Install skins not working

from WinCustomize Forums
Double-clicking on a .wba file no longer works to install the skin. Windowblinds popups the systray message saying the skin is installed and if I look in the Windowblinds folder, the skin has a folder properly created there.... but the folder itself is EMPTY! None of the actual skin files/images get copied over.
windowblinds
13,233 views 21 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

For the time being, you could try copying the .wba file into "C:\Program Files\Stardock\SDCentral\Download" and extracting the file using Stardock Central. You may also use the skin browser here to download skins if you prefer.

The .wba files are actually just renamed .zip files. They have been renamed to give them a unique identity. If you feel comfortable, you may extract the contents to your WindowBlinds directory "C:\Program Files\Stardock\Object Desktop\Windowblinds" using your favorite zip program (WinRAR is my program of choice: www.rarlabs.com).

Had installing skins worked previously for you? If so, did you possibly make any changes between now and when they worked?

Which version of WindowBlinds are you running and which version of Windows (including service packs)?

-Mike
[Stardock Support]

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I know how to install skins by hand, but it's really pretty annoying to have to manually extract WBA's to the WB folder.

Installing skins did work at one point, but not any longer and I really haven't been able to figure out what (if any) changes I may have made. I am running XP SP2 and WB 4.6 (most recent update before the 5.0 betas).

By the way, uninstalling WB and reinstalling does not fix this problem.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Maybe you will have to reassociate your *.wba files with WindowBlinds? Right-click on a *.wba file > "open with..." > choose or browse for wbload.exe and make sure that "always choose this program to open this kind of file" is ticked.

Just a blind guess, but maybe it helps.

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Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
@aufisch, already tried that, no good. Like I said, WB *does* recognize that it should open .wba files. It creates the skin folder, but it doesn't seem to manage to extract the actual skin files to install.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Have you tried refreshing the skins list? Does this happen with every .wba skin, or just a select few?
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Happens with every single .wba I've downloaded over the past... 7 months maybe? Doesn't go away no matter what. Refreshing the skins list?
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
How did you uninstall WB?
Move WB skins to another folder, unistall using odnt Zapper https://www.stardock.com/files/odnt_zapper.exe
Reboot, delete anything WB in Object Desktop folder.
Run a regisitry cleaner, CCleaner is a good free one http://www.ccleaner.com/
Reboot, reinstall WB using Stardock Central.
I had same problem with WB 4.6, the above fixed it for me.
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Happens with every single .wba I've downloaded over the past... 7 months maybe?

Sounds like a problem with a SP2 or another security program like Norton or AVP etc. You might want to try disabling the Firewall/Virus Protection while you test it out and download a blind. If it turns out to be the problem you going to have to go through the options to find out whats blocking the zip file content. (.wba is just a zip file with a different extension)

If your using IE you might want to try Opera or Firefox. They seem to avoid the problems created by SP2 when it comes to downloading content.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Not a problem with any security programs. I'm pretty tech savvy (I do tech support at my college) and I don't have any spyware. Only running Symantec AV Corporate Edition. I use Firefox. It's not a problem with downloading content because I am installing the skins from the desktop.

I may try the ODNT Zapper.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
What's your default zip file program? Is it the built in XP version or some other third party software. Sounds to me like the error occurs in the extracting files process. I would have thought maybe a script blocker like Norton would be the most likely cause but if your using a third party program as your default then something may be lost in the "fight" over the action.
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Default is winRar, same as it is on my laptop where I am also running WB (but installing skins works fine on the laptop)
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Both have the same version?
I use WinRAR also although mines an older version 3.42 I don't have it set to be the default zip compression software however. I use it for rar, ace, uue, 7-zip & tar. I let windows handle the zip compression since it's already loaded into the system.

The other item I would consider is disabling the Symantec AV and see what happens. Frankly, I used to be a major fan of Norton. I beta tested Speed Disk for Peter Norton via Compuserve Forums back in the late 80's. What Symantec puts out today I won't have on my computer.
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
BOOOOOOOO!!! Bad Norton!
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Symantec *Corporate* is very nice; doesn't mess with anything else on the system and it only scans. No excess pretty graphical "the word 'virus' scares me" sort of junk. Corporate is no-nonsense and simple and fast. Symantec regular/home version, though, I wouldn't speak for.

Plus, it cannot be Symantec or Winrar that is the problem because I have the same exact versions installed on both computers!

I am very certain that this is a problem with WB missing some registry or dll hook with Windows so that extraction of files doesn't work properly. It'd be helpful if I knew what WB does to tell Windows how to handle .wba files (e.g. extract to folder in WB installation folder)
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Did you install anything requiring WinFX Beta?
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
No WinFX installed on the laptop (which is having the problems). Actually no other Stardock products other than ObjectDock.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Have you tried downloading using the "Right-click download link > Save Target as.. > select "All Files" in the save as type > save to My Documents > double-click to install" method?
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
No WinFX installed on the laptop (which is having the problems). Actually no other Stardock products other than ObjectDock.


Not Stardock - I saw this earlier: Link

Else, others are saying IE will right itself after a while: Link
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Good call Bichur...I posted in another thread about WinFX being used to refer to WindowFX and I was sometimes confused, because I had CodeName Max and other beta software from MS, like the MS Expressions and Visual Studio 2005 Express suite. I didn't know about the file association though, I just assumed something I installed messed with it and I changed it back.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
but the folder itself is EMPTY! None of the actual skin files/images get copied over.


There msut be something else wrong here though.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yeah, there is something else wrong here. .wba is definitely still associated properly with Windowblinds, it's the extraction of the files that's going wrong somewhere.