WindowBlinds & EVGA GTX 260 conflict

from Stardock Forums

Hi.

I use the latest version of WindowBlinds, and it was working fine on my Vista 64-bit system... until I changed my video card to a EVGA GTX 260. Now, the skin I want, Azenis2, will not load; instead, the classic Windows 98/ME look loads. The only other skin that will load on startup if I set it is the Windows Vista skin. In order to get Azenis2 to load again, I have to load either the 98/ME classic skin or the Vista skin, and THEN load Azenis2. But when I restart my computer Azenis2 has to be loaded manually the same way.

I already checked to confirm that "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Stardock\ObjectDesktop\WindowBlinds" is showing the correct path. Additionally, a Stardock representative I was corresponding with via email had me send in a startup.log and diaxdiag.txt and suggested I shut down or add exceptions to Avira, but strangely, although turning off the active scanner and then restarting seemed to work once, I could not replicate my luck (additional restart trying the same thing did not yield positive results), and disabling, adding exceptions to (all of the Stardock folder), and reinstalling Avira had no effect. The fact that the problem kept occuring even when Avira was installed showed me that Avira was not the source of the problem.

I was wondering if anyone here has an idea what the problem is? Has anyone else shared this problem?

windowblinds
7,105 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Not sure if it matters but have you updated you Windows Experiance score since you changed cards? Also, did you uninstall the first cards drives and install new ones after you installed the new video card?

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi.

As to the first question: Are you referring to the Performance Information and Tools section of the Control Panel? If so, yes; my score went from a 5.0 to 5.5. Why do you ask?

I did not uninstall the driver for my Radeon card beforehand. I downloaded the latest driver for my new card before I installed it, and when I booted up my computer after installing the new video card, I installed that driver. Only afterwards did I think to uninstall the driver for my previous video card (an ATI Radeon HD 4550 512MB PCI Express) from the uninstall menu through CCleaner. Afterwards, I downloaded a software that I think was called driver sweeper, booted into safe mode, and opted to remove the traces of my ATI Radeon video card.

Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

After restarting my computer twice with the skin I wanted loading without any problem, I believe I know what the problem was: an over 50% hard drive fragmentation rate.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Turns out the problem was not solved, but perhaps degragging has an effect on the problem for unknown reason. Every once in a while, my computer will boot up with WindowBlinds working properly, but most of the time when I boot up any skin I chose for WindowBlinds is replaced with the Windows 98/ME skin, and the only way to get my custom skin to work properly again is to load the Windows Vista (the OS I am using) skin and then loading the skin I want.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

post the system info from WB Config

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ok. Here it is:

 

Your computer has a Windows Experience Index base score of 5.5
Your Windows Graphics Experience score is 5.9

WindowBlinds version : WindowBlinds 6.4 (build 129 x86 - Vista Edition) - 64 bit OS

WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC
WindowBlinds appears to be activated on this PC
(Generic PnP Monitor) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260

Wblind.dll         2009/03/24 10:59:20
Wblind64.dll         2009/03/24 14:03:54
Wbsrv.dll         2009/03/24 14:03:31
Wbconfig.exe         2009/02/10 14:52:20
Wbload.exe         2009/03/24 14:04:14
Wbhelp.dll         2009/03/24 14:04:07
Tray.dll              2009/03/24 14:04:21
Wbload.dll              2008/04/28 09:34:28
Screen.exe         2009/03/24 14:04:09

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

By the way, I wonder if it is worth noting that my monitor is an Acer AL2002W LCD. For some reason, it gets reported as "Generic PnP Monitor". There are no manufacturer-provided drivers for that monitor; instead, Vista installed drivers for it.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Just curious...the Wbload.dll date says 2008/04/28. Is that correct?

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Uvah, reply 8
Just curious...the Wbload.dll date says 2008/04/28. Is that correct?
End of Uvah's quote

 

i think it is, but I don't have vista

 

compare to this one: https://forums.wincustomize.com/352652

 

which has the same wbload, but appears to be a direct update (as opposed to unistall old/ install new)

 

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Uvah, reply 8
Just curious...the Wbload.dll date says 2008/04/28. Is that correct?
End of Uvah's quote

I do not know, but I do know that I have attempted to reinstall WindowBlinds a few weeks ago through Impulse, that program provided freely by Stardock through which their programs may be downloaded. When reinstalling had no effect, the Stardock representative I spoke to suggested a small program for me that completely gets rid of WindowBlinds, and then attempted to reinstall again through Impulse, but to no avail.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

lol, new problem, I think. Now when I boot my computer, the skin I want loads, but my desktop loads at the lowest settings (16 bit color at 800x600), and I have to manually reset it to the display settings I prefer.

 

I have no idea if the following is related: I tried installing a program called "Theme Manager" provided by that NZone site. But I got rid of it yesterday.

 

Now to do more searching on the Google for possible answers.

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

do you have nview manager turned on?

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I am not sure what that is or how to find out. All I know is that I can access the NVIDIA Control Panel via desktop right-click, and that PhysX is enabled.

 

... I am looking it up on Google right now.

 

It seems to be for multiple monitor setups. I do not think it is installed; I see no evidence of it being on my computer.

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

NVIDIA Control Panel reports only one monitor connected. However, I noticed that when I go to Display Settings in Control Panel > Personalization and Sounds that two monitors are listed:

 

(1) Generic PnP Monitor on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260

(2) (Default Monitor) on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260

 

I do not know if this may actually be causing a problem, or if it really should be showing that, but it seems odd considering that the first one has the "This is my main monitor" box checked, while the second one has that option greyed out (and unchecked), and is said to be the "(Default Monitor)". Also, I noticed that that second one is set at 800x600 and cannot be changed.

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

turn off the nView Desktop Manager

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Stop using the 'clean-up' tools.

Device Manager/ Monitors: un-install any showing.

Re-boot.

Un-install whatever Nvidia drivers are installed.

Re-boot.

Install 64bit Nvidia drivers.  http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvista_x64_185.85_whql.html

Re-boot

Set native resolution/ 32bit color.

Update Performance score.

 

 

Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Obey the Duck