WindowBlinds 11.07 not applying Styles at all on Windows 11 24H2 — what next?

From the video (thanks for attaching that) it seems the process is cutting out early as it should take a bit longer to apply. What anti-virius software do you have installed?

As an aside, how do you like that laptop?

I don't think he has any.

Brad, I think you're onto the problem. It does seem to be cutting out before the 'Wait' screen comes on before the skin applies. I wonder if Process Explorer from Russinovich's Sysinternals could shed light on the problem as perhaps another process might be interfering? System Explorer might be an alternative, but I have no experience with it.

Hi there,
Sorry to hear you're experiencing issues. I recommend trying a Clean Boot, as it's possible that something is interfering with WindowBlinds' functionality. You can find detailed steps here: https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1346830395/WindowBlinds+Clean+Boot 

Please proceed with care when performing a Clean Boot, and let us know how it goes once you've tried it.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

I tried this just now, but same behavior. I was already using a local Administrator account, and I tried turning off all my startup applications and restarting. For reference here is the very small set I was using before that; just screenshot program, Steam, VPN back to my house, sound card driver thing, Compose Key software, and dictionary software:

Correct, or at least I *intended* to have none. I saved the list from Process Explorer just now and I see that `MsMpEng.exe` has showed back up despite installing Windows with it disabled via unattend settings. Tenacious little thing; behaves exactly like actual malware :p

That's just the stock MS Defender though which I presume would be well-tested.

I do acknowledge that my installation of Windows 11 is nonstandard in the following ways:

• I installed originally back in September using this `unattend.xml` generator to customize my installation. It was installed as 24H2 and hasn't been feature-updated at all.
• I selected the option to “Bypass Windows 11 requirements check (TPM, Secure Boot, etc.)”, and I run without Secure Boot and without Bitlocker.
• I selected the option to “Let Windows Setup create the following local (“offline”) accounts” and am not using a Microsoft Account.
• I selected the option to “Disable User Account Control (UAC)”, so my offline user account is Administrator privileges at all times.
• I selected the option to “Disable Windows Defender”, though it appears to have reënabled itself anyway.
• I selected the options to “Disable Smart App Control”, “Disable app suggestions / Content Delivery Manager”, “Prevent device encryption”, and several of the Edge- and suggestions-related annoyance options that wouldn't be related to this.

Here's the list from File → Save in Process Explorer, prior to my Clean Boot attempt: https://0.0g.gg/?83841776c339ba64#6GuYcRFo6FeAUqDkWTqVkJkTNYvxzRYyDg2hvwUvTNrx

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• The early models, including mine, have a materials defect where the flexing of the screen hinges eventually cracks the bottom case. They say they've fixed it, so if you wait a month to order one yours will be fine.
• I hate flat chiclet-style keys from anyone. Curse Apple for popularizing these things on the polycarb Macbooks back in the late 2000s. The mechanism under them feels fine, but it's still a downgrade from the glorious seven-row ThinkPad keyboard from my X210.
• It's hard to get the screen assembled in a way that doesn't have some backlight bleed where it gets pinched around the hinges. Same effect as if you press on any spot of the bezel with a finger. It's not noticeable anywhere but a full-black screen in a dark room, but it annoys me since I want it to be even all around when I use it folded around into tablet mode for drawing.
• Poor fit and finish of pre-assembled components, especially the trackpad. My trackpad would catch on the frame when clicking in the bottom-right corner. Mine's perfect now that I took it apart and aligned it myself, but if I'm going to have to do that then I'd rather it not come assembled at all.
• Lots of back and forth and requests for irrelevant photos on tickets with Framework Support. Mine is fine out of the box aside from the hinge crack thing that I'll get a replacement bottom panel for.
• I wish it had one dedicated USB-C port on each side, since you will always need at least one to power the machine and that takes one of the four module bays.
• I wish it had a second internal slot and antenna wiring for WWAN (cell network connection). I realize this is a “business laptop” feature and 95% of people would rather use tethering than pay for a second data SIM, but I used this feature constantly on my ThinkPad and miss it a lot. There are efforts to homebrew one in a Module, but without the internal antenna wiring everything will have to come out the side of the module, and the signal will be compromised compared to what it could be if they were in the lid.
• The keyboard is not running QMK Firmware like the keyboard of the Framework 16, so any remapping of individual keys has to be done within the OS. There are only two keys that bother me: the “Framework gear logo” key is a permanent shortcut to the Framework support site on Windows after installation of the official driver bundle, and it is incredibly annoying to have a mis-touch open an entire browser window in my face. I used KeyTweak to re-map this into a second instance of F12, which is what that same key inputs in the opposite Fn-lock mode, effectively nullifying the Framework Gear key since it does the same thing now in either mode, and I use this key as my Compose Key. The much much much worse key is Airplane Mode which cannot be remapped because it is interpreted by the EC instead of by the OS. It should not be a single key. At the very least it should be a key chord, and I would prefer it not be on the keyboard at all. It should be a sliding physical switch somewhere else on the machine like it was on my ThinkPad X210 and like the webcam and microphone switches are on the Framework 12. This single key forces me to run with fn-lock at all times (or without fn-lock? whichever one means they're F-keys instead of volume/brightness/etc keys). It's in the worst possible location, directly next to the PrtScn (screenshot) key, which makes it an absolutely awful landmine when playing a multiplayer game online. Try to take a screenshot of something cool you did, realize everything stopped moving, panic, hit it again, and pray that you don't get dropped from the match. Hate hate hate hate it.

