WindowBlinds 5 now available!
Start personalizing Windows!
Tuesday, November 29, 2005 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
Stardock has released WindowBlinds 5 to the public today. WindowBlinds allows users to completely alter the look and feel of the Windows interface by applying visual styles (skins) to title bars, buttons, the Start bar, borders and more. Consumers customize nearly everything else in their environments: their cars, homes, clothing and cell phones are based on their personal preferences and needs. With WindowBlinds 5, users can now make their Windows desktops look and feel the way they want.
WindowBlinds 5 introduces a broad range of new features, including per-pixel alpha blending, resulting in smooth or glassy title bars and borders that realistically distort the content behind them; as well as the ability to change toolbar icons, progress animations and the hue and saturation of the Windows interface.
With over over 8 million users worldwide, WindowBlinds 5 is the most popular desktop-enhancement utility of all time according to CNET’s Download.com where it recently passed the 9 million download mark. It is also used by companies such as Microsoft, ATI, nVidia, Alienware, Nintendo and many others to provide custom Windows user interfaces for their customers.
WindowBlinds 5 is $19.95 as a stand-alone program or for $49.95 by purchasing Stardock’s award-winning Windows enhancement suite, Object Desktop. A shareware version of WindowBlinds is available for free download.
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Reply #102 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 7:22 PM
Izzee,
If you are still experiencing problems, then the most efficient way to attempt to fix the issue would be to go to the following link, and then follow the steps below to set your graphics adapter straight: https://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&folderID=293
Left pane - Windows version > Radeon > CATALYST 5.11 (or use the "Previous Drivers and Software" listing to locate 5.9 or 5.10 if you wish > download the driver package of your choice and save to your desktop (Note - since I am not a 'gamer', I use just the "Display Driver Only" download).
Left pane - Expand "Utilities" tree > Various > CATALYST - ATI Maintenance Utilities > download the CATALYST Uninstaller (cat-uninstaller.exe) and save to your desktop
Save your skin folders to a temporary folder > unload all programs and return Windows to the default theme - including all icons - using the 'Display Properties\Themes tab\select Windows XP in the drop-down Theme list\click "Apply" method > uninstall WindowBlinds > reboot computer > delete any leftover "WindowBlinds" folder found in "C:\Program Files\Stardock\Object Desktop" folder.
Run the "cat-uninstaller.exe" program, and reboot > install downloaded display drivers > reboot > reinstall WB5 > test program with pre-packaged skins.
If all is well, replace the saved skin folders from the temporary folder. 
Reply #103 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 7:22 PM
Reply #104 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:24 PM
| sure. but there's no point. it won't meet your standards. maybe you could create and upload an example for others to follow? |
So what you're saying is there isn't any 100% stable skin out there. When you say it won't meet my standards, you are saying they all have bugs and graphics glitches.
Is that because all of the skins are done badly, or because WB just has too many bugs to work around?
I mean, if none of the hundreds of authors out there have managed to make a good skin with WB, I certainly have no reason to think it will be worth my while trying? Better to save my money and stick to the other skinning methods.
Reply #105 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:42 PM
wrecklass,
I do not know if there is a 100% stable skin anywhere, including the default "Luna" theme included with Windows, but if you want a 'stable' skin example that will work correctly with the explorer shell - start with StealthOS. It works fine.
Note - font issues can be caused by the choice of the artist of font type, as well as by your monitor and graphic adapters ability to display 2D text. The color of the background also plays into this issue, due to the ability of some colors to hide imperfections in the diplaying of fonts.
If you are used to another skinning program, it may simply be your preference.
Reply #107 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:54 PM
Thanks again for all of your help, Mark
Reply #108 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 9:28 PM
Reply #109 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 10:44 PM
help please
Reply #110 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 10:44 PM
help please
Reply #111 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 11:15 PM
Go back up to comment #65 and see if that helps.
current version should be 2.20.357 build 103
Reply #112 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 11:47 PM
Reply #113 Thursday, December 1, 2005 12:12 AM
Any help is appreciated...
Reply #114 Thursday, December 1, 2005 1:03 AM
Reply #115 Thursday, December 1, 2005 1:22 AM
nice job on 5 tho
and i've tried loading and reinstalling WB again and again (shareware) and it keeps not loading the skins . i get about to when it changes to classic (right b4 the final skins are on) and then stops and now i can only change from classic to XP. any ideas?
Reply #116 Thursday, December 1, 2005 1:26 AM
Thanks for the hard work!
Reply #117 Thursday, December 1, 2005 1:28 AM
Great work put together ... welldone
Reply #118 Thursday, December 1, 2005 2:43 AM
| You think all the per pixel transparency is done using cpu only? |
Why not?
Just asking.
Reply #120 Thursday, December 1, 2005 5:29 AM
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Reply #101 Wednesday, November 30, 2005 3:38 PM