WindowBlinds 5 Startup Problems » Forum Post by Andrew Robinson

PS Reloader - I am able to run all features of WB 5 using the Intel onboard graphics that are part of the first generation Centrino "suite". My problem is in rebooting AFTER that first installation reboot - which makes no sense to me and suggests that there is more going on here. Once I reboot after having played around with WB and skins, I'm back to windows classic and no amount of rebooting in response to the popup will change a thing. I must reinstall WB to get back to skinning (for one session

).

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Which would suggest Tofino......some sort of system/graphic related error?.....some conflict??......I think we may be nearer to the problem than most think?.....

I'm clutching at straws I know....but I think it must be along these lines?

I would be most grateful for peeps to post their 'working' setups....so we can rule out certain points....

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Yes, this is what I was hoping to accomplish - get others experiencing this problem to post more information about how they have their computers set-up so that we can try to identify some sort of common "thread" that we can then look at more closely to try to troubleshoot this. I see this information as including apps and services that run at startup but also which version of XP they're running, how WB was installed and what hardware they are running it on.

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I have also X64 running, no it's not a pirated version. And I noticed a few things. wb.ini is not where it is supposed to be. Well, to be honest, it doesn't exist at all after the installation. And the RegKey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\WBSrv

is WB on my system not WBSrv. Thinking of testing putting wb.ini from another system and changing the RegKey tonight if I have the time.

Does anyone else have similar problems with the Key and wb.ini?

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Hi GoBlinMax,

I've got the WBsrv key issue (mine is that it is simply not present) under WinXP Pro 32 bit. My wb.ini file is located in the windows directory...

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Well running Ver 4.6 the files are as follows on XP64....

This key WB (not WBSrv)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\WB

Contents:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/scaramonga/regkey.png

WB.ini is located in \WINDOWS directory and its contents are:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/scaramonga/wbini.png

Dunno if this will help??

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iam not sure if that helps, although i pritty much got lost in the last few posts

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I've just gone through a grueling cycle of uninstalling all of my security applications in turn and having Stardock Central install WB 5 after each uninstallation (which also included zapping WB off my system as well after each app was uninstalled as well), rebooting, reinstalling WB 5 via SDC and rebooting again. No dice - the reboot to complete installation dialog is just like the frigging energizer bunny! I didn't uninstall AVG Pro but disabled all of its services and startup behaviour...

I was uninstalling/reinstalling the Dec. 7 beta - 5.00[b].006

Has anyone actually resolved this problem on their machines? If so, what proved to be the culprit and the solution? I've been trying to fix this since November 28...

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It wont matter what you do buddy!........the software is buggy and thats that....

I've tried every combination possible from this end and it still gives the same result

Using 4.6 with NO problems and I'm gonna stick to it!

WB 5 is one BIG failure and should never have been released without proper testing!!

I notice no input from any of the WB 5 developers here??.....I wonder why?

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I notice no input from any of the WB 5 developers here??.....I wonder why?

FYI - though he is probably very busy attempting to address these - and other - issues (a lot of software on Tolfino's machine to attempt reproduction), Neil Banfield is one of the WB developers.

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a lot of software on Tolfino's machine to attempt reproduction

Fair enough!.....

But if you READ this thread?.....properly!......WB 5 has been installed on CLEAN (as in NOTHING ELSE) OS??....so where does 'a lot of software' come into it??

This thread has developed more than the software!

Peeps are paying money and want answers as to why no action is forthcoming???.........and not only this thread!!

I say....PULL....the software till a WORKING version is ready?......your going to end up with a lot of unhappy peeps until you do so!

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Hi all,

I was *just* about to format my harddrive and try again when I had a change of heart (couldn't face reinstalling everything) and went looking for *anything* that might be causing this. Well, I found it: Tenebril's SpyCatcher installs a service called Tenebril Antispyware Satellite which its uninstaller apparenty does not remove. I had to go into my registry and cut it out manually. I had installed this as part of the GhostSurf Platinum 2005 suite. Thus, when I uninstalled the suite yesterday and tried to reinstall WB5 this service was still running and blocking some key writes to the registry. I've just confirmed that the WBSrv key is still there (again, after three reboots).

Anyway, this appears to have been the culprit. I've rebooted twice since the installation mandated reboot SimpleAlpha has greeted me each time.

Hope this helps someone else,

Mike

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Tofino: Thats great news.

We will install that on a PC here and see if we can at least get WB to detect it and prompt the user about the problem. Obviously an app which is blocking registry writes should be telling you about the attempts really and ideally giving you the option to approve it.

Anyone else have a problem with a 32 bit XP?

