Configuring OpenGL Driver

This page is to help Windows users to solve user interface problems they might have with our software.

Step 1: Check Drivers

Our software uses your graphics adapter to display the user interface. This is done via OpenGL which is a graphics subsystem of your Windows operating system. Unfortunately, the OpenGL drivers are not always perfect and issues are possible.

If the application user interface is having glitches or freezes, or if the application doesn’t start at all — it is worth checking that your graphics drivers are up to date.

You can do so by visiting a website of your computer vendor, or by looking for the model and vendor of your graphics adapter in Windows system settings and then checking the vendor’s website for the latest drivers.

Read on if it doesn’t help.

Step 2: Change OpenGL Driver

If you can still run the application, consider opening its settings window and locating OpenGL Driver selector there. Select Software and restart the application to see if it helps.

If it does, the problem is definitely with your graphics driver. Although the application works, it uses the software emulation of your graphics adapter which is stable, but slow. It is recommended to switch to a faster option. Open the settings again, locate the OpenGL Driver selector and try selecting Direct 3D 11 instead. Click OK, restart the application and see if it works.

If it works after switching to Direct 3D 11, it is safe to leave it this way.

Otherwise try other options from the drop–down list, except for the Auto and System ones that will use your faulty OpenGL driver and will hardly work well. Try all the options top to bottom until you find the one that works, then keep using it.

If the application crashes on startup, read below.

Step 3: Editing Registry

You can change the OpenGL driver used by the application using registry editor. This helps if the application doesn’t start at all and you can’t change it using settings. Follow the steps below to make the changes:

  1. Click the Start menu and type regedit, then press Enter;
  2. Registry Editor software will pop up;
  3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Appsforlife branch;
  4. Find the software in question there (say, Boxshot);
  5. Select the software item with a click;
  6. Check the right panel of the selected software if there is an item named OpenGLDriver;
  7. If there is no such item, right click the right panel and create a string key named OpenGLDriver;
  8. Set its value to “software” (without quotes);
  9. Try starting the application again.

The software should start well, then open its settings window and follow the instructions from the step 2 above.

Still Doesn’t Work?

Make sure you did everything described in step 3. This helps about 99% of our customers, so if it doesn’t work, there is a good chance that you missed a step or made a typo somewhere.

If you are sure it doesn’t work, please contact us and attach as many crash dumps as you have. You can access the crash dumps folder by running the application. If it crashes on startup, you’ll get the crash dump folder opened automatically. If the application starts, you can access the folder using Help → Open System Folder menu item.

Select all the files with long names of letters and numbers, pack them to a ZIP file and send to us, so we can have a look.