WindowBlinds 5 BETA released

Bring Glass to Windows XP

from WinCustomize Forums

Stardock has released the first BETA of WindowBlinds 5.  WindowBlinds is a program that can completely alter the look and feel of the Windows GUI.  It does so by applying visual styles (skins) to your title bars, push buttons, Start bar, borders, etc.

The most anticipated new feature of WindowBlinds 5 is its ability to deliver glass effects to Windows XP user.  Technically speaking, WindowBlinds can do full alpha blended user interfaces now, that means that skins can have a variable level of transparency.  Numerous new features have been added to allow skinners to do reflective effects, shadows, smooth edges and more to their WindowBlinds skins.

WindowBlinds 5 also eliminates any dedicated processes to it.  When running WindowBlinds 5, no additional processes are needed anymore, it runs as part of the system.  WindowBlinds 5 BETA currently requires Windows XP (32-bit edition).  A 64-bit edition will be available with beta 2.  It should run on any reasonably modern video card. 

WindowBlinds 5 is currently only available on Object Desktop.  To get Object Desktop visit: www.objectdesktop.com.

Preview Guide

Beta 1 Readme

56,689 views 128 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well isn't this great.......... Stardock Central found WB beta 5, prompted me to install it and then proceeded to destroy a fresh - less than two week old install. On the reboot I got a error message loading WB. I immediately said screw it and did a system restore from a checkpoint 15 minutes previous of the install. That doesn’t fix the problem. WB 4.6 now generates the same error message and Icon Packager is also trashed…… What a crock of $h!T…..

AMD X2 4800+ ATI X850XT 1 Gig Corsair XPPro
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh.

So very very nice.

Smoothly and beautifully integrates into XP.

Excellent work to all involved.
Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Works great - I'm waiting to see the skin studio version - it has got to be good too~!

Right on ...~~!!!
and thanks for a good job well done too~!
SGT
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Works great - I'm waiting to see the skin studio version - it has got to be good too~!

Right on ...~~!!!
and thanks for a good job well done too~!
SGT
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
WB 5 didn't work as it should...

My system: Windows XP Home SP2 (Brazil); P4 512MB RAM; ATI 9700 PRO (Catalyst 5.9)

1) WB5 was installed (WB4 was not installed);
2) After the reboot the first skin caused a "RunDll32.exe" error
3) but the skin was applied
4) right click the desktop and select "Properties" caused the same "RunDll32.exe" error
5) I have tried to change the skin again then it took a long time and the taskbar wasn't changed (it just froze with the previous skin and "Explorer.exe" started to use almost 100% CPU)
6) I ended "Explorer.exe" process and started a new one
7) The skin was gone and I was not able to change it again
8) I restarted again... I've tried to apply a skin and no borders (?) just the window content and some graphic corruption
9) I uninstalled WB5, restarted and then all went fine...

I hope my PC could run WB5 one day!

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
After I unloaded WB4.6 and turned off some services I installed WB5 after a restart and switch to XP Classic style.

Installed fine and is running fine on the StealthOS provided skin.

Looks nice so far.

Go Stardock Go!!!
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Unfortunately Icon Packager would not work anymore
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Same rundll problem here as well. when is the full release program to be unvailed as I hope that will solve everything?
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Great job.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Any idea on the ETA for beta 2? I just installed WindowsXP 64 bit, and I get this news
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Depends on how long it takes to resovle the rundll issue we're seeing reported.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can't even apply skins. It's stuck on Classic Windows.

I installed the update through Stardock Central and rebooted, and nothing. And can click all I want on "apply this skin", but nadda.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can't say I've had any issues at all. The beta makes everything look beautiful and applies skins a lot faster than the old WB. I still have full functionailty of all of my other Stardock products as well. However, I see no tray icon? I'd imagine that's due to it being more integrated with Windows...

Intel P4 2GHZ w/ 512 L2 Cache, 768 MB RAM, 120GB IDE HD, Sh*t A*s On-Board 48MB Intel Graphics Card (Don't ask why I haven't upgraded it, because I don't know), Windows XP Professional w/ SP2
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Stardock Central found WB beta 5


What a crock of $h!T


Welcome to beta testing . . . providing good feedback makes for a good release. Complaining just gets you labeled as a complainer.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
From what my friends told me about it working odd, I wonder if this isn't just a ATI and WB 5 compatibility issue? They all have a make of an ATI graphics card.. and I have my crap a*s Intel on-board 48MBer. Lol.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"Welcome to beta testing . . . providing good feedback makes for a good release. Complaining just gets you labeled as a complainer."

Thanks for your input.........
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
So what is this Relection feature then? I'm really curious to this one.
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've noticed that WB5 will only recognize WB5 skins, I'm unable to use any of my previous skins. SD Central had a WB4.6 restore error before the update to WB5. All else seems to work well from what I can tell at the moment.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
interestingly enough, I seem to be having a problem with the LogonUI since I installed WB5. it's causing my system to crash whenever coming out of a hibernation or standby state.
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I am having the same issue where nothing is happening and it is stuck on Classic Mode (although the normal XP themes from MS work).

I have 2 systems I have tried, one with ATI card but the other has INTEL chips (laptop). Both have the exact same problem.

I have also noticed that sometimes between installing the list of skins does not always appear on the Appearance tab of the Display properties as it has in the past. Sometimes its there and others its not.

Hope you guys fix it fast, can't wait to start using it.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OMG I was so scared after reading all the problems, but I started by unloading 4.6, then I Installed the 4.9eta, then I restarted, and everything works beautiful..I think maybe the fact that I unloaded 4.6 first might be why it went so smooth...
My system
Fujitsu C2210 lifebook, running 1.7Ghz P4m, with 64meg DDR ATI radeon IGP chipset for video, and I have 768megs of ram...runs super smooth and very fast, much faster then before..Im so sorry alot of the kids are getting weird issues. It makes me feel bad that you aren't getting the most out of a much awaited update..I know though, my brother has a copy of that 64bit XP and only programs specifically written for it will work on it....He cant get any of his old 32 bit proggys to work so he scrapped it...I hope all you guys get the bugs out soon, This new version has some really supersweet new perks and I just want everyone to look cool and have a great looking desktop...Don't worry guys, Im sure the ubersmart codemonkeys here will get it tuned up realatively soon....
Oh also forgot to add I am running this on an external monitor too...not the screen on the laptop, I was doing dual, but I saw a few were having issues that way, so I turned it off..
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OH well. Guess my theory is out the window. I dunno. Somethings weird with the people having problems. Everyone with issue done all of their Windows Updates?

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It installed and works well on my system. So far, I've had two issues. First, logonstudio stopped working. That's easy enough--I just set it to the default Windows login. The other problem is that MS Access (2003) doesn't work with any of the transparency effects (neither the glass effects like in Aura or the transparency in the other two included skins). Other than that, it works very well and looks great.