looks like they should have betatested this so more, we can call it "windowsbleta"

bad joke i know

If it continues with WB4.6 then it suggests its not WB causing the issue.

Hmmm I am beginning to get the same idea. Especially since my computer completely crashed when I tried to launch it today, it appears that there are some damaged system files...

Hi all,

I just want to confirm something here: am I the only one posting in this thread that gets through the first reboot after WB5 installation, is able to use ALL features of WB 5 until the NEXT reboot, at which point I am put in a mindnumbing cycle of being asked to reboot the computer to finalize the installation (despite the fact that I've already done that and used the program, with the system configuration pane of wbconfig indicating that everything is fine with my installation and setup)?

Just curious,

Thanks,

Mike

If WB works after the first reboot and then stops working after the next reboot then something is removing the WindowBlinds registry entries after WB has started.  If the keys are deleted then clearly WB is unable to start & no amount of patches from us is going to resolve this as its not WB deleting the keys.

It seems most likely the problem is a service doing this.

Gabe3: Please send an e-mail to [email protected] from the e-mail address you registered WB with.

Yes, thank you Neil, I am aware of that. I was merely posting to find out if anyone else is experiencing the same behaviour so that we might try to identify if there are common third party services running that might be causing this. I've tied myself in knots trying to identify what is conflicting with WB on my system and have failed.

I havnt bought wb 5 yet, I am just trying to get the trial to work

Sorry, I thought when you said 'what a waiste of time and money, now i know why it was only $20' you had purchased a copy.

Could you still please contact me with a list of the apps running on your PC and the information from the WB troubleshooting page as we can try to track down this problem. 

Thanks

Just finished restoring my system, and WB 5.00[b].006 is running perfectly

Thanks for all the help,

Chris

OK I seem to have joined the rest of the club now in that I cannot get WB5 to start after installation AT ALL. My machine reboots in Windows Classic and I get the "This machine MUST be rebooted after installing this version of WB5" popup (without my interacting with the computer in any way other than to type in my password). If I then click on "reboot now" the machine restarts back into Windows Classic and the same popup appears.

I've already been through all my security apps and services - I've even tried installing WB with only the default WinXP services running and my security apps set not to start on boot with no change. I have full read/write access to the registry.

Thoughts?

I have the same sort of problem, they cant seem to fix it who knows whats goin on

Neil did you get that file i sent you??

Tofino,

I have encountered a number of security programs that identify a few dlls from WB and CursorXP as risks. Do you run a registry monitor of some sort?

Hi Scorpio-logic,

Thanks for replying. I do run registry monitoring software (Tenebril's SpyCatcher, Regdefend, and possibly both AVG 7 Pro and Webroot's SpySweeper) but I've gone through the very laborious process of disabling all of them from starting up AND disabling the services that they install. Hasn't made a difference. In the past, I've been able to install WB5, reboot and have wbconfig open up stating that all is well and skin until my ears bleed but upon subsequent reboot I'm back to windows classic and the reboot warning from the WB 5 installer.

After trying the above, though (ie disabling my security apps and their services) I am now experiencing the "normal" problem - WB 5 won't run at all. I no longer have the fleeting joy of skinning my Windows installation I am simply asked to restart my computer whenever I try to run WB. If I select "Reboot Now" the computer reboots, windows classic is the theme, and I have to manually start wbconfig, which won't open as I am informed that in order to complete installation I must reboot!

Thanks for anything that might occur to you from reading the above. It does bear noting that when I *was* able to run wbconfig, the system information tab indicated that all was rosy with my installation.

It seems to be a big problem. Why with 5 and not earlier versions?

I have the same problem on Windows XP x64 edition.  I install and then of course I am asked to reboot.  When I reboot, wb attempts to load and I am presented with the reboot screen again, I reboot again, and nothing happens, I try to start wb5 manually through the start menu, and then i am prompted to restart a 3rd time.

This is happening on a freshly installed system with no anti-virus, security, anti-spyware, or anything else loaded onto the system.  I can however install it on the 32-bit edition on the same system, it is only doing this on the x64 edition of xp with wb5.  I don't have antiwpa or anything like that as this is a volume license copy of XP x64 for corporate use.

I am under the impression that WB5 is supposed to support XP 64.  here is my configuration:

Intel EM64T HT processor 3.4Ghz

Windows XP x64 edition with all updates

ATI Radeon X850 CrossFire Edition (single card configuration)

2 GB DDR2 RAM

Intel 82801FR SATA RAID currently at RAID-0 with two 250GB hdd

Please advise what would be causing this.

i have the same problem, Iam also on xp x64, but its not a fresh install

Yup!

x64 here and the same damn 'reboot' problem??

I also installed it on a fresh install of the OS...but it made no difference!

