start menu user icon

from Stardock Forums

2 questions, part a WB and part an SKS.

WB -- when downloading a skin that should have a user icon it will no longer apply. I had one skin apply a very nice user icon of a bat. since then no other user icon will apply. I have checked and unchecked (several times) the setting in WB for replacing the user icon if the skin has one to no avail.

any ideas as to why? or how I can get it back to applying user icons (other than resorting to uninstalling and reinstalling)?

SKS -- I would like to make a user icon for the skin I am working on. Where is the image located?

all I can find is the user icon background in SKS. even for the skins I have that show (in the image at WinCustomize) a user icon. I have tried opening skins for editing to use as reference, but still cannot find any icon image, only the background image (ie an image of a  magic pink square, etc...)

for example below is the user icon of one of the skins I like and tried to use for reference but cannot find the Bs image anywhere. the confusing part is that on WinCustomize it shows the user icon in the authors uploaded screen shots, yet when added to WB it does not show the user icon as part of the skin nor does it apply it.

this makes me wonder if the icons are simply an image on ones own computer but cannot be included in the blind, partly due to the icon not applying, partly due to the icon not showing in the skin preview in WB. I also had take the screen shot below from WinCustomize for the example as it won't apply on my system.

I should probably also note that the nice blue border of the icon does apply as it is part of the "top Part" image of the start menu, it is only the inner 'Bs' image that will not apply. It is the same with any other skin that shows a user icon with a border.

help please?

 

 


windowblinds
7,375 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Some skins have the the user icon hidden.

Here's how you un hide it:

 

Open the skin in sks. Click on Edit start menu and taskbar. Select edit start menu. on the top part section, go to the extra tab and scroll down to Hide the user picture and disable it

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The user icon is determined by your system. To change that, go to control panel and click on user accounts. There you can change your user picture

 

I should probably also note that the nice blue border of the icon does apply as it is part of the "top Part" image of the start menu, it is only the inner 'Bs' image that will not apply. It is the same with any other skin that shows a user icon with a border.
End of quote

What you see in the screenshot you've posted is the custom user icon background (also located in the start menu section in sks).

Note: This is an Xp only feature. We cannot at the moment change the background in vista

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

haha needed 2 posts tim?? :D  ....but good info! ;)

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting 2of3, reply 2
The user icon is determined by your system. To change that, go to control panel and click on user accounts. There you can change your user picture
End of 2of3's quote

first, thanks for the time to respond, but this does not really answer my question.

for the above quote, thanks but, this I knew and is part of what lead me to wonder if the customer user icon is simply an icon stored on ones PC and chosen as the user icon rather than being included in the skin.

this doesn't make sence though because one of the skins I applied, did indeed apply a custom user icon of a bat. problem is I can't remenber or find which skin it was that applied it. I suppose it could go either way, some with an included custom icon and some that are not included but only chosen as the user icon by the author.

as far as custom user icons backgrounds, all of them I have looked at so far only show an image background of a magic pink square or other basic background.

such as this one from Lightstar. the top image is the user icon background image in SKS, but does not contain the globe and star as in the full icon. yet nowhere in SKS can I find an image of the globe star protion of the icon.

so again I am wondering if the globe star image can be included in a skin to apply and if so where is it located in SKS?

as well none of them have a glyph.



Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

OK.

The skin author can include a user icon in the package but you will have to apply it manually to your system (via user account in control panel) In that case it would probably be mentioned in the skin description. Most authors don't do that because the icon displayed in the screenshot is often their personal logo.

Alternitivly, the image can be part of the top of the start panel image itself. Some authors do that. In the case of this skin, (ZubaZ Windowblind) I have added an animation to the start menu that looks like a user icon (it flashes when you activate the start menu).

 

I hope this makes sense.

 

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting 2of3, reply 5
OK.

The skin author can include a user icon in the package but you will have to apply it manually to your system (via user account in control panel) In that case it would probably be mentioned in the skin description. Most authors don't do that because the icon displayed in the screenshot is often their personal logo.

Alternitivly, the image can be part of the top of the start panel image itself. Some authors do that. In the case of this skin, (ZubaZ Windowblind) I have added an animation to the start menu that looks like a user icon (it flashes when you activate the start menu).

 

I hope this makes sense.

 
End of 2of3's quote

2 of 3 will guide you in the right direction ! :)

 

Note:

[usericon]
image=Skin name\image name.bmp

will apply user icon.It goes in the skin's  UIS file but as far as I know It has to be inserted manually!

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Note:

[usericon]
image=Skin name\image name.bmp

will apply user icon.It goes in the skin's UIS file but as far as I know It has to be inserted manually!
End of quote

 

Thanks, I had entirely forgotten about that (never done it personally)

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

ok thanx

maybe I can find it now.

I found the skin that applied the bat user icon I mentioned earlier. it is Transilvania by TreeTog. Been looking at it, it applies the user icon, strange thing though is I can't find the actual icon image in SKS other than in backgrounds under wallpaper????

guess I will see if I can open the UIS file and see how it is inserted.