CorelDraw X3 Problems

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

Has anyone else had any problems with X3, I mean getting it to work on Vista. They claim they have it ready for Vista now but I am having issues with it. While working on something, they dissappear off the page, you can see the holders but the items disappear. I tried to download the patches and they won't work either. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Zelma

[Tracey Bakewell]

Zelma, I had the same problem with Corel. I thought it was the new laptop I purchased so I returned it because I told them that Corel was my primary application and that was totally not cool! I also downloaded all the patches and fixes as well, same problem. The laptop had 2 GB RAM and a good video card.

[Anthony Scira]

I have Vista on a Acer laptop and a home brew desktop. Both machines run Corel and Photograv pretty flawlessly for me.

I think most peoples problems happen when they try to use older hardware with Vista. I got so fed up with it I just had to buy all new hardware. The more expensive way to go but some of the stuff was getting old.

I know I am in the minority but I really like Vista.

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

I will talk with Corel next week, and hope to get it fixed. I don't want to take my computer back but I will . . . if they'll let me.

Thanks,
Zelma

[Larry Bratton]

I will talk with Corel next week, and hope to get it fixed. I don't want to take my computer back but I will . . . if they'll let me.

Thanks,
Zelma
Zelma:
I bought a Vista laptop for a person in my company. That person left and I ended up with the machine. I had some problems with my XP laptop, so while it was being repaired I tried using the Vista machine. I absolutely hated it. No way would I swap from XP to Vista. I wish I could return this machine, but it's too late. Vista seems to have some kind of problem and I think I am going to have to restore the whole operating system to get it so that I can "palm" it off on somebody else.
Just my two cents worth.

[Anthony Welch]

I have XP connected to the engraver out in my office. I use Vista in the house. I have no problem working on Corel on the Vista. But I do save the file and send to the XP by e-mail (wireless router) and it engraves/cuts just fine.

[Larry Bratton]

I have XP connected to the engraver out in my office. I use Vista in the house. I have no problem working on Corel on the Vista. But I do save the file and send to the XP by e-mail (wireless router) and it engraves/cuts just fine.
Anthony:
I also have a wireless setup similar to what you describe. Vista may work just fine for what you are doing. I just don't like it as well as XP. I reckon I'm just set in my ways. XP has served me well and I didn't figure it was broke..so why fix it. Reckon Microsoft has to keep on raking those dollars in.

[Tim Bateson]

I agree - I hate Vista. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to reload with XP-Pro. 2 Months and I still haven't gotten my email to work - still using webmail.
Corel does the same for me. I either page up or down, or minimize Corel. This takes care of it, but it can be annoying.
PhotoGrav doesn't show negative images, but does save them OK. It also gets stuck in memory when exiting. I have to go to Task Manager to kill it.
This is a brand new laptop.
The Office at my day-job is moving to Vista soon, So like it or not I have to get use to it.:(

[James Jaragosky]

Has anyone else had any problems with X3, I mean getting it to work on Vista. They claim they have it ready for Vista now but I am having issues with it. While working on something, they disappear off the page, you can see the holders but the items disappear. I tried to download the patches and they won't work either. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Zelma
I have the same thing happen to me all the time with Corel. I just close out that session and re load the same image, and it always works fine the second time.
I have xp pro on a hp duel core with 2 gig of ram and an ati 1950xtx graphic card. so my system should load any image I want without any problems. I never have any issues loading images with adobe so I think it is a glitch with corel.

[Bill Cunningham]

I agree - I hate Vista. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to reload with XP-Pro. 2 Months and I still haven't gotten my email to work - still using webmail.


They don't nickname it 'lookout express' for nothing..
Download Thunderbird (it's free) and works pretty slick.. The spell checker is fantastic.. Makes me look almost literate :D

[Roy Brewer]

While working on something, they dissappear off the page, you can see the holders but the items disappear. Zelma,

I'm certainly not defending MicroSoft on this but as James J has confirmed, it is not just a "Vista thing."

Seems that 99% of the time the problem you describe is on laptops. Because of the architecture of current laptops (except for the extremely expensive ones) they don't have dedicated graphics cards; that's my semi-technical analysis.

