WindowBlinds application compatibility issues
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 by Neil Banfield | Discussion: WindowBlinds
It has come to our attention that some people may have had issues with some apps and WB and opted not to tell anyone about it.
Obviously we would like to know about them so we can resolve the issues.
If you have had an issue with an app caused by being skinned by WB, please post the following information in this thread:
1) The app name
2) The OS you are using
3) The theme you are using
4) The problem you have encountered
5) If you did report it to support a ticket number would help.
If the issue is visual a screenshot would help and where the app is more unusual we would like to know where we may be able to obtain a trial or demo version of it from.
Please note that we are not looking for bug reports on making skins here. This is specifically for application issues.
Reply #42 Monday, January 23, 2012 7:05 PM
It's all about choice of vocabulary and his is poor at best.
The second sentence NEEDS to be revised. It implies deliberate intent to break another's product.
Reply #43 Monday, January 23, 2012 8:54 PM
Using a trial version of Photoshop CS5 and I seem to have problems with dropdown menus not displaying anything. It can be one or two menus, and it seems to be completely random as to which it will be.

I've tried to resolve the issue by setting per application and telling it not skin CS5 at all. That makes the document frame appear but where the document is supposed to be is blank. If I move/reposition the frame it makes the document appear... until I stop moving it, then the document area vanishes again, making it impossible for me to work on anything.

The only solution I've found is to set CS5 to use a different skin. It doesn't actually do that, but it makes everything work, albeit in a Windows classic skin (even though it was supposed to be Aero Metals).
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this as I know there are people here that use CS5.
App name: Photoshop CS5 (64 bit)
OS: Windows 7 64 bit
Theme: Any, so far
Reply #44 Monday, January 23, 2012 9:15 PM
StarCandy: I checked CS5 the other day and did not encounter any problems with it. What other applications do you have running and what graphics card do you have?
I will say you cannot set UIS0 skins like Aero Metals as a subskin. That will simply make WB exclude the application as UIS0 skins are system wide only.
Do you have the same problem with the 32 bit version of CS5 that the trial also includes?
Reply #45 Monday, January 23, 2012 9:50 PM
I had the above problem yesterday with PS CS5 32 bit, on Windows 7 64 bit. I restarted PS and it fixed itself. Just saying.
Reply #46 Monday, January 23, 2012 9:52 PM
Other applications would be Skype, Steam, Rainmeter and Winstep Xtreme. Graphics card is an Asus HD6850 DirectCU with latest drivers. Will try 32 bit version and see if problem persists.
Is it possible there is a setting within Windowblinds I don't have selected?
Reply #47 Monday, January 23, 2012 10:15 PM
Problem with dropdown menus doesn't persist with 32 bit version. Though if Jim's post is anything to go off, it seems it could happen but is easily resolved. No matter. Call it fixed. Cheers Neil, you're a
.
Reply #48 Monday, January 23, 2012 10:20 PM
2) Windows 7 64bit
3) ANY
4) Media Monkey uses some very weird tabbing and menus in the titlebar.
Ditto that with Windows 7 32 bit and Vista SP2 Home Premium.
It has an setting in 'options' to over ride Window skins but doesn't do anything to help it.
Reply #49 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 12:30 AM
Po: You can use 5th Gen Skin (black) with MM disabled in WB and that override setting off. Only one that works really good for me.

Reply #50 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 12:33 AM
P.S.: Some older peeps will recognize the covers made by Tech 13 / . Took them for selfmade compilations for my private use only. ![]()
Reply #51 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 5:40 AM
Reduced 85%Original 545 x 516
I've tried to resolve the issue by setting per application and telling it not skin CS5 at all. That makes the document frame appear but where the document is supposed to be is blank. If I move/reposition the frame it makes the document appear... until I stop moving it, then the document area vanishes again, making it impossible for me to work on anything.
Reduced 75%Original 559 x 584
The only solution I've found is to set CS5 to use a different skin. It doesn't actually do that, but it makes everything work, albeit in a Windows classic skin (even though it was supposed to be Aero Metals).
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this as I know there are people here that use CS5.
App name: Photoshop CS5 (64 bit)
OS: Windows 7 64 bit
Theme: Any, so far
I too experience this. It's only occasionally but can be very annoying.
Reply #52 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 6:29 AM
Never experienced this with CS5 x64. Some skins can make it difficult to use.
Reply #53 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 7:04 AM
Difficult to use how?
Reply #54 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 7:21 AM
Having looked online, the blank menu may not be us : http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/increasing_memory_usage_in_preferences_causes_file_menu_to_be_blank
I wonder if WB is simply increasing the memory usage slightly and so making this happen slightly more often. Seems to be linked to OpenGL usage too.
Reply #55 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 7:35 AM
Usually a matter of backgrounds on the menus/submenus and font color/shade being too dark/contrast issues. For that reason, I've simply 'excepted' Ps from being skinned by WB... not worth the hassle each time.
Perhaps if SKS were more 'self explanatory' about which settings to change and where to find them, I'd mod the skins to my own 'standard use' specs and do it for the skins I enjoy using. I'm probably going about it all 'incorrectly'. Not an accusation against any specific skin nor program...just wishing SKS were 'easier' or perhaps more 'user friendly'... again, perhaps not phrasing it as well as should be able to. Maybe some 'technical literature' would help... or some practical "how to's"? Sorry, I might be rambling.
Reply #56 Tuesday, January 24, 2012 8:09 AM
PS menus are not skinned by WB as they are ownerdrawn so excluding it should have no impact on the colours used.
Reply #57 Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:40 PM
One more thing on the Yahoo messenger issue.
When a link is clicked in a Yahoo Messenger window, IE9 opens skinned in classic. Is this a Yahoo bug, or a WB bug?
Reply #58 Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:55 PM
When a link is clicked in a Yahoo Messenger window, IE9 opens skinned in classic. Is this a Yahoo bug, or a WB bug?
To elaborate further, if IE is launched from within a message window, it is skinned in classic if IE isn't already open.
If a file is attached to YM with the paperclip at the bottom, the window opens in classic. Any notifications you get down by the sytray is again, classic.
Is there any way to force WB to skin these?
Reply #59 Thursday, January 26, 2012 8:42 PM
Tried setting OpenGL to basic, disabling it altogether and reducing memory usage to 50%. No cigar! CS5 32 bit still playing nicely with WB, though it does take longer to open large files (present WIP is over 400 layers now and takes about 15 seconds to open in 32 bit, but maybe half that with 64 bit). I'm still going to upgrade.
Reply #60 Thursday, January 26, 2012 11:09 PM
1) The app name: Random high CPU usage apps ie... Ofice 2010, Photoshop etc...
2) The OS you are using: Windows 7 SP1 x65
3) The theme you are using Random themes setup
4) The problem you have encountered: Random application flicker and both the taskbar and entire screen drops about 1/4 inch for about 4-5 seconds sometimes it's one sometimes it's both and it's very random.
5) If you did report it to support a ticket number would help.
Never reported it but posted something here and no one responded.
This was with v.7.30.310 (7.30.00 on the store)
I am going to try the betas as they come out. Will probably install 7.30a tomorrow.
Will post my findings.
Joe
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Reply #41 Monday, January 23, 2012 5:21 PM
Thanks for the screenshot, Carl.
Indeed, and obnoxious, imo.