Window Blinds 6 Final - Bad, Bad News

What on earth were you people thinking

from WinCustomize Forums

I have been a long time user of nearly all your products  - since before Brad was known as Frogboy. Yes, all the way back to the days of OS2.

Have been using all the various ß's of Window Blinds as they have been released, with very little problems along the way. Used to be that minor corrections were needed in the wbdbg.ini file, that got fixed with the WbPerApp.ini - and for the last couple even that didn't need adjusting.

Then came the final.  Never, never has an installation (actually just an update) taken so long or been so obnoxious. Then without my approval it started moving all of a very large accumlation of skins. Not just moving them without my approval, but also moving them to an UNKNOWN location, with many errors from a standard program I use called "Cookie Pal".

Finally finished - about 20 minites later - and it told me to reboot. I normally choose to wait and reboot when I want and not when you want cause I am usually busy with a number of things at the same time.

ReBooted in a little while - and had to go through that whole moving operation again . And once more to an unknown location (they already were in a location accesible to all), and with all of the CookiePal errors for what seemed like several files in every skin that was moved.

                  "Cookie pal exception during process attach c0000005".

Had to babysit the entire process as nothing would procede until I clicked okay on the message. 

Well, imagine my surprise when the final Window Blinds program finally launched only to find that only a very small number of the very large collection of skins I have accumulated over the years was available. Including the one that had been active at the time of installation.

The skin files were still right where I wanted them, but neither Window Blinds, nor Skin Studio could locate them. Went back to the web and redownloaded the skin I was using and installed it no problem, except it didn't wind up where I wanted it.

Finally found them in "My Documents" - I don't want them in My Documents.  I have redirected everything supposedly going there by default to other directories off my C drive. I don't allow a lot of stuff to accumulate on C for a number of reasons.

Please explain your rationale in dumping all the skins into My Documents, and tell me how to redirect them to where I acually want them - on another drive, in a directory of their own.

1,776 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The History of what WB6 was set to do was available when the beta was released informing users where the skins were to be relocated. From the WB6 History -

This build of WindowBlinds is changing the default directory for skins to be in
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Stardock\WindowBlinds on XP and
\Users\Public\Documents\Stardock\WindowBlinds on Vista.

A migration process has been built into WindowBlinds and the install to automatically
move files to the correct directories for you. However, the more skins you have, the
longer that migration process will take (you'll see progress dialogs as it moves each skin).

Stardock Central 2.47 Build 159 has has been updated to wait for that migration process
to complete before prompting you to reboot. Please be sure to reboot after the update
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hankers hit it dead on. I can't think of a thing to add there. However I will point more people in the direction of this post.

Sorry for the trouble.
ObjectDock - Access shortcuts and frequently used applications from an animated dock.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I don't want them in My Documents - I want them elsewhere.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
And I beg to differ about the notice. When using "Stardock Central", you see a general description first, for some one used to using it, I never check the "History" before hitting the update button. No where in the description does it mention this extremely major change in things.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Please explain your rationale in dumping all the skins into My Documents, and tell me how to redirect them to where I acually want them - on another drive, in a directory of their own.


From another post....


Not really an option. Microsoft won't certify programs anymore that store data in the program files directory.

Seriously guys, do you think WE wanted to have to move the skins? Don't you think we'd prefer to work on other things? Moving the skins is a pain in the butt. You're preaching to the choir.

We can look at an option for letting people choose where the skins go though.

https://forums.wincustomize.com/?forumid=436&aid=163063#1319983
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks ID, I was going to provide a link to that post!

As a side note, there is a 'fix' for the location of the skins located farther up in the thread.  2nd or 3rd post, I think.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanx for the link - had not seen that thread before. Intriguing that this last update is the first time I encountered the move even tho it is several weeks now. Guess Stardock had me locked out even longer than I realized, as I had been keeping up with all the beta's as I spotted them. Agree that dumping everything into the "Program Files" is also a really bad choice. Will have to try that registry fix, but like someone asked, when the next update comes, will that hack have to be redone?
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It's a pesky thing, for sure, but seems like m'soft is calling the shots. I've made a shortcut to the themes folder and Theme Mgr themes as well, but it adds yet another area in which I'm not overly pleased with m'soft...   

Admins and others here have jumped all over the changes to try & help us shift. Hats off to all of you! Thanks!       
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Thanx for the link - had not seen that thread before. Intriguing that this last update is the first time I encountered the move even tho it is several weeks now. Guess Stardock had me locked out even longer than I realized, as I had been keeping up with all the beta's as I spotted them. Agree that dumping everything into the "Program Files" is also a really bad choice. Will have to try that registry fix, but like someone asked, when the next update comes, will that hack have to be redone?


Shouldn't need to be.