Any program or file can become corrupted. It can also cease to work properly due to interaction with other software, drivers, updates, etc.

Remedy:  If you remember the email you used to order the product, email Stardock support, and include that info along with about when you ordered it. They will email you a link to download from or ask additional info.

That's not a promise it will work well with your other software, though. Now that your system is "fixed", best to make an external backup...so that all your software will be intact in the future...and make incremental backups every day so that if something happens, at most you'll lose one day's stuff...

To skin just the taskbar, take a look at WinStep (www.winstep.net) and Winstep Extreme. To uninstall Windowblinds? Just use a good utility like CCleaner (free) from the web.

Dr...

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.

I have never changed my email. So that's a go.

I see in "My Account"...right here on this forum...under Registrations, my Windowblinds is listed and the product code. Followed by two little numbered icons. What's are the numbered icons all about?

I am not  totally clueless but are you saying that if I use Add/Remove programs and uninstall WindowBlinds that XP will automatically (and presumably) revert to the default skins?

Would uninstalling WindowBlinds and reinstalling it do any good?

I see email notification of these posts is not available. Do the support techs at Stardock answer here or do I have to email them direct to get support? And is it still available for  v5.1?

DW

5.1 is a very old version.  If nothing else you should be able to download WB 5.5 assuming you purchased WB 5.0 standalone.

If you download Impulse from (www.impulsedriven.com) and enter your account e-mail and password you should see the latest version of WindowBlinds that you can download listed.

Also if you want to update to the very latest (WB 7.0) then I believe an upgrade from WB 5.x would be $9.95.

And well worth it!

You need to install  Impulse...and do as Neil suggested...

I'm not seeing that Dr suggested you uninstall Windowblinds.  But, if you do decide to uninstall Windowblinds at any point even temporarily, before you uninstall WindowBlinds go into WindowBlinds Configuration and apply the default Windows Classic skin (1st skin listed) to reload the defaults.

Neil,

What is Impulse? As mentioned above, when I open "My Account" there is a "Registrations" tab and I think my WB keycode is listed there. I just repaired my system (cost me money, too) and I am not real eager to load and install another program that I don't know anything about and may never use again.

And if I upgrade to WB 7, will it overwrite all the WB5.1 installation...so that any possible corruption will be effectively elimninated? I am willing, even eager, if it will solve  my problem. I like WindowBlinds although I have had to restrict skinning on some of my legacy apps such as Ventura 8.

Dave,

Thanks for that tip, I wouldn't have known to do that.

Impulse is the default installer/updater for Stardock's products [including Windowblinds] and is definitely the ideal way to handle Stardock's products.

You cannot 'update' from XP to Win7 .... that path requires a full install.  Updating/upgrading can only be done from Vista....

You know as I think about this it might be worth a shot to try just applying the default Windows skin and reboot once to see if it clears out the problem.  After that you'd have to manually launch Windowblinds once to load a skin, it shouldn't autostart the first time but it should after you've loaded it back up.  But ya if you can get a newer version that would be good.

Dave:

First download Impulse, put in your email and password to logon.

After you logon successfully look to see if you can update to 5.5

If you can, do so. That might partially or fully resolve the problem.

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If it doesn't, save all the skins you've downloaded in a different place by copy and rename (if you decided to uninstall).

If you decide you wish to uninstall WB then do it through Impulse by right clicking on WindowBlinds in the My Software tab and choosing "uninstall" but first apply the default classic skin.

Reboot. Uninstall Impulse. reboot.

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If, however,  you decide to update to WB7 (which I hope you do) tomorrow morning order it through Impulse. When the transaction goes through, close and reopen Impulse and your new software should be available in the new software tab without having to uninstall Windowblinds 5.x.

OK?

Doc I was just trying to provide OP a possible simple fix to try.

Dave...no problem...in fact hey...it's so easy he should give that a try first. I wasn't objecting, and I hope it works for him.      

Smiles, bud...

Thanks Doc - I thought I'd accidently annoyed you.  I knew I was kind of butting in but I felt it was worth mentioning.