Trouble to install Sigil

[Fred31416]

Hi,
I am new in this forum and I am a new user of Sigil.
I downloaded Sigil-1.2.0-Windows-x64 on a desktop with Windows 10 and installed it. When I open it, the windows is blank or white with nothing in it. When I click where the menu is supposed to be, the menu options pop-up. I enclosed screenshots of it.
I remove it including the sigil-ebook folder in the AppData folder. I did a sfc /scannow, I made sure I have Microsoft Visual C++ 2017. I re-installed Sigil and again I have the same issue.
Then I installed Sigil-1.2.0-Windows-x64 on a laptop with Windows 10 and it works perfectly.
Do you know where this bug on my desktop can come from?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Fred

[DiapDealer]

At a guess, I'd say that your display card/driver on that machine is insufficient for the version of Qt being used with Sigil 1.2.0. Can't say as I've ever seen it manifest in quite that way before, though. Make sure you're using the very latest driver possible for your video card.

[Fred31416]

Thank you very much for you fast answer. I agree with you, it is strange, it is the first time I have such an issue. I checked if the driver of my video card is the very latest possible one and it is. I uninstalled Sigil 1.2.0 and tried Sigil-1.1.0-Windows-x64 and I have the same issue. It is the same with Sigil-0.9.17-Windows-x64. I looked for similar issue on google and didn't find anything and on this forum as well. If you have any idea of what else I could do to fix it, please let me know.

[KevinH]

Are you by chance setting Windows to run Sigil in some Compatibility mode? Or what about using a dark theme that might confuse Qt?

On searching the web for "Windows app open to white screen", I found the following link for a different Qt app:

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/H...w/qaq-p/277535

Which says:

What also seems to work:
Add a new user environment variable named "QT_OPENGL" with the value "software" and reboot/relogin

Perhaps the same thing will work for Sigil since it is a Qt app?

[DiapDealer]

Also try Windows Safe Mode just to test.

[Fred31416]

Thank you for your answers. I don't have a dark theme. I tried the https://community.atlassian.com/t5/H...w/qaq-p/277535 solution but it didn't work. I search on internet "QT app open to white screen", I found things but the solutions were not understandable for me. Then I tried to install earlier versions of Sigil. I started with Sigil-0.8.0-Windows-x64 and it was working perfectly. All versions are working up to Sigil-0.9.16-Windows-x64. From Sigil-0.9.17-Windows-x64 up to Sigil-1.2.0-Windows-x64, all versions open with a white window.

[pazos]

You can try to add a new user environment variable named "QT_ANGLE_PLATFORM" with the value "warp" and reboot/relogin.

This should be the same as using Qt::AA_UseSoftwareOpenGL directly in the code but is just for Windows, where Direct3D software rasterized will be used instead of OpenGL/ANGLE.

Ref:

https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/windows-requi...aphics-drivers
https://wiki.qt.io/Qt_5_on_Windows_ANGLE_and_OpenGL

[DiapDealer]

Actually, that variable is used to define a specific angle implementation (when Qt is configured to use the included Angle libraries). Thus it would actually be the same as using Qt::AA_UseOpenGLES. Your variable is how you configure Angle to use d3d9, d3d11, or warp.

Kevin's suggestion of using QT_OPENGL=software is synonymous with Qt::AA_UseSoftwareOpenGL, and how you force the use of the included software-based Mesa renderer (opengl32sw.dll).

QT_ANGLE_PLATFORM=warp will attempt to use microsoft's software based rasterizing software built into Direct3D11 and higher.

It's still worth a shot, for sure, but I just wanted to clear up the misconception that it's the same as using Qt::AA_UseSoftwareOpenGL.

[pazos]

Thanks @DiapDealer

Indeed I was wrong . It is nothing new though

Somehow I thought that llvmpipe wasn't available on windows. Duh

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by Fred31416

Then I tried to install earlier versions of Sigil. I started with Sigil-0.8.0-Windows-x64 and it was working perfectly. All versions are working up to Sigil-0.9.16-Windows-x64. From Sigil-0.9.17-Windows-x64 up to Sigil-1.2.0-Windows-x64, all versions open with a white window.

I am using 0.9.18, and it's such a great program I've felt no need to chase the later versions. I'm afraid I don't remember 0.9.16 or whether I actually installed that particular version (I'm seldom in a hurry to update software). The innovations that have meant the most to me are the Preview window and, less critically, the ability to click on a line in Preview and have Code View jump to that spot.

In short, if you give 0.9.16 a tryout, you may find it's everything you need.

Good luck! -- NJ

[Fred31416]

Thank you very much for your answers and help.

I add a new user environment variable named "QT_ANGLE_PLATFORM" with the value "warp" , then reboot, and I get the same result.

In fact I get the same bug after a while with 0.9.16 and 0.9.15. 0.9.14 is working all fine so I am using it and I am so happy to have it because Sigil is just an amazing tool to edit ebooks.

[DiapDealer]

What's the video card on that machine (and if possible, the date on the driver for it)?.

What I'm getting at is that on certain vendor's PC's (laptops especially), there's often newer OEM drivers for video adapters than the vendor-supplied ones. But vendor-provided updating software won't install them.

I recently had to remove the vendor's video driver (at the vendor's suggestion) in order for the vendor-provided update software to successfully install the latest drivers it wanted me to install!

As a result, I now have video drivers that are a couple of years newer than the ones my update software was telling me were the very latest only days before.

In other words ... don't always take your computer's word for it that there's no newer drivers for your hardware.

[Fred31416]

The video card is a NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a. Driver : 9.18.13.908 (30/01/2015).

[DiapDealer]

That really is a legacy card. In fact, I don't even see where NVIDIA offers an official driver that supports Windows 10 for download.

That particular card has posed a problem, it seems, for many people when trying to upgrade to Windows 10.

[stumped]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That really is a legacy card. In fact, I don't even see where NVIDIA offers an official driver that supports Windows 10 for download.

That particular card has posed a problem, it seems, for many people when trying to upgrade to Windows 10.

windows probably gave it a generic Microsoft driver when W10 was installed.

the PC may actually work better without it, if it has an intel CPU with integrated graphics. That will have current drivers