About two years ago I had an attendee at one of my seminars show me that problem; we created a "work around" to get the objects back (hold down the ALT key and use an arrow key to scroll the page off to the side, then Alt+F4 to bring it back).

My experience? Bought a laptop just as Vista was released. Had your problem, took it back while they still had same laptop in XP, had the same problem! I'm the guy that loves Vista, so I took it back and reclaimed my Vista laptop, doubled the RAM and while it still occurs, not very often. As soon as I learned that, I found that it happens even less if I don't have tons of stuff up in memory.

Call Corel if you want, but I guarantee you that they'll tell you they have never heard of it that problem!

After having this issue for about a year now, I don't even notice it. One of those work-arounds that shouldn't be necessary, but you just "get over it." I do not have the problem with Illustrator or other programs, but am I going to use an inferior program just to avoid the work-around? No way!

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

Well, you are correct. My precious husband & father-in-law decided to surprise me, they went out at Christmas purchased me a laptop! James did his research, he went to the Corel home page and it says it now works with Vista. So, since the only reason they purchased the laptop is so I can work on the go and at home, I purchsased CorelDraw X3.

So . . .

I think contacting Corel is my only option.

***** Anyone know why I am not being notified of my subscriptions to the threads? *****

[Jerry Allen]

Earlier versions of X3 had the problems everyone is talking about. The page border would disappear, objects disappear, and the Object Manager would go nuts. By SP2, those problems were all fixed. In my case using XP I can say that's true. I have a machine with Vista that I will test it on when I get a chance and report back. I don't use that machine, it was just for testing Vista, which I do not care for.
I have seen that some new computers are being sold with and option to switch back to XP. Some sellers charge for it and others do not.
Please verify that SP2 has loaded. You need to load both SP1 and SP2.
If you have a new copy, the service packs may be already integrated. You can check it by going to the Help menu/About... and it should be at version 13.0.0.739. If it is, the service packs will not load. I'd also recommmend doing an F8 at start up the first time to reset the defaults.

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

My version is 13.0.0.739 and the service packs will NOT load, just as you said. I haven't tried the F8 yet, but I will. Thanks

[Jerry Allen]

F8 at startup might do it for you.
Additonally, under the View menu, set the grid to be off, using it only if you have to but turning it off again, and make sure that the display type is not set to Enhanced with Overprints. Just Enhanced or Normal.

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

I did the F8 at startup and sure enough it was set Enhanced with Overprints, so I changed it to, normal. I hope this works, thank you.

[Larry Bratton]

Zelma,

I'm certainly not defending MicroSoft on this but as James J has confirmed, it is not just a "Vista thing."

Seems that 99% of the time the problem you describe is on laptops. Because of the architecture of current laptops (except for the extremely expensive ones) they don't have dedicated graphics cards; that's my semi-technical analysis.

About two years ago I had an attendee at one of my seminars show me that problem; we created a "work around" to get the objects back (hold down the ALT key and use an arrow key to scroll the page off to the side, then Alt+F4 to bring it back).

My experience? Bought a laptop just as Vista was released. Had your problem, took it back while they still had same laptop in XP, had the same problem! I'm the guy that loves Vista, so I took it back and reclaimed my Vista laptop, doubled the RAM and while it still occurs, not very often. As soon as I learned that, I found that it happens even less if I don't have tons of stuff up in memory.

Call Corel if you want, but I guarantee you that they'll tell you they have never heard of it that problem!

After having this issue for about a year now, I don't even notice it. One of those work-arounds that shouldn't be necessary, but you just "get over it." I do not have the problem with Illustrator or other programs, but am I going to use an inferior program just to avoid the work-around? No way!
Roy:
I am running a Toshiba laptop (always), 2GB Ram, stock video card etc. I run some pretty intense software programs, Corel X3, Photoshop CS3, Corel Painter, etc. These programs run flawlessly on this machine. I recently had the whole motherboard replaced in this machine because I had my complete brain in it . It performs as well as it did prior to the repair. I have desktop machines here that don't perform as well as this laptop....soooo..I don't necessarily buy the argument that it's just laptops. This is not a hugely expensive machine,Satellite M45 and was around $1500 at the time I bought it. The Vista machine is also a Toshiba but cheaper and nothing seems to work right on it. I can't get e-mail to work yet.

