Windows 7 screen capture bug

Please post all new bug reports for Help & Manual 5 here.
Post Reply
MeganC
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:43 am
Location: Tasmania, Australia

Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by MeganC »

I've just upgraded to a Windows 7 machine, and have found that the screen capture tool option for capturing a window, control or menu does not seem to work properly. It seems that the transparency effect in Windows 7 may be confusing it, so it does not know where the edge of the window is. I've attached a screenshot - what appears in the screenshot to be another window behind the main window, is actually a repetition of part of the window. The screenshot was actually taken with a blank screen behind the main window.

Wondering if this is a known bug, and if there is a fix?
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Tim Green
Site Admin
Posts: 23156
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
Location: Bruehl, Germany
Contact:

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Megan,

You need to turn off the transparent Aero Glass theme for screenshots in Windows 7 and Vista. Set the standard/basic theme instead. Screenshots of windows with transparent borders generally look off/distracting anyway... :)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
User avatar
Alexander Hompe
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:01 am
Location: Germany

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Alexander Hompe »

My dream:
- screenshots in full "W7 aero glass mode" which will automatically ignore all that aero glass stuff
- when shooting a window/object: automatic detection of background, set it to transparent color ("round corners")
- optionally: change color depth to 8 bit with the same phantastic results like an application named "Pixelformer"
- save as PNG with the PNGOUT/PNGGauntlet compression algorithm
- automatic file names using the window title text
all in one screenshot tool ...
Alex
Help & Manual 6 Professional Edition
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
MeganC
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:43 am
Location: Tasmania, Australia

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by MeganC »

Thank you! I didn't actually know it was possible to turn off the transparent stuff. Glad I know now, as I don't like it much anyway (keep accidentally closing the wrong window!)
SWWARD
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:26 pm

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by SWWARD »

Hi,I'm having a similar issue. I go through the motions of image capture and upon Ctrl + click the program freezes.
Is anyone else having this issue?

Windows 7 - 64 bit
H & M Version 5.5 build 1273
User avatar
Tim Green
Site Admin
Posts: 23156
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
Location: Bruehl, Germany
Contact:

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi,
Hi,I'm having a similar issue. I go through the motions of image capture and upon Ctrl + click the program freezes.
Is anyone else having this issue?
This isn't a known problem. Do you have the Windows 7 Standard theme activated? Aero Glass (transparent window borders) should definitely be switched off. It can also be helpful to turn off window animations, see how to do that here.
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
User avatar
Martin Wynne
Posts: 2656
Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 3:21 pm
Location: West of the Severn, UK

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Tim Green wrote:You need to turn off the transparent Aero Glass theme for screenshots in Windows 7 and Vista. Set the standard/basic theme instead.
Hi Tim,

I'm a bit puzzled by this. I've been happily taking transparent screenshots in Windows 7 without any problems. I use an ancient copy of PaintShopPro for most of my captures (PSP5, 1998). It runs fine in Win7 and captures the glass effect without any apparent problems (see attached). I agree that full transparency can be a bit distracting (see attached), but a subdued effect can be quite attractive if you choose a suitable background.
impict_glass.png
regards,

Martin.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Tim Green
Site Admin
Posts: 23156
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
Location: Bruehl, Germany
Contact:

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Tim Green »

Hi Martin,
I'm a bit puzzled by this. I've been happily taking transparent screenshots in Windows 7 without any problems. I use an ancient copy of PaintShopPro for most of my captures (PSP5, 1998). It runs fine in Win7 and captures the glass effect without any apparent problems (see attached).
I know -- lots of utilities do handle it well but the Help & Manual capture utility and TNT don't. If you use those, it's best to use the Windows 7 standard theme. I'd be the first to admit that this urgently needs to be fixed, but at the same time I also find screenshots of Aero Glass windows ugly and distracting in documententation, even though Aero Glass itself looks very nice on the screen.

