WindowBlinds 5 BETA 3 available

Almost there..

http://www.objectdesktop.com
from WinCustomize Forums

WindowBlinds 5 Beta 3 is now out.  WindowBlinds is a program designed to enable users to completely customize their Windows GUI.  It loads special "skins" called "Visual styles" that can change your title bars, push buttons, Start bar, scrollbars, and virtually every other part of the Windows GUI.

WindowBlinds 5 has a ton of new features and changes but probably the most obvious new feature is the ability to do per-pixel alpha-blended title bars, borders, and menus which enable users to have "glass" effects or borders that are very smoothed out.  Other features include the elimination of wbload.exe (there is no longer a resident program required to run WindowBlinds, it behaves as part of the OS).  WindowBlinds 5 also takes far more advantage of hardware acceleration by default (anyone with a recent nVidia or ATI card should immediately notice the difference. For instance, no screen repaints when users move windows in front of other windows).

BETA 3 of WindowBlinds 5 is a major step forward and if all goes well, it will move to release candidate status.

  • Added .JPG wallpaper support
  • Per Pixel Alpha Blended skins support left aligned buttons for Mac-style
  • Per Pixel Alpha Blended skins now support text backgrounds for title bar text
  • Added support for constant alpha blending on taskbar
  • New trouble-shooting advisors
  • Fixed issue with Norton Protection recycle pin and hopefully the weird problem with some Lexmark printer drivers
  • Better support for drawing custom controls in MS Access, OnFolio, Corel Painter
  • Fixed user icon changing
  • Fixed Run-As issue
  • Re-enabled RMB on title bar override options (yay!)
  • Reflection maps can now be clipped to avoid shadows
  • Apps with custom menus should work fine with custom per pixel WB menus
  • Fixed remaining installer issues for X64 users. 

Right now WindowBlinds 5 is only available to Object Desktop users.  When completed, it'll be available on its own for $19.95.  Anyone who has purchased WindowBlinds 4 after September 1 will receive WindowBlinds 5 for free.

25,715 views 48 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
not showing up for me yet in SDC
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Is update from 11/11 4.96[b].003, I think Brad holds off a couple days on posting so servers don't get flooded.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
ahhh, though 4.96[b].003 shows as BETA 2
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm glad to say the claendar view in OfficeXP issue is also rersolved! Brad, you've got a great team there.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
ahhh, though 4.96[b].003 shows as BETA 2


SDC >>

WB 4.96 beta
------------
Lots of new things/tweaks with this build. A reboot will
be required for this update.

-Added jpg wallpaper support
-Added left aligned buttons in per pixel skins
-Added text back support for per pixel skins
-Added support for constant alpha blending on taskbar
-Added more information to Troubleshooting panel
-Fixed issue with Norton Protected Recycling bin that
we're hopeful also resolves the reports of crashes with
Lexmark printer drivers.
-Fixes for MS Access, onfolio, corel painter
-Fixed user icon changing
-Fixed RunAs issues
-Fix for wbui.dll registration
-Reenabled RMB on titlebar override options
-Reflection maps can be clipped to avoid shadows
-Apps which make menus transparent should no longer conflict
with WB5 per-pixel menus

11/11/05 17:06 506,970 wblind.dll
11/11/05 17:06 172,032 WbSrv.dll
11/11/05 18:07 395,776 wbconfig.exe
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If you have issues with installing WB5 or just applying skins, completely uninstall SDCentral, delete all SD references from the registry, then reinstall the latest version of SDCentral.

Works wonders. Its a shame each upgrade breaks SDCentral somehow.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"-Reenabled RMB on titlebar override options" <-- Whats that?
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
the following is taken from Windows Blinds Troubleshooting section:-

WindowBlinds 5 BETA 2 Troubleshooting Report:

STATUS : WB+ SRV+ HLP+ UI+ TRAY+

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 MOBILITY RADEON 9600

Wblind.dll 2005/11/11 17:06:20
Wbsrv.dll 2005/11/11 17:06:22
Wbconfig.exe 2005/11/11 18:08:00
Wbload.exe 2005/11/02 13:36:34
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/10/17 10:55:14
Tray.dll 2005/11/02 13:28:26
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Great job.

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I clicked on the "click here to view link" & Winfixer 2005 started to open as a web page, anyone else had this happen?

pcblues
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
pcblues... It seems you've gotten your hands on a bit of spyware. I dont know how to fully get rid of it, but I messed around on my dads computer for 3 hours before I got it to stop 'being annoying'. I'd suggest you do a sweep with Microsoft's Anti-Spyware. It seems to pick up on it.