[Mark Winlund]

I have had photograv crash the computer twice now. Also, some of the little boxes that come up with buttons in them are laid out wrong (text on top of the buttons) so that the buttons wont work.

I just got the upgrade to Photograv a week or so ago, so I haven't had time to ask them about it. My Computer is a recent Dell laptop (less than 6 mo. old with XP Pro on it (up to date).

Anyone else experiencing these problems?

Mark

[Jerry Allen]

Mark,
Try changing your screen resolution for Windows and see if that helps.
Also try the settings for large and small screen fonts.

[James & Zelma Litzmann]

I am using a Toshiba P205D-S7454 laptop and at this stage of the game I am beginning to wonder if it is the video card, which is a ATI Radeon X1200 and I don't know enough about computers to know if this is the problem or if it can be changed.

Bless his (hubby) heart he tried?

[Roy Brewer]

....soooo..I don't necessarily buy the argument that it's just laptops.Larry,
I wasn't necessarily pointing a finger at laptops, except I have never had this problem with a desktop(our shop has ~10 on which Corel is used often) and the last three laptops, we have the problem(HP, Gateway, Compaq). If I recall correctly, all in this thread w/the problem have laptops(?). I confessed to my "explanation" being semi-technical, but the problem obviously is more likely on a laptop and what could be the explanation other than graphics chips reduced functionality since they are onboard(?) ---- again just me thinking outloud.

Foster Coburn (a top Corel guru) says the problem must be the graphics card(?).

[Larry Bratton]

Larry,
I wasn't necessarily pointing a finger at laptops, except I have never had this problem with a desktop(our shop has ~10 on which Corel is used often) and the last three laptops, we have the problem(HP, Gateway, Compaq). If I recall correctly, all in this thread w/the problem have laptops(?). I confessed to my "explanation" being semi-technical, but the problem obviously is more likely on a laptop and what could be the explanation other than graphics chips reduced functionality since they are onboard(?) ---- again just me thinking outloud.

Foster Coburn (a top Corel guru) says the problem must be the graphics card(?).
Yes, that would be my assumption also. Foster probably knows as much about Corel as anybody walking around (maybe with the exception of you Roy:))

[Tracey Bakewell]

Just chiming in again. I'm now on my 3rd laptop because I was sure that the issue was Vista. I am in agreement that it is the video card. The first 2 laptops were both Toshiba's, my 3rd now is a Dell. My older laptop is a Dell and it is a workhorse and has no issues what-so-ever (running XP). So, I'm keeping this one and will now experiment with changing the display settings, that's got to be it. The ATI Radeon card is suposed to be the best one to have, without going to a more expensive laptop with true on-board memory on the video card itself. It's happened to me today several times now, usually if I accidentally scroll out or in or change the fill of an object. I will try that alt thingy mentioned earlier on in the thread, because zooming out, or back in, or on and off the page doesn't help, onlyy closing and saving the document and getting back in.

I wonder if X4 is having this issue?

I'm liking Vista generally though.

[Tony Severenuk (Corel)]

Are you using a track pad on the laptop or a mouse?
Which version of CGS are you using?
There are some more threads on www.coreldraw.com about screens going blank on laptops..seems that if you use the trackpad on the laptop it happen vs. it does not with a mouse (wierd...very weird)
T.

[Larry Bratton]

Report..I got the Vista computer to work pretty well now. Since I inherited it from an ex-employee I wiped it clean and re-installed the Vista software from the Toshiba disc. I installed Corel X3 and then downloaded Corel X3 Service Pack 2, which prepares Corel for Vista. Works fine. I'm still not in love with it and use my Toshiba, now with XP Pro on it. I have twice the amount of RAM opposed to the Vista machine. I even got the e-mail to work too. I assume it will print to the Epilog, I haven't tried it yet.

[Roy Brewer]

I will try that alt thingy mentioned earlier ...Tracey,
If you haven't found it, hold down the Alt key then left or right arrow to scroll your work off the screen then oppo to bring it back on. This has worked on all my laptops that have this issue; ugly, but much better than save/exit/run/open!

Service Pack 2 seems to reduce the occurrence and as Tony suggested, a mouse instead of the touchpad reduces the occurrence, but do not completely eliminate it.

Using the same PCs, I have never had it happen with X4.