Off topic: I've noticed that many computers are actually *faster* with Aero Glass on rather than off. For example, I have a cheap little ultraportable with an ultra-low-voltage Core2 processor and everything is much snappier with Aero switched on. My guess is that when Aero is on, most of the UI is handled entirely by the graphics coprocessor, but when it's off the UI is rendered entirely by the CPU. This then puts an additional load on the CPU which is not there when Aero is on. :)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
User avatar
Alexander Hompe
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:01 am
Location: Germany

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Alexander Hompe »

Hi Martin,
I'm really surprised. I have cried more than one tear that I can't use PSP5 under W7 (64bit) anymore. I get an error message, that it's not posssible to install that 16bit application under a 64bit Windows version. I have tested a lot of painting programs but I haven't found a real replacement for PSP5 that fits my needs. :(
Is there a special way to install PSP5 under W7?
Alex
Help & Manual 6 Professional Edition
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
User avatar
Martin Wynne
Posts: 2656
Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 3:21 pm
Location: West of the Severn, UK

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Alexander Hompe wrote:Is there a special way to install PSP5 under W7?
Hi Alex,

I've found that you can get most old programs to run fine on Win7/64 provided you don't let Windows see what you are doing. :)

This is what I did with PaintShopPro5:

1. Install it on Windows XP if not already.

2. Put the installer disk back in the cupboard. :)

3. In XP, close PSP5 if running and then copy the entire PSP folder: C:\Program Files\Paint Shop Pro 5\ to a USB memory stick or similar.

4. Transfer it to your Win7 computer and paste the entire folder to C:\MY_OLD_STUFF\Paint Shop Pro 5\ or wherever you want to put it, provided it's nowhere near any folder owned by Windows, such as the dreaded \Program Files (x86)\ folders.

5. Create a desktop shortcut to C:\MY_OLD_STUFF\Paint Shop Pro 5\Psp.exe

6. It then runs fine. On first run it will detect its registry entries missing and try to recreate them, asking you for any file associations you wish to assign. I played safe and set none. I didn't need to set a compatibility mode.

If you want the Help to work you need to download the Microsoft .hlp viewer for Win7.

I've done several old programs this way. It works fine for me but I can't guarantee it will work for anyone else. :)

regards,

Martin.
User avatar
Alexander Hompe
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:01 am
Location: Germany

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Alexander Hompe »

Hi Martin,
coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool :D
Thank you so much :!:
:hoorahg:
Alex
Help & Manual 6 Professional Edition
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
DanCooperstock
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:12 pm
Location: Toronto Canada
Contact:

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by DanCooperstock »

I'm having a similar problem. I'm in Windows 7, still have an Aero theme, but have turned off transparency.

If I try a Screen Capture of a "Window, control or menu", the border doesn't appear and Ctrl-Click does nothing. I can do it of a "Free region on the desktop" fine.

Is this a known problem? Anything I can do about it?
Dan Cooperstock info@Software4Nonprofits.com
User avatar
Tim Green
Site Admin
Posts: 23156
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2002 9:11 am
Location: Bruehl, Germany
Contact:

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Tim Green »

@Dan:
I'm having a similar problem. I'm in Windows 7, still have an Aero theme, but have turned off transparency.
Just turning off transparency won't cut it, unfortunately. You really need to select the Windows 7 Standard theme. :x

@Martin:
Do you know if this trick works with PSP8 as well? If it does, I'm going to have to give it a try. Then I can get back to it instead of Paint.NET. (What Corel has done to PSP should be tried before some kind of tribunal...)
Regards,
Tim (EC Software Documentation & User Support)

Private support:
Please do not email or PM me with private support requests -- post to the forum directly.
User avatar
Martin Wynne
Posts: 2656
Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 3:21 pm
Location: West of the Severn, UK

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Martin Wynne »

Tim Green wrote:@Martin: Do you know if this trick works with PSP8 as well? If it does, I'm going to have to give it a try. Then I can get back to it instead of Paint.NET. (What Corel has done to PSP should be tried before some kind of tribunal...)
Hi Tim,

Sorry, I don't have PSP8 to try. I don't see why not, and it won't do any harm to try. :)

Just keep it clear of any folders owned by Windows, otherwise you will have UAC issues.

Generally, old software runs fine on Win7/64 this way. It even gets added to the Start recent programs list (something which H&M has never managed).

It is the installer programs which are the problem.

regards,

Martin.
User avatar
Discontinued UweS
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:55 pm
Location: Wood Dale, Illinois, United States

Re: Windows 7 screen capture bug

Unread post by Discontinued UweS »

I also have Windows 7 64 Bit and I am using Snagit. That works without any issues even with the transpoarent theme active.
Dr. Uwe Schwenk
Quality Translations for the Future!™
E-Mail: dmsus@att.net
Post Reply