Others... You *may* already have the newest beta installed. It was released to ODNT users several days ago, and is now only being announced to prevent server flooding. CHECK your versions and do an uninstall/reinstall if you feel you need to. You could always hop onto the IRC channel through the Chat section in SDC if you'd like a little help. The kind people in there will help to guide you straight, if they can.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This release caused my machine to crash and reset while trying to load windows. Had to resort to the last good config.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm having all kinds of trouble installing this beta. I'm jumping straight from the 4.6 official version (first time WB5 install).

Earlier on it was crashing SDcentral when it came to the activation step. So, I uninstalled/reinstaled SDcentral, and the install went OK apparently. My OD subscription was seen OK, SDcentral did not crash, and prompted me to reboot XP. Following the reboot I'm greeted with a WB activation prompt. Entering my OD subscription email and SN gives me a "maximum activations reached" error.

What's up with this error? I've yet to install WB5 - ever. Hints anyone?
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This release caused my machine to crash and reset while trying to load windows. Had to resort to the last good config


I had a problem sorta like this:

I inadvertantly deleted a skin folder while sorting. Later, while looking at my WBConfig skins panel, I noticed they were still there. Unwisely, I decided to delete them using the WBConfig "delete this skin". WBConfig doesn't like it when you do that. You get this nice little box that wants to know which data base you want to choose from, then, if you don't give it one, WBConfig giggles a little and has a seizure. I then uninstalled all WBs on my system, cleared folders, made backups beforehand, and reinstalled wb4-wb5beta. On reboot, I had a 5-7 minute wait for XP to "loading your personal settings....". This is because WB was starting up before my desktop and wanted to be activated. Well, I couldn't activate it because I didn't see it yet. After an eternity of waiting for my personal settings to be loaded I then had to tell my firewall it was OK for activate.exe to execute.

This is the first time I have had a problem with any of the betas, and I was the cause. I have seen these problems throughout the beta period and now believe most of the issues are user error.

When installing clean, install each WB one at a time, allowing for installation prompts such as "you must reboot for installation to take effect". That message means what it says. So, install one at a time, reboot if necessary. Do not queue the next update. Install it after the prior installation is COMPLETE. And by all means, do not delete skins from the folder, use the WBConfig and save yourself some trouble.

Have a nice day and Happy skinning!
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Outlook 2002 calendars and Painter IX window control buttons fixed!!

Color me happy.......

The new handling of skinning the GUI with WB5 is almost indistinguishable from the native "themes" service, and faster at handling the opening and closing of windows.

Huge step above the old handling in 4.6......

The completed "official release" is bound to be the "bomb"  - I think that is the new "cool" phrase...........a generation or two back you understand.

Great work, Stardock.

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

We worked over the weekend and today with some customers to try and track down the oddball "could not write activation signature" issues that some people have reported. There should be a refreshed build tomorrow that tweaks those.

Davebo, I've reset your account record.

The Nov 11th builds are "current"/beta3. At least one more update liable to come out in the next day or two to resolve the above, add some new skinning features, and knock some other reported issues off the list.

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It's working with Access, and Onfolio--you guys are amazing.
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks for that, Nakor. Now I'm getting a "Could not write the activation signature" error.

I forsee another install of WB in my future...
Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Its a shame each upgrade breaks SDCentral somehow.



Not true in all cases. If a person has a problem they should contact support so the issue can be resolved and the problem made known. Thats how fixes come about. I had a problem with the SDC and contacted support a few days ago and they sent me a fix. Worked good. Didnt have to uninstall anything.

So ... try support first. Give them a chance.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Using latest update and the 5imple Alpha skin...the toolbar dividers in IE are now solid black lines instead of the normal dividers.

Other than that, great!!!
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
the toolbar dividers in IE are now solid black lines instead of the normal dividers.


i had the same problem..please see the following link to solve it


Link
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This just gets worse and worse for x64. The first beta to support it worked, but only if you manually executed the right exes in the right order and ignored error messages. B2 installed fine and had no errors, but never skinned anything (leaving you with a windows classic appearance). Now this one installs fine and skins everything, but its unbelievably slow, doesn't display skins correctly, and after changing a skin 2 or 3 times (which takes about 10 minutes) could give you a BSOD. Hopefully they get it right before the final release.