Windows 2000 questions...(Windowblinds)

Wednesday, February 11, 2004 by MDesigner | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk

Question about WindowBlinds Enhanced 4.2. This should be able to skin everything, right ? But maybe not on Win2K? I noticed that the taskbar is not totally skinned right (I am trying out the Alpha OS skin). And the wallpaper didn't show up, I had to manually set it. Would this particular skin be considered to be for WinXP? Are there good Win2000 skins that change nearly everything, or is that not possible on Win2000?

Thanks!
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Stumpy
Reply #1 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 3:42 PM
Most new skins are created for XP, if you would like to skin the taskbar on 2K, then look at the ObjectBar program




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MDesigner
Reply #2 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 3:43 PM
PS: Not to mention.. that on Win2K now, using WindowBlinds, if a window in the taskbar flashes (like if Yahoo Messenger receives a new msg), that flashing no longer happens!!
Essencay
Reply #3 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 3:47 PM
Wallpaper....if the author's enclosed wallpaper is a jpeg...there is no other way to set it except manually.

Taskbar....since Win2000 doesn't have XP's taskbar, you won't get the same effect as you would with XP...may be wrong here since I haven't use WB on Win2000. If you want a XP-style taskbar you have to use ObjectBar

Stumpy..doesn't sound like a fast nick....but he beat me again
[Message Edited]
MDesigner
Reply #4 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 3:58 PM
What about the icons in My Computer? Those stayed the same as well.

Thanks for the responses
Stumpy
Reply #5 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:05 PM
Need IconPackager program, there are lots of seperate program, that make up the whole thing




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Stumpy
Reply #6 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:06 PM
You might do well visiting the following:-

Link >> https://www.stardock.com




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MDesigner
Reply #7 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:12 PM
Riiiight...sorry! Here I thought WindowBlinds was all that was needed. Hmm But when I look under the WindowBlinds section, these authors post screenshots that show everything skinned. So will that one .wba file contain everything needed?? Then I just need to get the WHOLE Object Desktop collection in order to apply all of it? Or will the author have links to the other stuff (icons, etc)
Stumpy
Reply #8 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:15 PM
A .wba file contains only a WindowBlinds skin, look on the website for WindowBlinds themes, these files will do what you want




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Stumpy
Reply #9 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:17 PM
A .theme file is a series of links that will download all parts of a particular theme and install them, if all the various programs are present



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[Message Edited]
MDesigner
Reply #10 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:21 PM
OK, so the Alpha OS skin for example... it's a .wba.zip file. But the screenshot shows EVERYthing skinned. So with Object Desktop, do you just point it to that .wba.zip file?

I have to say, it's just not clear. If you go to Stardock's site.. the WindowBlinds description follows:

WindowBlinds is a program that makes the Windows GUI fully skinnable. You can change title bars, scrollbars, push buttons, the Start bar, and every other part of the OS by making or downloading visual styles. There are thousands already available.

OK but now people are telling me I need to get Object Bar to change the start bar? Though the description above says WindowBlinds does it all.

I'm 100% lost.
Stumpy
Reply #11 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:24 PM
Sometimes you may have to look for all the seperate parts of a theme, some skinner do not create specific themes




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Stumpy
Reply #12 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:27 PM
Actually I should have said look on website under "Suites" these are the full theme files




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Stumpy
Reply #13 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:29 PM
Full Alpha OS suite is at the following:-

Here >>> https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?searchtext=alpha&sort=updatedate&order=Descending&library=22





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MDesigner
Reply #14 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:42 PM
OK, so then Object Desktop loads up .suite.zip files then?
Stumpy
Reply #15 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:45 PM
Correct




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Stumpy
Reply #16 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 4:50 PM
Actually a part of ObjectDesktop called "WinStyles" is used to install all parts of a .suite file, and what should happen is, it will attempt to install a part, if the program for that part does not exist on your computer, it will ask you if you want to download and install that program, you can skip this, but then that part of the theme (suite) will not be installed




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MDesigner
Reply #17 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 5:07 PM
Cool..thanks for all your help, Stumpy!
Stumpy
Reply #18 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 5:09 PM
Glad to help.




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HG_Eliminator
Reply #19 Wednesday, February 11, 2004 6:28 PM
ok the start bar should be skinned with WB alone .. but it wont have the XP look. im useing 2000 pro. some of the skins are incomplete in their parts and/or dont skin the bar fully .
try another skin and see if it skins the start bar. ob bar is worth the extra $ tho. as the ob bar skins are much nicer to look at and the menus are skinned. where with WB alone the start menu is not.

the phrase "and every other part of the os" is exactly that. while wb is the coolest it does have its limitations. it cant skin the start menu(in 2000). it cant change the wallpaper with jpeg's. it cant change your icons,it cant change your pointer. it cant skin other skinnable applications like winamp,WMP, rainlander,these have their own independant skin settings.

theme manager or win styles can change these skins. theme manager or winstyles can apply a skin suite to your pc . what this does is change the skin on most skinnable, applications like WB,WMP, cursorxp,object bar,Etc. to a pre built suite of skins. ok for example lets say u have theme manager and u look in the suites section and like the zippo theme.. u just dl file. then the theme manager will skin every available app. now it wont skin an app u dont have .and it also will only skin the applications, the suite was built to skin.(if the suite builder didnt make a WMP skin it wont get skinned )

if you want the best customizing experience buy the full object dock setup.its well worth the $.the only thing that dosent come with the OBDT, is the cursor XP.which i was highly bummed about ...

i hope this clears things up
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[Message Edited]
grindlestone
Reply #20 Friday, February 13, 2004 7:34 AM
The answer is quite simple. Windowblinds will not ever skin the taskbar in any OS but XP. It just does not do it. All those screenshots that show the taskbar skinned have been produced with XP. I bought Windowblinds when I was running Windows 2000 and was quite disapointed to find that it did not skin the taskbar. They don't really make that clear on the Stardock pages. I have persisted with the program, however, as it _is_ quality software.

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