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Hi Neil,

Thanks for the comments - I'm thrilled too! I've had a few hours sleep and am not (quite) so punchy now. The exe that is associated with the service is C:\Program Files\GhostSurf 2005\DeleteSvc.exe and the service is listed as "Tenebril antispyware satellite (TNBRLDS)".

I *think* that what happened was that SpyCatcher flagged an installation file as spyware and removed it. I had SC set up to remove Spyware and *trick* the software that it was bundled with into thinking that the spyware was still installed. I remember sweeping my system around the time of my initial WB installation and getting a warning from Spycatcher about a file in my local settings temp folder - GBM/GTF?? - containing spyware (possibly ezula) - that neither Webroot's Spysweeper nor ZoneAlarm were reporting, and thus probably a false positive. I stupidly blocked the spyware at that time but did restore it a day or two later in the course of trying to troubleshoot this problem. I'm *guessing* that allowing spyware as id'd by SC after it has been blocked doesn't remove the anti-reinstallation flag in SC...?

Thus, try installing SpyCatcher 2005 (if you can still download it - they're onto 2006 now) and running a sweep with it after installing WB but before rebooting a second time.

That's all I can think of two weeks after the fact but I *think* my memory is accurate. Hopefully, this will help you replicate the problem more quickly.

I'll reinstall GhostSurf in a bit and see if the problem returns, if that will help you.

Thanks for all your help,

Mike

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WB 5 has been installed on CLEAN (as in NOTHING ELSE) OS??....so where does 'a lot of software' come into it??

Assuming a default install of either XP Home, or Pro from the stock MS disc - I would say the issue lies with either the hardware or perhaps in the connection when activation takes place.

I have beta tested, and official release tested this software on a home-built desktop running XP Pro, and a Dell Inspiron 9300 notebook running XP Home - using clean installs of the OS each time - for a total of around 12 - 15 clean OS installs on both machines, and subsequent installs of all software I use, and then Icon Packager, WindowBlinds, and ObjectDock Plus.

Each time, the installation was successful (with a couple 'resets' required on my account due to activation limits reached), and the only thing close to a consistent issue (about 80%) was the restoring of the default XP "Luna" theme after the first application of a skin - and the subsequent attempt to restore after unloading. For some reason, the "Luna" theme shell image would not display in the Display Properties, which resulted in the Windows Classic being applied.

A reboot and an applying of the 'Windows Classic' from within WB Configuration panel, and then using Display Properties\Themes tab\Theme drop-down to apply Windows XP theme resulted in a successful restoring of the "Luna" theme. This fix was consistent each time.

In summary, I have to say that as far as a clean install of the OS, the problems have been relatively few compared to the number of people installing this program - and therefore, any issue would seem to point more to hardware (or drivers) than to compatibility between the default installation of Windows XP and WindowBlinds 5.

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and therefore, any issue would seem to point more to hardware (or drivers)

I agree!

Which is why I asked peeps to post their 'working' and 'non-working' hardware/driver setups......this would help to narrow down the conflict?

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I have had the same exasperating problem.
When I install WB5, I get the usual pop-up asking me to reboot my system, but when I reboot, I get the same pop-up asking me to reboot my system again. If I launch through StarDock central, the same happens again.
The exact wording is this:
This machine MUST be rebooted after installing this version of WB5. Please select one of the buttons below.
Reboot Now
I'll reboot later.

I have paid for this program and have it on the CD I paid to have sent through snail mail to me. This is NOT a hacked copy. This is the real mccoy.

Also, several things I noticed that seem to be in common:
I also have Ghost Surf 2005 Platinum installed as well as AVG 7 Pro. However, I made sure both were completely unloaded from the systray before installing Stardock's Object Desktop which includes WB5. However, I did NOT unload the extra pieces of AVG that remain in the task manager after unloading it from the systray.
To quote Mike:
"I was *just* about to format my harddrive and try again when I had a change of heart (couldn't face reinstalling everything) and went looking for *anything* that might be causing this. Well, I found it: Tenebril's SpyCatcher installs a service called Tenebril Antispyware Satellite which its uninstaller apparenty does not remove. I had to go into my registry and cut it out manually. I had installed this as part of the GhostSurf Platinum 2005 suite. Thus, when I uninstalled the suite yesterday and tried to reinstall WB5 this service was still running and blocking some key writes to the registry. I've just confirmed that the WBSrv key is still there (again, after three reboots)."
I do not know how to go into my registry and cut it out manually. I need that information, please. (Hoping Mike will impart his wisdom!)

I'd like to know how I can "go back" to WB 4.6 when I never had that before?

Thanks for all your help.

