WindowBlinds 6 Beta Feedback

Neil Banfield

Join Date 04/2001

+1105

WindowBlinds 6 Beta Feedback

Please post all feedback about the WindowBlinds 6 beta on this thread.

Note that the beta is for 32 bit XP and Vista systems only. Please do not post about it not working on 64 bit XP/Vista. Please continue to use WB 5.51 on those platforms.

This beta is for Object Desktop customers ONLY. Standalone WindowBlinds 5 owners will not be able to activate this build.

Please note that you must have Stardock Central 2.46 Build 154 or later to install the WindowBlinds 6 betas. If you try and use older versions, it'll eventually timeout and give you an error about an invalid URL.

If you have problems with it running at all, please uninstall WB6, reboot and then try reinstalling WB6 again.

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vStyler

Join Date 11/2004

+919

SKS v5 is now obsolete

who said that?

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neophil78

Join Date 06/2003

+67

SKS v5 is now obsolete

who said that?

I think it is

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ShelbyGT_The_Car

Join Date 01/2004

+103

That will be completely on how and what the final program has and is able to do. But at present - no it is needed to do a lot of things not being made available...

I could make a very large list and it does cause problems using SKS5 under Vista if you are not using the right settings. But as I said under the right settings it works correctly and is well needed at this point to do things that SKS6 will not do.

As Neal has said in the beginning they are made to work together. Even though I hear of a bug where it cause's problems with Vista skins and the IE7. Yet to see it and wondering where and if this has something also to do with blurring in Vista? Glass sections... will see soon enough.

SGT

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It is VERY important that you do not use SKS5 to edit skins on Vista that have startmenu animations. This is because SKS5 will strip those sections when it saves the file.

Also do not run the skin checker function or it may damage newer Vista skins.

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ZubaZ

Join Date 11/2001

+917

It is VERY important that you do not use SKS5 to edit skins on Vista that have startmenu animations. This is because SKS5 will strip those sections when it saves the file.

Also do not run the skin checker function or it may damage newer Vista skins.

And never feed SKS5 after midnight or get it wet.

Sorry guys . . I felt an need and filled it.

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vStyler

Join Date 11/2004

+919

And never feed SKS5 after midnight or get it wet.

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neophil78

Join Date 06/2003

+67

have the same problem, Neophil. This is the first post I've seen that mentions the prob. I upgraded to WB6 and Start Meneu and Taskbar were skinned 'til I rebooted, then both were rendered in Windows Classic only. When I opened WBconfig, the skin did not show a taskbar in the preview! If there was a substyle to the skin, it still had the taskbar visible in the preview pane, and a skinned taskbar and Start Menu...until reboot, then also that substyle had no taskbar in the preview pane. Any skin I chose, same behavior. Diamond ran until I rebooted, then no taskbar skinned and none visible in the preview pane. Only way I fixed it was to delete the theme and reinstall it, then fine 'til next boot! Weird, yes. Hope it gets fixed soon

I have the same problum with new build help

Found the way to get rid off this ...
In fact when ugrading to WB6 (and probably during all skins are moved from C:\Program Files\Stardock\Object Desktop\WindowBlinds to C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Stardock\WindowBlinds all .wb4 files are deleted.
If you still have Skinstudio V5 as .uis editor, when editing any .uis file and saving it, it seems to not create all the .wb4 files needed by WB6 version.

Though the solution if you have those kind of troubles with a skin (at least under XP) is to edit the .uis file no more with Skinstudio V5, but with Skinstudio beta 6 and save it this way, and as a magical fairy coming on your PC, everything's go back the right way ...

I was wrong to say i was wrong

IT WORKS, i just omit to delete previously the lefted .wb4 made when applying skin through SKS V5 (BTW, it would be interisting to understand why SKS v5 is now obsolete ...

)

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggg, it doesn't work anymore

I've updated to latest WB6 build, reboot and then * BUMP *

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Call Neil...
Hi Neil !
Im on vista...
Install latest wb6 update ( but before see this bug too)
First pic on IR's latest wb : From here
im total switch off blur and trans , but on active window see this grey layers, only left and right borders.

( on xp not seen this layers)

Second vStyler sexy vista skin: enable blur and trans, white layers on bottom and right...
im wrong, or what can i do?
My sysinfo on the pic's..
Thanx ...
Bilbo

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The issue with the top picture has been resolved for the next build.

The problem with the second picture requires an updated skin from the author. You seem to have an earlier version of the skin where the shadows are grey instead of black.

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vStyler

Join Date 11/2004

+919

I believe I may have this resolved, not thrilled about the solution but hope to have it remedied this weekend.

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neophil78

Join Date 06/2003

+67

The issue with the top picture has been resolved for the next build.

And the users relating the trouble just above ? have they bad breath that it seems you don't care ?

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The issue with the top picture has been resolved for the next build.

Anything on my issue with the Catalyst Control Center and using custom skins? Where you guys able to reproduce it?
It's not really that big of a deal, just have to make sure you arent using the custom skins that come with it or else it wont load.

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neophil78: We cannot reproduce your problem with the classic startmenu.

Every single XP box we have reboots just fine with the skin being applied to everything.

I suggest you search for *.wb4 and delete them all.

Then see if that helps. If not then try downloading a new skin and see if that skin works ok for you.

