18 Replies Latest reply on Oct 21, 2009 2:47 PM by Jerry Steiger

I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.

David Massner Oct 14, 2009 1:28 PM

Hello everyone,

I have a few problems that have been going on lately. Here you go:

1. When I start SolidWorks, 90% of the time instead of seeing the grey background with the SolidWorks logo on it, I see straight through to my desktop, with only the SolidWorks menu bars top and right (the newsfeed, etc) displaying around it. Any windows I open will stay there as ghosts when closed, moved, etc.

2. Sometimes I will be working in a document and the menu bars will suddenly turn black, re-appearing when I hover my mouse over them, but still black surrounding. Any area that does not have a button on the menu bar remains black indefinitely.

3. Sometimes when I go to edit the appearance of a part, the same black issue occurs with the entire lefthand editing window, so I have no idea where the Okay and Exit buttons are when I edit the apperance, and the preview icons on the right side for showing the appearances are not there.

SolidWorks 2009 Professional SP4.1

Dell Precision M6300

Windows XP Pro SP3 (32-bit)

4 GB Ram

A few details to note:

1. No, I am not working on files that are on a server. They are on my hard drive.

2. I upgraded from SW 2008 instead of a clean install of 2009 with the very first release of 2009.

3. The only applications running alongside are Mozilla Thunderbird, Outlook 2003, Symantec Endpoint Protection (I hate it too), and eBoostr.

4. I do not have complete administrative privileges, we run Microsoft Exchange Server here, and since we all share Symantec, our remote IT department has privileges for that reason.

5. Virtual memory and paging file allocations are huge, therefore not the issue.

6. Yes, the 3GB switch is enabled.

7. HELP!

Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.

Thomas Huggins Oct 14, 2009 1:44 PM (in response to David Massner)

That really sounds like a video card driver issue. Have you checked the SW site to see if you are running the prefered driver? Here's the link: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/videocardtesting.html
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Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.

Kelvin Lamport Oct 14, 2009 1:46 PM (in response to David Massner)

When did this start happening?

Are you using the 6.14.11.7575 video driver?

Can you temporarily suspend/disable the Symantec crap program?
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- Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
  
  David Massner Oct 14, 2009 2:01 PM (in response to Kelvin Lamport)
  
  It started happening with 2009 SP0.0 and has carried from then on. Yes, I am running driver 6.14.11.7575. Oh, how I would LOVE to PERMANENTLY suspend Symantec... alas, the higher-ups will not allow such an action because I'm "endangering the company security" (lot of good that computer engineering degree did me...).
  
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  - Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
    
    Kelvin Lamport Oct 14, 2009 2:06 PM (in response to David Massner)
    
    Was the SW09 installed as an upgrade or clean install? Was Symantec disabled for either? (apparently you shouldn't have to now, but ......)
    
    Are you able to uninstall and reinstall the video driver?
    
    Have you tried running a repair from the SW install disc?
    
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    - Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
      
      David Massner Oct 14, 2009 2:36 PM (in response to Kelvin Lamport)
      
      For your first question, refer to Note #2 in my post.
      
      As far as the video driver is concerned... would it make a difference if I re-install it? Or is that just a shot in the dark?
      
      Have not tried the repair... how well does that work with later service packs?
      
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      - Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        Daniel Eelman Oct 14, 2009 3:34 PM (in response to David Massner)
        
        I typically see issues very similar to yours in 2009, except instead of seeing through to my desktop, the background is almost completely black (just a faint hint of the DS logo if I look hard enough). I have removed and reinstalled the latest SW approved driver, to no avail. Also completely reinstalled 2009. I also have 2007 on my computer, and that has no graphics issues at all. Odd thing about the black background..if I don't have the window maximized, I can stretch it down to a point at which the proper background pops in and looks fine (about 2/3rds of the full size). Stretch the window back a little larger and Bam! - black again.
        
        EDIT - Just to clarify, I am also getting the same black menus behavior that you are.
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        David Massner Oct 14, 2009 3:34 PM (in response to Daniel Eelman)
        
        I can do the same thing!!! That also applies to Adobe Acrobat Pro 9. Sometimes the PDF won't work in full screen, it just clips like crazy and I can't read squat, but when I make the window very small, it suddenly works!
        
