WB5 Some Problems but basically great

from WinCustomize Forums
I have only had a few problems with WB5 and just basically wanted to let you all know at Stardock what they are. Nothing too big but still a problem.

1. At one time when you looked at Display Properties, Appearance Tab and then the drop down box "Windows and buttons" the two default XP items had a line under it, well know it's gone and also when you select Windows XP style the showbox is blank, you still can change to it, but it doesn't display what it will look like.

2. This is also concerning the drop-down box. The database that is being used does not seem to get updated when a skin gets deleted it remains in the drop down box. I am assuming that display properties is now using the .mdb file now in the WB directory, but it just doesn't seem to get updated, it grows when you add a skin but doesn't shrink when you delete a skin the entry still exist in the DB, making it very confusing if you change your skins via the Display Properties - Appearance Tab.

3. Animations, this one isn't WB5, I also had this problem with WB4.6, but the Empty Recycle Bin Animation only works if you open the recycle bin first. If you just select Recycle Bin, right click and select Empty from the desktop it uses the default windows animation, but if you actually have the recycle bin open in explorer view then it does display the customized animation.

4. WBConfig - not all skins show up in the listing of the available skins when using the WB config option. Now you can apply them using Display properties, but they just don't show up in WB Config. Some do, some don't, no ryhme or reason behind it, I have had some skins show up once but then if I close and then reopen WB Config, they are gone. They are not gone from disk, just from the config program reading them.

5. Under WB Config My toolbars show multiple entries for the same toolbar, and also My Animations show multiple entries for the same animations.

Other than that I love the new WB5. I have had no roblems with the newer skins and it even fixed a problem I was having with my favorite skin and the title bar being corrupt, by checking the box under troubleshooting. I don't know if it was there in previous releases but if it wasn't thanks because it fixed my favorite one. Here is my troubleshooting report:

WindowBlinds 5 BETA Troubleshooting Report:

STATUS : WB+ SRV+ HLP+ UI+

WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC.

WindowBlinds appears to be activated on this PC

Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.

You have one monitor in total.

(Default Monitor) 1 is attached to ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000/9100 IGP
'ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000/9100 IGP' also exists as device '\\.\DISPLAY2', but is not attached to the desktop.
'NetMeeting driver' also exists as device '\\.\DISPLAYV1', but is not attached to the desktop and is a mirror driver.
'RDPDD Chained DD' also exists as device '\\.\DISPLAYV2', but is not attached to the desktop and is a mirror driver.

Thanks again and this is going to be a great program once all the "little" bugs get's worked out.
windowblinds
5,068 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I also have multiple listings for tool bars and animations. All my skins show up in configuration and tree view though. I think I read in one of the threads that display properties are not supported, not sure though. I tried to find the thread about display properties and couldn't find it. Must have been hallucinating.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I just downloaded Thunderstorm WB5 update and tried to load it from the appearance tab on display properties and it did not work at all. Failed to load and left a blank appearance tab that I couldn't get rid of until I restarted. Maybe I wasn't hallucinating. Loaded fine with WB config.
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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
When you download a skin with a .wba file extension and double click on the file, I get a pop-up that says that you can load through WB config or display properties appearance tab. What I was saying is that not all of my skins installed in the WB directory show up in WB config. In display properties they include all skins ever installed, including ones that are deleted. But since some of the skins don't show up in WB Config, the only way to install them is through Display properties. I have loaded skins using WB config, but then changed to another and when wb config was reopened the skin just doesn't appear in the listing. If you notice there is now a file in your WB directory with a .mdb file extension. I think this is the file that is now linked to display properties appearance tab. This database (Micorsoft Access) file seems to get updated with new but doesn't delete deleted skins.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Number 3 above I have not seen on my machine. I have sometimes seen it not show up, but that was because there was so little files there when I emptied it, it was empty before the animation could show.
The animation showed properly for me so far in WB5 as well.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Calebrot, I understand what your saying. I've never had to use Display Properties so when the tool tip said I could install from Display properties I decided to experiment since I can't install a new skin by clicking on the tool tip like before WB5. I tried it again with nothing else running to see if fewer resources would change anything, it did not. We seem to have different versions of loading skins problems. My WB config works perfectly so but Display Properties will not work at all for me. No more experimenting, restarting because I'm just goofing around sucks.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well the database problem that I was talking about seems to have been fixed in the new beta released yesterday. When I first uninstalled, and then reinstalled the new beta, and then rebooted and then opened WB config, only two skins actually showed in my lissting of skins until I hit the new button on the bottom of the screen next to truobleshooting, when I opened all of my skins, it said something about refreshing database. When I closed the window and went back to regular skin listing in WB config, all of the skins installed in my directory where now there, not like before. But I also have no problem with installing skins from display properties, works everytime for me, except when you do install from display properties the shutdown item seems not to get skinned.

