TFP thinks it's a background process?

[Abhann]

Good Morning!

New install of TFP Pro v16 on new windows 8 system. Had the trial version installed but after looking through the forums here decided I'd do a complete reistall instead of just activating as I'd cluttered my catalog with BIM downloads! Was hoping someone would come up with easier materials organizing

Problem: when I click on the TFP shortcut to open it nothing seems to happen, so I click again get a message saying another cad program is already open.  On checking the task manager it has TFP listed running as a background process instead of as an application.  Not sure if this is a TFP glitch or Windows 8 but I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same problem.

Thanks and Happy New Year!
Abhann

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Abhann,

The only thing that occurs to me is whether you are allowing time for it to open. I have noticed with my compuiter that sometimes programs open slowly, gradually working their way up the 'Processes' list before they open and doing the reverse when they are closed.

If you try to launch the application a second time, before the first has opened, or the previous one has closed, then you will get the message about it already running. I do not have Windows 8 but have heard of others operating TFP on Win8 quite sucessfully.

Allan

[Abhann]

Thanks Allan

On my old computer TFP ( or HGTV) would sometimes take a while to load but on this system it usually loads in an eyeblink and has been running well.  The shortcut glitch doesn't always happen, and I never have a delay or problem if I run the file directly.  Also, it never happened when I was using trial version.  Tried deleting and recreating the shortcut with no luck. Have tried waiting it out with no luck either.

I think I'm going to write it off as a weird win 8 glitch for now though I will check next time to see if it works it's way up the processes list.

Abhann
(oh - I'm a she by the way)

[Jack Zimmer]

Where are you launching TFP from in Windows 8?

If you are using the 'Metro Style Icon', that may be the problem.

Check for the desktop view in Windows 8 and see if TFPlan is actually running there. I run the program only from the desktop mode.

Jack

[Abhann]

Hi Jack,

I only launch from desktop view, use metro as little as possible. Happened once earlier and I waited it out for 5 min but it stayed in processes, no cpu use only memory.  When I use task manager to end the process then double-click the shortcut again it launches fine the second time, but has reverted to the problem if I have it closed for a while and go to reopen. Doesn't seem to matter what other software I use in the interim.  Shortcuts on the desktop for other programs always work correctly.  Will always glitch the first time I use TFP after a reboot, regardless of how long ago the reboot was or what else I was doing. Very weird glitch.

Abhann

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Abhann,

Does sound wierd!  Win 7 has a Compatibility mode to run programs as Vista or XP.  Maybe Win 8 also has this, will run TFP in Win 7 mode and that will stop this happening(?) - maybe!!   

Allan

[Abhann]

Wasn't sure if I should start a new thread for this or not. . .

Still having the same problem everytime my computer is rebooted.

Pretty sure I filled out customer support form on IMSI site a while back so today I tried emailing to [email protected] and got this from my mailer daemon:

Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address.

<[email protected]>:
Remote host said: 550 Blocked [RCPT_TO]

--- Below this line is a copy of the message.

Received: from [98.138.226.180] by nm38.bullet.mail.ne1.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 29 Jan 2013 20:01:13 -0000

I tried twice after triple-checking the address here on the forums.  Any ideas? comments?  the original glitch is annoying enough without this.

Abhann

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Abhann,

The support link, from your post, appears to be OK for me. Sent a test email through a few hours ago and it has not bounced. I have not had a reply either but that is not surprising given the time difference.

Allan

[Abhann]

Thank-you Allan,

After reading your post yesterday I tried again, and it bounced again, but since it worked for you I tried sending from my gmail instead of my yahoo account and that worked   

Not sure why the yahoo account didn't, it's my main account and sends / receives everywhere else okay.  No response as of this morning, though.

Abhann

[Abhann]

Three full busines days later. . . no response.

Is there any point trying the phone number? Not that interested in wasting long distance charges, but - (editing out my Monday morning opinion)

Abhann

[Jack Zimmer]

Is it possible that you have two 'users' (your normal one and Administrator?). If so check to see if one of them has TFPlan running. That is all I can think of.

While in Start mode with all the icons, hold your cursor over the upper right hand image of current user and you get the option to change users when you right click.

Jack

[Abhann]

Hi Jack,

That doesn't seem to be it - see attached.

1st picture - right-clicking user on start screen
2nd - task manager first time starting TFP after reboot
3rd - task manager when it starts normally

Any more ideas / help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Abhann

[Jack Zimmer]

I believe when you 'sign out' you then get the option to sign in as administrator. Give that a try and see if 'the administrator' when logged, has TFPlan running.

The other option would be to open a project. Select / right click/ open with TFPlan. It should open without saying it is running, I think. When it opens , you then should be able to close it.

Can't you close it with Task Manager?

Jack

[Doug.S]

I don't have/use win8, but in win7 if you shutdown while a window/program is running, those same programs usually start when system is booted up the next time....even if you are not aware they are running in background.

So if TFP running in background when shutdown, maybe it starts again at next start-up.

So suggestion is in task manager, just before shutting down, right click TFP.exe and close it/end process....then shutdown and re-start (cold, not just a restart) and TFP should not be running?

[Abhann]

Thank-you for the suggestions, but no luck yet 

JacK: One of the first things I did with the new system was bypass the lockout screen.  That left me running as administrator always, though I double-checked to make sure (see attached).

Doug: Hadn't thought to check the task manager before the glitch, but I did a cold re-boot and TFP was NOT running on start-up.

Maybe it would help if I list it out again, my usual clarity being what it is. . .

- Re-boot the computer (cold or soft)
- Click or double-click any of the four ways to start TFP (standart desktop icon, quick launch desktop icon, metro startup screen icon, .exe file in explorer)
- mouse icon changes to wait style for a couple of seconds otherwise nothing happens
- check Task Manager and find TFP in background processes (see 2nd picture above)
- close TFP with Task Manager
- click or double-click one of four ways
- TFP launches normally and works properly
- check Task Manager and find TFP under Apps where it belongs
- close TFP normally or through nasty render or other malfunction
- TFP not in Task Manager, and launches normally if wanted (even after crashes where older versions would have required a system reboot!)

Other: If I forget TFP is running and try to restart or double-click a TFP file I get the standard "another Cadsoft program open" message.  I also get that message if I try to start TFP when it is in "background process" mode

TFP is still usable so I guess you could call this a nuisance more than anything, but an aggravating one.  I actually broke down and put a shortcut to the Task Manager on my desktop, so that it would be quicker to shut down the weird TFP faster the 1-3 times a day I have to do it.  About the only thing I haven't tried is Allan's earlier suggestion to run it in compatability mode, which I hesitated on as TFP works fine once it starts, but I'll try that in the morning.

I would like some contact with IMSI on this, not that I'm expecting them to fix it, necessarily, but I'm fairly certain that it's a TFP software issue.  None of the other programs (new or old) on my system did anything similar.  Be nice if they would answer email, even just to say if anyone else has / has not reported the same issue.

Thanks again, I appreciate it.
Plus, it's not Monday morning anymore 

Abhann