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Hi @EPriuli, Thanks for the file... Opening your Affinity Photo File, resaving it and replacing it in your Publisher document still exhibits the same issue when the barcode layer sits below the .afphoto layer on Page 2. The issue is definitely being caused by the barcode on Page 2. If you unnest the rounded rectangle from the barcode and position the rounded rectangle layer beneath the barcode layer or simply turn the rounded rectangle layer off, even when it appears below the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer, then Page 2 previews exports without issue. When the rounded rectangle layer is nested as a mask layer Page 2 will no longer preview or export. Creating a new rounded rectangle, deleting the original and then nesting the new one as a layer mask to the barcode causes the same preview and export issue but what is odd is that: This only happens on Page two and only when the barcode sits below the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer The barcodes on the other four pages which are identical don't exhibit the issue Moving the barcode layer beneath the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer on Page 1 results in a delayed preview vs when the barcode layer sits above the .afphoto layer but it does still preview, it just takes longer than when the barcode sits above the .afphoto layer

Hi @Hangman and @Pauls here is the file, I found just the DDS Aero (dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto) as afphoto embed in the original .afpub file. The afphoto file is attached, let me know if I still can help in any way. As a good practice, is better don't use .afphoto or afdesign files embed direct into .afpub projects? Would be better convert it into a Webp, Jpeg or Svg before embed? Thank you guys amazing support! dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto

All the photos were embedded in your document so I copied them into Affinity Photo, mirroring their size, dpi and colour space and then resaved them using the same file formats and then replaced the original images on Page 2 and then turned every layer off on Page 2, turning them back on one by one to find which layer was preventing Page 2 from both previewing and exporting. I also recreated the two missing (linked) SVG files Bacteria.svg and Virus.svg and embedded them so I could rule those out as possible causes. That's when things got a little weird because individually none of the original or replaced photo layers were causing an issue it was only when both DDS Aero Aerosol image layer was combined with the Barcode layer, i.e., both layers were visible in the layers panel that the preview and export failed. First I replaced the Barcode layer by copying it from one of the other pages where it exported without issue and I just so happened to paste it at the top of the layer stack. I then turned off the original Barcode Layer and all of a sudden Page 2 both previewed and exported. After a bit of experimentation, I came to the conclusion that a combination of those two layers appeared to be causing the problem so I moved the Barcode layer in your original file so it appeared just above the DDS Aero Aerosol image layer and all still exports, but as soon as you move the Barcode layer below the DDS Aero Aerosol image layer it fails to preview or export. I still have absolutely no idea why though, it makes little sense but the initial goal was to find a workaround for you. @Pauls may still want a copy of the original image files so he can take a more in-depth look. I'm sure he will confirm if that is the case...

Hi @EPriuli, I very much suspect Page 2 in your document (or the document itself) may have an element of corruption as there are a number of odd things happening but the issue appears to relate directly to the layer position of the bar code on Page 2. If you hide all the images and then show them one by one Page 2 will preview and export up until you show the main DDS Aero Aerosol image, top left of the page but even after completely resaving and replacing all the images the problem still exists when the images are all shown together... If however, you move the barcode layer so it appears above the DDS Aero Aerosol image then Page 2 and the entire document will both preview and export. Barcode Layer on Page 2 Moved Above the DDS Aero Aerosol Image Layer Something else to be aware of which I assume is not intentional, is that all the text on the left of Page 2 is outlined.

