Uninstall Problems (Windows Display Settings Have No Effect)

from Stardock Forums
Hi! I was just hoping to get some feedback re: a problem I'm having with Windows after WindowBlinds (5.01 reg'd) un-installs. When I un-install WindowBlinds, my desktop icon labels won't render with transparency and drop-shadows (I have tried checking and unchecking combinations in the Sys.Prop.>Advanced>Perf. control panel. I have tried changing my "Active Desktop" settings. Nothing seems to convince windows to go back to rendering desktop icons with drop shadows.) Is there a registry setting that WindowBlinds changes before it uses its built-in engine to render transparency and drop-shadows on desktop labels? I have also tried re-installing and un-installing WindowBlinds a couple times just to see if that has any effect (WB renders drop-shadows while it's installed, but then after I un-install, my labels are plain again, and the settings have no effect). Thanks for listening to me vent, if anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it!
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Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I would try the following:

1 - Right-click desktop > Arrange Icons by > toggle the "Lock Web Items on Desktop", and then toggle "Show Desktop Icons".

2 - Use Display Properties\Themes tab to apply the Windows Classic theme > reboot > use the Display Properties\Themes tab to apply the Windows XP theme.

3 - Delete the "IconCache" file found in "C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data" folder (this is a hidden folder, so you will need the Folder Options\View setting to "Show hidden files and folders") > reboot computer to rebuild the icon cache.

Hopefully, one of the items above will remedy the issue.

I do not believe that WindowBlinds writes any keys to the registry that would affect the icons in this way, though I do not work for Stardock, so may be wrong on this one.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks for your advice!

I actually tried #1 before (on the advice of someone from a general WinXP forum), to no avail.

#2 I tried before as well.

And as for #3, I used TweakUI to flush the icon chache at the first sign of trouble.

So unfourtunately, it doesn't look like those are going to fix the issue... but...

I did discover something just playing around with different wallpapers (to see if file format made any difference). It turns out that windows renders the icons and text labels with transparency and drop-shadows when I use BMP's and JPEG's as my wallpaper. BUT... (and here's where I'm confused) PNG wallpapers don't get transparent icons/labels or drop-shadows. They did before I installed/uninstalled WindowBlinds, but they don't now. So I'm still puzzled about that... But I guess at least part of the issue has been solved/cleared up. Thanks again, and if you have any advice about the PNG wallpapers "thing", I'd love to hear it!

Gordon
Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I can verify that uninstalling WB5.01 (after unloading, but leaving the wallpaper selected via the WB config panel) results in the icons being displayed without transparency and shadows on a ".png" wall image.

I will be doing a clean install tonight, and will post whether I can use the same wall (.png) with icons displayed properly with transparency and shadows.

I did notice that WB5.01 wallpaper function does not recognize the ".png" wall image, so the image had to be applied via the ".png" context menu to run the test.

I also found that any ".bmp" or ".jpg" wall image allows the transparency and shadows to display correctly after uninstalling WB5.01.

Note #2 - someone with Stardock can test whether the icons display correctly if you unload WB5.01 > restore Windows XP default theme > reboot > uninstall WB5.01.

If so, it is a simple procedure issue.

If not, then there must be a ".dll" or some other file responsible for the change in behavior. Also, nice catch if it turns out to be a bug.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

but leaving the wallpaper selected via the WB config panel

Note - this is incorrect wording, as I had to apply the wall via the context menu of wall file.

Correct statement is: " while leaving the ".png" wallpaper applied".

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You've got it too! Yup, that's exactly what I was trying to describe via my earlier ramblings, and I still have yet to figure out the source of this issue. I'm running "sfc scannow" to see if it's a system DLL that somehow ended up being replaced or removed (the DLL that handles PNG wallpapers in WinXP, maybe?). But it's definitely puzzling.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

PNG wallpapers require activedesktop which is why you lose icon text shadows.  This is normal for XP.

WindowBlinds does not replace or remove any system dlls.