Object Bar 0.90 and Windowblinds

I love the ability for OB .90 to convert and apply a current WB XP skin to the OB bar. Works great! Only, there seems to be a problem with some WB XP skins listed in the XP directory here. I don't have XP to see whether there is a problem with these skins used by WB in XP, but some of them do not get converted by OB. For example, Dusk-till-dawn, blueprint xp, SkyeXP, JoccaBLUE. This is on NT4sp6, and win2k. Is there something missing in these skins? They are supposed to skin the XP taskbar, so they should also get converted by OB. Thanks. For those who do not have Object Bar, especially those not using WinXP, start drooling!
11,301 views 31 replies
Reply #3 Top
I cant get any of the bars to change with this new function in ob.90 to apply the windowblinds skins. What am i doing wrong? Example..i apply windowblinds xp jeans.I go to my object bar browser and i click on apply windowblinds theme..but i dont get the jeans object bar,it defaults to a regular xp bar.I am confused.Any ideas?
Reply #4 Top
Anyone that can help? I cant seem to get the current WB xp skin to the object bar.I am using winme.
Reply #5 Top
what i am doing, and it is working, is to load the desired WB skin (i have used aquarium).

then go to OB 0.9, select "load" -> "theme browser"
from the list pick "WinXP", then from the styles box at the bottom of the window select "*use windowblinds skin*", then hit load.
Reply #6 Top
Feline..i have tried that many times,just tried the aquarium and it still dont work.All i get is the plain winxp object bar,not the windowblinds aquarium one.Blah..i am totally stumped why this isnt working,tried reinstalling,ect.Maybe it doesnt work on WINME? Any ideas what could be happening?
Reply #7 Top
i just tried this again last night on win2k, and it no longer works.

which versions of OB and WB are you using currently? and what happens when you try this?

i am running WB 3.10, and when using OB 0.90 i got a dialog box saying that the theme was being converted, and then it appeared once the progress bar hit 100%.

however, i have just upgraded to OB 0.95, and can no longer convert the aquarium WB theme. again the dialog box appears, and the progress bar goes upto 100%, but nothing happens to the OB theme, and i am left with the default blue XP theme *shudder*

i will have a go at emailing stardock, since i cannot get to the OB newsgroup from this machine. if you can get to the newsgroups it wouldnt be a bad idea to post there.
Reply #8 Top
well, guessing the email failed, so the message boards it is. however i wont get there before the weekend, so if you pass them before then posting yourself wouldnt be a bad idea.
Reply #9 Top
Hi feline..I am running the same versions as you..WB 3.10 and OB o.95. I am also left with the default xp theme.I am so glad you responded becouse i thought i was losing my mind..lol! I must have reinstalled at least 4 times and even deleted all my OB themes that i customized...ugh! I will probably email them tomorrow and if i hear anything from them i will post back.At least it worked for you at one time..i really wanted to see it in action.If you solve this one i will send you 2 pounds of chocolate and a cute lil pussy...meow.lol! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RESPONDING!
Reply #10 Top
oh forgot to add feline..i cant get on the newsgroups either with my comp...so if anybody out there knows what is going on with the new version of object bar please respond...i will still email them tomorrow feline an see if they respond.
Reply #11 Top
Try going on Google's news server:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&group=stardock.windowblinds
Reply #12 Top
New OB version posted 0.95a fixes a problem with the winxp skin folder being changed or something like that. That will likely get you back up and running. However, with the new version, there are still some particular XP skins that are not getting converted. I assume that something is missing or incorrect in these skins? I'd love to know what, so I can fix them myself. Examples are SkyeXp, Dusk-till-dawn, Blue Grove XP. When trying these skins the OB conversion dialog flashes on screen then disappears.
Reply #13 Top
Thank you so much ASCHELL! The new version 0.95a works! WOW..its excellent for a poor guy like me that cant afford winxp right now! Like you said some WB skins arent skinning the object bar but alot are. Thanx for telling me the 0.95a version came out.
Reply #14 Top
BTW XRAYSPEX, the benefit of XP has nothing to do with the new task/start bar. Don't think for a second you're getting the equivalent to XP with OB.
Reply #15 Top
Oh i know that paxx..but i do like the way it looks! And now that i can now experience all XP WB skins and have my object bar get skinned at the same time according to the theme is EXCELLENT! Good job stardock! Thanx for the link to googles news server for windowblinds PAXX.
Reply #16 Top
paxx - Try going on Google's news server:

i have done this before, but it didnt work

problem one, they dont replicate the OB groups

problem two, when you post via google the posts show up in the google view, but NOT on the stardock servers. which explained why all my detailed problem reports went unanswered *sigh*
Reply #17 Top
paxx - Don't think for a second you're getting the equivalent to XP with OB.

nope, i suspect that OB is far superiour to the XP taskbar. its is certinally a monumental improvement over the win2k taskbar

got to love per-icon system tray filtering
Reply #18 Top
feline: "got to love per-icon system tray filtering "
Hum, I gues it's a matter of personal preferences. That's one thing I don't like in XP. I like to see all my tasks in the taskbar, not having to click, hold, drag up and click again... I'm lazy.
Reply #19 Top
i was actually refering to the system tray filtering rules as upposed to the taskbar filtering.

my problem with the taskbar at work is that i just get far to many windows open. my solution of two taskbars and loads of filtering rules works quite well, especially since i dont use the mouse for selecting things from the taskbar
Reply #20 Top
/me cracks

we dont all agree on how windows should work. this isnt good enough! you should all agree to customise your machines to they are just like mine
Reply #21 Top
oh! the System tray filtering, I get it. I thought you meant the taskbar grouping. Doh! I can't read in the morning!
About the systray, yes, I got to agree with you.
Reply #22 Top
So can anyone figure out what is missing in the XP skins so OB can recognize them and convert them? I wish there was a force convert, but likely the results wouldn't be too good if there was something wron with the skin. I tried messing around with some skins that should convert in Skinstudio, fixed any errors I could find, and still no conversion. Oh well, it always seems to be the XP skins I want the most don't get converted
Reply #23 Top
could you open up two xpstuff.xp files next to each other?

take one from a skin that converts (aquarium did in 0.9) and one from a skin that wont convert, and see which components are missing?

i suspect that any helpful posts on the newsgroup would be appeaciated.
Reply #24 Top
paxx - Doh! I can't read in the morning!

i get like that all though the day
it is really bad with anything work related for some strange reason
Reply #25 Top
I figured it out. The skins that don't convert, don't have a xpstuf.xp file. All the xp stuff is right in the .uis. I removed all the xp stuff and put it in a xpstuff.xp file and now it converts! I guess WB or Skinstudio must be fine with everything in the uis, but OB specifically needs the xpstuff.xp file.