As a long-time user of Ventura Publisher (until Corel killed it) and no fan of the software-as-subscription licensing model, I was pleased to see the release of Affinity Publisher. I'm using Windows 7 Pro 64-bit on my primary graphics workstation. (It's not broken, it has a lot of $$$ software installed, so I don't plan to "fix" it.) The requirement for enabling Aero is absolutely unique to Publisher. I have literally dozens of paint programs, vector drawing programs, document layout programs, video editing programs, color correction programs, 3D CAD programs, and none of them require me to use Aero. Until I played with the Publisher trial, I don't believe I have had an Aero theme active on this workstation since the initial OS installation well over a decade ago. I find even the most stripped down Aero theme garish and repulsive on a machine whose background is intended to be as unobtrusive and neutral as possible to avoid distracting from the content being worked on. If at all possible, please find a way to eliminate the need to turn on an Aero theme for Publisher release 2. To be perfectly clear: My workstation is entirely capable of running Aero. If anything, the graphics accelerator and its drivers are massively overqualified for the task. I don't want to run Aero, because Microsoft made it impossible to create an unobtrusive Aero theme. So, when I need to launch Affinity Publisher, I switch to the least-obnoxious Aero settings, and when I am done using Publisher, I immediately switch back to what I've been using for over 10 years.

Thanks Walt but I'm not sure how that translates to WINE. I added --no-hw-ui to the launch command in Wanesty's guide but it doesn't do anything. Edit: adding "wine" in front of the flags changes the pop-up wording to a message about reduced performance without an aero theme. I click OK and then the app crashes / shuts down.

Thank you, I was able to install it by skipping that step! I can now launch the app and see the little splash screen/image, but instantly get a pop-up telling me to use a Windows Aero theme, then the app shuts down.

Hi, So I downloaded the trial version of Affinity Photo, but I cannot run it. I get a message saying "Windows Aero is not enabled". So I reluctantly changed my Windows 7 desktop theme to one of the Aero themes, but even after restarting my computer, I get the same error message and cannot start the program. Is this a bug? I'm not sure why changing my desktop theme should affect a program's ability to function properly. I'm disappointed not to be able to try the software. I have been impressed by other Serif software, in the past.

It's above the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto, actually is the first element in the queue. Sure, I can do it, is it to the scoop to keep investigating? Being part of Beta user test program I'm aimed to help improve Affinity in any way, let me know if I can be helpful in anything else.

Though in doing so where was the barcode layer positioned in relation to the dds-aero-sampler-tcrtecora.afphoto layer was it above or below that layer? Are you able to export your barcode as an SVG file rather than a bitmap file and replace it? I suspect that will 'fix' the issue, whatever the issue actually is. I'm hoping @Pauls will be able to pinpoint the exact cause and confirm whether this is a potential bug or file corruption of some sort.

Please get rid of Affinity's need to have Aero activated to install and used. I hate how Aero interferes with my work. I pause for a moment to check written material, or answer someone's question, or even take a bite of a sandwich and have good chew doing it. BOING! Aero activates a screen saver, or goes blank depending on which theme is running. It's annoying. Especially when you stop to take a closer look at your work and are trying to decide if it's acceptable or whether to further modify it. Supremely annoying. Please get divorce Affinity's from Aero.

Hi. I've been running Affinity P and D fine for years(?), but all of a sudden, I am getting that dreaded Aero error. I re-entered the 'no warning' command line thing, and re-set up my Win7 display settings (using an Aero theme, but with several effects turned off)... but I still get the Aero error when I double click an Affinity file (...it runs fine, without the error, if I just launch Affinity itself). What are the minimum Aero features I need activated in order to fulfil Affinity's Aero requirement? Also, any idea why I would suddenly be getting this error, despite not changing anything?

Without Windows Aero, the Affinity programmes cannot be started at all: the programme start is aborted. The workaround from the forum does not work either. If I start dwm.exe manually, there is no success for the Affinity programmes. Aero is visually completely unacceptable. Absolutely no one who has spent a single hour working in a print shop or in computer GUI design can intentionally offer such crazy interfaces. The Aero interface is visually an imposition. It is a disaster that MS programmers impose their LSD dreams on humanity with brute force. Why do ignoramuses and saboteurs get such power in the market? Today I may recommend to some customers an alternative software to the well-known market leader. As long as Affinity only works with Aero, these programmes do not belong to it. If there were at least a workaround... You have to imagine it: You finally find a viable alternative to Corel or Adobe - and then it doesn't start and doesn't run. What is the purpose of this? What is the intention? Why all the work from Affinity?

