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Help!! WB is messing up my computer!! (with screenshots)

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Help!! WB is messing up my computer!! (with screenshots)

I don't know what to do anymore... I tried everything!

from WinCustomize Forums

I have been using WB5 for about 4 days now and I haven't gotten any types of errors, whatsoever, up until a few hours ago.. I didn't even do a thing! I was using Mormegil's ChristmasTime theme (and ran it for 4 days without errors), then when I decided to come to WinCustomize.com to browse for new Objects and such, my computer hung up on me! I don't know if that had anything to do with my visiting wincustomize.com, but it couldn't have been a virus or a spyware because I just performed a general maintenance on my computer a few hours earlier (and I have been doing that since January).. Then I restarted my computer using the button on my CPU and when I entered my Windows XP account, the entire "start" bar below (the whole thing, not just the start button, but the entire bar -- sorry, i have no idea what it's called) didn't even show up! The only thing that showed up was the digital clock, and that's it.. Ok, hold on.. I don't know where I'm going anymore. I think it's better if I just show you a screenshot and maybe you can just help me out and tell me what's wrong (also, I tried uninstalling+re-installing WB5, but apparently, that didn't fix my problem)..

http://tinypic.com/ionkf5.jpg

That's my whole screen.. No "start button" and the entire "bar" at the bottom of the screen is messed up! WB also got rid of my Windows XP theme.. I tried accessing through desktop/right-click/bah blah but then that didn't work.. all it's showing me is nothing (sorry, I'm really, really sleepy and i have been trying to fix this problem since 5 PM (and now it's about (9:00).. so, that should explain why my grammar is skewed. i haven't even eaten yet!) I tried righ clicking on "My Computer" and going to "Manage" / "Services" / etc. (as one poster explained in another thread), but that didn't work -- it didn't bring my Windows XP theme back..

Please help me! I am totally clueless about what's going on! And once again, excuse the grammar. I'm typing this up real fast because I'm about to collapse.. I really hope you guys can help me! Please!

Moderator Note:

This issue is caused by the cracked version of WindowBlinds.  Don't run the cracked version of WindowBlinds and this won't happen.

windowblinds
113,525 views 394 replies
Reply #251 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Regarding the subscription fees, c'mon...$20 for unlimited d/l + some other benefits? Would you run a website that consumes so many resources (bandwidth, employee time, etc) for absolutely free for everyone? Hope your pockets are deep I think a case could be made for your greediness here, as well. Just my $0.02. Cheers!


well, in fairness, there are tons of websites that host warez and don't charge a thing. i'm talking hosting 700MB iso files and the like. you know after a few thousand d/ls in a day that they're using some bigtime bandwidth. and they spend lots of time working on the sites and uploading everything. some sites are shady and have lots of popup ads and all that crap, but the good ones do it just as a service to others.
Reply #252 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Offering warez to others is not a service, its a criminal offence.

I think we need to have less talk about warez here please.

Star Control: Origins
Reply #253 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hey Vanilla: I saw your program over at softpedia: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/WEB-Design/HTML-Editors/Bash-HTML-Editor.shtml

and if you think that is the kind of program that every pirate runs out to crack then you really do live in a dream world.

For the love of god get over yourself.
Reply #254 from Stardock Forums Top
Judging from comments on a board community I'm in (which also serves warez, but that's not why I'm there...), there's already a working crack out by now. Haven't tried it of course (yes, I got a certain sense of justice and it definitely would be like stealing), but many people claim that it works so I believe it's true.

Just to show you two things: a) warez is not always bad and b) there's too many crackers out there for a software to really be "safe" from them. I respect them as people with great know-how - and too much free time.
Reply #255 from Stardock Forums Top
Vanilla Ice,
what are u talkin about FAIR?
steal and distributing something that doesnt belong to them can't be compared to legit companies writing these programs and running the sites for 'em.

spend alot of time working on site and uploading everything , so what ? its still illegal.. how is it fair for the company then who wrote the programs?

service or not, its still wrong. u could appreciate what they do for others but u still gotta admit its ILLEGAL. u could appreciate their effort but it doesnt mean what they are doing is right.

its just illegal, its wrong. no matter HOW u wanna justify (by saying ur a programmer urself or whatno). its STILL a criminal offence.

it doesnt matter if its not fair that the programmers are programming booty traps or whatever becuz in essense, if u dont install the damn crack, u wont be trapped.

and also like i said, no matter what u do/say/try to stop piracy, it will still be here, as i use warez myself, but that doesnt mean that it is right.
Reply #256 from Stardock Forums Top
Just to show you two things: a) warez is not always bad and b) there's too many crackers out there for a software to really be "safe" from them. I respect them as people with great know-how - and too much free time.



its not always bad but its always WRONG.

like i said in my other post.. u can appreciate/"respect" but it doesnt make them right.
Reply #257 from WinCustomize Forums Top
May I say NVU ?

