Brave Browser Compatibility

please do not delete

from Stardock Forums

Hello, I have made multiple posts about this (the most recent of which were deleted by Stardock) but I was wondering if anyone knows a way to effectively convince WindowBlinds that Brave Browser is Chrome. It is a Chrome fork and the Disable Windows 10 Custom Titlebar flag does work, but WindowBlinds doesn't recognise that the flag it on. Does anyone have any solutions for this or know of methods for browsers other than Firefox or Chrome? Again, the Chrome settings in WB should work for Brave, but WB doesn't recognise Brave as Chrome. I want to "trick" WB into thinking that Brave is Chrome.

I have contacted Stardock time and time again about this, as well as posted here and on other forums. I have checked Discord. Every time I ask Stardock about this, Sean tells me to purchase Curtains, which does not do what I want because it is a different program that is less functional. Stardock act as though Curtains is a replacement software for WindowBlinds, while also stating that it is not. I already paid for WindowBlinds, I have the right to ask questions and/or complain about it, and I'm not buying another less useful program that I can't use alongside WB. I made this topic again after Stardock deleted it because they'd rather pretend their problems aren't real than address them. 

windowblinds
9,173 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Unfortunately WindowBlinds is not aware of Brave as a Chrome based browser.  You would need to rename the process to chrome.exe in order for it to be supported currently.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Thank you for responding to the issue. Is there a way to do this with a hex editor or by some other method?

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting SoaPMusic, reply 2

Thank you for responding to the issue. Is there a way to do this with a hex editor or by some other method?
End of SoaPMusic's quote

I am afraid hex editing the files would break the digital signatures.

Sorry but Brave browser is simply not supported at this time with WindowBlinds.

You could rename the actual executable for Brave but I cannot guarantee that will work as it depends on how it launches the child processes as it may try to launch them using the wrong name.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

I will try it. Thanks again. Even if there is no solution at present, I appreciate the thought and consideration.

 

EDIT: It did not work (Brave ran fine, but with no change), but it was worth a try. Is there any possibility of WindowBlinds becoming Open Source in the near future?

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting SoaPMusic, reply 4

Is there any possibility of WindowBlinds becoming Open Source in the near future?
End of SoaPMusic's quote
I can tell you that is a huge no.

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting SoaPMusic, reply 4

Is there any possibility of WindowBlinds becoming Open Source in the near future?
End of SoaPMusic's quote

That will never happen.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting SoaPMusic, reply 4

I will try it. Thanks again. Even if there is no solution at present, I appreciate the thought and consideration.

 

EDIT: It did not work (Brave ran fine, but with no change), but it was worth a try. Is there any possibility of WindowBlinds becoming Open Source in the near future?
End of SoaPMusic's quote

Absolutely none.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Welp, thanks anyway. Just curious though, why not distribute a copy of the code to paying customers so they can implement more niche skinning techniques relevant to different systems? I feel this could legitimately be profitable for Stardock, if fans of the code to look through and make their own revisions to it, as well as perhaps submit the revisions to Stardock if they seem to improve processing efficiency? At that point it would still only be accessible to paying customers and if they did something that messed up their own computer, that's on them. Stardock would have submitted working code.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting SoaPMusic, reply 8

Welp, thanks anyway. Just curious though, why not distribute a copy of the code to paying customers so they can implement more niche skinning techniques relevant to different systems? I feel this could legitimately be profitable for Stardock, if fans of the code to look through and make their own revisions to it, as well as perhaps submit the revisions to Stardock if they seem to improve processing efficiency? At that point it would still only be accessible to paying customers and if they did something that messed up their own computer, that's on them. Stardock would have submitted working code.
End of SoaPMusic's quote

I am afraid it doesn't work like that.  Stardock are in the business selling software.  Giving away the code to someone who gave us $10 doesn't exactly sound like a strong business strategy as you can bet anything added in say a WB11 would be back ported for WB10 customers by someone and probably the code would end up being "Bob's skinning app", "Kim's skinning app" etc.

In the future it is reasonable to assume a future version of WB will treat Brave the same as it treats Chrome/Edge but I cannot say when this would be.

If the rename didn't work then I would check that 1) the browser is running as chrome.exe and 2) That WindowBlinds has been told to allow it to skin in the first place (WB settings, advanced under settings on the left and at the bottom there is a setting to allow WB to skin chrome.)  That defaults to off.

 

 

 

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

I comprehend. Also I do get why Brave isn't supported so far, I understand it to be a lesser common browser relatively speaking. I did not realise at first that WB was searching for chrome.exe, I thought it was looking for the chromium files, which is why I was under the impression that Brave should be compatible.

I will try this. I actually forgot to check last time if it ran as chrome.exe or not. I just saw the skin didn't apply, shut it back down, and renamed to back to bave.exe. Whether this ends up or working or not, thanks so much.