Tried to launch Photo v1.5.0.39 on Windows 7 x64 with nvidia video card. Program presented a warning, saying: "Windows aero is not activated. This leads to rendering problems and slow speed. Please choose an Aero desktop theme." 1. This is a company workstation where all aero themes are deactivated and users have no possibility to activate them. 2. With a strong Multicore-CPU and large ammounts of RAM it is unclear to the user why a desktop theme(!!!) should decide whether to run or not. 3. The message suggests that only the speed will be slow. Not that missing aero prevents startup at all. Because the machine has much CPU-Power and 8GBs of RAM and slow speed would be acceptable for my usecases i would appreciate the program would leave me a choice after displaying the waring: "OK, continue with slow speed" "Cancel"

I'm running Windows 7 and just installed Publisher. The Aero needs to be enabled icon comes on when I try to open the app. I enabled Aero and Publisher doesn't detect that I enabled it and still won't let me open the app. Any ideas, besides installing windows 10. .....***Problem solved. This worked for me... GO TO RUN, TYPE IN SERVICES.MSCGO TO Desktop Window Manager Session Manager RIGHT CLICK ON IT AND THEN PROPERTIES, THEN AUTOMATIC, THEN START SERVICE, THEN APPLYSAME THING IS WITH Theme SERVICE,

Can't run the new Beta without having to select an aero theme in Win7Pro 64. Although I appreciate it's not recommended, is it possible. I run my laptop pretty minimally Alan (UK)

Does it possible to install Affinity products on WIndows 7 without intall AERO ? If yes what is the process ?

Hi, I read in another post that to fix the issue of Affinity Designer keep insisiting on Aero mode when users are running Classic, and I hate Aero as they do, Where is the command line to type this into ? I assume this is a one off requirement. This needs stickying to avoid others being unable to run AD. I am a CAD user and a command line is a window to type commands into but in the tutorials I see on AD I see no command line ? WILL MY SCREEN RESOLUTION BE OK ? Secondly specs dont mention the screen Res I and others have of 1920 x 1280. I am running an expensive Eizo ColorEdge CG247 and its 1920 x 1280. ( as was its predecessor) that is not mentioned in specs. Steve1

Hi, I can no longer open 'Photo'. When I click to open all I get is a message to select an Aero Theme. When I go to change theme in control panel I cannot change to an Aero theme, I have tried all the help sites with no avail can anyone help? I am using Windows 7 But Photo has always opened 'till now. Many Thanks

Affinity apps use Desktop Windows Management (DWM) Composition to provide smooth panning/zooming and rendering within the app. On Windows 8 and above this is always enabled and can't be disabled. On Windows 7 this is most easily achieved by using Windows Aero. Affinity Software on Windows has no requirement for Aero (which is just a theme), but we do have a requirement of the DWM. If you do not want to use an Aero theme you can use the workaround described in this FAQ. However, issues found when running Affinity with this flag won't be supported by our developers unless they also occur when Desktop Windows Management (DWM) Composition/Windows Aero is enabled.

I install 4k monitor and Affinity stopped working - got "Affinity Aero is not enabled" message Put lower resolution monitor back - works again. Anybody knows how to fix this?

Students are not allowed to change the Windows-Design to Aero. So it ist not possible to use Affinity because there is no way to bypass the aero-Design. Is there any possibility to ignore the aero-Design on Windows 7?

Lately, I have been unable to open Affinity photo on a Windows 7 PC. When trying to open the program a dialogue box says that Windows Aero is not enabled. I have switched to aero without rectifying the problem. The only thing I can think of is that I have recalibrated my screen using a Sypder 5 pro. Has anyone had this issue. thanks.

I unable to launch Affinity photo. I receive a message that Windows Aero is not enabled and to select an aero desktop which has not helped. I am using Windows 7.

I have been able to install Photo in Bottles, but I am getting the Aero is not enabled error, I have --no-hw-ui in the command arguments but it doesn't seem to be working, anyone have any ideas?