Working WindowBlinds 5 Plugin, update v1.2.0.4 now includes screensaver support Options

[Gez]

Here it is, I thought that this was not possible and done this just to prove that it can be done, Windows Blinds 5 working under PE environment. This plugin is very basic and does not include any configuration from within the PE environment. If anyone likes it I will continue work on it, any comments welcome




UPDATE: Version 1.2.0.4

• Added registry key ScreenSaveEnabled so that screensaver module can be permanently enabled / disabled
• Added Improvements to screensaver module
• Improvements to VistaXP theme, log off, shutdown buttons

UPDATE: Version 1.2.0.3

• Fixed problem where screen saver would not fire if Display Properties > Screen Saver was being displayed
• Fixed handle not being closed

UPDATE: Version 1.2.0.2

• Removed security key from service
• Fixed stupid errors in inf
• Added OpenGL support for Flurry screensaver + vb runtimes for base BartPE
• Added support for expanding environment strings in screensaver path
• Added checking for screensaver properties change

UPDATE: Version 1.2.0.1

• Added screensaver support (see wb5.inf for details)

UPDATE: Version 1.2.0.0

• Fixed problem with corrupted menu items
• Added Vista toolbar icons to skin
• Added Vista Aero cursors

Note this plugin will only work with BartPE and Windows XP as the source.
Windows Server 2003 is not supported

You can downloaded the old version v1.2.0.3 plugin from http://www.llanelly.com/download/wb5-v1.2.0.3.zip

The new plugin v1.2.0.4 can be downloaded from http://www.llanelly.com/download/wb5-v1.2.0.4.zip
Mirror for v1.2.0.4 can be downloaded from http://llanelly.site88.net/download/download.php?file=12

This post has been edited by Gez: Jun 17 2008, 02:00 PM

[TheHive]

YOu get my vote for further development.
How much resources does it use right now?

This post has been edited by TheHive: Feb 27 2007, 11:52 AM

[Gez]

The loader program uses approximately 1,6Mb of memory, and does not impact on performance. Windows Blinds resources and performance is effected by the skin and the graphics card.

[gibo]

Hi,
it requires MDAC plugin?
Tested without MDAC and not work.

[Gez]

MDAC is only required for configuration of skins, as I am only using one skin there is no need for it. Try starting the loader service manually, you can do this from the console by typing 'net start wbsrv', if you get screen corruption just restart explorer.exe

[aec]

@Gez

Just tested it and is working just fine.
No MDAC is needed (for single theme).
The only drawback is that it uses hacked files.

Nice work Gez

This post has been edited by aec: Feb 28 2007, 10:22 AM

[Gez]

Thanks, I am working on a modified version that might get around the hacked (wbsrv.dll) file. The user would need a legal copy of Windows Blinds for the other files. @ $20 I think it is worth it.

[Gez]

I have posted an update of my WindowBlinds plugin, new features include

• no need for file WbSrv.dll
• service set only to work with BartPE
• only one process required to start WindowBlinds

Comments welcome

[Universe777]

Hi !

Sweet plugin, installed it and it works right from the start
Good Work !!!

[Compadrito]

Really impressive plugin !

BUT I found a small issue where i wasn't able to figure out the reason by myself: the menus in many apps are crashed. For an example open MS Paint. If you mouseover the menu you will see the effect (or see the pics below). Its definitely not a failure of the skin (i tested many a played around with them). I build WinPE also without your plugin and installed WindowBlinds manually (yes - its possible ). The error does not occurred. Can you take a look at this? Would be really great because i love your plugin!

This post has been edited by Compadrito: Apr 22 2007, 07:52 AM

[TheHive]

I can confirm this glitch.

