Stuck menu ghosting, Incorrect menu color rendering on some common programs
I've found these same issues on multiple computers (same WinXP-SP3, different hardware).
I'm slowly getting responses from Stardock support (Ticket submited 3/26/2010).
Since the resolution will help other users with the same issue, I'm posting it as it comes in from Stardock.
WindowBlinds Issues (Version 7.01 (build 83 x86)):
1.Stuck Image - Sometimes a window's menu area gets stuck on an underlying window.
2. Menu Colors - While some program menus show correctly (like notepad), others do not (like Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.3.1). That is, if the menu theme color is dark (like black) then its text is light (like gray). So in an incorrectly rendered menu (like Adobe Reader), gray text on gray background becomes unreadable.
MY UPDATE 4/9/10: For Issue #2 above, I thought I found a work-around, but it's not working like it should. For the programs showing the wrong menu color (like Adobe Reader 9.3.1), I figured I'd
just make a duplicate skin with different menu colors (SkinStudio-->Change skin colours-->Show me the skin defined system colours)
and apply it in WindowBlinds-->Settings-->Per Application-->AcroRd32.exe-->Use Specific Skin-->Select Skin.
However, when it's applied, everything BUT the menu colors change. Regardless of the specific skin selected for the per application, the menu colors are still of the last edited in SkinStudio.
So how do I change the menu colors so it holds with whatever skin it goes with?
MY UPDATE 4/9/10: The two WindowsBlinds issues are NOT skin specific. In fact it's WORSE with the "Corporate" theme... the same two problems above exist as well as the current window loses its
theme entirely with a degraded picture. NOTE: This is NOT a memory issue (I'm at 15% memory on a 3GB system), and I've also tried this on other computers with same OS, but different hardware...
get the same issues.
4/13/10 STARDOCK RESPONSE - Curt Hendzell: Looking at the screenshots you have, and verifying from your Startup list, this may be caused by your Styler add on that makes the explorer windows look like Vista/7. Try disabling this and reapplying the skin.
MY UPDATE 4/14/10: No, I don't think it's Styler. Styler only is modifying the explorer toolbar (the blue area). WindowBlinds is what modifies the rest to look like as you say "Vista/7". But anyway, I turned off Styler and reapplied the WindowBlinds theme only to still get the same problem.
4/14/10 STARDOCK RESPONSE - Curt Hendzell: In the last page of the screenshot PDF, I am confused as to what is wrong in the Adobe window. As it is using a different skin the menu will skin differently. It appears to be doing so correctly in that image for the corporate theme applied.
MY UPDATE 4/14/10: You must look at BOTH page 4 & 5.
(Page 4 shows the problem WITHOUT per application skin)
(Page 5 shows the same problem WITH per application skin using "Corporate" skin)
In other words, page 4 shows Adobe having different menu colors even though it's NOT using a different skin. Page 5 shows Adobe showing the SAME wrong menu colors even WITH a different skin. We MUST correct this problem: Look closely at the font color in adobe's menu... the "unavailable" items appear BLACK while the "available" items appear GRAYED OUT. This is because Adobe's base menu is holding the main skin's font color for "light on dark background" but is incorrectly using a "light background"... so it's gray on gray. So, either we need to make Adobe (and similiar problem programs) change its menu background color, or we need WindowsBlinds to do what it's intended to do and apply it's theme menu colors correctly to ALL programs. I can accept that there may be a few "problem" programs... and this is why WindowsBlinds lets you apply a specific skin per application. However, I can't accept the fact that this work-around isn't applying itself correctly either. Please help find a resolution. Otherwise I can't use the program effectively. I feel the correct solution should be to make a duplicate of my WB skin, adjust the duplicate's menu foreground and background colors for a "problem" application (SkinStudio-->Change skin colours-->Show me the skin defined system colours), and then apply this "special" duplicate skin to the "problem" program... however, this just doesn't work. And what's worse is the LATEST version of ADOBE shouldn't be a "problem program" as it's basiclly a core windows program. Please let me know if I'm on the right track?
4/20/10 STARDOCK RESPONSE - Curt Hendzell: Unfortunately it seems like the applications are simply not going to work for you. I have refunded the order to your credit card. Please let me know whether this resolves your problem or if you have any additional questions.
MY UPDATE 4/20/10: Your response doesn't exactly address my question. I would like an explanation or solution, not only for myself, but to help anyone else with this same issue.