellar reliability and astoundingly helpful support.

2. Due diligence
You posted to an issue tracker, a bug reporting system and workplace for the maintainers, not a forum for discussion. Your original post (Open Shell- explorer hang about once per session at random point Â· Issue #134 Â· Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu Â· GitHub), while through and respectful, did not show the due diligence on your behalf to look for duplicate issues already under investigation and active discussion, which the responder informed you of. You felt entitled to individual attention from a volunteer to resolve your issue and make you feel vindicated, without telling you that you did anything wrong. The right to be 'utterly dismissive' to those that only serve to waste the time of the maintainers is not only acceptable, it is required for a sustainable project. You were attended to, and put in your place.

3. Validity
I'm not a current user of the named software, only an open source advocate who watches various projects of interest. I use Windows 10 for my job daily (Version 1809 (OS Build 17763.253)), and experience regularly spaced and timed hangs and crashes of Explorer as you described in your issue on multiple systems. Nearly everyone I know does. I do not feel that you properly considered claims by the poster explaining that it was under possible doubt that the issue is even a problem with the software, and not Microsoft's fault. It clearly is not unique to the software based on my own experiences, observations, and reports I can easily find online. If you are lucky enough to not experience this regularly despite not modifying a clean installation, I envy you.

How to fix File Explorer problems in Windows 10
Windows 10 start button not working - Microsoft Community
File Explorer hangs when doing most anything - Microsoft Community

I'm more than open to being corrected here, but please forgive me for questioning the basis of your claims, and seeking clarification on the above points before I take your potentially libelous and damaging claims to heart.

XenHat · 29 Jan 2019

Hello, I am the developer in question.

Since you so carefully omitted to post the source of the conversation in what I consider little more than libel, I felt obligated to provide it, so that users can make their own choice.

Open Shell- explorer hang about once per session at random point Â· Issue #134 Â· Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu Â· GitHub

I have already replied in the other duplicated bug report that this issue is highly unlikely to be caused by our software.
As Darl above, I can reproduce this issue on virtually every machine I laid hands upon, beside Windows Server (As it is several versions behind, among other reasons).

You have been met with a cold, uncaring attitude for the simple reason that you are wasting our time with yet another bug report about Explorer crashing/hanging, and it is not our product's fault.

dalchina · 29 Jan 2019

Having spent many hours trying over some weeks trying to identify a possible cause of explorer hanging when launching either Classic Shell or Open Shell, I have turned to

Start Menu X
Start Menu X

which offers many of the features of Open Shell. The search is slower, but it does offer quite a degree of configurability, and supports cascading menus in columns for people with large start menus.

Unlike Open Shell and Classic Shell, it does not crash explorer, and successfully avoids the issues demonstrated by comments above.

margrave55 · 31 Jan 2019

It's funny how the claim that "it's free" and that "we're not paid to maintain it" are excuses for poor quality.

dalchina · 31 Jan 2019

Hi, the interesting thing about the particular problem of explorer hanging (which it can for a minute or more without crashing sometimes- so has to be terminated in some manner) is its history with Classic Shell.

Having looked at the forum, several such reports exist over a number of versions of the program, on in particular being fixed in a particular release.

The various triggers identified varied from Onedrive to Realtek as I recall- I think there were more. Point is, each case was individual, and triggered by the presence of something rather well known.

I tried uninstalling everything that seemed appropriate, and which I'd installed around the time the problem started. I also tried eliminating things Open Shell scanned by removing folders and changing options. I used Procdump to generate dmp files and examined those for clues.

There did seem a couple of obscure references to a file in WinSxS and in the driver repository- places I'd not expect to be relevant from my limited perspective.

But the view of the author underlying this, reflected in comments above somewhat, was to attribute this to poor design/programming/ of Windows itself (which may well be true of course).

That other start menus don't seem to have this problem does tend to shape one's view somewhat.

Anyway, having got fed up with explorer hanging and the task bar dying randomly usually once per session when I was in the middle of doing something, on this PC anyway I have to leave Open Shell behind.

Josey Wales · 31 Jan 2019

I am still using Classic Shell in 1809 and it works just fine. I have never used the windows explorer part of it. I will continue to use CS as long and it works and with the attitude by Open Shell's Dev I may never use OS!

dalchina · 31 Jan 2019

Hi, like you, I never had the explorer feature enabled- just the start menu.

f14tomcat · 31 Jan 2019

If you care to, OS has version 4.4.133 available. I am running it with no issues. Simply an FYI, nothing else.

https://ci.appveyor.com/project/pass...ster/artifacts

dalchina · 31 Jan 2019

Thanks, same crash, alas. Fortunately I have a desktop shortcut ready to a small script to crash and relaunch explorer...

Back to Start Menu X, quite a 2nd choice in 3 respects though.