kpanos777

Join Date 01/2020

Windows 10 issues

White backgrounds and other issues

I have already purchased WindowBlinds and I finally managed to skin my Windows 10 to my needs. But there are some leftovers that are really frustrating. Most of them have to do with white backgrounds mostly on dialogs and less on windows and some have to do with the Text color. As I use a dark theme (Cyan text over dark blue/gray background) I can not read not skinned text, over a white backgroud, it is just unreadable.

I know of course that some issues are caused by the increased limitation Microsoft forces the new OS to provide, but everything can change unless it is harcoded. So I post here trying to find answers or at least to alert Stardock developers about such problems asking to solve them if possible.

The white background problem is related to the following dialogs:
- Copy/Move/Replace dialogs (very serious, as the operation process and options are unreadable)

- The WindowBlinds and SkinStudio UI (serious, as selected image and help text is unreadable)

- Some message/alert dialogs (Compatibility etc.) (WB skins only the Text color)

- Run dialog (aesthetic issue)

- The whole old Control Panel and most of its applets (WB skins only the Text color, but I don't care too much about them as probably Microsoft will soon remove them from OS)

More minor issues
- WB does not skin at all the new ControlPanel/Settings window, which is only themed by the OS (Light/Dark theme and Accent color).
- Text color of the Desktop Icons, is not skinned although it should, as Desktop is a ListView.

And a Bug
- Taskbar > "Tray section" skinning issue. The specified image, does not skin the whole "TrayNotifyWnd" window but only the [SysPager + Clock + System Icons] area instead.

If there are any solutions or ideas please let me know.
WindowBlinds is our last hope to return to normality.
Thank you in advance

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Windows 10(x64) Enterprise, v 1909 Build 18363.592 (Greek)
WindowBlinds v 10.8.4.0
SkinStudio v 10.1
Skin used: Custom based on the "Dark Mode" by Vlad M.

windowblinds

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Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. But, from what your post, I believe most of it is what you get when using dark theme where the theme change system colors while some area in Windows 10 are locked to white and nothing, at least from what I know, can change that. Most of use get too used to it. And I believe the Dev team also knows about Windowblinds limitations.

As on

And a Bug
- Taskbar > "Tray section" skinning issue. The specified image, does not skin the whole "TrayNotifyWnd" window but only the [SysPager + Clock + System Icons] area instead.

This can be adjusted as you can see the issue does not appear in other theme that done it correctly.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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How can the Tray skinning be adjusted ? The image section is applied correctly. Can you provide me with a Skin that this section works correctly, cause I can not find any.

The dev team could easily fix at least the WB and the SkinStudio UI, that has nothing to do with Microsoft.

Thank you

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Quoting kpanos777,

reply 2

How can the Tray skinning be adjusted ? The image section is applied correctly. Can you provide me with a Skin that this section works correctly, cause I can not find any.

Try my Jargon.

https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/8413/

Thank You,
Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

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Thanks for the Tray help, I already fixed it. Of course it was not a bug, just the image used, had some empty pixels left and right. Do you remember which section is responsible for the Win Explorer Menubar items ? I like the "flat" style but I can only configure it for old style apps in Menus > Standard Menubars > Menubar Options which does not affect Explorer Menubars

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Hello,

Not really sure which part you are talking about. A screenshot of the area you asking for would help.

Thank you,

Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

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I am talking about the Explorer Menubar Menuitems (not the menubar itself). Are they Toolbar buttons, Rebar buttons or what ? I just want to make them flat in normal position.

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Quoting kpanos777,

reply 6

I am talking about the Explorer Menubar Menuitems (not the menubar itself). Are they Toolbar buttons, Rebar buttons or what ? I just want to make them flat in normal position.

Is that Windows 7?

Thank you,

Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

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Windows 10(x64) Enterprise, v 1909 Build 18363.592 (Greek)
WindowBlinds v 10.8.4.0
SkinStudio v 10.1
Skin used: Custom based on the "Dark Mode" by Vlad M.

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Try this

Thank you,

Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

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No it is not there, but thanks anyway. It needs more searching and maybe it can not change. As I see you do not have 3D borders neither around the Places Buttons nor the Command Bar Buttons and this makes me believe that the Menubar Top level menuitems (probably they are Buttons) inherit their appearance from the Button control and if no image is specified for Buttons then the Toolbar section takes handle.

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DaveRI

Join Date 09/2003

+430

I'm clumsy in that area, but I believe the menu items use Controls/Toolbars/Normal Toolbars/Button (6 State) if it's defined. If that's not defined, it uses "Button".

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Quoting DaveRI,

reply 11

I'm clumsy in that area, but I believe the menu items use Controls/Toolbars/Normal Toolbars/Button (6 State) if it's defined. If that's not defined, it uses "Button".

