SaladFork
August 10th, 2005, 01:56 AM
SaladFork's Guide to WindowBlinds
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Downloading
- 3.0 Installing
- 4.0 Obtaining Skins
- 5.0 Perfecting Your Desktop
- 6.0 Copyright Information
- 7.0 Tips
- 8.0 Troubleshooting
- 9.0 The End
1.0 Introduction
WindowBlinds is a skinning program created for Windows computers. Using WindowBlinds, you can customize your desktop experience on your '98, 2000 or XP computer. Using WindowBlindsm you can add complex gradients, and many other animations to your everyday computer style. Near the bottom of this post, you can find an example of a 'Perfected Desktop' using this guide. WindowBlinds is absolutely safe, and does not harm your computer in any way.
[WindowBlinds Sample (http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/wb_flashv4.html)]
2.0 Downloading
Before you begin, you're going to have to download WindowBlinds. Head to the WindowBlinds site (http://www.windowblinds.net). Click 'Download WindowBlinds'. The file you will be downloading is 7.03mb in size. This is your chance to turn back if you choose to do so. The download takes approximately 30 minutes to download on a dial-up connection.
3.0 Installing
This is a moderately tough part. But it's just installation, and shouldn't take long. First click 'Window Blinds' in the folder that will pop up. Then after this page has loaded, close everything except for that one page. Then do the following procedure if you're using an XP Computer:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Appearance and Themes (XP Only)
Display
Appearance
Windows Classic (Color doesn't matter)
Then continue with the installation. It will take approximately 5 minutes on a dial-up connection.
4.0 Obtaining Skins
Go to the WinCustomize Skin Library (http://www2.wincustomize.com/Skins.aspx?LibID=1&mode=1). Some skins may require you to register to WinCustomize.
Once you find a skin you like, click 'download' button in the bottom right corner of it and wait for it to finish. Afterwards the completion of the download, a 'Tooltip' will appear in your System Tray. Click it if you wish to activate that skin now, or complete the following Windows XP procedure if you wish to activate a different skin:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Appearance & Themes
Display
Appearance
Select your skin in the upper dropdown menu.
Or, you can double click the WindowBlinds taskbar icon, and select a skin through that. Note that several skins have additional options for more customization, and a drop down box will appear if this is so.
5.0 Perfecting Your Desktop
You've got that awesome skin now, right? But you're not done yet. You now need to get a matching desktop wallpaper. These can be found anywhere on the internet, I personally prefer abstract technical. You can find some excellent wallpapers on BaseHead (http://www.basehead.org/).
Here is an example of my 'perfected' desktop I made:
http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/8594/desktop4uc.th.gif (http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/8594/desktop4uc.gif)
(Click for full picture)
Here is another 'perfected' desktop:
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/857/peftdsktp4fr.th.png (http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/857/peftdsktp4fr.png)
6.0 Copyright Information
Window Blinds is a registered trademark of StarDock (http://www.stardock.com).
7.0 Tips
Having a shortcut on your desktop to display properties makes your life easier in many occassions. Here is how to do it on Windows XP:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Switch to Classic View
Right Click on Display
Create Shortcut
Yes
Here's how to do it on other Windows computers:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Right Click Display
Create Shortcut
Yes
8.0 Troubleshooting
When I save try to save a skin it saves as a Zip file. I can't unzip this file.
This is an odd trouble, indeed. It says its a zipped file, though it isn't. Once you have downloaded the WindowBlinds main download (see Downloading), these files will appear differently. Don't worry, the file isn't stuck there forever! Use the following process to activate a skin that was downloaded prior to WB.
Start
Control Panel
Display
Appearance
Add
Find the File
I don't like my skin. Is there any way to get rid of it?
Yes, definitely. There are 2 ways, 1 longer one and 1 shorter one.
Longer:
Start
Control Panel
Display
Appearance
Select The Skin You Wish To Delete
'Delete'
Shorter:
WindowBlinds
Select the skin you want to delete
'Delete this skin'
9.0 The End - Congratulations!
Note that several parts of this guide were taken from a friend of mine, who first introduced me to WindowBlinds, who helped many users on RuneScape Community get WindowBlinds running.
