Beginner's Questions (perhaps...)

from Stardock Forums

Greetings everybody,

I'm a bit slow and old-fashioned, so please bear with me.

I've just downloaded WindowBlinds 10.74 for its 30-day-trial and actually one reason only. I do like to make my own themes for my Windows-7 (32-bit) computer, but was stuck to the "classic" Windows style because the Aero-themes would not allow me to change menu bar colors - no matter what I did, the menus stayed bright-blue which looked awful on my themes. I cannot find out how to change that.

So I thought I try a software and found WindowBlinds. I always want to check things first before I put anything permanently on my machine, so I installed it under ShadowDefender (means it'll be gone when my computer shuts down). I usually would have played around with it all day, then - if I liked it - restart the computer and install it for good. Unfortunately, it seems this good old method won't work with WindowBlinds as there's not much chance to test anything.

As I could see, WindowBlinds allows me to install its premade themes/skins and lets me alter them a bit. Works so far (I tried AeroWoods), except it forgot the taskbar, and of course, it left the menu bars in the Aero theme bright blue. Yuck.

Then it told me in order to alter more I should go to "SkinStudio". Clicking it brought me to a website promoting SkinStudio, but nothing to do there. Downloading it seems obsolete as I'm supposed to have downloaded it already with WindowBlinds. I'm probably just too dumb to find it - but where is it? I would at least like to try and do something before I decide on anything.

Now my questions - should I have downloaded SkinStudio right away and not WindowBlinds? After all, I want to make my own themes and not use someone else's. But then again, shouldn't SkinStudio already be there?

Or is it probably not the right software for me at all?

Any suggestions?

Kindly, Goatfish

 

 

 

 

14,637 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

You will need Windowblinds to apply the theme. And you will need Skinstudio to make your own theme. But you don't really need skinstudio if you are not planning to make your own theme. There are alot of free and paid themes you can download from Wincustomize.com. https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds

Please try those theme first and if you decide to purchase Windowblinds, Skinstudio will come with it.

Thank you,

 

Basj,

Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hi,

thank you for your answer. The trouble is - I do want to make my own themes. Wallpapers and icons, that is. My problem is that I cannot have any transparent effects like Aero as I cannot find a way to change windows 7's bright-blue menu bars and backgrounds with only Windows itself. That's why I stuck with basic opaque themes without transparency. I also would love to put textures on menus etc. I saw some beautiful themes and would love to make some myself.

The whole point of testing the software was to see how much I can change in order to make a theme that pleases me - preferrably one involving transparency and textures. Also to see if I can work with it - because unfortunately, I'm a painter, not a programmer, so fuzzing about in the registry isn't exactly my thing.

I already saw WindowBlinds doesn't do what I'd wanted - the "AeroWoods" theme just left the bright-blue menu bars untouched. Couldn't stand it, so I'm back on my old opaque theme now.

Kindly, goatfish

 

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

goatfish, I think what Basj is trying to say is that in order to get SkinStudio for free, you must purchase WindowBlinds.

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Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 4

goatfish, I think what Basj is trying to say is that in order to get SkinStudio for free, you must purchase WindowBlinds.

We have no issue with the SKS link being given out but SKS will not function without a paid version of WB existing on the PC in question.

Goatfish7, if you purchase WB, you have 30 days for a refund if it does not meet your needs.

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Sean Drohan
Stardock Customer Service Manager