Theme Manager & Explorer crash

Hi!, - I`m getting exactly the same issue - I lose the minimise/maximise/exit icons from the top right hand corner of explorer and open application windows. - Just subscribed to the Object Desktop Package and  am already running several Stardock apps - Windows Blinds and Deskscapes 8 plus Fences  so thought it might be an issue with one of these, but then I saw this post in this forum so I`m interested in finding out whats wrong.

I did notice that a hard reset did not cure the issue, but changing the windows Blinds theme did - yeah , I probably shouldn`t be running both together  but I`m a tinkerer so tried the app before my brain engaged lol!

just curious at the moment - and wondering if I would get the same issue with windows Blinds disabled?

Theme Manager has been broken for some time. Best thing to do is download the Suite of your choice, change the file extension to .zip and extract the individual skins from that then put them in their respective folders.

WoW -it`s broken, and it`s still being sold?

As it happens , I did not subscribe to Object Desktop for that particular App, but if I had, then I would be extremely angry about that.

I have used a lot of stardocks apps for some time now and I find then to be amongst the best software available , especially for windows 8, may I say that it does Stardock NO favours including a Broken Application in its Object Desktop Package - ANY App that is broken has the potential to wreak havoc with a users windows system files and could cause real problems for a user who is not very Tech-savvy. And as such , is a very bad advertisement for Stardocks programs.

I would suggest that if it IS broken , then it should be removed - The Object Desktop Package is strong enough without it.

https://store.stardock.com/ 

I had a quick look there...didn't see 'Theme Manager' even listed, let alone 'sold'.

It may show up on a current/on-going Subscription but it's really 'legacy'....both the OS and the SD software have moved on from 'themes'...;)

My Bad then, - I subscribed and went to the download page and it was listed in the new downloads, - that's why I assumed it was part of the package. (-It`s a small jump from subscribing, finding this program amongst your "new" programs and assuming it`s what you`ve just paid for.)

That's how I "got  it"../ "bought it"... and it  is appearing on NEW subscriptions.

Still would be a good idea to remove it , because of the issue I mentioned - Broken programs cause problems.

For information:-

it seems to be abandoned, but:

it is listed under Stardock Available Products https://www.stardock.com/products/?from=nav

there is a purchase button on the Theme Manager website: https://www.stardock.com/products/thememanager/

and it is listed under Product Overview on the OD purchase site: https://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/purchase.asp

so, i'm not really sure whether it is legacy. i can see there would be a point in having such a software for managing/creating meta-themes including new software like Start8 and Decor8.

it shouldn't be sold (as a part of OD) in it's current state though.

Theme Manager is a free application included with a subscription.  IT does some things well enough but other things not as well and is definatly not required to get everything out of a subscription.

Thanks for the feedback though.

Part of my not finding it even listed was down to my own Sub glitch, now mended.

Zubaz has explained the status of it in #7 ....;)

Echo reply #8

@ Zubaz.

Which things?

More information on this seems important because I`m sure I`m not the first person to use it thinking it is a current program, and  when I used it , it kayboshed my  windows installation. - I needed a hard reset and then when that did not work, a lot of playing around  to regain basic functionality.-Changing the windows Blinds theme did work. But only time will tell if it has done any damage to the installation which requires more attention-Whichever way you look at it , that's NOT good.

It either needs removing , or some warning to it`s (Non) functionality, should be made apparent to new subscribers like myself.

It`s not that it doesn`t work that's annoyed me , but the fact that it killed my windows installation/functionality.

We've not seen that reported anywhere.  At most TM has issues applying full themes, it's not known to break other things.

If you would like to email support@stardock.com we can try to see what happened before you got things working.

it`s reported in the very first post in this thread.

@ancalimonungol:-

"the top bar of windows disappears and I can't open new windows"

I picked up on this thread because I had exactly the same issue, - the maximise/minimise and exit boxes were missing on ALL subsequent  opened apps.

Not all apps have the option to open close with a file menu / tab so its a basic function surely?

and missing = broken.

TBH I won`t need support as I have no intention of showing it daylight again, - as I`ve already said, -it`s not really needed and the other apps do the job well (windows Blinds" etc.)

& I am a great believer in the saying "Once bitten, Twice shy".

(It`s already gone).

Thank you for your responses.

If it's 'just' the loss of the min/max/close buttons it's a straight GUI application issue as Zubaz mentioned - applying the full theme correctly.

It's not an Explorer crash, but a 'painting' issue.  An Explorer crash is when the process 'explorer.exe' stops.... at which time the entire desktop GUI disappears...;)

You've followed 'best practise' by modding your GUI directly by/with Windowblinds instead...;)

Lol! - well whatever the terminology, - I could not open or close windows - that's still "Broke" in my language.

I actually got Explorer crash requesters with "send error report" when trying to apply themes using it. One time I couldn't even open task manager and had to boot into safe mode to fix things.

In that case it's NOT 'just' losing the open/close buttons as demotricus mentioned....to whom I was responding...;)