Windower 4 - Discussion and Support

[Kohan]

A friend of mine is having very long load times on his windower launcher, it seems directly proportionate to how many plugins/addons he has. Anyone know a solution or possible cause? Upwards to 7+ minutes to get from clicking on the launcher to being able to access profiles. PC specs are not the problem afaik, and is windows 7.

Have you already tried the process of elimination (i.e., starting Windower with one plugin enabled, then two, then three) to determine if there is one culprit? It may not actually be cumulative. Although more add-ons and/or plug-ins will make things a smidgen slower, you're usually not talking about leaps in start-up that large.

[Darkmagi]

Yes, he's tried without any and with any number of plugins. It increases directly proportionate to the number in the folders. It still has an abnormally long load time with none.

[Kohan]

Yes, he's tried without any and with any number of plugins. It increases directly proportionate to the number in the folders. It still has an abnormally long load time with none.

"Without any and with any" isn't necessarily the same as trying them one by one. Have they done that? If they're running in a completely vanilla configuration, and then randomly picking a handful and going with that, that's not the same.

If they truly have gone through a proper process of elimination and have still determined that everything is adding identical delay periods onto the start-up time, though, then they can:

* Check the Windower folder itself, and see if it is now operating as a compressed folder in Windows.
* Consider anything that they have changed on their computer since the last time Windower ran successfully (e.g., anti-virus, firewall, or anti-cheat software being installed).
* Backup all of the files they want to keep (e.g., SpellCast plug-ins, Lua files), delete all plug-ins, redownload only the essentials, and see how that works.

Alternatively, they can deactivate any plugins and/or add-ons that they don't use all the time (e.g., the reive counter), and then just load them when they actually need them. I personally do that regardless, and I do not have this problem.

[Naratu]

"Without any and with any" isn't necessarily the same as trying them one by one. Have they done that? If they're running in a completely vanilla configuration, and then randomly picking a handful and going with that, that's not the same.

If they truly have gone through a proper process of elimination and have still determined that everything is adding identical delay periods onto the start-up time, though, then they can:

* Check the Windower folder itself, and see if it is now operating as a compressed folder in Windows.
* Consider anything that they have changed on their computer since the last time Windower ran successfully (e.g., anti-virus, firewall, or anti-cheat software being installed).
* Backup all of the files they want to keep (e.g., SpellCast plug-ins, Lua files), delete all plug-ins, redownload only the essentials, and see how that works.

Alternatively, they can deactivate any plugins and/or add-ons that they don't use all the time (e.g., the reive counter), and then just load them when they actually need them. I personally do that regardless, and I do not have this problem.

Hi! I'm the friend mentioned. I've done exactly as you said, I've tried with one plugin at a time, and each individual plugin increases the load time. I've reinstalled Windower multiple times, literally deleting every single Windower related item on my PC (Including things that I apparently still had from Windower3) and the same problem exists. I've already eliminated anti-virus/firewall as a possible issue as well.

To be more specific about the problem, with a brand new fresh installed Windower4, it takes roughly 1min 20s to load. This is counting from the exact moment I click on Windower.exe, to the point where I can select a profile to load POL in. That alone seems insanely too long, in my opinion, because other people only take 15-20 seconds to load WITH their plugins installed. With 3 plugins, it took about 4 minutes. With every plugin I wanted, I don't remember the exact number, it took roughly 8 minutes. Darkmagi sent me his windower folder, and with all of his plugins (which is obviously more than I had), it took over 15 minutes to load. I've tried each of these different number of plugins AFTER uninstalling between each attempt. Windower is the only thing I have issues with on my PC, no other game has issues. I don't believe it's a hardware issue in my PC as far as something needing to be replaced, because my PC is no more than 2.5yrs old, and this issue did not exist last August when I quit. Internet speed also should not be an issue.

I posted on gitbub as well, but everything I posted there is included here. If you need any other information to help, just ask away and I will provide. Thanks!

[JSHidaka]

Reinstall windows then try again... yea for just a game probably not enough reason...
And since when is happening? since returning?
Btw, what's the path windower is installed?

[Naratu]

Yeah.... I don't really want to reformat just for this honestly, so if I can't figure out a solution, oh well. But I'm still gonna try! lol. I don't know the exact moment this problem "started", but I noticed it 2 nights ago after resubbing. This was the first time I'd opened Windower since quitting in August. I've tried installing Windower to a few different places. First was Program Files x86, second was just in my C: folder, third was straight to my desktop. All three had the same issue.

[Arcon]

This sounds like a networking issue. I can't check atm, but it might be trying to establish a connection for each plugin it's trying to download. It should time out after a few seconds, but if it does that for each plugin, you should experience a higher delay with each plugin you choose to use. Can you check your plugin versions and see what they are? If any of them are lower than the last version reported here, then that's the issue, which could be caused by your firewall.

Also, since addons are only checked once, it should not increase with the number of addons you use. Can you see if it makes a difference how many addons are loaded?

[Naratu]

All of my plugins appear to be the same version as listed. I also tried it with adding addons, and there was no change. Still took the same amount of time. However, I tried opening Windower.exe without an internet connection, and it loaded instantly. This was however after I deleted every single plugin, but I doubt that matters. So, to clarify, with my ethernet cord unplugged, Windower loaded instantly. I guess this proves it actually is a networking issue?

