Please Read this if your UI is black and painting slowly

Published on December 17, 2005 By Neil Banfield In WindowBlinds

If you have installed a pirate copy (AKA cracked) version of WindowBlinds 5, please be aware that the crack is faulty and WindowBlinds will cease to function correctly on your computer.

To fix this you just need to uninstall WB and if you wish install a purchased copy of WB, or the trial.

To uninstall, you can either wait for your computer to login, unload WB (either using wbconfig, display properties, or from a command prompt calling WBLOAD UNLOAD) and then uninstall WB. Or you can boot into safe mode & uninstall WB from there.

Your computer has not been harmed in anyway. Whoever made the crack did a poor job and patched out code that causes WindowBlinds to no longer be able to paint bitmaps (so title bars, borders, everything will be black).

Comments (Page 6)

pgp_protector

on Dec 29, 2005

You know, it's not like this program is expensive.

They pay for the computer, toys, junk, but won't spend $20 bucks on a great program ?

Jafo

on Dec 29, 2005

You know, it's not like this program is expensive.

They pay for the computer, toys, junk, but won't spend $20 bucks on a great program ?

Mum already bought them the computer, toys and junk...but by then simply balked at additional programs....so they had to fend for themselves.

Totally understandable...

Parent's OK....kid's a prat....

Adamness

on Dec 31, 2005

Is there any security that software can have that actually works? There are lots of cracks available for just about all software thats out there. Photoshop has the phone activation and serial number, but there are ways around that. Stardock stuff has activation, which is what most software has. Isn't there a way to stop all these brats from getting away with theft?

on Dec 31, 2005

You can change any law of this world - those you can't change you can break.

scorpio-logic

on Dec 31, 2005

Short of tracking them down and breaking fingers, I don't see how it would get any better. If you make it so that terrible things happen if you hack into a proggie, you end up with liability problems and get sued. If you leave well alone, you get ganked for your product. It's a no win situation. The Honor System only works if everyone plays. Good luck with that. With that, I thumb those who steal the product I pay for, allowing and hoping for lots of boogies to fly and light smartly on their faces.

Posted via WinCustomize Browser/Stardock Central

cybermessiah

on Dec 31, 2005

This saddens me as a paying customer for Windowblinds. The fact is that Stardock is in no way responsible for 'breaking' someones system. WindosBlinds is a GUI skinning app and with version 5 intergrated so much into the system graphics card, anyone downloading a 'crack (understandably with the knowledge that it will interfere with the way the program is meant to run), should accept the responsibility themselves for the consequences of their actions.

What concerns me is however is the obvious glee from certain 'respected' people here at the failed result of the cracked versions running and the flaming in general of the people who attempt to crack the program. I would have thought that you act a little more professionally.

Before, WB was just a program to be cracked, but now ( I guess with many people {crackers included} visiting these forums and viewing what they will take as personal satisfaction from Stardock at the 'cracked' system failures)...WB is making itself alot more enemies in the cracking community.....of which, it is sad to see, there are many. Cant you see that this could only escalate into something that takes your time and energy away from what you are, I hope, trying to achieve in these forums and the product?

In my humble opinion, the flaming btwn Stardock representaives and crackers should stop. It in no way is of any benefit to the paying customers who have bought your product. Perhaps try to devote that enegy and time to the parts of this site that benefit those people who are giving you their money. There seems to be a little war going on here (and in other forums) that which, with a little more professionalism ( and I dont expect 'professionalism'from crackers), could be better spent on other more needful issues.
Seasons Greetings.

Jafo

on Dec 31, 2005

the flaming btwn Stardock representaives and crackers should stop.

cybermessiah ....it's probably timely to explain some realities.

Firstly, the only 'Stardock representative' frequenting this thread is its author, Neil Banfield. You CANNOT consider his input 'flaming' as he is, in fact assisting these thieves [crackers] by explaining why they are having issues, something that would be called 'tech support' were it NOT for the fact these creatures ARE NOT customers deserving of support.

Secondly, those who you 'may perceive' to be antagonistic towards these thieves [crackers] are not actual Stardock personnel, but do so out of personal disgust for the situation where their friends [Stardock's personnel] are having their livelihoods stolen by precocious little brats who deserve a good arse-kicking.

Thirdly, there are THREE groups involved.

1. the criminal element who are the subject of much disdain

2. the rightly indignant/disgusted who see their friends/colleagues being robbed [and then insulted/accused]

and

3. the armchair moralist who thinks all of this is bad karma....yet apportions responsibilities erroneously.

As for stopping any 'flaming' coming from the 'crackers'.....that's ultimately easy, we can just shutdown these threads...and exile every individual who comes here to Wincustomize with a broken crack and no intention of making amends.

However....it appears some of this open discussion/flame/call it what you will, actually reaps dividends...as it appears to have shaken some sense into several...and they have since gone legitimate.

When these 'crackers' are made aware they injure/harm actual living people they maybe see that all actions have real repercussions, even warez usage.

gmc2

on Jan 01, 2006

Interesting, I encountered a problem and low and behold there are others that are experiencing something similar.

