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WindowBlinds 11 planning

WindowBlinds 11 planning

We are putting together the schedule to make WindowBlinds 11.  

Customization is a lot harder now than it used to be.  Microsoft, for reasons unknown, has actively encouraged developers to take care of their own client and even non client (border, frame) painting rather than using standard Windows controls.  

Microsoft's baffling decision to throw away trying to provide a standard set of in-app controls for developers and instead provide vague, often conflicting standards (cough, Fluent) has resulted in having less and less of the OS we can even touch.

Which is unfortunate because WindowBlinds, in theory, could actually give Windows users a consistent, OS-wide Fluent if apps weren't handling the drawing of their own UIs these days.

Still, with that in mind, there are things we can do such as skin the standard OS controls and then handle apps on a case-by-case basis.  Keep in mind though, the more non-standard apps we have to handle, the harder it is for us to keep compatibility.

Earlier this year we released Curtains which doesn't even hook into the OS.  This means it is 100% compatible. Skins, even the weirdest ones, won't break a given app.  Of course, the price is that it doesn't skin nearly as much (no client area GUI controls like scrollbars, push buttons, radio buttons, etc.).  It's done quite well.  However, we know there are still plenty of people out there who would like to have more full control over how their Windows desktop looks.

That's where this thread comes in: What would you like to see in WindowBlinds 11?  

2,440,453 views 670 replies
Reply #601 Top

Quoting Robert84MK, reply 599


Quoting PapaBravo,

9900K CPU @ 3.60GHz 3.60 GHz 16 cores



Well 9900k had 8 core + HT on and 9700k has 8core + HT off. And this cpu is old.


Quoting PapaBravo,

1tb ssd drives 32 gigs of ram



 

Only 3 ssd 1tb ? I gave 8 ssd mix 1tb and 2tb.

 

Ok 32gb but mhz ? and cl ?

 

Good news. You both will meet the minimum specs required to run Windowblinds 11 ;P  

Reply #602 Top

Is it too late to participate in the beta testing?

Reply #603 Top

I do believe than Sean Drohan said he has enough contributors.

Reply #604 Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 603

I do believe than Sean Drohan said he has enough contributors.

That being said, if there is anyone out there that is a WB skinner that would like to test the new SKS bits and test making skins for the Windows 10 and 11 style start menus, I can probably bribe Sean into letting you in ;)  

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

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Reply #605 Top

Quoting TPScroggins, reply 604


Quoting RedneckDude,

I do believe than Sean Drohan said he has enough contributors.



That being said, if there is anyone out there that is a WB skinner that would like to test the new SKS bits and test making skins for the Windows 10 and 11 style start menus, I can probably bribe Sean into letting you in ;)  

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

I'd be open to commit bribery, tribute, extortion, payoffs, petty larceny. Nothing more serious though I would look too cute in a prison uniform. 

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Reply #606 Top

LOL@ JCurie!

Reply #607 Top

Really looking forward to the beta, got forced into Windows 11 due to getting a new pc & WindowBlinds is sorely missed.

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Reply #608 Top

Quoting bobj420, reply 607

Really looking forward to the beta, got forced into Windows 11 due to getting a new pc & WindowBlinds is sorely missed.
It's not like you can't install Windows 10.

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Reply #609 Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 608


Quoting bobj420,

Really looking forward to the beta, got forced into Windows 11 due to getting a new pc & WindowBlinds is sorely missed.

It's not like you can't install Windows 10.

Yes, true, but since Windows 10 will be phased out eventually I don't see the point in downgrading only to have to upgrade back to windows 11 in a few years or so.

Reply #610 Top

I'm actually dual booting 10 and 11.  But a few years is a good while.  To each, his own...

