Watermark comes back in latest WIndows Insider "Canary" build

[LagunaJim]

Strange behavior: UWD successfully removes the watermark, but the next time the desktop wallpaper is auto-changed the watermark returns -- you can disappear it again by terminating and restarting Windows Explorer.

Never seen this behavior before - UWD has always worked perfectly!

[TheAlphaFlyer]

Similar behaviour with UWD here. Using Canary 26016.1012.

The watermark on my computer does not even get to be removed under any condition.

[reticivis-net]

I created a spiritual successor to uwd called uwd2 and it's on my github
https://github.com/reticivis-net/uwd2

[LagunaJim]

THANK YOU so much for rewriting this utility! You mention on your github that the results don’t persist across restarts – it is for me running x64 Canary v26085. I will research why, but it may be because my background wallpaper is handled by a utility called “DisplayFusion” and not just Windows… I dunno 😊 One question: where does uwd2 cache the debugging symbols locally? Thanks again!! /jim From: Melody ***@***.***> Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 1:02 PM To: pr701/universal-watermark-disabler ***@***.***> Cc: LagunaJim ***@***.***>; Author ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [pr701/universal-watermark-disabler] Watermark comes back in latest WIndows Insider "Canary" build (Issue #1) I created a spiritual successor to uwd called uwd2 and it's on my github https://github.com/reticivis-net/uwd2 — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#1 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AHBINOOLB2RXZWLZYIP4K43YZM4EVAVCNFSM6AAAAABADFBCP2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDAMJTGU4DOMBZGA>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[reticivis-net]

You mention on your github that the results don’t persist across restarts – it is for me

that's very interesting, considering uwd2 only modifies the running memory of explorer.exe and writes nothing to disk. Are you sure you're fully restarting and not doing something like hibernating?

One question: where does uwd2 cache the debugging symbols locally?

I use a Rust crate to auto-generate a path, and it may vary depending on version, but for me it resolves to "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\reticivis\UWD2\data". It doesn't cache the entire PDB file, just the single 32-bit memory location of the function I patch. The filename is a unique identifier that Windows changes when the file i'm patching changes

[LagunaJim]

Thanks for the reply! All I can tell you is that for me the result persists!! I’ll try to figure out why and let you know ;) On Mar 21, 2024, at 4:36 PM, Melody ***@***.***> wrote:  You mention on your github that the results don’t persist across restarts – it is for me that's very interesting, considering uwd2 only modifies the running memory of explorer.exe and writes nothing to disk. Are you sure you're fully restarting and not doing something like hibernating? One question: where does uwd2 cache the debugging symbols locally? I use a Rust crate to auto-generate a path<https://github.com/reticivis-net/uwd2/blob/caf7a06f40770fd80423c0d1e24c86a9bce5477b/src/constants.rs#L5-L9>, and it may vary depending on version, but for me it resolves to "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\reticivis\UWD2\data". It doesn't cache the entire PDB file, just the single 32-bit memory location of the function I patch. The filename is a unique identifier that Windows changes when the file i'm patching changes — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#1 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AHBINOMJE2P7HY3CFGPL2XLYZNVHPAVCNFSM6AAAAABADFBCP2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDAMJUGA2DSMJVGM>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[LagunaJim]

Hi. So I figured out the magic I think.. It’s the combination of the old uwd and your new uwd2 that makes it persist! I can’t uninstall your new one for further testing, but if I apply the old ‘uwd’ and then the new ‘uwd2’ then the watermark is banished permanently (until the next windows build of course). Let me know if you find that interesting – if you test this yourself and find it valid then perhaps you’ll incorporate the old hack and the new hack together! Best wishes/jim From: Melody ***@***.***> Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 4:36 PM To: pr701/universal-watermark-disabler ***@***.***> Cc: LagunaJim ***@***.***>; Author ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [pr701/universal-watermark-disabler] Watermark comes back in latest WIndows Insider "Canary" build (Issue #1) You mention on your github that the results don’t persist across restarts – it is for me that's very interesting, considering uwd2 only modifies the running memory of explorer.exe and writes nothing to disk. Are you sure you're fully restarting and not doing something like hibernating? One question: where does uwd2 cache the debugging symbols locally? I use a Rust crate to auto-generate a path<https://github.com/reticivis-net/uwd2/blob/caf7a06f40770fd80423c0d1e24c86a9bce5477b/src/constants.rs#L5-L9>, and it may vary depending on version, but for me it resolves to "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\reticivis\UWD2\data". It doesn't cache the entire PDB file, just the single 32-bit memory location of the function I patch. The filename is a unique identifier that Windows changes when the file i'm patching changes — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#1 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AHBINOMJE2P7HY3CFGPL2XLYZNVHPAVCNFSM6AAAAABADFBCP2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDAMJUGA2DSMJVGM>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.******@***.***>>

[LagunaJim]

