WindowBlinds 7: A guided Tour

Monday, November 16, 2009 by Frogboy | Discussion: Personal Computing

Windowblinds[1]

VERSION 7

Info & Requirements

 

Introduction

WindowBlinds is a program that empowers users to customize the look and feel of Microsoft Windows. By applying skins, users can change nearly every element of the Windows interface including:

  • title bars
  • borders
  • taskbar
  • Start menu
  • push buttons
  • and virtually every other part of the Windows UI

 

The WindowBlinds Experience

Windows XP user example:

index.7[1] to index.17[1]

Windows Vista/7 example:

image   to clip_image002

There are literally thousands of different skins to choose from

What’s new in WindowBlinds 7 over WindowBlinds 6

There are hundreds of changes and new features in WindowBlinds 7 over previous versions. Below is a summary of some of the more significant changes.

  1. Native support for Windows 7
  2. Native Aero skinning for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users
  3. Native 64-bit support for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users
  4. Auto-conversion of Windows XP era skins to Windows Vista or Windows 7
  5. Ability to apply textures to skins
  6. A new, easy to use configuration program
  7. Native Clear-Type support for better font handling
  8. New Skin format called UIS0 for skinning Aero (takes hours instead of days to create a new skin).
  9. New WindowBlinds 7 skins included such as Submline, Aero Metals, Corporate, Aero Woods, Aero Clay, Sabertooth along with new WindowBlinds 7 skins being released soon after to the public such as Altitude.
  10. Option to have a random skin applied each logon
  11. Much better customization of fonts
  12. Massive performance improvements in applying of skins.
  13. Optimization of Windows Vista and Windows 7 DWM drawing to improve battery life on laptops.
  14. Aero skinning (UIS0) is 100% compatible (it’s Aero) with all Windows programs.

Screenshots of new features:

clip_image002[4] clip_image002[10]

clip_image002[6] clip_image002[12]

clip_image002[8] image

 

Features of WindowBlinds

There are so many individual features of WindowBlinds that it would take many pages to explain them all. Instead, we will focus on the primary features of the program.

  1. Changes the look and feel of the entire Windows graphical user interface by applying a WindowBlinds skins.
  2. There are thousands of free WindowBlinds skins to choose from.
  3. Improves performance of the Windows GUI due to optimizations it makes to Windows drawing routines
  4. Uses very little memory
  5. Easy and safe to use. Does not modify any system files. Can be turned off with a single click at any time.
  6. Gives Windows XP users the ability to have per-pixel alpha blending, gives Windows Vista/7 users the ability to skin the native  glass (Aero) look and feel.
  7. Users can assign mouse actions to roll-up windows, minimize to tray and many other options.
  8. Supports animated title bars, start menus, and much more.
  9. Can skin even “non-theme aware” programs meaning even older programs that look like old Windows will get skinned natively.
  10. Microsoft certified. Used by millions of users worldwide and by major PC manufactures such as Dell and HP.

Screenshots in action

 

clip_image002[18]
WindowBlinds can skin virtually every part of the Windows GUI.

 

clip_image002[16]
Windows 7 gets a retro-look with this Windows XP skin

 

image_4[1] 
Like the native Windows Vista/Windows 7 look and would just like to spice it up? WindowBlinds 7 can skin Aero itself.

image_18[1]
Skinners can customize as much or as little as they want and share their creations with the world

26 Reply 86 Referrals
First Previous Page 2 of 2 Next Last
Tunghur
Reply #21 Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:54 PM
Uninstalled and reinstalled and now it works. Had the version 6 and above installed this version, so not working. Also thanks for the help!

carlobee
Reply #22 Thursday, November 19, 2009 2:26 AM

that's good to hear.


Tunghur
Reply #23 Friday, November 20, 2009 5:08 PM
In the WB confic, go to the "About WindowBlinds" click the [Copy to Clipboard] button adn post it here.
Here it is, what public anyway... WindowBlinds version : WindowBlinds 7.0 (build 79 x86) - Shareware WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins. (Monitor Plug and Play) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce 7025 / NVIDIA nForce 630a Wblind.dll 2009/11/13 11:11:ll Wbsrv.dll 2009/11/12 11:35:02 SevenConfig.exe 2009/11/13 12:27:15 Wbload.exe 2009/11/10 13:53:12 Wbhelp.dll 2009/06/04 15:14:07 Wbui.dll 2009/06/04 15:13:24 Tray.dll 2009/10/23 19:12:19 Screen.exe 2009/11/10 13:52:48

PLZdeleteTHISaccountTHANKS
Reply #24 Thursday, November 26, 2009 10:34 PM

Can anyone recommond a skin site besides wincustomize?

 

Also, anyword when stardock will release that demigod skin?


Alio0p
Reply #25 Sunday, May 9, 2010 3:12 AM

Hello! Have a question for you fine people

I just purchased this also and it's a very nice program I used the free trial up so I had plenty of time to decide if I wanted to spend money on it. Of course after using it I wanted it and got it with my upgrade discount.  

This is my problem however I can't figure out how to set the progress animations. I am using Aero Colors from stardock and it still shows the default icons when I download files. Can you not change the progress animations to any skin you use like you could in windows 6? Or do you have to be using a theme with progress animations included with it?

 I don't think the aero skins come with progress animations because I don't see them. Same for toolbar icons I don't see them in here either. Seems windowblinds is not as customizable as its older versions were. Other then that I find it a very nice program that runs smoothly.

Thanks for your time.

* Alio0p *


Daiwa
Reply #26 Sunday, May 9, 2010 2:36 PM

What OS are you running, Alio0p?  If you're on XP, the answer is Yes.

Those features have been relocated to the 'XP Specific' tab in the Settings dialog of WBConfig, as they aren't functional in Vista/7. I don't think the Stardock folks were particularly happy that Win7 precludes skinning those elements, but that apparently wasn't their call.

There may be a bug in WB7 on XP as relates to this - I've noticed that the 'conditional' use of animations & toolbar icons doesn't always work (If skin has its own animations defined use them, otherwise use the animations below).  I've had to select 'Always use...' or I get the Windows defaults if there are no animations/toolbar icons defined in the skin.

Long as I'm on the subject, I miss the previews for those features in WB Config - who can remember what they all look like?


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