All of sudden WB5 went blooey. I was reverted back to classic and unable to get “it” back even when after going to a previous restore point. I downloaded mine from stardock central and had some initial problems but it seemed to be working okay? I went ahead and uninstalled and reinstalled WB4.6. I like WB 5 but it does seem a little quirky.

Side note: using “vistaXP”, it shut down my “close” button function for MS access? Changed WB and the problem was corrected??????

cybermessiah

on Jan 01, 2006

thankyou Jafo for your response..., however I feel that you rather somewhat missed my point. Blatent comments such as describing these people who illicelty try to steal the software as "CREATURES" and suggesting violence on them as deserving of a good "arse-kicking",isn't exactly the way I was taught to respond to people who you wish to enlighten.

My main concern was that, as a paying customer, how does this benifit the people who have actually paid for the product and support Stardock and the skinnning community in the proper way? I understand now that it has actually increased your revenue intake, and that is how we may benefit.

However, I dont feel much supported as a paying supporter of OD by being dismissed an 'armchair moralist'.....just a concerned customer worried that, as I suspected, this is developing into a little war that would not benefit the well-intending skinning community.

I would have hoped that you could realise that I was merely concerned with the impact of this on the skinning community, and rather than in your reply, treating me like a child by explaining 'realities' that I am already full aware of, provide a better understanding of how this benefits the well-intended community. I thought that I made it quite clear, in the first paragrapgh of my initial statement, that I have little compassion toward anyone who has suffered loss at trying to crack the program. I understand your frustration in this,but fail to see where personal insulting and affronting undertones (now extended to people who support the product) ca be of any real benefit.

Peace and Seasons greetings.

Jafo

on Jan 01, 2006

Well...perhaps I should edit my post...and juxtapose 'fine gentlemen' where I currently have 'creatures' ...but alas, I think not.

If there is a point to be had it is that I am personally insulting those who steal from Stardock yet have the effrontery to come here and condemn Stardock as if they had anything to do with their current malaise.

And... I am not Stardock.

Stardock, on the other hand, as exemplified by Neil Banfield's input here has been more than helpful...and not 'just' to their paying customers...but even, dare I say to those 'fine gentlemen' who undermine their livelihood.

How does THIS benefit the actual paying SD Customer? By showing them how fair-minded the company they financially support really is.

However... MY wishing to give these kids an 'arse-kicking' is purely and simply a result of my OWN upbringing...where I was taught right from wrong and got a clip 'round the ear when I got it wrong, not some "please don't do it again...therapy session is at 11" - response.

As for 'impact on the skinning community' ....the reality is...IF everyone pirated Windowblinds...and no-one purchased it then Stardock would have no motivation to continue with it. It would die, as have many skinnables in the past. Sites have died for the same reason...commercial viability. WHEN that viability is lost then you will find Skinning will wither...to become a back-yard garage-band existence or at best a feeble echo of its halcyon days. THAT is the impact which needs must be addressed.

Skinning is essentially the newest/unique artform.....like discovering photography all of a sudden, or oils...or maybe even the mathematics of perspective. It's still new [meaning pretty-well within everyone's lifetime here]... but that does not make it indelible or permanent...not when warez-kiddies believe they have a God-given right to anarchy, all in the name of free-speech, whatever.

Regarding your own 'full awareness'...from what I'd gleaned from your post it appeared to be lacking....if my clarification appeared insulting it wasn't intended, so apologies offered...

The good old days of free-skins and free-skinning are fading....as the skinning proggies become more sophisticated the efforts of the skinners really demand/deserve an income...and no, repeat, NO form of income comes to ANYONE from the warez users.

I think it's fairly safe to say that 'most' skinners will echo my sentiments...

Jafo

on Jan 01, 2006

Ugh...please excuse the text formatting...am on an old computer...and it's a pain...

I'll re-edit anon....

cybermessiah

on Jan 01, 2006

Thankyou Jafo for your polite response to my concerns.Best wishes.

Adamness

on Jan 03, 2006

I just wonder why someone would come onto this forum with a pirated version. Why don't they just pull down their pants and bend over? What the hell do they think is going to happen?

If someone is dumb enough and comes into a community forum, but only joins the community through illegal activities, they deserve every bit of 'flaming' or whatever you want to call it.

Light 'em up.

kin242

on Jan 08, 2006

ObjectDesktop is the only software I have ever bought over the net- and I just renewed for another year AND bought ObjectDock. On of the best things about stardock is that they update the programs constantly and listen to people who have problems... and dont charge a fortune for what is a truly brilliant set of software packages. They earn 50 bucks a year off me and I have no problem with paying that!

As Nelson would say.... HA HA!!!!

Jafo

on Jan 08, 2006

On of the best things about stardock is that they update the programs constantly and listen to people who have problems... and dont charge a fortune for what is a truly brilliant set of software packages. They earn 50 bucks a year off me and I have no problem with paying that!

So true...but you'll be hard-pressed to convince many of the twits out there in the 'real world'.

If there were an entrance exam for society many would be sitting in the corner with the hat with the 'D' on it....

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