        Side note: I'm not using my laptop monitor. I'm outsourcing to a 28" 1080p monitor and running at 1920x1200 resolution.
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        Jerry Steiger Oct 14, 2009 9:29 PM (in response to David Massner)
        
        David,
        
        I have the same issues. The dark background and Adobe size problems seem to occur pretty much randomly. The other issues usually happen when I have been either running a long time or using a lot of memory. Rebooting usually makes them go away for a while. I'm running an Nvidia Quadro FX 550 with approved drivers, also at 1920 by 1200, 32 bit color. It's been doing it with both SW08 and SW09. I think that SW07 is OK, but I haven't been running it much lately.
        
        Jerry Steiger
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        David Paulson Oct 14, 2009 9:41 PM (in response to David Massner)
        
        David,
        
        I have been having stability issues related to Adobe (presumably Acrobat). After online updating of my Adobe software, Acrobat would not load. Turns out that my copy of Acrobat Pro Extended was a counterfeit. This may explain the issues that I was experiencing prior to the Adobe update, which obviously updated their licensing sub-system. And for what it is worth I bought the Acrobat on eBay for a real good, but not great price.
        
        I have yet to receive the new copy of Acrobat, and so cannot verify if the counterfeit copy was causing my problems, but you might want to validate your Acrobat serial number with Adobe. Adobe software is some of the most counterfeited software in the world, as it turns out. But even the "on-line registration" leads you to a phony site.
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        Steve Rauenbuehler Oct 15, 2009 10:21 AM (in response to Daniel Eelman)
        
        Daniel -
        
        I had two users that applied the 3GB switch, after a presentation at our local Tech Summit a couple of months ago. Very soon after, BOTH of them started seeing what you are describing.....very, very dark gray SolidWorks splash screen - with just barely discernable SW logo.
        
        I had them take the 3GB switch back out of their boot.ini file, and their SW screens returned to normal.
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        Greg Hynd Oct 15, 2009 10:28 AM (in response to Steve Rauenbuehler)
        
        just to confirm what you just said. i have the option on boot up to use the 3gb switch, and everytime i use it my background screen in solidworks gos black. if i dont use it its fine.
        solidworks will still run, but.....
        anyone know why this is?
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        David Massner Oct 15, 2009 10:29 AM (in response to Steve Rauenbuehler)
        
        But there is no point in having 4GB of ram on a 32-bit system if I can't use the 3GB switch. At least then I can see 3.5GB... I've had the switch enabled since May of last year, but I didn't start seeing this problem until 2009.
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        Wayne Tiffany Oct 15, 2009 10:43 AM (in response to Steve Rauenbuehler)
        
        Take a look at the user value that is set. If none, set one to 2900. If it's there at 2900, try reducing that value. Basically, you are telling the system that you want some of its memory space, but not all of it as that leads to system problems.
        
        WT
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        David Massner Oct 15, 2009 10:47 AM (in response to Wayne Tiffany)
        
        Userva=2900 currently. I don't want to reduce that very much... how much are you thinking?
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        Greg Hynd Oct 15, 2009 10:48 AM (in response to Wayne Tiffany)
        
        ive reduced mine to 2600, but it sometimes still does it!
        
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        Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
        
        Wayne Tiffany Oct 15, 2009 11:45 AM (in response to Greg Hynd)
        
        Back when I did the bulk of the testing, I played with different values and settled on the 2900 value. But things may have changed over the years. What I did then was set it to something and try stuff. If I saw problems, I dropped it a bit until I quit seeing many problems, and there I was.
        
        WT
        
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Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.

Jeff Mirisola Oct 16, 2009 6:07 PM (in response to David Massner)

I had an m6300 a few years ago that had graphics issues similar to what you're describing...check to see if there is a BIOS update available from Dell.
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- Re: I can see my desktop through SolidWorks... and other issues.
  
  Jerry Steiger Oct 21, 2009 2:47 PM (in response to Jeff Mirisola)
  
  Jeff,
  
  I downloaded a new BIOS from Dell and the latest approved graphics driver from SW. I still have the same problems. I only updated my graphics driver, rather than going through the remove completely and then install. I guess I should try that next.
  
  Jerry Steiger
  
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