Opinions on Window Blinds?

I downloaded Window Blinds, which allows you to "skin" the Windows environment. I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with it. Does it work well? Is it safe to use? Any problems with crashes or Windows not booting after applying a skin?

I know I'm paranoid, but better safe than sorry.

 

Hi shadowhawk...

I have used Window Blinds 4.0 on my pc when it was SP1...I have yet to install it since reinstalling WinXP to install SP2. I had no issues whatsoever with the program so eventually I will get to reinstalling it in the near future.

HTH

 

It works well in SP2, even with StyleXP installed at the same time (StyleXP needed a new SP2 version). Of all the theming programs, WindowBlinds is the one I've had the fewest problems with. If it doesn't load, you just get the Windows default and no big problems otherwise.

The only thing you need to be careful of with theming programs are the ones that alter boot screens. Some specify a different kernel in the boot.ini (for example: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS= "Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /KERNEL=LOGOOS.EXE /NoExecute=OptIn), so it is always a good idea to put a line in that specifies that the default kernel be used (multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS= "Backup Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn).

Of course, I don't think it is ever a good idea to use a boot screen that replaces ntoskrnl.exe with a third-party version.

 

Hi shadowhawk
I had big trouble with this one - but that was about 2 years ago, so maybe
they have improved it and reduced the size. It takes a lot of 16 bit memory
away and I reckon this was the reason why it crashed the PC many times here
Certainly, it gets your PC away from the bland Windows GUI, but all I can
say, is that it is not on my "urgent" buy list.
regards

 

Yeah I'll probably stay away from it. It probably just hogs memory.

 

I use Window Blinds...XP Home SP2, PIV 1.8 ghtz, 768 RAM...with no problems.

Right now, with it running, it's using 1,284K of memory. The system idle process hangs right at 98% with it and not much else running.

 

I'm trying out StyleXP. It doesn't even have a service running, which I think is pretty sweet. So far, it's pretty good.

 

It may seem like it's not using a service, but it's using XP's Theme service. You can actually turn that off when using WindowBlinds, which uses less memory to function than XP's Theme service (alone, or hacked for StyleXP) does.

The way I look at it, you can either hack into the OS to get a few simple color changes, or you can use the official Microsoft certified way with WindowBlinds (and Object Desktop, of which I've been a user for years) and get tons of more options, use less resources, and even get most of the StyleXP skins adapted for WindowBlinds.

Like the Lady says, "Get more! "

 

I like StyleXP. It seems to work well.

 

It is nice and I'm using it now. One proviso: When applying a "style" to a theme, if it asks if you want to make a copy of the current theme so that it can apply the style, answer "No ". Just switch to a different theme that the style works with.

If you allow it to make a copy, you'll end up with many themes that have the same name, and none of them will be the original theme. I lost the Windows Classic theme that way, and had to reload it from the XP CD.

 

I use Window Blinds now. It has way more variety to choose from. There's even a theme that mimics the old Win3.1 desktop. Man I miss those days.

 

Now you have to keep going---Stardock has all kinds of enhancements, as you know since they install all the shortcuts with every program.

I'm using IconXP and have a small, rotating pencil as a cursor, and their desktop stuff is very nice, too.

But there's no end to all this stuff. Sometimes I find myself spending a whole session in front of the computer just fiddling with themes.

 

Im using StyleXP now. I have the orange style currently activated, and I like the green one too