Ian MacGregor

Join Date 09/2002

How can I help WinCustomize???

I feel that Wincustomize is the best online community on the internet today. There are some true artists and educators here and I have learned so much more, in my time here, than just making programs beautiful. I don't feel it is enough to subscribe because I feel that I am just sitting back and throwing money at you without playing an active part in making this wonderful community a better place. Is there something else I can do? I, being retired, have tons of free time and a huge willingness to play a more active part in the WinCustomize world.

Bryan King

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hey Bryan,maybe you could learn how to use LiteStep and write a help file so WinCustomize could have something to put under the help click on the LiteStep page.Then we could have something ta look at instead of a no page ta be displayed that I have been gettin for as long as I have been here.

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Thank you brazil. I used LitStep once, when I was using Windows 98, and I liked it.
I would be very willing to write a help file for LiteStep. But, I have heard that LiteStep doesn't work well with Winodws XP. Is there any truth to this?

Bryan King

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LiteStep works very well with XP. only problem is that IconPackager packages will not work, but that is the case with any shell replacement and hacking shell32.dll is a better solution than using a third party program (at least for me). some nifty LiteStep features work with XP/2K only btw.

writing a help file would probably much appreciated, not only here but also in the shell scene. until then somebody could just udate the link in the LiteStep section. the LSDocs are very well written in my opinion: http://lsdocs.shellfront.org/

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I guess that could be Bryan.It has never worked fer me,,only pain and misery.All who do use it pointed me to the LS website.I went and am now more confused than I was before my visit.Some of my favorite themes are LS ,but I have come to terms with the fact I will never see them on my machine.I hesitate to say much more for the defenders of LS are probably hot on my heels to say what a breeze LS is.It would be in order though,that if the themes are here why is there no help?Why is that help click even there?

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i wonder why it works on my machine then ... also the LSDocs come with every distribution and with every ShellFront build. a lot of people are running LiteStep on XP and every other version of Windows (up from 95), so it seems not to be that bad. of course StarDock software is easier to run for most people and you even get support (that´s why you pay money for it).

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I would be willing to pay for LS support too.

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werewolf

Join Date 04/2001

+28

ya know what? It is soooo refreshing to open a new thread and see this kind of comment...Isn't it?

Thanks Bryan King.

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I think so too!!Far to often I see questions come and go with no resolve.For anyone with experience and patinence to offer such help is MOST welcome.For me it seems there are plenty of advanced users and plenty of new folks.There does seem to be a gap in the middle of art appreciators and art creators.This gap will not help with more subcribers trying to use something like LS then to system restore or worse,,re-install OS.I too thank Bryan King and wish you well.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

Perhaps I 'should' write a 'LiteSTEP FAQ for Newbies'...to get more people into shell changing.

I admit, however, that I didn't have the benefit of one when I started, but none the less managed to get up and running...back on b21 and win95.
I did what most 'had' to do....jumped in and worked it out for myself.
Back on 95 and 98 it was simple to edit system.ini to get out of hiccups [like no shell at all]...along came ShellON and NT-based OS's were equally a breeze...and with the Ctrl/Shift/Esc Task Manager in XP, killing a recalcitrant LS process and having ShellON catch the Shell loss allowing you to reload it or load Exploder makes it a no-brainer, no matter how 'evil' you get with your OS...

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werewolf

Join Date 04/2001

+28

Please excuse the total ignorance, but why would I want to use LS? What are the benefits?

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I dunno werewolf,,I really dig some of the themes and it is,as it's name implies,a smaller impact on yer resources.The entire approach appeals to me,I'm always reachin fer the cookie jar no matter where it is on the counter.I figure them there LiteSTEP cookies iz gooooooooood!!!I really would dig it if it were like everything else here,click ta download and click ta apply.If that were so, many more people like you and I would be able ta use it.I think you would dig it but I think ya got to join some sort of registry edit cult ta get there.Someday I hope this will change.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

werewolf....the benefit of alternative shells is their potential for total customizing of your GUI to your own personal taste.
Front-end proggies that run over Exploder don't necessarily give you the same degree of scope for radical interfaces.
Litestep can be operated purely through cursor placement [hotspots]....keystrokes [hotkeys]...right-click popups or any combination/alternative click method the mouse can do....pretty-well anything you could imagine...

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Well, I was gung ho about writing a LS tut for WinCustomize, but my laptop doesn't seem to like LiteStep, or LS doesn't like my laptop.
I don't know what's up, but I contacted litestep.com and hope they can help.

My System.ini file reads thus:

[386enh]
ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1
woafont=dosapp.FON

And my boot.ini file reads thus,
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(7)rdisk(0)partition(29)\WINSYS

my machine works fine with Windows XP but boots into the LS shell "sometimes", I guess when it feels like it. Sometimes it won't boot at all. Safe Mode into LS shell didn't help.
Any ideas???????? I would like to fix this and begin writing a tut for the WinCustomize LS page.

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Bryan,I truly do admire your efforts!Turns out,go figure,my Desktop dosen't like it either.It does appear that when it works for someone it works ok but when it doesn't it don't.I am sorry I cannot help you with some of the details you displayed but yer out of me depths Captain,,as far as the fighting it ta get it ta work right,they say it's in the LS Help Docs.I never found it.I had the same problems you are having to the extreme.Frozen boots-no boots.I fought my way back,I dunno how,then went to the Litestep help click on Wincustomize to get the "no page ta be displayed" trip.Most of the help that has been offered here is of the most advanced I have seen.It's to the point where I have said,It just ain't fer me.Hence the thought,,Someone could make this easier,couldn't they.Thanx fer tryin.

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I have had best results in setting up Litestep lately by using the installer available at Shellfront.org.
It's under the "get Litestep" sidebar and if I recall correctly its v2 (or2.1). That installer makes the appropriate registry entries and has a very solid reputation.
After that point assuming things went smoothly, I reccomend upgrading your Litestep build to a recent Litestep "indie" build. Those are also available at shellfront.org and on that site is a good tutorial on upgrading as well.
With a recent "indie" build installed you a ready to throw on even the most recent themes.

That's how I go about it anyway

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Just took a look at Shellfront and the installer is under the "LsDistos" sidebar (it's called installer).

The Indie builds are under the "Get Litestep" sidebar.

Good Luck!

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Thanks for your educated opinion PharOe,,you are certianly one who would know.And thanks for reachin out to the clueless/me/.As soon as I get my girth back up I'm gonna try it again.I was kinda hoping Wincustomize would make them more Browser friendly to choose and apply.

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Bryan:

form your post i guess you are running WindowsXP.

Step1: get the Shell-On shell manager. this allows you to select your shell after you log in. get version 2.32 http://www.shellfront.org/utils/ set Shell-On as your shell and dont forget to add explorer.exe to the shell list in the Shell-On config dialog

Step 2: get the LiteStep Installer from Omar´s site http://ohussain.cjb.net/ do NOT set LiteStep as your shell during the install. after the install add LiteStep.exe to the shell list in the Shell-On config.

Step 3: get a recent build of LiteStep from here: http://www.shellfront.org/lsdev/ while running explorer as shell overwrite the files in your LiteStep directory.

now you should be able to select your shell (either explorer or LiteStep) after logging in.

please read the documention that comes with Shell-On and the documentation on Omar´s site carefully and then nothing should go wrong.

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