Installing new Wb's or a new update of a WB

from WinCustomize Forums
Well, I posted this in Stardock support but I dont see it showing up so I am reposting here...

When i first tried WB years ago I remember my friend telling me to just unload and reload the skin to fix the problem.. here I am years later..having to do the same thing.

I'd like to ask why when installing an updated version of a theme why I have to manually uninstall the old version?

As great as windowblinds is I find it particularly troublesome that when installing new themes and especially updates I have ( and i know many other folks also have ) so many problems.

Several times, even since ive updated to 5.5 and in previous versions WB has completely locked up my computer forcing restarts and sometimes double restarts.

The FIRST thing that should work 100% correctly in WB is the abilty to seamlessly install new and updated themes and transition to them after applying.

Im to the point to where I dread adding new themes or testing updates from other skinners I know because I dont want my system locked up or acting weird.

As far as updated themes are concerned, WB should delete the existing themes and make the process hands free. As far as new themes are concerned.. they should just work.

Also.. while trying to delete the folder of an old version before the new one is installed sometimes the folder is undeleteable ( in use ) I believe this has something to do with installed fonts still being used. The only way to delete it is to swap to a different theme then go back, delete the folder and then install the new update...

not what i would call user friendly

Im really tired of unloading, reloading, restarting, etc etc.. just to get a theme to apply like it should.

This may not be indicitive of everyones experience but i know several people who go through the same thing on a daily basis.

I like Stardock and their products but I think some things ( this being one of them ) in WB need to be addressed immediately.

The installation of new and updated themes should work without even thinking twice about it. Its particulary annoying to skinners as we do a lot more installing of themes and updates perhaps than the average user.

Hopefully something can be done.

I have the latest version everything , running on a 3.4G Dual core, with a 512 vid card and 2G of Ram.. i know its not a system related issue.

4,162 views 17 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You left out one important issue...noobs dont know to uninstall a skin before dl'ing an update and even if you tell them in the skin description they dont always read them.(I even forget sometimes to put it there AND have many times forgot myself when updating other skinners work)
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
noobs dont know to uninstall a skin before dl'ing an update and even if you tell them in the skin description they dont always read them.(


One of my points exactly.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Seems like it would warrant paramount priority..  


Eh.. well.. Ive emailed it three times now.. supposedly succesfully on my end.. nothing returned. Seems like every time I try email a non Rar'd WB the recipient never gets it.

I emailed you an FTP link
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm on trillian. I can't remember my msn password. working on it. LOL
Nighttrainfxstb2002 at yahoo dotcom if you can connect to yahoo messenger.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Try renaming the extension to something it will allow and then change it back.  
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Heh... thanks IR..

Now if only someone at Stardock would give some feedback on this post.. THAT.. would be Greeeat ( office Space )   
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
HEHE,I forgot about that movie...yes...THAT would be greeeeeaaat.  
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Any answers, advice on this ?
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
maybe windowblinds could at least rename the old folder  
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
bump
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

In general deleting any files from a users machine is something programmers tend to avoid as much as possible. 

The WB logic for installing a skin was written back when skins did not usually get updated after release.  If you do want to upgrade an existing skin, you must do the following

1) Ensure you are not running the skin.  Unless we want to get into demanding reboots because a file is locked

2) Delete the existing version of a skin.  Because many skin authors do not name their .WBA correctly (same as the directory name) and because IE has been known to alter this name, WB has to extract a skin to a temp directory & then rename this directory to the correct name once it has been extracted.  If the directory already exists then this will fail.

3) Install the new skin

4) Apply the skin

Regarding the non deletion of a folder due to an in use font.  If a font file is in use then the OS will refuse to allow the directory to be deleted.  This would normally only be the case where the skin was currently being used.  In which case the very latest WB config will refuse to allow you to delete the skin (deleting an in use skin is a very bad idea) 

If you have found any other cases of this then please do let us know so we can see why a font would be locked.

I would also like to know what problems you are having that require you to reapply a skin.  A skin should work from the first apply.  If it does not then we need to know about it.

A total system lockup (keyboard lights not responding) would usually point to a bug outside of WB.  A massive amount of things happen when you change a skin and this can expose problems.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thankyou for your reply Neil. As i can I will provide you with more specific details and screenshots of these issues if and when they rear their ugly heads.

On any given day..in which i probably apply updates thru SKS several hundred times I frequently run into issues such as missing logoff panels, missing taskbars.. missing system buttons etc.. This is something that on the surface may not seem like a big deal..re-apply and its fine.. but when ur waiting 5-15 secs for each apply and have to re-apply several dozen times a day, not only is it frustrating , it can be be quite time consuming.

I can tell you however there have been instances where I have unloaded a skin, loaded another and was unable to delete the folder of the one that I had previously unloaded. Upon looking in the folder the only file left was a font font from the old skin...which after checking was not being used in the newly loaded skin. The font was Calibri fyi.\

As far as my system, its a newer faster system, clean XP and wb 5.5 install with only the apps I need installed.. Photoshop, 3dsmax, MSN..thats about it. Im pretty sure its not a system specific issue.

When I say it locks up.. I basically mean the whole screen goes whacky, its hard to explain, it basically never comes back out of please wait state. cant even use task manager and I am left with no choice but to reboot.

Again thanks for getting back with me.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top


2) Delete the existing version of a skin.

This something we cant always get the users to do...I even forget when testing my own skins and testing others for them.Windowblinds dosnt like having 2 folders of slightly different versions of the same WB.It will either totally bork up,or continue to use the old one.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Skinners update wb's constantly.  

Like it or not...wb's NEED to overwrite.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Like it or not...wb's NEED to overwrite.



I have to agree with that.

where U at Brainy?   
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
bump