Only two items stopping me from a purchase...

...ideas how to resolve?

from Stardock Forums
There are only two issues that I've found with WindowBlinds that I really need to resolve before making a purchase...

First of all (and I've posted this before), after installing WindowBlinds an applying any theme, I find that all my buttons are using Bold Tahoma 8 point font. In Outlook 2003 and Outlook Express, all my folders and message lists are also in Bold Tahoma 8 point. This makes finding unread messages very near impossible.

I can go to the Display settings and use the Advanced button under Appearance to correct most font issues, *BUT* the fonts Outlook 2003 and the buttons don't change. I've tried altering every font choice in the list, but these fonts stay as 8 pt Bold Tahoma.

To make matters worse, on reboot, the other font corrections I've made are lost.

I really need to have this working or else WindowBlinds is useless for me.

The second issue is with random crashing of Explorer.Exe after installing WindowBlinds and WindowFX.

I've stuffed a new hard drive into my PC, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, my hardware drivers (details below), all the Critial Windows updates. At this point I did several reboots and made general use of the PC over several hours. There were no issues. Drivers, WB demo and WFx demo all downloaded in the last two days.

Then I installed the WB and WFx demon. Now, at shutdown, the PC often has problems ending Explorer.exe.

Drivers, WB demo and WFx demo were all downloaded in the last two days.

Hardware Details:
CPU - Opteron 165 CPU
Mainboard - DFI nForce4 Lanparty D
Onboard nForce 4 gigabit LAN, Marvell Yukon gigabit LAN (disabled), USB, Firewire, audio(disabled)
Video - nVidia 7600GT PCIe
Audio - Creative Audigy 4 PCI card
HDD - Maxtor D740X-6L 60 gig PATA
Optical drive - AOpen DUW1616/ARR
Key/Mouse - Logitech Wireless Cordless Comfort Duo

(I need to reboot to the other drive to get version #'s, which I'll do later and add here)

- AMD CPU driver ver 3.2.1.0
- nVidia nForce 4 chipset v6.86
- nVidia display v91.47
- Creative Audigy 4 v5.12.8.1164 (?)
- Marvell Gigabit NIC v5.1
- Dell 2405FPW monitor vA00
- Logitech iTouch v2.22
- Logitech Mouseware v9.7.91
- DirectX 9c, August 2006
- ALL windows Critial updates


windowblinds
6,770 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This makes finding unread messages very near impossible.


Outlook has an option to show only unread messages.

open Wb configuration, click system info on the left and copy/paste to here all the info that shows up

i can run both WB and WFX without crashing (NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X - 9.1.3.1 dtd 6/1/2006)
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Have you tried the 'font overrides' in 'user overrides'?

On the other hand, only having 2 items slowing stopping you after 3 yrs isn't bad.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The WindowFX demo has a known issue on some machines where it can stall shutdown and cause the 'Application is not responding' message to show up.  This is fixed in the latest beta release.

To change fonts in a skin you need to use SkinStudio to modify the skin.  Settings in advanced display properties will apply at best until you change skin / logout.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I've been told many times to "use Skinstudio to modify the skin."

I've tried and can't find ANY reference to Tahoma anywhere in the skin. Which specific setting would I be changing that would affect the folder tree and message list in Outlook 2003?
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Try switching Windowblinds.
I've noticed this problem, but it's limited to specific Windowblinds. I think Josephs is the skinner whose blinds usually "mess up" my fonts. It probably has to do with the language in which he skins. It's a shame because other than the font issue his blinds are superb.

The early version of Eminence had font issues also but the effect was different.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As Bichur suggested ,User overrides in WB's controll interface has "font Override" settings that can override skins font settings, check to make sure the font settings are set to "leave fonts alone", and "leave the default size" these will allow the skins to choose the fonts used .. if they are already set to this setting .. try changing the fonts and applying the changes. this should over ride the skins font settings to what ever you choose. if at the least you could set Per app exclusions to remove the problem programs from being skinned.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
The overrides are already set as you've described.

I've tried applying several different skins, including Windows Classic and Window XP, without a change to my Outlook fonts.

Where do I make the changes in SkinStudio that would apply to Outlook?
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey there SimpleSimon. I know others have been helping you, but I couldn't help but notice that you said that you tried Windows Classic and Window XP with no effective change to Outlook. Did you also after selecting Windows Classic or Windows XP modes then unload Window Blinds. Because if you had that should reset everything back to standard Windows XP and Outlook fonts would no longer be affectd by Window Blinds. This sounds to me, if this is what's happening, that something has been changed in Outlook, or, you have a file registry problem of some type. Do you use a file registry cleaner. If not Microsoft has a free service called Live OneCare that corrects many file registry problems and tunes-up your PC. This might be worth looking at. Later. Let me know if you want the link.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
Yup... No sign of WindowBlinds in the Task Manager.

Still got 8pt Tahoma in Outlook. Before I installed WB I made sure to save my (then) current theme. I've loaded it and everthing is back as it was before EXCEPT for Outlook.

