WB 5.01 won't load properly

from Stardock Forums

I installed the trial version of WB5 but was having problems loading any skins properly. The desktop theme looked like Windows 95 as a close description. There were no icons in the system tray except for the system defaults and some others like my anti-virus.


I decided to go ahead and purchase OD and then upgraded to WB 5.01. It worked for a while, the skins finally started showing up but not competely. They might show up in the windows but the toolbar would not get skinned at all. After a reboot the skins showed up completely but the system tray icons showed another system tray superimposed on top of it. I decided that I probably screwed up the installation and uninstalled and reinstalled SDC and loaded up WB5 again. Now it won't load any of the skins at all. It still makes it look like a Windows 95 theme when I try loading a skin. Are there any settings that I should try looking into or conflicting programs? The only program I have that loads up at the start is Panda Anti-Virus and I disabled it from loading at startup to see if that would fix it but it still won't work.


My system specs:


Windows XP Pro SP2


AMD Athlon X2 3800+


ATI AIW X800 6.3 Catalyst drivers (newer drivers have only messed up my systesm)


Any more info about what to do let me know. I really want to get this working. I found what I would call THE skin for my taste and would like to get it to load

windowblinds
7,633 views 25 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Go into Windowblinds configuration and post system information. It might help see what's wrong....
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Thanks, I'll do that as soon as I get home, which won't be soon enough as far as this day is going. I'm already a little worried since after reading some posts of some other people with ATI X1900s who were also having problems that might be driver related. I love my ATI card but that company has never gotten its act together as far as its driver stability.

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
WindowBlinds 5.0 System Information 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.

(Plug and Play Monitor) 1 is attached to ALL-IN-WONDER X800 Series

Wblind.dll 2006/03/21 13:33:46
Wbsrv.dll 2006/02/05 12:58:22
Wbconfig.exe 2006/03/19 14:33:44
Wbload.exe 2006/03/13 17:54:12
Wbhelp.dll 2004/09/18 16:37:00
Wbui.dll 2005/12/06 21:29:06
Tray.dll 2005/11/02 13:28:26
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

So I got home and uninstalled OD and all other related software then reinstalled WB from OD since I initially installed the trial copy of WB and then bought and updated from OD. I'm still having the same problem. Before uninstalling WB it only skinned my desktop once and then when I changed skins it went back to the Win95-looking skin and would not load any skins at all again. This was the only time it showed the system tray icons as well. I've played around with the settings but don't know what would be causing this. I want my blinds!

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There is something that I always recommend to people who just can't get WB to run properly after using the trial version and then going to the purchased version. Use the odnt zapper program to get rid of any traces of WB and start over.

Works everytime: https://www.stardock.com/files/odnt_zapper.exe
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Stardock Forums doesn't like underscores.


TinyURL version: Link


Uninstall WB - zap it - reboot (just in case) - use SDC to download and install

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Stardock Forums doesn't like underscores.



Neither does Zubaz. Grrrrr!!!

Off topic to Bichur: Did you see my tribute to you? http://www.skinnalicious.net/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=247&cid=1


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

Off topic to Bichur


D-u-d-e !


Most excellent!


I'm honored!
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Hey Z, don't have my pwrds handy so can't login there and comment.


But just did a save as here at work and it now my background!



 


Manuel Aquino,


I haven't had to use the zapper yet but from what I've read in the posts it should clear out WB very well so you can reinstall fresh.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
reboot (just in case)


not rebooting between uninstalling and reinstalling is often the issue. Very important. listen to the troll.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Most excellent!


I'm honored!


Awww shucks. It ain't no big thing.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
Finally, I'm under way to finding ou what's interfering with WB! I used the zapper but unfortunately it didn't completely solve the problem, WB would only change the wallpaper! I guess something is better than nothing
I finally went to msconfig and placed the system is Diagnostic Startup, rebooted and voila! My skins load without any problems!
So far I have to start loading the programs from Startup items one by one to see what which one is interfering with the skinning but at least I can definitely rule out the anti-virus now. Thanks a lot for all your suggestions. As soon as I find out which program is messing up with WB I'll post it. If not them maybe this is another solution to get thing working.
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
No retreat. No surrender.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Strange, when I powered off my system for the night and turned it on this morning the same thing happened: Windows 95-like skin. Went back into msconfig and unchecked StartUp items and rebooted, same thing. Re-checked Start Up and unchecked Services, WindowBlinds loads up fine! Went back into msconfig and then did a normal start up, everything: WindowBlinds loaded fine. I guess it's safe to assume that one of the ms or non-ms services needs to load before WindowBlinds or viceversa, during a cold boot into memory so it won't interfere with it? Doesn't seem to make much sense since I thought that everything gets wiped out during a cold or warm boot. More to come later.
Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top
I try everything that I now.Reinstal,turn of services,start up items,clean every trace of old WB instals i.t.d.Nothing work.You must back to windows default skin after every start up and then again apply WB5 skin.Must be the bug in the WB5 because WB4 work without problems.I think that nobody of us can fix this,only update from stardock.Thanks!
Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top
Finnaly! Try with windows theme service.Disable service in administrative tools and apply WB skin and reboot.Enjoy,WB5 skins are realy beatiful.I do!That is not final solution but work for now.For me,of course.
Thank's!
Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top
Glad it helped someone. OK, it's official. The problem is my anti-virus sw, more specifically a Panda Titanium service. I loaded the computer from a cold and warm boot only with the Microsot services from msconfig, Windowblinds loads up fine. Started loading up with the Panda Anti-virus services one by one and when I got to the final one named Panda TPSrv I received the same problem of the toolbar, etc. looking like Windows 95. I tried disabling heuristic scanning and similar services but it just won't load with that service on at all. Guess it's time too look for another anti-virus.
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top
do you use a password to login? according to #23 here: Link it worked using a password

Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks Bichur for the link. I'll try that out. Don't have any need for the pw and in any case, Windows loads way faster with that service disabled . In any case let me give it a try and see what happens. Thanks again! Nice to see that there are some very helpful members here. I've belonged to forums in which when you post a problem the answers are: Your computer is f'ed up! You're an idiot! You don't know what you're doing a**'h***! Needless to say I'm so glad that most of these products and companies are no longer in business due to the people they catered to. Will post again shortly.
Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks, but no dice Bichur I'm looking into it but is there any way to make this service start dead last? Right now I have it configured in the Admin Tools Services in XP to start manually. Right now I can't find any way to change their priority but at everything else works.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Off topic to Bichur: Did you see my tribute to you?


LMAO!! I think he's now stuck in that stump, cant get out..LoL... Nice job Zubaz!
Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Right now I can't find any way to change their priority but at everything else works.

Now, we're getting beyond my search the forum capabilities.
Possibly (you might want to ask around) in services, I notice that if you right click one, at the bottom it says you can specify start parameters... I got no idea what that really means.
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Does Panda have a forum? If so, you might pose the question of getting WB allowed.

I haven't used Panda, but when I did have Norton, I had turn off script blocking to get a lot of things to work.