..if you’d like me to do any testing for you I can do it in clean virtual machines.. I’ve recently fallen in love with the free version of VMWare Workstation Player – no more struggling with the stupid and broken Windows Sandbox! From: Jim Dorf Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 7:55 PM To: pr701/universal-watermark-disabler ***@***.***> Subject: RE: [pr701/universal-watermark-disabler] Watermark comes back in latest WIndows Insider "Canary" build (Issue #1) Hi. So I figured out the magic I think.. It’s the combination of the old uwd and your new uwd2 that makes it persist! I can’t uninstall your new one for further testing, but if I apply the old ‘uwd’ and then the new ‘uwd2’ then the watermark is banished permanently (until the next windows build of course). Let me know if you find that interesting – if you test this yourself and find it valid then perhaps you’ll incorporate the old hack and the new hack together! Best wishes/jim From: Melody ***@***.******@***.***>> Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 4:36 PM To: pr701/universal-watermark-disabler ***@***.******@***.***>> Cc: LagunaJim ***@***.******@***.***>>; Author ***@***.******@***.***>> Subject: Re: [pr701/universal-watermark-disabler] Watermark comes back in latest WIndows Insider "Canary" build (Issue #1) You mention on your github that the results don’t persist across restarts – it is for me that's very interesting, considering uwd2 only modifies the running memory of explorer.exe and writes nothing to disk. Are you sure you're fully restarting and not doing something like hibernating? One question: where does uwd2 cache the debugging symbols locally? I use a Rust crate to auto-generate a path<https://github.com/reticivis-net/uwd2/blob/caf7a06f40770fd80423c0d1e24c86a9bce5477b/src/constants.rs#L5-L9>, and it may vary depending on version, but for me it resolves to "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\reticivis\UWD2\data". It doesn't cache the entire PDB file, just the single 32-bit memory location of the function I patch. The filename is a unique identifier that Windows changes when the file i'm patching changes — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#1 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AHBINOMJE2P7HY3CFGPL2XLYZNVHPAVCNFSM6AAAAABADFBCP2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDAMJUGA2DSMJVGM>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.******@***.***>>

[LagunaJim]

Ok, upon further testing what I've found is that running the old uwd DOES help the watermark not to come back after certain triggers. When I implement old uwd and then new uwd2 I can restart explorer without the watermark returning. If I don't implement old uwd and only use uwd2 then I find the watermark returns on every change in desktop background. WITH old uwd and uwd2 the watermark does not return on background changes. So the script I run after every windows rev update to tweak things will continue to implement old uwd, and my login script will additionally now run uwd2. You rock!! /jim From: Jim Dorf Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 7:56 PM To: pr701/universal-watermark-disabler ***@***.***> Subject: RE: [pr701/universal-watermark-disabler] Watermark comes back in latest WIndows Insider "Canary" build (Issue #1) ..if you'd like me to do any testing for you I can do it in clean virtual machines.. I've recently fallen in love with the free version of VMWare Workstation Player - no more struggling with the stupid and broken Windows Sandbox! From: Jim Dorf Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 7:55 PM To: pr701/universal-watermark-disabler ***@***.******@***.***>> Subject: RE: [pr701/universal-watermark-disabler] Watermark comes back in latest WIndows Insider "Canary" build (Issue #1) Hi. So I figured out the magic I think.. It's the combination of the old uwd and your new uwd2 that makes it persist! I can't uninstall your new one for further testing, but if I apply the old 'uwd' and then the new 'uwd2' then the watermark is banished permanently (until the next windows build of course). Let me know if you find that interesting - if you test this yourself and find it valid then perhaps you'll incorporate the old hack and the new hack together! Best wishes/jim From: Melody ***@***.******@***.***>> Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 4:36 PM To: pr701/universal-watermark-disabler ***@***.******@***.***>> Cc: LagunaJim ***@***.******@***.***>>; Author ***@***.******@***.***>> Subject: Re: [pr701/universal-watermark-disabler] Watermark comes back in latest WIndows Insider "Canary" build (Issue #1) You mention on your github that the results don't persist across restarts - it is for me that's very interesting, considering uwd2 only modifies the running memory of explorer.exe and writes nothing to disk. Are you sure you're fully restarting and not doing something like hibernating? One question: where does uwd2 cache the debugging symbols locally? I use a Rust crate to auto-generate a path<https://github.com/reticivis-net/uwd2/blob/caf7a06f40770fd80423c0d1e24c86a9bce5477b/src/constants.rs#L5-L9>, and it may vary depending on version, but for me it resolves to "C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\reticivis\UWD2\data". It doesn't cache the entire PDB file, just the single 32-bit memory location of the function I patch. The filename is a unique identifier that Windows changes when the file i'm patching changes - Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#1 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AHBINOMJE2P7HY3CFGPL2XLYZNVHPAVCNFSM6AAAAABADFBCP2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDAMJUGA2DSMJVGM>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.******@***.***>>