window blinds 5.01i[b].013

alpha blending in trouble

from Stardock Forums
Hi,
First let me say have been using stardock utilites from the days of OS/2, glad you did not fad out like it did.  

I am running on a IBM T43P laptop with all current drivers and patches.
After installing the current beta of window blinds I soon after had many issues.
Any of the areas wehre alpha blending was happening was either black, some pink, some odd graphics.
I turned off all the performance options it still has trouble with alpha.
My temporary solution is using a blind with no alpha blending and it works fine.
The last beta build worked fine with alpha blending.

If you need any other information let me know.

Regards,
Bob
windowblinds
23,238 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Please post your system info from WB config application. Also what drivers and versions. That may help.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

What graphics card does your machine have and what colour depth are you using?

A screenshot of the problem would also be useful.

Multiplicity - Control multiple PCs using one keyboard and mouse
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Hi no prob. the T43P

WB config info
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.

(Wide viewing angle & High density FlexView Display 1600x1200) 1 is attached to ATI MOBILITY FireGL V3200

Wblind.dll 2006/08/09 18:09:02
Wbsrv.dll 2006/08/09 18:14:26
Wbconfig.exe 2006/07/13 18:37:40
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 18:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 22:29:06
Tray.dll 2006/04/13 17:29:04

-- color depth is 32 bit

ATI driver for ATI MOBILITY FireGL V3200
date: 5/10/2005
version 6.14.10.6546

I can get you a screen hot tomorrow. Any place it blends even the one pixel on the boarder of the windwo it all turns black, pretty ugly.

Anything else you need?

Thanks
Bob
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have experienced the same, rolled back to previous version to get things back to normal. Here's my details:
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 2 monitors.

(Plug and Play Monitor) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce 6100
() 2 is attached to Maxi_Vista_DriverA

Wblind.dll 2006/03/21 13:33:46
Wbsrv.dll 2006/02/05 12:58:22
Wbconfig.exe 2006/03/19 14:33:44
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 17:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 21:29:06
Tray.dll 2005/11/02 13:28:26
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
here is a snapshot of my desktop as it has just started having issues with the windoblinds.
Title bars are missing, some areas get painted black or pink.
The start button image is now missing and in the snap the quick launch shows only the icons.
IE has the navigaion bar but it is black and the icons are all that you can really see.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Don't know if it's the same problem, but ever since the new build, I've had a lot of trouble getting all the bitmaps to load, especially for the tray. Sometimes I have to reboot to get it to happen. Never had a problem like this before.

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.

(Plug and Play Monitor) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 420

Wblind.dll 2006/08/09 18:09:02
Wbsrv.dll 2006/08/09 18:14:26
Wbconfig.exe 2006/07/13 18:37:40
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 17:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 21:29:06
Tray.dll 2006/04/13 17:29:04
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have the same problem - aftera couple of hours of use, everything starts going black and messes up, since the latest beta (i). Reloading the skin in WB sorts it, until a few hours later.


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

You have Stardock WindowFX running. Please be aware that WindowBlinds 5 is not compatible with WindowFX 2.11 or 2.19. WindowFX 2.5 beta which is compatible with WindowBlinds 5 will be released later this year

Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.

You have 2 monitors.

(Plug and Play Monitor) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800
(Plug and Play Monitor) 2 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800

Wblind.dll 2006/08/09 18:09:02
Wbsrv.dll 2006/08/09 18:14:26
Wbconfig.exe 2006/07/13 18:37:40
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 17:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm seeing this problem as well. Even shortly after startup I will experience parts turning black, sometimes black with pink stripes, etc.

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 GeForce 7800 GTX

Wblind.dll 2006/08/09 18:09:02
Wbsrv.dll 2006/08/09 18:14:26
Wbconfig.exe 2006/07/13 18:37:40
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 17:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 21:29:06
Tray.dll 2006/04/13 17:29:04

Screen depth is 32-bit, using 91.33 driver on GeForce 7800GTX SLI system.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There should be an updated build later today.  I would be very interested in knowing if this changes these problems or not.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
I've had problems with bitmap could not be loaded error. Not sure if that's the verbiage. This happens frequently when I'm applying a skin I'm working on. I've gotten in the habit of unloading WB first, then applying the skin. It's time consuming but at least I don't have to reboot.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
I found the new build so far has fixed about all my issues.
Only in a couple applications did it put a couple black lines.
Other than that it has worked very well.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Here's a complet reporting for WB501i[ b ] or WB501j [ b ]:

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

You have Stardock WindowFX running. Please be aware that WindowBlinds 5 is not compatible with WindowFX 2.11 or 2.19. WindowFX 2.5 beta which is compatible with WindowBlinds 5 will be released later this year (N.B: WindowFX 3.00.013 is running)

Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.

You have one monitor in total.

(Philips 107S (107S2)) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X (drivers ForceWare 91.31)

Wblind.dll 2006/08/15 17:50:10
Wbsrv.dll 2006/08/15 17:50:18
Wbconfig.exe 2006/07/13 18:37:40
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 17:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 21:29:06
Tray.dll 2006/04/13 17:29:04

Problem comes after a few minutes of loading as well in 16 or 32 bits, on any skins: here with "Antares_static"

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Still seeing the same issue. Using ChaNinja style (subzero).

I experience the exact same corruption/problem as shown in Neophil78 screenshot.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Reply #9
Neil Banfield
August 15, 2006 17:07:58

There should be an updated build later today. I would be very interested in knowing if this changes these problems or not.

August 15 + 4 , 2006 : no problem to let you know if something's better, but later today ...   

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've update with 5.01k [ b ].014 (August 23)
After a couple oh hours, the problem does not appear (it appeared after just a few mn with both previous versions)
Maybe i'll find troubles elsewhere but at least this major one seems to have been solved
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

That sounds promising.

That build also has some new wallpaper features.  If you click on the config icon on the wallpapers page you can access the wallpaper changer feature.

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I like the wallpaper changes.

A few things though:
I think a button with the word "advanced" or "configure" is better than the icon you have now.
I think you need to define "Smart mode" somewhere.
I don't see a WB Wallpaper Directory nor do I see any of the walls that came with any of my skins displayed. Is that option really there or is it framework for something coming?
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
k runs like a charm. Thanks !