Reply #611 Top

To all I copied the link to the individual download of window blinds 10 and changed it from WindowBlinds10_setup_sd.exe to WindowBlinds11_setup_sd.exe. Then I hit enter and received the following message,

"FILE NOT FOUND" 🤪

What the hey it was worth the shot. I'll have to wait for the Beta. 😏

 

 

 

Reply #612 Top

I now have more reason than ever to want WB 11 on my machine, Our Resident Genius neone6 has peaked my interest in Win 10 as he created a WB of a Theme i have wanted for like forever. The Experimenter in me is saying, Make Your New WB Work On Win 11, something i have done before, but the IT Pro in me says, wait, it will not be too long now. Never have i booted into Win 10 so many times since Win 11 was released, Every day now, i split my online time between the two SSDs, something i have not done since October last year when we got Win 11. Tron Legacy Theme kept me sane whilst waiting for WB 11, sooner or later neone6 will create me a WB from that theme, then maybe, i will lose interest in Themes as you have to be Tech savvy to use them well without issues, WB is a lot more Stable and without issue, so who knows.

I would like to say "I Can Not Wait" but i can as it is now just around the corner, Card At The Ready.}:)  B)  

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Reply #613 Top

Quoting JCurie, reply 611

To all I copied the link to the individual download of window blinds 10 and changed it from WindowBlinds10_setup_sd.exe to WindowBlinds11_setup_sd.exe. Then I hit enter and received the following message,

"FILE NOT FOUND" 🤪

What the hey it was worth the shot. I'll have to wait for the Beta. 😏

 

 

 
Haha...funny stuff....lol.

 

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Reply #614 Top

Key needed nevertheless. ;-P

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Reply #615 Top

Quoting c242, reply 614

Key needed nevertheless. ;P

True but be willing to bet it would activate on Stardocks server if it had downloaded version 11. Stardock uses the same key for all object desktop. I keep checking daily to see if the beta is in the individual download folder. Once it's there I'll be downloading it. 

Reply #616 Top

As long as we don’t hit anymore road bumps, targeting beta release later this month. 

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Reply #617 Top

Looking forward to it.

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Reply #618 Top

Hmmm, may get me back into skinning.... :|  |-)  

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Reply #619 Top

Quoting don5318, reply 618

Hmmm, may get me back into skinning.... :|  |-)  

I sure hope so Don! :-)

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Reply #620 Top

WB friends this will not work this year, there are still three windows 11 upgrades coming this year.

1 - 20.09. 22H2 , 2 - Moment 1 and 3 - Moment 2 also (with GUI changes) from october 22 to december 22 , Unfortunately

you can google moment upgrade this is no fake or joke

Reply #621 Top

Quoting LightStar, reply 619

I sure hope so Don!
I miss your work too, for what it's worth, and you, for always being a great guy!:thumbsup:  

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Reply #622 Top

Quoting don5318, reply 618

Hmmm, may get me back into skinning.... :|  |-)  

You definitely have a talent for it. Windows 11 could use some new skins!

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Reply #623 Top

Quoting qfapam, reply 620

WB friends this will not work this year, there are still three windows 11 upgrades coming this year.

1 - 20.09. 22H2 , 2 - Moment 1 and 3 - Moment 2 also (with GUI changes) from october 22 to december 22 , Unfortunately

you can google moment upgrade this is no fake or joke

I now see why Windows beta channel has a different version of Windows 11 than the preview channel. Essentially, the beta channel is moment 1 and preview is 22h2 first release.

The main new thing in moment 1 is explorer tabs. This new feature will not break Windowblinds 11 because it has already been in the pipeline for months now. It may perhaps change the way artists skin Windows 11 as they will have to incorporate these new tabs into their work.

As of right now I am not seeing what features will be incorporated into moment 2 or 3. I do see that moment 2 isn't scheduled for release until next year and it does look like these releases will be in beta testing for a month or more before they are released to the wild.

In my opinion, I would recommend for skinners is to take the Windows 11 beta channel seriously and test their work on this channel. The Dev channel of course is to be avoided because it is just a testing platform for stuff that may or may not be implemented.

Reply #624 Top

I don't know how much longer I can go without Windowblinds 11.

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Reply #625 Top

Later this month is music to my ears.

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