The message lists, the folder lists, the text in the "To...", "CC...", etc buttons on the compose window, the text fields in the compose window... all in 8 pt Tahoma. Even the status bar at the bottom of Outlook is in Tahoma, but something larger than 8pt (12??)

I've been able to go to the View->Arrange By->Current View->Define Views window in Outlook and modify many of the font settings, but still I can't change the font used for the status bar at the bottom of Outlook, or in my folders list. Something in WB did change the font settings for Outlook.

(edit)

When resetting the various fonts in Outlook, I noticed that Tahoma ONLY gave the option for Bold or Italic, but not normal. On a hunch I shut down Outlook, deleted the Tahoma Bold font from my Windows Font folder and started Outlook. AHA!!! Back to normal! Windows automagically restored the font file on it's own and all is well again.

So... What's the chances of a Theme installing a corrupted copy of the Tahoma font, so that only bold works, and resetting all fonts in Outlook to Tahoma?

Now, how do I tell WB to NEVER use the fonts specified in a Theme?
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Have you tried the 'font overrides' in 'user overrides'?


Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm not quite convinced that WB did this. First of all, if an author included any fonts with a Blind Theme, you would still have to install it, typically using the control panel. My question regarding file registry maintenance remains. Do you use any type of file registry maintenance? I do weekly. And there are many corrections that my utility software makes. Just like a hard disk over time needs to be defragmented, the file registry needs maintenance also. Deleting font files like the Tahoma Bold font file isn't the right way to go about fixing the problem Simple Simon. The poblem you had was located in the file registry. It wasn't a corrupted font file. You should try the MS Live OneCare web site for free system maintenance. Its ultimately up to you.
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I remember a couple of posts a while back thinking WB messed up fonts (one was bold - the other italics) = simple right click desktop, properties, appearance, advanced and unchecking bold/italics fixed the isssue(s)
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
No registry cleaners here... They are evil.

I agree that it doesn't seem like a WB issue as it never asked to install a particular font, but I haven't used WB for long enough to know if fonts can come supplied with the themes that use them. Now that I know how to get my fonts back I'm going to go through my themes and see if I can find a cause for this.

Believe me... I did look for any font settings that I could change.

I'll post back if I find anything interesting.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If Simple Simon was referring to the font at the bottom of the Outlook Window then clicking on Other advanced controls (after clicking on advanced) allows you to set system wide fonts. Of course if this were the problem then I would expect other programs to exhibit the same thing with this Tahoma Bold font he described. In any case, deleting Font files from the Font directory to solve a problem means that his Tahoma Bold fonts can not be used until he replaces it. The root directories contain system wide default font information as well as program specific default font information. File registry corruption can occur as is the case now on Simple Simons computer since every registry entry that pointed to Tahoma Bold is no longer valid. Essentially, Simple Simon created a file registry corruption problem with his font deletion. Oh well. Windows will compensate for it. But, my point remains his file registry is going to become a big problem someday without proper maintenance.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
but I haven't used WB for long enough to know if fonts can come supplied with the themes that use them.


yes, they can. and you will usually see them mentioned in the WB description/details

No registry cleaners here... They are evil.


no, they're not - I use the one that come with CCleaner (free) and I also have a paid version of Ace Utilities. But I always hang on to a backup for a while just in case.

But, my point remains his file registry is going to become a big problem someday without proper maintenance.


I'm no tech, but I tend to agree with BDBF. A simple uninstall of a program can leave behind remnants of registry.
Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
deleting Font files from the Font directory to solve a problem means that his Tahoma Bold fonts can not be used until he replaces it.


Windows replaced the deleted font almost immediately after I deleted it. It was fine after that point.

no, they're not - I use the one that come with CCleaner


I just don't trust a program to go deleting stuff from my registry. How well are the "cleanup scripts" researched before being put into the program? What happens when the registry cleaner is older than some of the software installed on the PC? What if I have some rarely changed or archaic settings in use on my system?

Uninstall should remove all remnants of a program, but it rarely does. Trial software needs to know that it was installed before. Some programs need to be uninstalled before upgrading and you wouldn't want to lose your settings, etc.

I've never had issues with a bloated or damaged registry, but I'm usually more careful that most when installing software. I will give CCleaner a look though.

Anyhow, with this problem figured out, and no crashes for the last several days I'm pretty sure that I'll be picking up OD in the next few days.

(edit)

...and wouldn't you know it. Not even two minutes after I posted this my ObjectDock disappears. BLAH!
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I will try this one last time. Micrsoft the people who made your Windows operating system which includes the File Registry has a free service called MS Lve OneCare. This service includes File Registry maintenance. But, you have to go to Microsoft's Live OneCare web site to receive it. It's up to you. If you want to take advantage of Microsoft's free File Registry maintenance service let me know and I will post the link for you.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thanks, BDBF. Went there after reading yr post. Lots of options. Used a couple.