BTW, I am really shocked by all the dumbness of people allowed to use a computer shown in the last few days ...
Reply #258 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Apprentice AthleticTrainer1981, what do you mean "get over yourself"? i never said i'm the world's greatest programmer and look at all my great programs. I was just giving my experience of being on the other end of the warez debate, and dealing with my program being pirated constantly. I never said it's even near the same level as WB. in fact, i said maybe i'd feel different if i did have millions in revenue and was trying to protect my software. i can't say without being in that position, and having the money to go out and buy all the software i need.

off topic: wow, i dind't know softpedia took time to make their own screenshots...
Reply #259 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Citizen RingRing,
yes, i know it's wrong. that's why i just said people who run those kinds of sites do deserve to be punished. rather that means fines or jailtime i dunno. i think jailtime, if more than a tiny amount, would be harsh, but you are right, they are breaking the law. the end user is too, but it's like marajuana: the govt doesn't go busting into people's houses over pot, there's lots of celebs and others who it's obvious would have some, but they do target the growers.
Reply #260 from WinCustomize Forums Top
as i've said numerous times before, i wish i knew as much now as i thought i did when i was 16 to 25 years of age.
Reply #261 from WinCustomize Forums Top

No one ever said warez was right, certainly. In fact, the word warez is *defined* as being wrong and illegal. That's not the point of any argument here, I suppose.

Also, I doubt that Stardocks tried in any way to mess up their customer's computers. They'd have done it with more style then (lol, literally ^^) - what you think about a windows copy saying "Busted", "We got your IP logged" and "This is pure warez" for example? THAT would've been hilarious!

(milksama: Edited for language)

Reply #262 from WinCustomize Forums Top
what i once did that was funny, is i detected when one of the three different keygens was running, then i used some api to make the name/serial textboxes hidden and added a label in the keygen's window that said it was a virus. make people think they keygen had infected em...
Reply #263 from Stardock Forums Top
test
Reply #264 from WinCustomize Forums Top
no pop quizzes!!
Reply #265 from Stardock Forums Top

testing about stardock should be ok...



like the demo isnt doing per pixels so i can understand the users that have to illegaly crack the software to take a close look for what has changed exactly sorry but most of them do greedy little earthlings....But if the demo would bring per pixels with it,there would be no problem i guess
like if you buy a new game and there is no working demo to find you would take a close look at the illegal game and then buy it or you would have to go to a Videostore and pic it up and pay like 1.20$ for it to test...and then buy... you know what i mean



all i wanted to say is do the demo trial whatever like the enhanced thing and there wouldn´t be so many illegal users out there or am i wrong if delete this post please(  sorry bitchur i just wanted to test if im logged or not

Reply #266 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The demo only does the per pixel on the per pixel skins that came with it. It won't do it on downloaded skins.
Reply #267 from Stardock Forums Top
ohh ok nevermind then thought it cause i treid to apply but it didnt work hehe so its not the demo i guess
Reply #268 from Stardock Forums Top
its time for me to go to bed its 12pm here
Reply #269 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Judging from comments on a board community I'm in (which also serves warez, but that's not why I'm there...), there's already a working crack out by now. Haven't tried it of course (yes, I got a certain sense of justice and it definitely would be like stealing), but many people claim that it works so I believe it's true.

And there are many other redundant checks that come into play.  I'm sure those people will be in here bitching when one of the other redundant checks comes in. I have no idea what the crack does but let me say it again:

WindowBlinds is a SYSTEM WIDE desktop enhancement.  You mess around with stuff and bad things can happen depending on how they did it.  Frankly, given how ineptly the first cracks were, it's a miracle that it didn't cause the system to blue screen.  It would be a lot tougher to get out of that.

Reply #270 from Stardock Forums Top








And there are many other redundant checks that come into play.  I'm sure those people will be in here bitching when one of the other redundant checks comes in. I have no idea what the crack does but let me say it again:



WindowBlinds is a SYSTEM WIDE desktop enhancement.  You mess around with stuff and bad things can happen depending on how they did it.  Frankly, given how ineptly the first cracks were, it's a miracle that it didn't cause the system to blue screen.  It would be a lot tougher to get out of that



so you are saying that there is still more from stardocks site that will affect the computer if you have an warez copy?or it will be affect your computer in time?i dont got that right i guess

Reply #271 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh my god...THE CRACKED VERSIONS WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME CORRUPT BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE ACTIVATED PROPERLY. THE CRACK IS BROKEN, NOT THE SOFTWARE.

Blows head off!
Reply #272 from Stardock Forums Top
lol oh my god your right me soooo stupid asking that...i was just afraid that it might could affect me and others hehe and i thought it could be a bug or something that nobody knows about but no WAY i KNOW YOUR SOFTWARE IS 100% PERFECT me to dumb to notice that haha
Reply #273 from WinCustomize Forums Top
so you are saying that there is still more from stardocks site that will affect the computer if you have an warez copy?or it will be affect your computer in time?i dont got that right i guess


What is being said is that depending on how any *new* crack may be written, it could POTENTIALLY interfere with how a Windows system runs and possibly causing system wide failures. WB hooks into a Windows system deeply (it's after all skinning almost every element of the Windows system GUI), and any deviation to the way that WB presents and works inside that system may cause Windows to go crash, bang, BOOM! Cracks and hacks to a program usually either rewrite vital system files of the program or just bypass the validation system with a keygen, but since there's an activation limit on codes with the new WB, a simple keygen isn't going to work, so they've obviously created an overwrite to some vital WB system file that when Windows did an update this past time around, it didn't find what it was looking for and overwrote the "new" cracked file causing WB not to be able to repaint/draw certain elements of the GUI. If another crack is made that does this sort of thing, it may potentially overwrite or change some system file in the program that Windows needs to function causing a bluescreen or worse.
DD

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central
Reply #274 from WinCustomize Forums Top
at Night Train. They don't want to get it but you've hit the point exactly!

Clearly the warez users figure it's their right to free working versions of that which we've paid for and Stardock is in business to sell. Anything interfering with that "right" will be SD's fault, not the crackers' and certainly not theirs.
Reply #275 from WinCustomize Forums Top