[Gez]

I found a small issue where I wasn't able to figure out myself: the menus in many apps are crashing

This can be temporarily fixed by setting AllowPerPixelOnOldHardware="1" in WB5.inf, I think this problem is down to the S3 driver and BartPE, I noticed that if I burn the build to disc and boot off it I don't get this problem, it only shows in Virtual PC

[google]

The plugin is working fine but how can I add more skins?
Anyway keep up the good job

[Compadrito]

Wow - that rocks
This don't only fixes the menu problem,it also makes the borders of the windows transparent...
Thanks very much

@google: You can use only one skin in your PE Build, but if you want to change it: replace the "VistaXP" folder with the folder of the skin you like (which you can find in your WindowBlinds directory or inside of a .wba file of the skin (which can simply be extracted by rename it into .zip)). In the inf file of the plugin you now have to replace all occurrences of "VistaXP" (3 ones) with the name of your skin (-> the foldername)... Hope it helps...

This post has been edited by Compadrito: Mar 24 2007, 12:42 PM

[SkyscraperXD]

Oh, thanx alot! It worked pretty well, and i've been looking for this for a long time. Thanks again!

[Gez]

Oh, thanx alot! It worked pretty well, and i've been looking for this for a long time. Thanks again!

I have an update of my plugin v1.02 that fixes the problem with corrupted menus, I have also made some
changes to the skin, and have added vista cursors to the plugin. See first post for download

[Gez]

Sorry for the inconvenience, but my current update v1.2.0.1 has the following errors:

errors in wb5.inf script

: WbSrv.exe service is restarted.
^
change to ;

'~~~~ screen saver stuff (change to your own needs)
^
change to ;

also my code does not currently expand environment variables, as a result the default screen saver logon.scr has %SystemRoot% in its path, thus preventing the screen saver from starting. You can uncomment the line in wb5.inf shown bellow:

0x2,"Control Panel\Desktop","SCRNSAVE.EXE","Flurry.scr"

[Compadrito]

Do you think the screensaver is a good idea? The problem is, that you will need display drivers to be installed. Otherwise the screensaver is as fast as a picture show

Also be carefull: the long header in the inf file makes trouble. Your plugin won't be shown in the plugin list (i use pebuilder 3.1.10a).

For everyone who is interessted: I made a new vista skin with some improvments (f.e. the shutdown/logoff buttons are not longer broken). The skin is also only 7 MB big (instead of 13 MB). Download here

Screenshot:


PS: The icons are not a part of the skin and the language you see depends on your os - its not hardcoded

This post has been edited by Compadrito: Apr 22 2007, 09:59 AM

[aec]

Hi Gez,

Thanks for the update.
It works great after making a few modifications:

1. As compadrito already noticed above, you have to move the plugin header

CODE

[Version]
Signature= "$Windows NT$"

[PEBuilder]
Name="200 WindowBlinds 5.xx"
Enable=1

closer to the start of the file since pebuilder considers it as invalid plugin.
You can still add your comments below the header.

2. The plugin works also in plain pebuilder. It needs however the addition of

CODE

msvbvm60.dll=2

in [SourceDisksFiles] section

3. The flurry.scr depends on opengl32.dll and glu32.dll and they should be also included in [SourceDisksFiles] section

CODE

; for flurry.scr
opengl32.dll=2
glu32.dll=2

4. For PE we dont need the Security keys in services. So you can remove safely the long key

CODE

0x3, "ControlSet001\Services\WbSrv\Security","Security", ...

Thanks again

This post has been edited by aec: Apr 22 2007, 10:20 AM

[Gez]

@Compadrito

Do you think the screen saver is a good idea? The problem is, that you will need display drivers to be installed. Otherwise the screen saver is as fast as a picture show.

Yes and no!!, but I will see how things go, you should not need display drivers to be installed, only OpenGL or DX depending on the type of screensaver. I might be dropping Flurry and using the default logon.scr instead.

Your plugin won't be shown in the plugin list (i use pebuilder 3.1.10a)

I know about this and mentioned the error in post 17, I will be uploading a fixed version on Moday, no internet @ home only mobile.

Thanks for the Vista skin, I was thinking of something similar, I will see what I come up with in a future release.

This post has been edited by Gez: Apr 23 2007, 07:54 AM