WindowBlinds & Longhorn Beta 1

Skinning Longhorn..

from WinCustomize Forums

When the Longhorn beta arrives, we expect to release an update to WindowBlinds to support beta 1.  The only issues we know of is that the new Start menu has an edit field in it and the toolbar icons are handled a bit differently.  We're working on that.

..As for people who have been applying unauthorized MSStyles, they're out of luck. Those msstyles will not run on Longhorn beta 1 unless they use them via WindowBlinds.

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Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Is it just Visual Style skinning or will there be Aero skinning ablility?

If I got it right, the general public have to wait until Beta 2 to apply for beta testing of Longhorn?
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
..As for people who have been applying unauthorized MSStyles, they're out of luck. Those msstyles will not run on Longhorn beta 1 unless they use them via WindowBlinds.


Cool. It's about time MS did something about that problem.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Why is it a problem?

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Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The skinning engine in XP is a problem.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I would really like an invite to Beta 1 if anybody can help me out.

Also Brad, can you give us any hints on what is upcoming with Windowblinds in regards to Longhorn?
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hint hint hint.... since longhorn is geared up to making their skin looking Aero, can windowblinds do that too... oh of course the transparency in the start menu is an awesome thing. I just love it but i was just wondering when will the time come when the Windowframes themselves will have an aero look (not just the start menu)...again hint hint hint.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The skinning engine in XP is a problem.


In what way?

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Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As I understood it, unauthorised msstyles could only be applied in XP with a third party proggy like StyleXP: or, if they were ported via Windowblinds.

If msstyles can't be applied in Longhorn, I guess TGT Soft will have to reinvent and rename StyleXP to accomodate its customers who upgrade to Longhorn. Perhaps Stardock will acquire some converts to OD as a result...given its greater skinning versatiliy without system hacking.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Longhorn doesn't use msstyles at all. No place for TGT Soft to go 
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Longhorn doesn't use msstyles at all.


WOW. now that is news for me. AND MORE REASON FOR PEOPLE TO SWITCH TO OBJECT DESKTOP APPLICATIONS!!!
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Seriously I can't wait to see what this looks like. Do the OD subscribers get to play with the new betas of WB when they get released. I just resubscribed about 3 weeks ago.

I really want to play with Aero and customize it. I can't wait for LH and the betas. B1/B2 here I come.

What does this mean though for XP when longhorn is released? Will there be 2 versions of WB? Can 1 version work on both XP and Longhorn and be able to tell the difference and skin accordingly? This brings so many possiblities and yet may finally put the msstyle people in their place. Of course once LH hits beta, they may find a way to customize the themes in LH but we will come to that when it happens.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Longhorn has a .msstyles format. It's just that it's encrypted (in XP, .msstyles were fully documented wich is why third party skinning was possible).  What I suspect will happen will be resource hacking -- people replacing images in the Aero theme.  But beyond that, I don't think you'll see much.  But in either case, the .msstyles from XP certainly won't work on Longhorn because it's a different format and it's non-trivial to convert this stuff (we've spent what? 3 years now perfecting it with SkinStudio?).  And of course, this all assumes that Microsoft is going to let a big old security hole like uxtheme.dll patching still occur.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As I understood it, unauthorised msstyles could only be applied in XP with a third party proggy like StyleXP: or, if they were ported via Windowblinds.

Incorrect. Freely available reshacked uxtheme files could be downloaded that simply removed the check for the digital signature MS originally required. Free and easy to do.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Sure, but your odds of getting a fuxxed system were pretty high with that option...
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
How many people got a "fuxxed system" (whatever that is -- I'm assuming it's bad) by applying a bad uxtheme file vs. applying your basic executable off the web? AFAIK, executables will still be allowed in Longhorn.

To say that it's great that people will no longer be able to apply uxthemes shows a strong WB bias. I personally use WB and have never used uxtheme, but I have no problem with people having the choice. There are risks in installing virtually anything (just look at the recent DX/IP threads). It should be up to the user whether or not those risks are worth taking.


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Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
How is it a WB "bias" if Microsoft prevents people from hacking OS system files?  It has nothing to do with WB at all.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Brad, I'm specifically referring to the comments here, that it's a great thing that MS has removed that problem. I'm not saying that MS has a WB bias.

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Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ah, I see what you're saying.

My personal view is that uxtheme hacking isn't that big of a deal. But I have a real problem with companies who make a profit selling people the ability. In my opinion, they prey on people's ignorance.

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I am highly biased towards WB, since I dont see the point of paying for an illegal system hack that voids your EULA when even the trial version of WindowBlinds skins nearly as much. Plus, in my opinion, Stardock is a far more ethical and balanced company. As for the uxtheme hacks being a problem, I'm not quite sure if thats the case. Why would microsoft make it so easy to hack if they didnt want people trying it? Thats just my take on it. The fact that WindowBlinds is used by many people is just a bonus for Microsoft because now there are two competing programs/companies. Thats always a better sales environment, since the two will keep each others prices in check.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My personal view is that uxtheme hacking isn't that big of a deal. But I have a real problem with companies who make a profit selling people the ability. In my opinion, they prey on people's ignorance.


I personally have no problem with MS doing what they want with their own software. I just don't get why people with no financial stake would be glad that they took away a choice.

That is, I get why people would not want to use uxthemes. What I don't get is why they'd be excited about that choice being taken away from others.

That is, unless they had a financial stake, such as yourself.

I think one theory is that most people have a need to feel validated, and to that end, they love it when everyone else uses the same thing they do. This development moves skinning in that direction.

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Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Let me throw in my 2 cents then on why a user (one with no stake in WB) might be excited:

Uxtheme patching basically wiped out the skinning development community. 

In skinning there are two periods: Before October 2001 and After.  Before 2001 there were programs like Illumination, eFX, Chroma. There were also regular new skinnable programs coming out all the time.

But uxtheme patching took those out because msstyles are "good enough" for a lot of people and so only programs (like WindowBlinds) that offered VASTLY more than msstyles could compete. 

Therefore, developers who might want to create something from scratch had no incentive because it would take them years just to get something on par with what msstyles provided. 

In addition, uxtheme patching created an environment where opportunistic third parties could sell the technically poor users of the world a way to skin windows without having to put in any real effort.  Style XP, IMO, could have been written by an intern in a couple of weeks and yet has probably made hundreds of thousands of dollars thanks to non-techie users not realizing that they're paying for something that is freely available elsewhere.

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Unfortunately...too many people have forgotten, or are unaware of what skinning was like before Win XP came along and created this hacked-skin option.

It's probably a safe bet to assume that skinning as a whole would not really have suffered if XP had had no in-built feature.

The world would have been spared x-million Luna recolours, though....hardly a 'bad thing'....

Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
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