Does anyone know how to end the f.lux nightmare ?

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by sreyan32, May 1, 2023.

  1. sreyan32

    sreyan32 MDL Novice

    Dec 26, 2013
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    Yes, I know Windows 8.1 is EOL, but I am afraid to upgrade to Windows 10 with this problem still present.

    A few months ago, I installed f.lux (the worst mistake I have made so far), and now even after multiple reinstalls I am stuck on the tinted screen.

    I have tried the following:
    • Reinstalling my GPU drivers (NVDIA clean install) : NO EFFECT
    • Reinstalling f.lux and setting its sliders to normal all the time: NO EFFECT
    • Using my OnScreen Control for my LG Monitor: Works 5/10 times, the best solution I was able to work out.
    I even see flickering from normal to tint, confirming my overrides are somehow being overridden by a remnant of f.lux.

    I think something is wrong at a deeper level, like maybe User Profile corruption.

    Can someone please help ? I do not want to lose my data by doing a fresh install or carry over this problem to Win10 when I upgrade.
     
  2. Dolmatov

    Dolmatov MDL Addicted

    Aug 16, 2017
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  3. sreyan32

    sreyan32 MDL Novice

    Dec 26, 2013
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    Thank you but if you see the screenshot, the option has already been enabled for me:

    upload_2023-5-1_14-9-26.png
     
  4. sreyan32

    sreyan32 MDL Novice

    Dec 26, 2013
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    Thank you but if you see the screenshot, the option has already been enabled for me:

    upload_2023-5-1_14-9-59.png
     
  5. Dolmatov

    Dolmatov MDL Addicted

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  6. Dolmatov

    Dolmatov MDL Addicted

    Aug 16, 2017
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    Booting in safe mode changes that?

    If this does not help, then try contacting the developer of the program.
    It is difficult to verbally analyze all the possible problems when you do not serve this program.
     
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  7. sreyan32

    sreyan32 MDL Novice

    Dec 26, 2013
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    The worst part is that the developer has become inactive. I have posted on their forums, and the post has not yet been validated.

    I didn't call this a nightmare for nothing.
     
  8. case-sensitive

    case-sensitive MDL Expert

    Nov 7, 2013
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    What a lovely chance to re install and then be sure you have a clean working system ? ............ Then make a back up ............ so that in future if / when you mess things up again you can solve your ' Nightmare ' in a few minutes
     
  9. sreyan32

    sreyan32 MDL Novice

    Dec 26, 2013
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    If I had to reinstall my system there is no point in posting here is it.
     
  10. case-sensitive

    case-sensitive MDL Expert

    Nov 7, 2013
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    Yes . Exactly .

    YOU have a problem on YOUR system that YOU made and YOU want someone to come up with a magic telepathic solution for YOUR problem on YOUR system and they dont know how YOU caused YOUR problem or what YOU have done with YOUR system ........... and reinstalling would solve YOUR problem very quickly and reliably ............ and YOU could have done it in the time this thread has been open .
     
  11. sreyan32

    sreyan32 MDL Novice

    Dec 26, 2013
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    The whole purpose of this thread is was the find the least intrusive way of repairing the colour profiles.

    This was mentioned in the original post, if you read it.

    As per telepathic solutions for my problem not exactly sure what you are talking about. I didn't expect anyone to do anything, hence the question : Does anyone know?
     
  12. case-sensitive

    case-sensitive MDL Expert

    Nov 7, 2013
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    YOU have a problem ?
    YOU made it ?
    YOU tryed to solve it and cant ?
    YOU looked at their forum and cant find an answer
    YOU asked google and dint find an answer ?
    YOU asked here and were given sugestions , non oif wich worked .
    YOU didnt put a backup in .
    YOU cant be bothered to reinstall

    What more do you want / expect ?

    In your case it seems that the problem is probably / maybe something you have done with your computer .............. noone can know what youve done to your system ........... noone can know what software you have on your system ...... noone can know if yyour computer is infected or hacked .
     
  13. sreyan32

    sreyan32 MDL Novice

    Dec 26, 2013
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    What I want is simple, is just to find out if someone else has faced the same problem as me and has found a better solution.

    Not sure why you are asking the same question over and over again.

    True, that would be impossible. But that's again the whole point of asking here, just in case I have missed something. If not we can go out merry ways without wasting time any further.
     
  14. Dolmatov

    Dolmatov MDL Addicted

    Aug 16, 2017
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    We don't even know if the "minimum boot" (secure boot) state works, so the question remains unanswered.
    If it helps, then something is being loaded additionally. You can try to find this through Autoruns or similar software.
    Otherwise, the problem is in some user profile dependencies or globally. Up to blocking registry entries. At least create a new user and check.
    The program has many features and I don't know them all. Judging by the information on the site, there may be a conflict with the drivers. Safe mode uses the base driver, which allows you to determine whether you should try reinstalling the driver and forcibly deleting its files.

    In short:
    Safe mode. Help?
    Yes. Checking drivers, services and other startups.
    No. Creating a new user, checking the integrity of the registry and system files. Manually, but it is desirable to know what to do.
    I heard something about modern displays with updatable firmware. Download and run LiveOS. There is a problem - check the monitor settings. Just a guess, little knowledge about f.lux's capabilities and programmatic control of a monitor.
     
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  15. Dolmatov

    Dolmatov MDL Addicted

    Aug 16, 2017
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    Another detail. Be sure to try to fix it only AFTER uninstalling f.lux and similar programs. Their presence and operation will attempt to overwrite manual fixes.
     
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  16. sreyan32

    sreyan32 MDL Novice

    Dec 26, 2013
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    Sir, I want to thank you for leading me down the right path, although the correct solution has not yet been found.

    What I found has actually scared the daylights out of me. F.lux should be put on some kind of a blacklist, by seeing what it can really do.

    So I actually used procmon to view the various files and registry values it was accessing and creating. I managed to find some suspect entries but nothing solved the problem.

    So then I actually decided to do a sanity test, by booting up a LiveOS like Fedora and checking if the screen effect still persisted. And lo and behold, even in Fedora the problem was there.

    I am completely baffled as to how this is even possible by a simple <10 mb program that people just use to ease eye strain.


    But weirdly, after spending a few minutes inside the Fedora LiveOS, the problem corrects itself. Also before rebooting to the LiveOS I scour my registry for all mentions of flux and delete them.

    Now when I reboot my screen is back to normal.

    But I know this problem will occur again in a few days as it has before. This is not a true solution. The nightmare never ends.

    Probably by playing some video game this problem will re-occur, as it was frequently previously.

    But now maybe I will try Safe-boot(as you suggested) and maybe flashing my GPU BIOS.

    Doing a clean install of Windows meant I would of lost my data for nothing.

    The program is plain evil.
     
  17. BetaTesta

    BetaTesta MDL Senior Member

    Aug 6, 2022
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    Wrong, you can always backup anything you want including your data.
    Don't you actually backup or sync your data to another external drive(s)?
     
  18. ExiledRose6084

    ExiledRose6084 MDL Junior Member

    Apr 14, 2023
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    #20 ExiledRose6084, May 1, 2023
    Last edited: May 1, 2023
    Huh this is interesting I have used flux for years & still use it to this day. Prefer it over windows 10 & 11's blue screen filter. Though truthfully at this point I would make a backup of important files. Then from a Linux USB completely format the whole thing clean & then do a clean install of windows if that somehow doesn't work then somehow something in your bios became corrupted or something well that's my 2 cents anyway/opinion.

    Only came to that conclusion since you said it happens in the fedora live boot USB as well.