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WindowBlinds 4 Released!

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WindowBlinds 4 Released!

http://www.windowblinds.net
from WinCustomize Forums
WindowBlinds 4 has some great new features including:



* Command prompt skinning

* Skinning of virtually every element of the Windows XP GUI

* Skinning of the logoff, shellstyles, and please wait dialogs

* Smart painting - makes most WindowBlinds enhanced visual styles run nearly as fast as "classic"

* Enhanced integration into Windows XP greatly increasing compatibility with nearly all programs

* A new configuration program that makes the features of WindowBlinds more accessible than ever

* Settings for control of the Windows XP start bar. Now you can have a skinny start bar with any visual style

* Native integration into Remote Desktop and graphics acceleration by most video cards



These new features add to the already impressive WindowBlinds feature set that includes:

* Change the color of your visual style on the fly

* Gamma correction on visual styles

* Skinning of non-theme aware applications

* Hyperpaint - uses the extra memory in your video card to buffer to increase performance

* Additional controls in the title bar such as MP3 players, roll-up buttons, always on top buttons, minimize to tray, and much more

* Associate sound effects with title bar buttons

* Have animated title bars, buttons and more

* Powerful enhanced visual style format that allows placement of buttons any place on a window edge as well as independently sized window borders

* Much more!



Users who purchased WindowBlinds 3 since the beginning of the year can upgrade for free. Just visit https://www.stardock.com/support.asp and type in your email address.



Other users of WindowBlinds 3 can upgrade to version 4 for only $10 for a limited time.

Visit http://www.windowblinds.net/wb4upgrade.asp to upgrade.



All other users can purchase WindowBlinds 4 at: https://www.stardock.com/order.asp?product=Windowblinds for $19.95.



WindowBlinds is part of Stardock''s Object Desktop which is $49.95 and includes WindowBlinds 4 plus DesktopX, ObjectBar, IconPackager, WinStyles, and much more plus a year''s worth of updates to them.

A shareware version of WindowBlinds 4 will be released next week.
30,850 views 61 replies
Reply #26 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Still having Windowblinds 4/DesktopX 1.3 Multimonitor issues.... I get no responses in the Stardock support forum. Is there one just for Windowblinds that I am missing?
Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Chad,

Think these are just DX issues. Not related to WB
WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #28 from WinCustomize Forums Top
>"Hmm, it seems that background (explorer) bitmaps have been disabled. I can't find it anywhere"
>
>"Explorer bitmaps are not in WB 4 right now.
>They may reappear in WB 4.1"

Ahh, I was going to ask about that too. Little surprised they aren't included with WB4 seeing as they were there in previous versions.
Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Congratulations you guys! WB v4! Awesome and another milestone in the history of a great company. Keep up the good work.
Reply #30 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I am disappointed, at the time frame for win2000 support. You may of said in places this summer. But the few things had seen from you stated soon to follow. bummer
Reply #32 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Actually we originally said Fall for 4.0 for Win98/ME/2000. We moved it up to Summer.
Reply #34 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Ridge, there's an option to turn the user pic off.. yours may be set for that.

As for the Win2k/9x support for WB4: Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't some of the features not even be supported by older versions of Windows? If so, then there probably wouldn't be as much of a difference between WB3.x and 4.x for them anyways.
Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've actually been impatiently waiting for this... what have I become? (Glad I have XP, it's WORTH it!)
Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Martin, but my current configuration works just fine with Wb 3.5. So it seems more of a WB4 issue than a desktopX issue. Either way, both Stardock programs... hopefully they can get them to play nice together in the future.
Reply #37 from WinCustomize Forums Top
soooo the question is then, if someone designs a skin for Windowblinds 4 and the user does not have Windowblinds 4, they have 3.5 and on a win2000 computer or 98, what happens? Does the skin work?

I know most the people who come here have windowsXP, but most people in general have win98 or 2000. will there be skinners who will take the time to make skins for 9x windows users if windowblinds 4 skins will not work on older versions?
Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yeah, the skin still works even if you dont have WB4. The WB4 skins just have a few extra things to skin the shutdown and log-off prompt windows.. and such. I used some WB4 skins when I was still using 3.5 and they worked fine.
Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top
theyre prob still there, check your install folder. Some of mine didnt show either. i deleted the *.cat files and it worked out alright.

thanks to werewold on the wb newsgroup for discovering that one
Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top
to clarify that, I deleted the *.cat files in the main wb install folder. Upon opening up the display prop window my skins were once again properly showing.
Reply #43 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"How do I get the WB icon out of my tray? Can't find a toggle anywhere."

Open the WB config, then select 'User Overrides' on the left. Then un-check the 'Show icon in system tray' box. Hope that helps.
Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As far as the version for 9x/ME/2k, I see what they have to try to accomplish. I'll break it down as I understand it.

Lets say you build a program. You make the program the very BEST that you are able to make it. But in doing so, you end up making that program incompatible with the older operating systems. So, you need to make a version FROM SCRATCH that will run on these older OS's, but that will in the end do the same thing just VERY differently than the original.

Realise also that while Win2k still has life...honestly....9x systems are pushed to their limits with what a full Object Desktop installation makes it do. You ever try running DesktopX, ObjectBar, WindowBlinds, WinFX 1.21, Icon Packager AND Desktop Architect at the same time on Windows 98 and ME ?!? Yeah. It won't happen. Something WILL crash, or it'll run like crap. Believe me --- especially when it comes to the attempt of making 9x-based systems do new tricks, you have too many limitations. Kernal32.dll wasn't made to handle the kinds of things (especially graphics intensive stuff in a static environment like Active Desktop) that StarDock software does. Better Video, Memory, and Processor really dosen't make much of a difference on those systems. SO, give Frog and the guys a little space, and let them get the thing made.
Reply #45 from WinCustomize Forums Top
SO, give Frog and the guys a little space, and let them get the thing made.

Ok so maybe I rant and rave a bit about exclusions. I just think a company with as much savvy and expertise would do a little more to not alienate and segregate their customers I rember WB on win95 systems wile other people had 2000 their wasnt as much hype and more effort was put in to seeing that a release coverd all platforms.
I,m all for giving Stardock its due they make an awsome product and also have the best support and responce to customor needs that I have seen in any industry, I would just like to see things arive in a final package thats all .
Reply #46 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well, I'm happy
I haven't had any problems and everything looks great!!

Great work, guys.
Reply #47 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Basicly, I am (was) thrilled with this update. Much faster, easier to use, changes skins, etc. All great! I just have one problem ... This program disables my scanner. It took me some time to realize it was WB causing it. As soon as I unloaded WB (temporarily) I was able to use the scanner (Cannon 1220). I have always had to turn off WB when I use my tax program (Intuit's ProSeries). I guess testing and programing are not done on much professional software. I still really like WB and would not be without. I just wish I would not have to turn it off when I am in my tax program (very deeply this time of year) or when I have to scan documents. Anyone have ideas why these problems are happening. I have XP Pro (1.7 gig with 512 ram).
Reply #48 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have to take back part of whay I just "Complained" about!!! WB will now let me use my tax program ... ya!!!!
Reply #49 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Jane, couldn't you add your Tax and Scanner program to the list of programs NOT to skin? If you add them to the 'Per Application' list and tell it to not skin those, then it should work. I had similar problems with some of my programs not working either until I told WB to not skin them.
Reply #50 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Also you could try using a per-application UIS1 skin with them, like Blackcomb - they are distinguished by the lack of a menu bar in the preview.