-nobodyzsukey

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Hi nobodyzsukey,

If you have Stardock Central loaded - fire it up and provide it with the serial numbers that it asks for. Then, go to the "Object Desktop" pane, which can be reached from a link at the top right of the SDC screen and you*should* see WB 4.6 listed as a component that you can install. If you haven't purchased Object Desktop, WB 4.6 will be the only one that doesn't say "shareware" after it...

Anyway, on to your question about getting rid of the Tenebril AntiSpyware Satellite. I don't remember whose instructions I followed to remove the service but this site:

www.cryer.co.uk/brian/windows/howto_nt_das.htm

provides the same information.

I, too, tried every conceivable combo of stopping services and programs loading at startup and nothing worked - just the complete removal of Ghostsurf. I haven't had the heart to reinstall it so can't say for sure if running it with the AS Satellite service uninstalled will allow you to run WB5 with GS Plat... If you successfully install WB5 by removing the AS Satellite while retaining the rest of Ghostsurf, please let us know as I'd be interested in reinstalling. However, if all else fails, do a complete uninstall of GS 2005 and you should be set.

Hope this helps,

Mike

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All right... I finally got around to creating an image of my c: drive and reinstalling Ghostsurf 2005 Platinum. I rebooted and WB 5 wasn't loaded! The "this computer must be rebooted to complete installation" problem had returned. I played around with the settings in GhostSurf and disabled and removed any services that I could find associated with it and rebooted - no joy. nobodyzsukey, my advice is to pick which of the two apps is more important to you and forget about the other. I've restored my drive image and WB5 is quite happy. I can live without GhostSurf, for now.

FWIW, one of the things I tried was to remove the AntiSpyware Satellite service and it wasn't even there, presumably because I hadn't started SpyCatcher so there were no settings for "protector". Anyway, I *think* the problem may be the deletesatellite (service?), which seems to be necessary for all components of GhostSurf, though I am not 100% sure. I had to search the registry for it as it didn't show up in the services section of MMC and removing what I did find in the registry didn't alleviate the problem - I tried two successive reboots and a cold boot to be sure. I gave up at this point and restored my image...

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PS I have just e-mailed Tenebril support to get their perspective on this issue. I haven't bothered until now because I was so fed up after spending two fruitless weeks trying to install WB5 that I just didn't care. After two subsequent weeks of smooth operation with WB5 installed, I can see more clearly the fact that having spent $50 on GhostSurf less than 8 months ago I am being a bit cavalier! This is a problem that must be resolved, I can see no reason for WB and GS Platinum not to coexist happily. I'll keep the thread posted on any developments.

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Tofino, I am very glad you did investigate until you found positive results. If you remember, I suggested that one or more of your security programs may have been blocking WB. You must have been going bonkers with it, but I am very glad to see you have found the culprit. Just a suggestion, for antispyware that is free and very good: Spybot Search and Destroy is very good, and prompts user for input as to whether or not user wants something installed when it thinks there may be spyware. Run it with the "Tea Timer" in your tray and you'll be happy with results.

Hopefully, for the $50 you spent on Tenebril, they'll give some sort of response in your favor, or at the very least a refund, since their software likes to just not install portions of other software without asking.

Happy Skinning!

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central

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Hi Scorpio-logic,

Thanks for the response - yes I WAS going bonkers (short trip... and no, I don't live anywhere near N.Y.C.!). I've used Spybot in the past and you're right - it is very good. I'll take a look!

Cheers,

Mike

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PS Scorpio-logic, Cacheman XP is gone and so is my paging file. Very impressive! Thanks for the tip (and the kick in the rear, lifting me out of my apathy about this)

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I don't think it has anything to do with security programs or anything else but a bug in windowblinds 5. I installed 4.5 and that installed fine. However, every time I try to install 5 I get the reboot loop no matter how many times I reboot.

I can't believe that there is such a big problem like this with such an unbelievably popular program. Plus, with all the people having this problem I don't understand how it slipped past beta testers.

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Well, I re-installed GhostSurf 2005 today after corresponding with their support. They insist that the symptoms sound like corrupt drivers and directed me to uninstall GhostSurf, reboot, and reinstall it. I did so and DIDN'T restore my previous settings (something I stupidly did last time I tried this) and I have rebooted twice with my WB 5 installation intact. I don't know how nobodyzsukey got on with this, but it is working from my end. I've deleted ALL shortcuts to SpyCatcher and hope that I never have the misfortune to open it - despite Tenebril supports' assertion that this is a corrupt file problem, I believe it to be a bug in their software...

Anyway, I'm happy for now, though I am making frequent backups of my C: partition, just in case

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