Still having the problem with not all animations get skinned. Right click recycle bin on desktop and empty recycle bin uses the default windows animation, but if you open recycle bin and empty with the explorer window open, then the customized animation works. Like I said before this problem is not associated with WB5, I have had it before in WB4.6 also. I'll go over my original listing and say whether or not it's still present or not.

1. Still exists, Windows XP style still does not give a preview other than a blank blue screen, olive screen, or silver screen, but just a visual problem because you still can change to default.

2. Fixed, database gets updated both in WB Config and Display properties.

3. Still exists, recycle bin without using explorer still uses default windows.

4. Fixed, again the database problem.

5. Fixed, I guess, from what some of the responses were this one in normal to WB's

Overall I am quite pleased with WB5
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well the database problem that I was talking about seems to have been fixed in the new beta released yesterday. When I first uninstalled, and then reinstalled the new beta, and then rebooted and then opened WB config, only two skins actually showed in my lissting of skins until I hit the new button on the bottom of the screen next to truobleshooting, when I opened all of my skins, it said something about refreshing database. When I closed the window and went back to regular skin listing in WB config, all of the skins installed in my directory where now there, not like before. But I also have no problem with installing skins from display properties, works everytime for me, except when you do install from display properties the shutdown item seems not to get skinned.

Still having the problem with not all animations get skinned. Right click recycle bin on desktop and empty recycle bin uses the default windows animation, but if you open recycle bin and empty with the explorer window open, then the customized animation works. Like I said before this problem is not associated with WB5, I have had it before in WB4.6 also. I'll go over my original listing and say whether or not it's still present or not.

1. Still exists, Windows XP style still does not give a preview other than a blank blue screen, olive screen, or silver screen, but just a visual problem because you still can change to default.

2. Fixed, database gets updated both in WB Config and Display properties.

3. Still exists, recycle bin without using explorer still uses default windows.

4. Fixed, again the database problem.

5. Fixed, I guess, from what some of the responses were this one in normal to WB's

Overall I am quite pleased with WB5
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well the database problem that I was talking about seems to have been fixed in the new beta released yesterday. When I first uninstalled, and then reinstalled the new beta, and then rebooted and then opened WB config, only two skins actually showed in my lissting of skins until I hit the new button on the bottom of the screen next to truobleshooting, when I opened all of my skins, it said something about refreshing database. When I closed the window and went back to regular skin listing in WB config, all of the skins installed in my directory where now there, not like before. But I also have no problem with installing skins from display properties, works everytime for me, except when you do install from display properties the shutdown item seems not to get skinned.

Still having the problem with not all animations get skinned. Right click recycle bin on desktop and empty recycle bin uses the default windows animation, but if you open recycle bin and empty with the explorer window open, then the customized animation works. Like I said before this problem is not associated with WB5, I have had it before in WB4.6 also. I'll go over my original listing and say whether or not it's still present or not.

1. Still exists, Windows XP style still does not give a preview other than a blank blue screen, olive screen, or silver screen, but just a visual problem because you still can change to default.

2. Fixed, database gets updated both in WB Config and Display properties.

3. Still exists, recycle bin without using explorer still uses default windows.

4. Fixed, again the database problem.

5. Fixed, I guess, from what some of the responses were this one in normal to WB's

Overall I am quite pleased with WB5
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well the database problem that I was talking about seems to have been fixed in the new beta released yesterday. When I first uninstalled, and then reinstalled the new beta, and then rebooted and then opened WB config, only two skins actually showed in my lissting of skins until I hit the new button on the bottom of the screen next to truobleshooting, when I opened all of my skins, it said something about refreshing database. When I closed the window and went back to regular skin listing in WB config, all of the skins installed in my directory where now there, not like before. But I also have no problem with installing skins from display properties, works everytime for me, except when you do install from display properties the shutdown item seems not to get skinned.

Still having the problem with not all animations get skinned. Right click recycle bin on desktop and empty recycle bin uses the default windows animation, but if you open recycle bin and empty with the explorer window open, then the customized animation works. Like I said before this problem is not associated with WB5, I have had it before in WB4.6 also. I'll go over my original listing and say whether or not it's still present or not.

1. Still exists, Windows XP style still does not give a preview other than a blank blue screen, olive screen, or silver screen, but just a visual problem because you still can change to default.

2. Fixed, database gets updated both in WB Config and Display properties.

3. Still exists, recycle bin without using explorer still uses default windows.

4. Fixed, again the database problem.

5. Fixed, I guess, from what some of the responses were this one in normal to WB's

Overall I am quite pleased with WB5