Minimizing on Start
Published on January 8, 2020 By MichaelG In Object Desktop

Years ago Stardock had a product that would keep track of the installed software and download it in the background according to settings and start up with Windows but startup 'minimized' to the taskbar.

Although this Object Desktop Application is nice it is so annoying that it cannot be started minimized like that other product did.  It starts and sits on the desktop like a big fat sore thumb and gives no indication that it can even be minimized.  Clicking the minimize button only minimizes it to desktop not the task tray. Clicking the close button actually minimizes it to the task tray and leaves it running.  This is poor design as a novice user may not know that it's in the task tray. 

There should be a way to start the product and have it directly minimize to the task try like the other product used to perform, unless of course there is a command line parameter and can be added to the startup to make it minimize to the task tray which there doesn't appear to be at least not that I have been able to find.


Comments
on Jan 08, 2020

Hello,
I have forwarded your questions/problems to the Stardock Support team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate you feedback and patience.

Thank You,
Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

on Jan 10, 2020

So now Object Desktop is doing something new when it starts up when Windows starts.  After it loads its icon display of products, when I click the close (X) button to send it away - it actually minimizes to the task tray I get a 'blank black window' the same size as the original screen that opens and I cannot get rid of it without shutting the application down from the hidden task tray icons. Screenshot shown below.

Why did the developers need to 'new and improve' what was previously working?

on Jan 10, 2020

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having issues.

try reinstalling incase of a bad install https://cdn.stardock.us/downloads/public/software/objectdesktop/ObjectDesktop_setup_sd.exe

REBOOT and test , please.

 


AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant

on Jan 11, 2020

Well I'm happy to report that uninstalling and reinstalling/rebooting with the download provided seems to have corrected the issue at this point, in that I am no longer getting a blank black screen after hitting the close button at the screen top.  Thank you AzDude for your answer and assistance.

However, having said that, it still remains that this version of the product is not necessarily an improvement to previous versions in that it cannot be started with windows minimized.  For that reason alone I would probably not use this application to control the other applications in the Stardock catalog of applications of which I have almost all on my machine and am using at least two of them consistently.  The developers at Stardock need to really think about not only the novice user but also their veteran users when "new and improving" their products especially this particular one.  The old adage of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' applies.  Sometimes 'new and improved' -- isn't!