You would be correct Dave.

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DaveRI

Join Date 09/2003

+430

Thanks Don. Sometimes I don't know if "what I've seen" is really the correct answer, one thing can depend on another.

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Dave is correct. So, the answer for flat Menubar menuitems for Explorer, which also means flat Toolbar buttons, is to leave empty the Normal (first) state image for Button (6 State).

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Quoting kpanos777,

reply 14

Dave is correct. So, the answer for flat Menubar menuitems for Explorer, which also means flat Toolbar buttons, is to leave empty the Normal (first) state image for Button (6 State).

You can make you menubar flat or dimensional, same as the toolbar buttons, it's up to the skinner what he/she wants. I personally use just the 5 button default, and then use just 3 of the 5 states : Pressed, Mouseover, and Down, I don't use the 6 state, but that's my person use, you can use all states if you like.

Here's an example of what I use:

as you can see, I don't skin the Normal, or the Disabled buttons.

I don't skin the Button 6 state, split button, or the Drop down button, but that's my personal preference.

Hope this helps.

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I have not tested it yet, but I think that the 5 states approach is more transparent. So the conclusion is that the appearance of the Menubar menuitems and the Toolbar Buttons is always connected.

What I additionally found out, is probably a minor bug that exists in Button (6 State), Split Button and Drop Down Button > Text Colour. The 'Disabled' colour defines the 'Mouseover' colour and the 'Mouseover' colour defines the 'Pressed' one.

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Well, kpanos777, the only one who can answer your question, I believe, is Neil Banfield, he's the one who had a part (if not the one) who wrote Skin Studio. I personally feel that Skin Studio could use an overhaul myself.

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LightStar

Join Date 12/2002

+1078

Quoting don5318,

reply 17

What I additionally found out, is probably a minor bug that exists in Button (6 State), Split Button and Drop Down Button > Text Colour. The 'Disabled' colour defines the 'Mouseover' colour and the 'Mouseover' colour defines the 'Pressed' one.

That happens in many places in SkinStudio unfortunately.

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As WindowBlinds is the last and only hope of a power user to be attracted to Windows 10 UI, despite Microsoft's efforts, I believe that the developers should spend more time on their software and especially the SkinStudio sould be redesigned for simplicity and clearness

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Going further against the Windows 10 White backgrounds, I have some news.

I found out where one (out of ?) hardcoded white bg is stored and how I can change it. It has to do with the old Control Panel's left panel. The white color is a hardcoded bitmap, stored as a resource in "C:\Windows\SystemResources\shell32.dll.mun".

In order to change it, we need some advanced skills and tools. If someone is interested in it, here are the steps:

- Take ownership of the whole "SystemResources" folder, as taking ownership only of the "shell32.dll.mun" file is not enough (Powershell is needed)

- Copy the "shell32.dll.mun" file anywhere for editing, as we can not directly edit it, cause it is used by the system (direct editing is bad practice)

- Open the "shell32.dll.mun" copy with "ResourceHacker.exe" and navigate to '.. Bitmap > 633' resource. This is responsible for the white bg of the CP left panel. This is a common RGB Bitmap 24bpp, 200x551 px, so either export it and recolour it to your needs or create a new one with the same attributes and replace the original resource, in the file.

- Save the new "shell32.dll.mun". Now we use a trick to replace it over the original one that is used by the system. Move the original "shell32.dll.mun" file from "C:\Windows\SystemResources" to lets say the Desktop. Windows 10 can follow the new path (Desktop) and keep using the file, although moved. Now move/copy the new "shell32.dll.mun" file into "C:\Windows\SystemResources" (if a new "shell32.dll.mun" already created in the "SystemResources" folder, just delete/overwrite it).

- Logoff to unlock the original file (Desktop), as Windows will lock/use the one in "C:\Windows\SystemResources" again. Now you can delete the original "shell32.dll.mun" file or keep it as a backup, just in case

I hope all this is not off topic.

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Quoting kpanos777,

reply 20

I hope all this is not off topic.

As a skinner, me personally, it's a lot of work, especially if you're changing colors a lot to match your skin, perhaps this could be an update for Stardock on Skin Studio (if it's possible), I know, I'm asking too much, but it'd be nice.

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The real deal is to find out where the white background for the dialogs (copy/move etc) is hidden. It is clear that when these dialogs are initially created by the system, they are painted with the "window" or "explorer" color and then the white background (image ?) is drawn over the system color, on a second pass. So, there are two approaches. The 'user' approach is to replace the image resource if any and the 'developer' approache is to hook the dialogs and exclusively process the appropriate messages (WM_PAINT, WM_ERASEBKGND etc), which is something that WB developers should be after.

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