Edit: Tried it with every normal plugin I use, without ethernet cord, and it still loaded instantly.

[Byrthnoth]

Just merged the github repository in. There were various fixes to Battlemod, Azuresets, GearSwap, and Motenten's includes. Let us know if you notice anything breaking: https://github.com/Windower/Lua/issues

I also updated pet_fix so it blocks the "readying" animations for pets, but the summoning/releasing animations seem to be in a different packet. Let me know if you still have problems: https://github.com/Byrth/Lua/issues

[JSHidaka]

This sounds like a networking issue. I can't check atm, but it might be trying to establish a connection for each plugin it's trying to download. It should time out after a few seconds, but if it does that for each plugin, you should experience a higher delay with each plugin you choose to use. Can you check your plugin versions and see what they are? If any of them are lower than the last version reported here, then that's the issue, which could be caused by your firewall.

Also, since addons are only checked once, it should not increase with the number of addons you use. Can you see if it makes a difference how many addons are loaded?

Hmmm that explain why when using all my bandwidth it load slower....
But if he is getting timeouts checking the plugins, why is able to download them? Isn't the same server?

[Arcon]

It is, it shouldn't be able to download them. Did they say that it did?

[JSHidaka]

It is, it shouldn't be able to download them. Did they say that it did?

Hi! I'm the friend mentioned. I've done exactly as you said, I've tried with one plugin at a time, and each individual plugin increases the load time. I've reinstalled Windower multiple times, literally deleting every single Windower related item on my PC (Including things that I apparently still had from Windower3) and the same problem exists. I've already eliminated anti-virus/firewall as a possible issue as well.

Well not sure then how he is "reinstalling"... coz iirc the plugins and addons on the install file arent updated.. so they get updated on first launch..

[Naratu]

Yeah the plugins are being installed just fine. I've been logged into XI since resubbing 3 days ago before, there's no issue with that. Every plugin seemed to be working perfectly. It's just the windower load time is insanely too long.

I'll explain what happens as specifically as I can. After installing Windower4, obviously I have 0 plugins, the moment I click on Windower.exe to the moment I can select a profile, or install a plugin/addon etc, takes about 1min 20s. This happens every single time I open Windower.exe, never is it any less than that amount of time. Each plugin seems to add more time to this loading process. As I said before, when darkmagi sent me his windower folder, it took over 15 minutes to get to the window that allows me to select a profile to open POL in. He had about 25 plugins installed. With my 18 plugins installed, my windower takes about 12 minutes to allow me to select a profile. The screen I get stuck at for the longest is the window that has the 5 scrolling dots. The window is not frozen, because I can see the 5 dots scrolling across it. However, it will stay like this for however long it decides to, which like I said, is directly proportionate to the amount of plugins I have. As I said above, apparently if I open Windower.exe without an internet connection (with my ethernet cord disconnect completely), the load time is completely instant. This is regardless of how many plugins are installed, it's still instant without an internet connection.

[Arcon]

This is too strange.. how long has that behavior been around? We refactored the launcher a bit recently, has it been since then, or always for you?

[Naratu]

Well I quit back in August. There was no issue back then. I just resubbed 3 days ago, which is also when I noticed the issue. When the problem actually formed, there's no telling. But I first noticed it when I resubbed to FFXI, 3 days ago.

[Arcon]

Honestly, as a temporary solution it's probably faster to just put all the plugins you need in Windower/scripts/init.txt and disable them in the launcher. I'm not sure if I feel like debugging this issue, much other stuff to do, and I don't even know what could cause it, the number of plugins should only affect the startup time if they're all being updated, but since yours are up to date, that shouldn't happen. It should only perform the check once.

[Haborym]

Is there anyway to bypass the limit of the four saved POL accounts?

[Shenrien]

I'm unable to launch another one of my mule profiles for windower. I have one up but if I try to open a third instance under my mule tab it instantly crashes, I'm able to launch another application at 1920x1080 but that's not really practicle for triple boxing >_>;

here's the crash log thing.

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: CLR20r3
Problem Signature 01: windower.exe
Problem Signature 02: 4.2.5263.39744
Problem Signature 03: 5388f27f
Problem Signature 04: mscorlib
Problem Signature 05: 4.0.30319.18063
Problem Signature 06: 526766b5
Problem Signature 07: 43cf
Problem Signature 08: 1f4
Problem Signature 09: System.IO.IOException
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

edit - I can only get a third instance to launch by editing the default profile.. ehh.. w/e it works for now.

[Trumpy]

in my macro:

line 1: /ma "sneak" <stpt> <wait 7>
line 2: /ma "invisible" <lastst>

i get an error like there isnt a target for sneak ( >> /ma "sneak" ...A command error occurred.). and no subtarget arrow pops up. and then invisible tries to cast on self. Usually its Shortcuts when i have st targeting problems. Unloaded shortcuts and macro works properly.

[fantasticdan]

Having problems with eminent flute, find can't //find it, spellcast can't equip it. Any help on this?