Powerdesk Failing with .NET 2.0 FIX

[Peter Aragon]

After installing the Visual Studio 2005 technology preview Powerdesk won't work anymore. The technology preview installs .NET 2.0. Use the following solution:

In the system32\PowerDesk8\ directory make a file Matrox.PowerDesk.PDeskNet.exe.config and place the following text inside:

<configuration>
<startup>
<supportedRuntime version="v1.1.4322"/>
<requiredRuntime version="v1.1.4322"/>
</startup>
</configuration>

Haig, please let this file be included in the next driver release. It only makes sure the correct .NET version is used. This way you can make sure newer .NET versions installed won't break the app.

[UtwigMU]

If this .net has such crappy compatibility (things don't work out of the box) and it's at version 2.0, before major apps have came out I don't see it taking off for a while, unless MS uses their carrot and stick a bit.

[Peter Aragon]

It's all a matter of preparation before every developer will need to write applications in .NET to fully benifit the features in the next operating systems Microsoft releases. Normally applications run fine with newer .NET versions. But if it fails, these app config files are there to steer. Different .NET versions side by side is no problem. In the past applications could still overwrite shared DLL's, that was a joy.

[Haig]

Thanks Peter. I'll pass this info onto our software group.

[schmosef]

Hi Peter,

Sneaky Microsoft... They didn't mention the release of a tech preview at the last presentation I attended.

I just checked MSDN and it's a 2.6GB download.

So how do you like it? Is it stable?

[Peter Aragon]

Hi schmosef

First of all it looks and feels like an Office 2003 application. Lots of shading for the GUI. Also the default placing of the Solution Explorer, Class viewer etc. have been moved to different locations on the screen, so it took a while to appreciate that.
Then you see a lot of improvement with ASP.NET, where you don't need to go to lenghty compiling as partial classes overcomes this, plus you don't need to have the frontpage extensions or even an internet server, since it uses its own internal one that can be used on any directory.
The Windows Forms designer has been improved by giving visual cues about aligning. Also finally new controls have been added, like my favorite the menustrip, which is like the mainmenu but can be placed anywhere on the canvas, and looks like the Office toolbars, with the support for icons.
The IDE is not yet very intuative (menu's are not tuned for pleasant navigation, selected tabs have a confusing lighter color, as if they are disabled). Still needs a lot of feedback before it is to the likings of all. But at least we can now use it with the Parhelia

[schmosef]

Originally posted by Peter Aragon
But at least we can now use it with the Parhelia

Yeah, thanks for the fix.

[schmosef]

Hey Peter,

I just ran into a problem with VS .Net 2003 and the Parhelia 1.06 drivers. Seems that VS wouldn't redraw properly after being restored from a minimized state. I downgraded the Matrox drivers to 1.05 and the problem went away.

I'm wondering if you'd had any similar experiences.

[Peter Aragon]

Does not sound familiar. I just re-installed my work computer so I don't recall if I had the latest driver on it. Now I that I do I will check. Just had the last 2 days of fun trying to get around the bugs in the tech preview of VS2005... for example the designer doesn't allow you to properly use 2 controls with both left and right alignment, and the latest is when you add a resource you get 100% processor usage, and you have to kill the VS process. Luckily the resource was still added to the resx file. Also lost the ability to control the folders in IIS. Con't get to the property sheets anymore. Well, they still need some time for the first beta.... I hate the stupid pink colors in the UI when adding timers etc.

So where did you see redraw problems, and only after minimizing and restoring? I will check that first thing in the morning.... I use a dual screen setup just to avoid minimizing

[schmosef]

Originally posted by Peter Aragon
So where did you see redraw problems, and only after minimizing and restoring? I will check that first thing in the morning.... I use a dual screen setup just to avoid minimizing

I have triple screen (two on the Parhelia and one on a PCI card). I only seem to minimize out of a force of habit.

I didn't have too much time to play with the problem. The fastest way I could reproduce it was to run VS, minimize it, then try to restore the window. It would redraw the window borders, but nothing else, and the borders were not responsive to mouse events, etc. I tended to have to kill the task.

I tried a repair/reinstall of VS but it didn't help. What helped right away was to uninstall the 1.06 drivers and install the 1.05 drivers.

[Peter Aragon]

Sorry can't seem to reproduce it. As I don't have a 3 monitor setup I haven't exactly proved anything. I use the DX9 driver.

[KeiFront]

Schmosef, someone else has the same problem on the matrox tech support forum, altough with VS 2003.

http://forum.matrox.com/mga/viewtopic.php?t=9704

[Peter Aragon]

For some reason I suspect Schmosef and jrogovsky are one and the same person

[schmosef]

yup!

[schmosef]

LOL!