Control Panel Won't Start

[MikeToo]

Windows 8.1, have LOR ICON on system tray (blue lightbulb) but when I click on "LOR Control Panel" nothing happens, LOR Control Panel won't start.  LOR Control Panel appears in START Menu but same behavior when clicked... I used to have a RED LOR Lightbulb

when I clicked on "Show Hidden ICONS" but it no longer appears in the list.  ??  I seem to have this issue every year when I

start to plan my Christmas shows.  Need suggestions on what's going on (or not going on)??

[dgrant]

I would re-install the software just to be safe. Make sure you copy your files to a backup location just in case. Its possible the exe file name/location were changed, based upon which version of software that you are using. I noticed a change when I had a shortcut on the desktop for it, but it no longer worked when clicked on it. The new control panel is the "LORtray.exe" and has the new icon on it, showing "CP".

[bob]

What version of LOR are you using?

 

When you try to start the Control Panel, does an "LORTray.exe" entry appear in your Windows Task Manager? You may have to look at the "Details" and/or "Processes" tabs to see it.

[Orville]

Okay, I'm somewhat confused, you state YOU DO have a BLUE LOR Light bulb icon that is displayed on your system tray, down in the far right corder?   If so, then your CONTROL PANEL IS LOADED and RUNNING!    Clicking on the Control Panel icon will do just as you state, NOTHING, because it's already in operation.

 

If the bulb is blue, it means there is a show running, a red bulb means no show is active and is disabled, however, even with a red bulb display, clicking the LOR Control Panel will do absolutely nothing!  Again, because IT IS ALREADY LOADED and RUNNING!

 

Instead, right click on the blue bulb icon and it will bring up the menu of options that is available in the Control Panel, make sure that "Launch at Startup" and "Use Compressed Sequences" are both checked.  If the bulb is blue, "Enable Schedule" and "Shut Down on Demand" will both be grayed out, again, meaning a show is in operation.   Left click on "Disable Shows Gracefully" or "Disable Shows Immediately" to terminate any running show, once stopped, the bulb icon should turn red.

 

To see the pop up window of what is running and enabled, just click on the blue bulb to see what is in operation.

 

Because this is what it sounds like to me, that you have a show running, the control panel is also loaded and running per teh bulb icon.   If the control panel WERE NOT running, then you would have NO LOR BULB ICON at all in your system tray.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited October 14, 2015 by Orville

[k6ccc]

A minor correction to what Orville said. Blue light bulb indicates that the show schedule is enabled, but there may not be a show running - if the schedule does not currently have a show scheduled at this time.

Otherwise he is right. If the light bulb is there, it's running.

[Orville]

A minor correction to what Orville said. Blue light bulb indicates that the show schedule is enabled, but there may not be a show running - if the schedule does not currently have a show scheduled at this time. Otherwise he is right. If the light bulb is there, it's running.

I look at it this way, if the bulb is blue, it {Control Panel} is enabled, even though a show may not be running, SOMETHING IS running or the bulb would be red{i.e. disabled}.  So I don't completely disagree with you.  

 

Because if you left click on the blue bulb, it shows you the details of EXACTLY what is going on and when the show will start. or current show ends.    So in a sense, to me, if the bulb is blue, whether or not a show is running, again, SOMETHING IS running or the bulb icon would be red.

 

But we both do agree, if the bulb icon is there, the Control Panel IS RUNNING and will not open by clicking on the actual "Control Panel" listed in the Programs or on the Desktop if you have it there, the only way to open the Control Panel in this case, is as was stated, right click on the bulb icon in the system tray and you'll get a menu of options to choose from.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Orville

[bob]

if the bulb icon is there, the Control Panel IS RUNNING and will not open by clicking on the actual "Control Panel" listed in the Programs or on the Desktop if you have it there, the only way to open the Control Panel in this case, is as was stated, right click on the bulb icon in the system tray and you'll get a menu of options to choose from.

 

In the most recent version, clicking on the Control Panel's listing in Program Files (or on the desktop or whatever) when the Control Panel is already running will make the Control Panel call attention to itself - it will open its status window, and also will refresh its icon in the system tray just in case it has disappeared for some strange reason.

[Orville]

Thanks Bob.  I wouldn't have known that, I'm still using 3.8.2.     Good to know the newest version does this.  I always thought it should work that way from the beginning, but just figured maybe it was some kind of safety feature so two control panels wouldn't open together and create a conflict, like trying to open the Hardware Utility and the Sequence Editor at the same time.

 

Plan on upgrading when I can to the newer version, but still going to be a while before I can.

 

Again, thanks for the info on that Bob, glad you let us know about it.