Have gone back to 4.6 and all is OK

It certainly is nothing to do with 'security' apps...as I had NOTHIN installed on OS at the time!!

Seems this thread has been going on for some time with no progress as to why this is happening??

its supose to support xp x64, oh well..it does'nt

The same behaviour is occurring on machines running the 32-bit version of windows (mine included), so this is clearly not a problem exclusive to the 64-bit version. There *must* be something that everyone experiencing this problem has in common - be it a setting, specific software app (or type of software app), installation peculiarities, whatever.

I am running WinXP Pro Sp-2 with all latest updates on a Centrino notebook - 1.4Ghz, 1024MB Ram (PC2100), 80GB HD.

I also run (all latest builds/versions/releases):

Acronis TrueImage 9

GenieBackupManager Pro 6

GhostSecurity Suite RegDefend 2

AVG Pro 7.1

Webroot Spysweeper 4.5

Tenebril GhostSurf 2005 Platinum (includes SpyCatcher)

WinPatrol Plus 9.8

Admuncher

ZoneAlarms Pro (with anti-spyware active)

Executive Diskeeper 10

Webroot Window Washer 6

Directory Opus 8.2 Unicode

Sandboxie

CachemanXP

There's more but these are the apps that have the potential (I think) to block writes to the registry at startup... I am currently running WB5 with the SimpleAlpha skin. This after an initial reboot following uninstallation/reinstallation with SDC - I am running the latest beta build. I have a good feeling about this *taking* this time, but am not holding my breath. I'll know after a reboot but I can't bring myself to do it just yet as I am enjoying the skin Actually, I've a reboot to do as RegDefend has just updated itself so we'll see...

Anyone who has made it through my partial list of apps and is experiencing this problem - do you see any commonality? FWIW I am also running Office 2003, GPSoftware's DOpus 8.2 unicode, and browse the web with the latest build of Maxthon.

Just to close (and more a note to self) I haven't adjusted my display settings this time around - they're at 16 bit which rules out per pixel blending - I'll see if this changes anything over the next couple of reboots (assuming this one is successful).

Mike

Tofino, just wondering why you use Cacheman with 1.5 gig of memory. I run with 1 gig of 400ddr with paging executive shut off, ie no paging file. I seem to have better performance this way. On another note, you certainly have security. Have you checked the logs of Ghost Security, ZoneAlarm, SpySweeper etc, to see if they have blocked any WB parts? You are right, if it happens on your 32 bit version, it must be a conflict with some application you have running. I have ZoneAlarm on my laptop, it doesn't have a problem. And I would rule out AVG also. But that Ghost RegDefend...I'd check the logs there and in the Spysweeper and Admuncher (although the Admuncher is a long shot). I hope you get it figured out soon, I couldn't go without my WB.

Well, predictably, that hasn't worked. The RegDefend update had the added bonus of resetting everything related to it so I can see what write attempts were made/blocked/allowed to the registry and note that not only wasn't anything blocked from Stardock/WindowsBlinds, none have been recorded at all. I guess RegDefend can be crossed off my list, though if you read back through the thread you'll note that I've been through 'em all, a number of times.

Hi Scorpio-logic,

I come from old Yorkshire stock and having paid for CachemanXP back when I was running Win2k with 256 MB of RAM I'm darned well using it! Actually, I am constantly questioning my use of it myself but I've determined that it has no detrimental effect so am content to leave it for now. It is under constant review, though...

See my note above, which I must have been pecking out while you were writing yours re: RegDefend. I've gone so far as to completely uninstall RefDefend and do a clean install of WB but it hasn't made any difference, so it's back for now.

I'll look at those logs - I hadn't thought to do it before as I've been focused on looking at application settings and startup behaviour or services.

Thanks for your reply,

Mike

I dont think its 'App' related?........as I had tried it on a BARE OS install....

I am at a loss as to why it works for some and not others?

Could it maybe be driver related??....as in Graphics Driver??

Would be interesting to note the drivers ATI/Nvidia/Version etc of whos works and whos dont....

I'm running Nvidia Forceware 81.95

Well, I've been through the application settings for my security apps as well as any logs (that I can find) and cannot see anything in settings that could be blocking completing the installation. The only logs I can find are for RegDefend and SpySweeper and neither of them contain any reference to Stardock, WindowBlinds or SDC. I've confirmed that none of my anti-spyware apps are set to block writes to the registry so I'm back to square one and open to Reloader's suggestion that this may not be app related.

How has everyone experiencing this problem installed WB 5? I initially did so by downloading the installer and running it. I switched to the SDC method later in hopes that it might fix the problem (it hasn't). Just curious. I've used the ODNTzapper to completely remove WB 5 and have tried reinstalling under numerous scenarios (with security apps disabled, with them enabled, from within SDC, from the installer, and so on and so forth). After almost two weeks of this I am pretty much out of ideas.