corrupt task bar icons

from Stardock Forums
hi, just recently i have started experiencing a problem with my task bar buttons .
the graphics appear as almost 8-16bit type resolution so they appear pixilated and blocky.
this happens in most skins although the zero vison ,one i'm using now, isnt creating the problem.
it is only the task bar affected and i am using icon packager as well.
i have windows xp service pack 3.
it is a minor niggle but would like to resolve it i am sure it only staterd when i downloaded vienna 3 skin but this may have been a coincidence.
i have not unistalled windoblinds but if i unload the program the task bar is still the same?
i get the feeling it is to do with the sizing of the task bar that is causing the glitch?
windowblinds
1,324 views 4 replies
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
i do have a screenshot but how do i post it? sorry i'm new to this forum business?

i hope this correct?
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
I bought WindowBlinds 5 more than 2 years ago and it worked flawlessly until a few weeks ago. I'd boot and the taskbar (and Start Menu) icons would look blocky -- the same as yours, sheppster. And sometimes it was fine.

I uninstalled it, and re-installed it several times and the problem would happen again and sometimes it wouldn't. Intermittent problem. Great.

So I uninstalled it and downloaded the latest version (trial version) to see if it would solve the problem. Yes! And then a couple of reboots later... No. The problem was back.

I suspect something got updated on my machine that interferes with WindowBlinds.

Here's the info:

WindowBlinds version : WindowBlinds 6.2 (build 61 x86) - Shareware

WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC
Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.

(Optiquest V95) 1 is attached to ALL-IN-WONDER 9600 SERIES

Wblind.dll 2008/07/22 16:42:18
Wbsrv.dll 2008/07/22 16:42:10
Wbconfig.exe 2008/07/22 16:42:58
Wbload.exe 2008/04/26 16:14:14
Wbhelp.dll 2008/04/26 16:14:07
Wbui.dll 2008/04/26 16:14:24
Tray.dll 2008/04/26 16:14:21
Screen.exe 2008/07/22 16:42:31


I also have the following, which might screw things up for WindowBlinds: Eset NOD32, Comodo firewall, CA Security Center (formerly Pest Patrol), Spybot S&D, Windows Defender.

Even using the "safe" Aero Metal yields imperfect results. With other skins, the icons look bigger and below the time in the system tray, it also displays the day. With this skin, I don't see the day and the icons are smaller, but they are still blocky and lacking sharpness. I've tried setting WindowBlinds to use a "Small taskbar size" but the icons still look bad.


Claude
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Solved!

I found the solution via Google, at Tom's Hardware.

You just need to resize the icons. (Doh!)

In XP (I imagine it's similar in Vista):

Right-click on your desktop, click on Properties.

Click on the Appearance tab.

Click on the Advanced button and then the Other advanced controls button.

Under Item, choose Caption Buttons and change the size.

The post at Tom's Hardware said to change the size to 16 but when I did that, the icons were way too tiny. I settled on 21. They looked worse until I rebooted. Now they're as clear and sharp as before.

I wonder if one of the skins I downloaded messed around with the size of the icons.