How do I get same effect as Trial Version using the fully licensed version?

When I installed the trial version of WindowBlinds (at work) and downloaded a blind, WindowBlinds showed a message that some of the features were disabled for that blind. How can I get the same effect with my licensed version of WindowBlinds. One setting I know is the "Never use per pixel window borders...". I would like to test my blind under those conditions. My blind looked really awful (not that it is "superior" otherwise) when applied on the WindowBlinds Trial edition.
18,269 views 41 replies
Reply #1 Top
Well, the full version won't stop working after 30 days. That is an important feature :)
Reply #2 Top
I cannot test my blind for that feature :)
Reply #3 Top
Does your blind use PerPixel borders? If yes, I suspect the reason you blind looked "awful" was that the trial version only supports PerPixel borders for the downloaded skins that come with the program. I don't know of any way around that except to ask someone with a registered copy of WB to let you load it and see how it looks. If you're not using PerPixel borders, then the same would apply if you want to see all the skinned graphical elements. Second option would be to spring for the program - if you're skinning, it makes no sense to be without it.
Reply #4 Top
Daiwa, Thanks for the suggestions. I have the registered version of complete OD on my home PC. That is where I created and tested my blind. Then last week I downloaded the trial version on my work laptop to check if WB works on my work computer settings (way too many security apps and policies). I downloaded my blind on to that trial version and saw it looked a lot different from how it looked on my home PC with the registered version.

I use per pixel borders and paid most attention to that. Trial version was not showing them. What I would like to do is to make the blind look a bit better on the trial version of WB.

What settings on my registered version of WB will make it apply a blind exactly the same way a trial version of WB would have done?
Reply #5 Top
What settings on my registered version of WB will make it apply a blind exactly the same way a trial version of WB would have done?
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System info > Never use per pixel borders ?
Reply #6 Top
Bebi: That is the only setting I knew and already set. Wondering if there are other differences that can be achieved through settings.
Reply #7 Top
Well, you already know your skin will not work after the 30 days, so that is covered :)
Reply #8 Top
Well, you already know your skin will not work after the 30 days, so that is covered
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It has been working for quite more than 30 days without any problem. Am I missing something?
Reply #9 Top
Rather than try to cripple the full ver to emulate the trial's settings ...why not setup a second User acc on your home machine ...and run the trial ver on that? ...;)
Reply #10 Top
The trial version of WB expires 30 days after installation, that's what Pugboy was referring to.

You would need to add standard (non-perpixel) borders to your skin in order for it to display without graphic corruption in the trial version. They'll get used by default. No way to get your perpixel frames to display in the trial version - only Stardock's included perpixel skins will show them.

The trial version is not meant to display all skins properly - it's meant to show the general capabilities of WB, and does so well with the included skins (and any non-perpixel skins you might install). Some features, such as scrollbar skinning, are disabled by intent in the trial version as well.
Reply #11 Top

Guys.....I think he's trying to set up his full WB ver to imitate the trial 'standard' so he can see how good it 'doesn't' look in the trial's settings.

In other words he wants the full version to show the skins equally badly...so he can test/alter/improve them...;)

Reply #12 Top
Rather than try to cripple the full ver to emulate the trial's settings ...why not setup a second User acc on your home machine ...and run the trial ver on that? ...
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I don't think WB works that way. Did you mean dual boot? I could do that, but every time I make a change, I will have to reboot to see how it looks (habit from programming.)

Some features, such as scrollbar skinning, are disabled by intent in the trial version as well.
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This is the kind of information that I am looking for. But I don't think there is a setting to disable it in WB full version.

I think the easy option is just to worry about standard borders and that can be tested by disabling per pixel borders.

Thanks everyone.
Reply #13 Top
In other words he wants the full version to show the skins equally badly...so he can test/alter/improve them...
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Exactly!
Reply #14 Top
You have the full version though... The trial will reset your skin after 30 days.
Reply #15 Top
You have the full version though... The trial will reset your skin after 30 days.
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I had to uninstall the trial version at work for a different reason. Since I could not use WB on a good system, I reverted to Windows Classic theme instead luna  :( 
Reply #16 Top
I use the silver color scheme at work, makes it almost bearable.
Reply #17 Top
I alternated between all the 3 for all these years. I agree, silver is the most bearable theme.

Classic theme allows me to have a different colors. I saved it in to a theme file :)

WWW Link
Reply #18 Top
Dont see how this is a big deal really...if you check the never use perpixel,that is most of it...if you really need to see how bad the other sections look in the trial version...just dont skin them until your ready to move past them. ;) 
Reply #19 Top
You can set window blinds trial version into a second user account on windows so long as you only have the bought version set up for the other account & not set for all users,or you could just run it in sandboxie or by using microsofts virtual pc 2004 or 2007 software,it's free so is sandboxie,tho i've never tried to run software in it (sandboxie that is)
Reply #20 Top

xscorpx: You cannot install two copies of WindowBlinds on a single machine.

Reply #21 Top
Dont see how this is a big deal really...if you check the never use perpixel,that is most of it
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I guess. Yesterday I was looking at the menubar background image and it doesn't get used in my registered version. This may be another item.

just dont skin them until your ready to move past them.
End of quote

Or do something like what I did and feel embarrassed when see it in action after publishing  :( 
Reply #22 Top
I'm still not 100% sure what you are trying to accomplish, jamespaulp. If you know what the skin looks like with the purchased version, you know what it looks like. There is no way to get the trial version to skin things it just doesn't skin. As I said, including standard frames will at least avoid the problem of the trial version not displaying the perpixel borders properly. You can have both standard & perpixel frames defined in a skin.
Reply #23 Top
He wants to create a skin that will look acceptable for people using the trial.  But he can't easily test it on a full version of WB.

He wants to have an option to see his skin the way it will look in the trial version.

James, may I suggest a virtual machine?

MS offers XP with IE6 and 7 virtual disks here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=21EABB90-958F-4B64-B5F1-73D0A413C8EF&displaylang=en

Here is a link to their VM engine: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/virtualpc/default.mspx

If you like VMware more you can do that too.  (I like VMWare for their snapshot function)
Reply #24 Top
Thanks Zubaz (for both clarifying what I am trying to do and for the links.) I think that is much easier to setup the VM than a dual boot for this purpose.
Reply #25 Top
I think that is much easier to setup the VM than a dual boot for this purpose.
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Agreed.
It would be a nice feature in SKS to be able to preview the skin with those user settings.  Worth a email to suppot?