A solution / bug fix for the grey squares / blocks / tile problem on Memory Map for Windows

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ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
There is another thread discussing Memory Map for Windows. I found a work-around which solves the problem that many users have of areas of maps being blank when maps are loaded. Once this problem has been experienced, the map never retiles properly unless you zoom in or out. I also discovered that changing map scale after that from (say) 1:50,000 to 1:25,000 can be painfully slow. It is normally almost instantaneous but when the bug strikes, it can take 30+ seconds each time which is incredibly annoying to me because I am constantly doing that when using the software.

You can also find it in this post in the original thread, but to save you another click / page load - here it is - I hope that it helps you!

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Okay, frustrated Memory Map users - I have finally sussed out what is causing the problems with MM that robgul and I have been discussing above.

First, a helping hand for Google to find this post and bring you here ... :okay:

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This is a simple work-around or fix or solution for a bug or problem with using Memory Map on Windows when it can display blank or grey squares on maps on loading them or starting up and can also cause very slow changes or long delays when changing or altering map scales or resolutions.
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I examined all of Memory Map's entries in the Windows Registry and spotted something that looked very odd ... I discovered that under one Key:
Code:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Memory-Map\Memory-Map Navigator\DockingPaneLayouts\NormalLayout
... there were multiple sets of pane data (coordinates etc.). I had over 1,400 sets of coordinates in there on my laptop!

The software is clearly trying to store what child windows/panes were open when it was closed, where they were, and what size they were. The idea presumably being to restore them when the software is next loaded.

I think that the software is not maintaining that information correctly. It should replace the old data with new data but instead it keeps adding new entries until eventually there are so many entries that MM slows to a crawl trying to process them when it starts up.

Software would normally check for the existence of essential entries in the registry, and create any missing entries as required. I reasoned that it would be safe to delete my 1,400-odd surplus sets of pane data so I thought that I would try it. I deleted just those entries and the software immediately started running properly again.

It is now a few days later and the software has already created 42 new sets of pane coordinates. It is still working ok, but I assume that it will eventually have created so many that the problem returns.

I have been monitoring things closely and it seems that every time I open up the routes/tracks/marks/waypoints property windows, MM creates another 7 or so sets of data. I typically display those property windows multiple times per MM session so it isn't surprising that after a week or so there can be hundreds of redundant entries in the registry.

This fix seems to be reliable. I was doing it manually using regedit.exe but now that I am happy with it I have created an easier way to do it. I have created a .REG file containing an instruction to delete the Key under which the duplicated data is stored, and that takes the offending data with it. The next time MM is loaded it detects the absence of the Key and creates a new one, along with 2 sets of pane data.

I saved my .REG file to my Windows desktop. All that I have to do now is to double click on the file's icon whereupon I get a warning that the registry is going to be edited. I okay that change and - BINGO - the bad data has gone! MM will work smoothly from that point on until it has piled up more digital rubbish in the registry, when the fix can be repeated. I won't wait that long. I use MM most days so I will get into the habit of clearing the problem at least once a week.

I have attached my file for you to experiment with. CycleChat's forum software will not let me attach a .REG file so it is saved as a .TXT. It actually IS a text file in the format understood by the registry editor so you can take a look inside it using NotePad, WordPad or any other text editor, and I recommend that you do so in order to confirm that it doesn't do anything dodgy!

It should consist of:
  1. Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
  2. *** Blank line ***
  3. [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Memory-Map\Memory-Map Navigator\DockingPaneLayouts\NormalLayout]

Entry #1 is a description of what version of Regedit.exe was used to create it.

Entry #2 is a line, intentionally left blank.

Entry #3 is an instruction to delete that Key in the registry, plus all the data within that part of the registry. (The hyphen/minus sign means delete.)

NB. I have Memory Map version 6.1.3. If you have a different version then you probably ought to update it and I can't say whether the fix will work for you.

PLEASE HEED THIS WARNING - YOU SHOULD NEVER BLINDLY ACCEPT AND RUN .REG FILES BECAUSE FAULTY OR MALICIOUS ONES CAN WREAK HAVOC WITH YOUR PC, INCLUDING KILLING YOUR INSTALLATION OF WINDOWS!

Having confirmed that you are ok with what the file will do, change its extension from .TXT to .REG and save it somewhere convenient. If you double click on the file in Windows Explorer it will ask you if you are happy to run it. If you do, it should clear up MM for you until some time later. Either do this regularly or when you eventually find MM playing up again.

I hope that some of you actually found that useful because it took me a long time to type it! :laugh:
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Could somebody else please try searching for some combination of MEMORY MAP, BUG, GREY BLOCKS etc. for me and see if Google finds this thread? Thanks.

(It is possible that they served it up to me because their tech knows that I have been posting about it.)
 

gom

Über Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Thank you!
MM suddenly started taking ~30 seconds to scale (not zoom) in/out. Thought I'd be spending ages tracking it down, but a Google for "memory map scale in slow" gave me this thread as 5th hit. Deleted the registry key & bingo, all OK.
I've made myself a batch file with the following so I can watch it creeping up again.
reg query "HKCU\Software\memory-map\Memory-Map Navigator\DockingPaneLayouts\NormalLayout"​
bonne route
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Excellent - I'm glad that you found this thread useful!

I had meant to return to this thread to see if anybody had found my fix via Google, but forgot until now.

I have just installed MM on my new laptop and came back here to take a copy of the registry edit file.
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
PS My text file attachment seems to have disappeared, but you can create your own .REG file by entering exactly what I described in the first post. (In case it isn't obvious to you ... do NOT include the line labels '1.', '2.', '3.' and the blank line should ACTUALLY be blank, I only put the text in it to make it obvious! :okay:)
 
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gom

Über Member
Location
Gloucestershire
The registry key can also be deleted from the command line with:
reg delete "HKCU\Software\memory-map\Memory-Map Navigator\DockingPaneLayouts\NormalLayout"
but, new readers, take note of the warnings in the original post.
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I was just checking that Google remembered this thread. It does - a search for the MM problem gave this thread as the number one result.

Once or twice I have forgotten to do my 'housekeeping' and MM slowed down again. A quick purge with my .REG file and all is well again for a week or two.

If you suffer from the problem when using MM - you really don't need to! :okay:
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
There of course is a permanent solution to this, stop using Windows ^_^
 
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