Can't install Premium suites

from Stardock Forums
Hello Fans
I canoot install the premium suites: Oxidezed,UniverseMetal2004, Carbonix etc.

What happens is, that Theme Manager starts and pretty soon goes to sleep (inactive) probably for ever, but I rudely killed it usually after 1-2 hours. Memory and CPU wasn't used to either limit (below 50% max.).

I am running XP-Home, SP2

SD installation is:
- above suites incl. license where needed
- Object Deskop Net
- ObjectDoc Plus
- WinCustomize Subscription

Many many thanks for your help.

Besides, is there a rule where (what files) SD looks for items like widgets, themes, icons ....... ?? Cause, maybe I downloaded and extracted the stuff to the wrong place..!!.??
8,671 views 14 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
did you buy them?

you should have gotten a download link if you did.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
He describes
- above suites incl. license where needed


Can you apply the non-premium suites?
Where are the premium suites on your HD? Can you browse to them via TM? Do they end in .suite or .zip?

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Yes to almost all: 1) bought them all 2) used download link in mail with key 3) Carbonix asked for key 4) Universe Metal did not ask for key

Download went into my private download file. after execution/extract files .suite, .exe and .zip (once more) went into the same file. I then executed the .exe ones.

For other products, like Minumums etc. the very same happens.

Thanks for help. walt
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
ah missed it, was still reeling from another post.
all suites on my computer are .suite files - double click and they self install
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Don't the premuim suites come with Theme manager built in? They're getting on in years. Maybe something got overwritten.
Has TM ever worked for you?

I'd put the *.suite files somewhere safe on my HD, uninstall TM, and reinstall via SDC. But that's just me.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Oh, thanks for the tip. will try out.

in the meantime I loaded a theme (not suite) via TM. It worked (*apply skins and themes*) fine - except all icons are vanished (and I really liked them).

will try your tip. thanks again.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
I am sorry to back all the time. I did try any possible way to install a suite.
Result was always the same: TM get to line *apply skins and themes* and after less than a minute goes to sleep.

I have also tried just to install a simple skin rather than suite. Same problem.

Since a browsed through all SD-sites I might also gotten mixed up. Therefore a briefing of my troubles:

1) why cant I install suites ?
2) if I could do it, how can I tell winXP to use this one as default ?
3) does SD use fixed files to store/expect stuff on my HD ? (e.g. I wanna add a
"foreign" widget or anything else
5) where can I find the Bigpicture of SD ? showing the products and their addons and
the relation among all these ?

Happy day and many thanks and kind regards
walt
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
1) why cant I install suites ?
Dunno yet
2) if I could do it, how can I tell winXP to use this one as default ?
Once it's set, you're done until you either apply a new theme or componant of a theme
3) does SD use fixed files to store/expect stuff on my HD ? (e.g. I wanna add a "foreign" widget or anything else
Everything is local to your machine.
5) where can I find the Bigpicture of SD ? showing the products and their addons and the relation among all these ?
https://www.stardock.com/products.asp and https://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/ should work

Theme Manager applies cohesive parts of other Stardock applications (and a few 3rd party apps). The *.suite file sends calls to the web to download all the skins or widgets or wallpapers or whatever. If you don't have the apps that apply those skins it should prompt you for those apps (WindowBlinds, Logon Studio, CursorXP, etc.). It doesn't DO anything . . .it just . . .manages . . . themes.

So let's ask a question, do you have any of those other apps installed? Could the prompt to download those apps be lost underneath another window as you go about yoru business?

Let's go back a step: What version of theme manager do you have?
Can you go File | Open Suite... and browse to a suite file? {pretty sure the answer is yes, what theme?}
Do you have any firewalls that might be blocking access to the internet by Theme manager? If so allow Thememgr.exe through.

After that . . . I dunno. Someone smarter will have to pick up where we have left off.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

As you probably now know, you need WindowBlinds, IconPackager, etc. to apply the theme parts.

If theme manager still does not work for you after having these installed, you can change the ".suite" extension to ".zip" and extract.

In some cases, you will see the different skin folders (WindowBlinds, IconPackager, etc.), which can be placed in the correct program folder and applied using the individual programs.

In other cases, you will see an ".ini" file, which you can double-click to open. This will result in a text file, which will include a list of "Files". These files will be listed by program and then a URL (starting with "http://") - simply copy and paste each URL into your browser address bar and press "Enter", this will result in the file being available for saving to your machine.

Most files can then be double-clicked to install once saved to the machine.

I hope this helps.

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Wait a minute Corky...


I've had trouble with suites before so I hadn't used TM in a while.  I have noticed that newer suites are only 100+ or so kb - so I guessed that was telling TM what to download.  So, are you saying if I just download the small kb suite file, there is an .ini in it that I can use the info from in order to separately download the components?   Since my crash, the only suite I have is Kryponite which I can run via SDC since that's how I downloaded it.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Bichur,

That is correct.

The smaller suite files generally have a preview, ".ini" file, and perhaps a read-me or another small additional file.

Just open the ".ini" and you will see the files list, which TM also uses to locate and download from the indicated URL.

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

cooool. me lerns summin evvy day.


thanks o' wise op one.

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Hello to all
many thanks for your great help, and sorry for the delay - I had to install my new box and convert zillions of progs - plus to shuffle snow around the clock.

My problem (above) was obvously a mismatch of free-to-try stuff and licenced ones. As soon, as I uninstalled all of them and neatly reinstalled them - it worked. And the bonus for nightmares: my 2 procs and 2 GB mems run just crazy about SD. Its real good and much much more than fun.

more snow calls me, cheers
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top