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Astyanax0: I have just tried the 32 bit CCC with WB 6 and it works just fine which is expected given that CCC is skinned using Stardock DirectSkin.

I will make sure to check the 64 bit version next time I am in 64 bit Windows.

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Astyanax0: I have just tried the 32 bit CCC with WB 6 and it works just fine which is expected given that CCC is skinned using Stardock DirectSkin.

Yeah I figured that was the case, which made the bug seem very strage.

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neophil78

Join Date 06/2003

+67

neophil78: We cannot reproduce your problem with the classic startmenu.

Every single XP box we have reboots just fine with the skin being applied to everything.

I suggest you search for *.wb4 and delete them all.

Then see if that helps. If not then try downloading a new skin and see if that skin works ok for you.

The problem is that it's far from being a self problem, have a look in different threads and see, there's quiet a lot of people who have the same trouble ...

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The issue with the top picture has been resolved for the next build.

The problem with the second picture requires an updated skin from the author. You seem to have an earlier version of the skin where the shadows are grey instead of black.

Thanks for answer Neil!

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Since the latest update, windows explorer keeps crashing. This is the message I keep getting. All the other issues for me seem to be resolved. This is a new problem.

Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.2180, faulting module ole32.dll, version 5.1.2600.2726, fault address 0x00078e25.

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WebGizmos

Join Date 09/2003

+735

Ok...been trying to download this latest build but it just keeps sitting there doing nothing. Do we need to disable archiving in order to get this latest build. I already did this once and lost the last latest build so I'm not really wild about doing this again and losing yet another build. The build I had to install this last time is 6.0 beta build 21x86 since I had to turn off archiving to get the newest one. And the most recent build of SDC I have is 2.47.482, build 159. So I'm not even sure if thats the most recent now. Any suggestions in the right direction would be great.

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disable auto archiving

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Frankief

Join Date 09/2003

+295

I need some help. When WB 6 first was available, I tried to install it and something went amiss and on reboot, I had no Windowblinds and could'nt open SD central. I did a system restore, which fixed the problem. I then openned SD Central, uninstalled Wb 5, rebooted and again tried WB 6 with the same results. System restore fixed this but now, I do not have the option to uninstall WB 5 and WB 6 isn't offered on my download page. I have installed the latest version of SD Central. Can someone offer some advice or do I need to contact support? Any help would be appreciated in resolving this problem.
WindowBlinds 5.0 System Information Report:

STATUS : WB+ SRV+ HLP+ UI+ TRAY+

WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC.

WindowBlinds appears to be activated on this PC

Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.

You have one monitor in total.

(Default Monitor) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce2 MX/MX 400

Wblind.dll 2005/11/28 13:57:10
Wbsrv.dll 2005/11/28 15:52:00
Wbconfig.exe 2005/11/28 16:19:00
Wbload.exe 2005/11/25 19:30:58
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/11/20 12:23:40
Tray.dll 2005/11/02 13:28:26

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Can't you uninstall Windowblinds from Add or Remove Programs?

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ShelbyGT_The_Car

Join Date 01/2004

+103

That is true if you have SKS5 running without the proper permissions!
I have edited skins with it for Vista that have animations with no problems at all and no missing information. Due to the fact it is running in virtual space for Vista.

I never used that checker even with XP - most good skinners have settings that are not compatible with most anything in SKS5 or for that matter even SKS6 as of yet...

The new codes are being written via notepad++ here. Then left be with no additional edits from SKS version whatever...?

Would be great to see a edit for codes via inside of SKS6 and how it effects the actual preview version of said skin. and/or saved by and applied with SKS6 then~!

Is that too much to ask for Neil?

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DaveRI

Join Date 09/2003

+477

WebGizmos re #494:

I already did this once and lost the last latest build so I'm not really wild about doing this again and losing yet another build. ...[abridged]... Any suggestions in the right direction would be great.

Do you know about this trick? In Stardock Central, before I download and install a program or update, I download/archive the new version (right click on program, select "Archive Application", select "Download and Archive"). That downloads the new program into your backup directory, doesn't install it. I then copy it over to another directory to keep, then install it using "Restore Archive" (Right click anywhere on list, select "Restore Archive". It then lists everything still in the Stardock backup directory, and you just select the program to install (i.e., typically the one you just downloaded/archived).

This way I always have an original clean version of the program's prior versions in my other storage directory for as long as I want, which can be handy. Note though, it's the downloaded program only, no skins, preferences, etc. To revert back, I can backup skins (and/or whatever else has been added - depending on the program), uninstall the unwanted newer version (which is probably safer going backwards), copy the saved old version over Stardock\backup directory, execute "Restore Archive" on the old version to install it, then restore my backed up skins and such (not overwriting any skins included with the restored version).

Might help you in the future. (Sorry, a dash off topic for the thread, but probably a good place to see it anyway.)

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not sure if this was mention yet, or possibly already fixed. But i have a bug involving the tray icons. This is regardless of the skin applied. When a skin is applied they get sized up slightly and become very distorted. I accidentally discovered that the way this is fixed is by going to advanced user settings and enabling Use Aero window frames but keep the rest of the skin. This made the icons go back to their normal size. Below is a pic of what i mean.

This is a Vista x64 machine. This should be a valid issue because the beta was updated to include 64-bit vista.

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