Conflict with WB4.19[b].003 and PSP 7.04

Published on October 30, 2003 By Shameless Designs In Stardock Software

Since I've updated via SDC to WB4.19[b].003 I have had serious problems with PSP 7.04 when any WB skin is loaded. At first I thought it might be because I had PSP on my Per App exclude list and WB appeared to be skinning the PSP window anyway. But then I noticed that the latest build had put PSP on the exclude list by Stardock.

SO then I thought it might be the fact that PSP was then effectively being excluded twice, and removed my PerApp exclusion. But that didn't help at all. After numerous tries of every combination I could think of unloading and reloading WB, reboots, uninsstall and reinstalls of WB, and trying over 20 skins, I've discovered the following:

1. No matter what I do, if WB is loaded, it skins the PSP windows.
2. As soon as I try to move ANY MDI or tool pallet window, PSP locks up.
3. There is no error message other than the standard WinXP hungapp notice.
4. When WB is unloaded, PSP works just fine no matter what I do or how much I load it up including very heavy math and redraw loads as well as window movement.

I'm running the following:

WinXP Home SP1
WB4.19[b].003
PSP 7.04
Pentium 4 - 1.49GHz
512MB RAM
NVidia RIVA TNT2 mod 64 Pro
Latest NVidia driver for same per check today

Of course, with the problems I've had with NVidia drivers and WinXP, I'm not ruling that out as a culprit, but it seems odd that I don't have a problem as soon as WB is unloaded. Especially since Stardock just included PSP as an auto-exclude on the PerApp list.

I'm also reporting this via stardock news groups, but was curious if anyone else has seen a similar problem. Any comments, suggestions, etc very gratefully accepted. Thanks in advance.

Comments

Koasati

on Oct 30, 2003

I've had problems with WB 3.19[a] and [b] ........ don't know if PSP was skinned by either of them, because [a] caused my system to crash everytime I applied a skin and [b] couldn't see my skins. ([a] caused other problems too, but have been told I don't know what I'm taking about),
I hate to think that PSP will be auto-exluded in future builds, because I won't be using any version that won't skin the program I use the most.

Koasati

on Oct 30, 2003

Which newgroup did you use to report this? I haven't seen it yet.............

Shameless Designs

on Oct 30, 2003

I posted on stardock.windowblinds.support. No response yet.

But then I posted late last night, too. Is there a better place to post it?

Shameless Designs

on Oct 30, 2003

I hate to think that PSP will be auto-exluded in future builds, because I won't be using any version that won't skin the program I use the most.

That's why I went through so many gyrations to check this thing out. I have Photoshop 7, but I cut my teeth so to speak on PSP, and so I still use it a lot because it's still more comfortable for me. I can live with it being excluded by default though, better than not working at all. As I said in my original post, though, the thing that bothers me is that it seems to ignore the exclusion on my rig, and the skinning of it is what appears to lock it up.

Koasati

on Oct 30, 2003

windowbilnds.support is as good any other, I suppose ....... just hadn't read that one yet.

You're right about better working than not. But..... I don't mind a few programs not being skinned, but most simply must be skinned. Otherwise, what's the point?
4.10 skins PSP quite nicely, and I can't imagine why it would suddenly need to be excluded.

Shameless Designs

on Oct 31, 2003

I don't understand why it was excluded either, but it is a default exclusion by Stardock, according to the error I got when I finally resorted to trying to delete it from the PerApp list and experiment with a modified exclusion, which also didn't work. More important to me is that neither the default exclusion, nor any of my subsequent attempts at a modified exclusion prevented WB from skinning the app and causing PSP to hang.

Is no one else out there having a problem with this?

Shameless Designs

on Oct 31, 2003

I should say confirmation/warning, rather than error received when I deleted the PerApp exclusion in my post above.

ama02

on Oct 31, 2003

I'm running WB 4.10.0 and have both PSP v7.04 and 8.01. I just noticed that, in the exclusion list, there is a PSP.exe and a Paint Shop Pro.exe ... I recall adding one of the two (can't remember which one) a few WB versions ago. Which one was added automatically? I think I need to remove the one I added.

Anyway, as of now, with the two exclusions and my current version of WB, I'm able to run both PSP versions unskinned successfully.

edit to add: In the exclusion list, PSP.exe is for my version 7.04...and Paint Shop Pro.exe is for my version 8.01. I believe the latter was automatically added.
[Message Edited]

crissy14

on Oct 31, 2003

I have WB 4.19b and PSP7.o4 and PSP is NOT in my exclusion list and it seems to work fine with WB. Im running XP PRO sp1. On the other hand, one of the previous version of WB. (two or 3 builds ago) crashed PSP everytime, skinned or unskinned.......Go figure????

crissy14

on Oct 31, 2003

I heard it all depends on the color of your hair...blondes have to be different that everyone else.

ama02

on Nov 01, 2003

I tried running both versions of PSP with skinning enabled...both ran fine, but version 8 looks terrible skinned

since there are many of the tools (left side) that have drop arrows (additional tools)...it looks scary. I guess it depends which skin is being used. So, I've kept version 7 off the exclusion list, and added version 8 back.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!