~Salad
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Downloading
- 3.0 Installing
- 4.0 Obtaining Skins
- 5.0 Perfecting Your Desktop
- 6.0 Copyright Information
- 7.0 Tips
- 8.0 Troubleshooting
- 9.0 The End
1.0 Introduction
WindowBlinds is a skinning program created for Windows computers. Using WindowBlinds, you can customize your desktop experience on your '98, 2000 or XP computer. Using WindowBlindsm you can add complex gradients, and many other animations to your everyday computer style. Near the bottom of this post, you can find an example of a 'Perfected Desktop' using this guide. WindowBlinds is absolutely safe, and does not harm your computer in any way.
[WindowBlinds Sample (http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/wb_flashv4.html)]
2.0 Downloading
Before you begin, you're going to have to download WindowBlinds. Head to the WindowBlinds site (http://www.windowblinds.net). Click 'Download WindowBlinds'. The file you will be downloading is 7.03mb in size. This is your chance to turn back if you choose to do so. The download takes approximately 30 minutes to download on a dial-up connection.
3.0 Installing
This is a moderately tough part. But it's just installation, and shouldn't take long. First click 'Window Blinds' in the folder that will pop up. Then after this page has loaded, close everything except for that one page. Then do the following procedure if you're using an XP Computer:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Appearance and Themes (XP Only)
Display
Appearance
Windows Classic (Color doesn't matter)
Then continue with the installation. It will take approximately 5 minutes on a dial-up connection.
4.0 Obtaining Skins
Go to the WinCustomize Skin Library (http://www2.wincustomize.com/Skins.aspx?LibID=1&mode=1). Some skins may require you to register to WinCustomize.
Once you find a skin you like, click 'download' button in the bottom right corner of it and wait for it to finish. Afterwards the completion of the download, a 'Tooltip' will appear in your System Tray. Click it if you wish to activate that skin now, or complete the following Windows XP procedure if you wish to activate a different skin:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Appearance & Themes
Display
Appearance
Select your skin in the upper dropdown menu.
Or, you can double click the WindowBlinds taskbar icon, and select a skin through that. Note that several skins have additional options for more customization, and a drop down box will appear if this is so.
5.0 Perfecting Your Desktop
You've got that awesome skin now, right? But you're not done yet. You now need to get a matching desktop wallpaper. These can be found anywhere on the internet, I personally prefer abstract technical. You can find some excellent wallpapers on BaseHead (http://www.basehead.org/).
Here is an example of my 'perfected' desktop I made:
http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/8594/desktop4uc.th.gif (http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/8594/desktop4uc.gif)
(Click for full picture)
Here is another 'perfected' desktop:
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/857/peftdsktp4fr.th.png (http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/857/peftdsktp4fr.png)
6.0 Copyright Information
Window Blinds is a registered trademark of StarDock (http://www.stardock.com).
7.0 Tips
Having a shortcut on your desktop to display properties makes your life easier in many occassions. Here is how to do it on Windows XP:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Switch to Classic View
Right Click on Display
Create Shortcut
Yes
Here's how to do it on other Windows computers:
Start Menu
Control Panel
Right Click Display
Create Shortcut
Yes
8.0 Troubleshooting
When I save try to save a skin it saves as a Zip file. I can't unzip this file.
This is an odd trouble, indeed. It says its a zipped file, though it isn't. Once you have downloaded the WindowBlinds main download (see Downloading), these files will appear differently. Don't worry, the file isn't stuck there forever! Use the following process to activate a skin that was downloaded prior to WB.
Start
Control Panel
Display
Appearance
Add
Find the File
I don't like my skin. Is there any way to get rid of it?
Yes, definitely. There are 2 ways, 1 longer one and 1 shorter one.
Longer:
Start
Control Panel
Display
Appearance
Select The Skin You Wish To Delete
'Delete'
Shorter:
WindowBlinds
Select the skin you want to delete
'Delete this skin'
9.0 The End - Congratulations!
Note that several parts of this guide were taken from a friend of mine, who first introduced me to WindowBlinds, who helped many users on RuneScape Community get WindowBlinds running.
~Salad