Incidentals:

• I wish the official Framework Stylus had been available when I ordered mine in Batch 7. They are in stock as of a couple of days ago, and I bought one a couple days ago, but it's not here yet so no review. I've been using a Microsoft Surface Pen “Model 1776” a.k.a. “Ver.4” a.k.a “Surface Pen with no clip” in the meantime and it works just fine, including the eraser.
• No backlit keyboard. Doesn't bother me, because I can touch type, but lots of people complain about it. The laptop side of the laptop-keyboard interface has the pins for this, so it's possible a future keyboard panel could come out that's lit, fam.
• My WASD keys, spacebar, and trackpad are getting shiny spots already. I've never had a laptop that didn't do this, but it has always and will always annoy me, especially when the finish/feel of the keys is so powdery soft when new. Startling difference in feel.
• Lots of people complain that the 13th-gen Intel CPU is z0mg TwO yEaRs OlD, but I'm upgrading from a seven-year-old laptop, so this is still the newest and fastest portable I've ever owned. The existence of This Year's Model just seems to short-circuit some people's brains. Or maybe they're still teenagers so two years still feels like a really long time to them lol
• The speakers aren't as amazing as the ones on the M3 Macbook Pro corporate laptop I am forced to use for work, but no non-Apple laptop's are AFAICT. The Framework's speakers are totally fine, however, just not able to fill a room with music at max volume from across the room in quite the same way. Not something I do often anyway. They're way way better than the speakers on my old ThinkPad X210. They're loud enough that I usually rock them at around half volume when I want “loud while sitting in front of machine”.
• There's only a single RAM slot, so you will get single-channel performance (and corresponding integrated graphics performance) no matter what RAM you use. I have not been impeded by this in any way.
• A single 64GiB DIMM is compatible (and is what I'm running!) but did not exist when Intel wrote the 13th-gen platform compatibility document, so it's technically an unsupported configuration.
• M.2 slot is 2230-size, limiting your SSD options. Not really a problem, because Steam Deck uses the same size which has created a market for large drives in that form factor. You just won't be getting a 4TB or larger. I'm connected to my 120TB NAS over my Headscale mesh VPN at all times running off my gigabit fiber at home, so this is not a problem for me.
• Only the USB-C Framework Modules (just a C-to-C passthrough lol) are available in the matching colors. Everything else is that ugly faux-aluminum painted plastic look that I don't love. I'm very rarely looking at the bottom of the machine while using it, though, so I'm unbothered by it.
• I had tearing/glitching/freezing problems in certain 3D games with the version of the Intel Xe Graphics driver that was shipped in the first version of the Framework driver bundle, but newer bundles have newer graphics driver, and a non-bundle update fixed it up for me. See my thread on the issue here on the Framework forums.

Upsides:

• Everything else!
• I knew I would love it as soon as I saw it, because 12" WUXGA was already my favorite form factor (upgrading from a 51nb faux-ThinkPad X210), and this one is extremely cute on top of that. Sage was tempting, but I went with Lavender for that Y2k-era-VAIO / USA Super NES aesthetic.
• I *love* the soft textured feel of the ABS case. This is the first laptop I've ever owned that was too pretty to sticker.
• I love the modularity. Old news, since the Frameworks 13 and 16 share the same modules, but this is my first from them so it's new to me. I got the full gamut of extra modules: HDMI, DisplayPort, extra 1TB storage, wired Ethernet, SD card reader for my cameras, USB-A port for my gaming mouse's 2.4GHz dongle (Bluetooth is limited to 125Hz polling rate, and I got 958Hz just now on a mouse test with the 2.4GHz dongle).
• I love that the Framework Modules are just USB-C on the inside, so you can use them with any other computer in a pinch despite their chonky size. I lent my HDMI module to a Macbook-using coworker just last week when they didn't have the right port to be able to plug in to the external monitors here at the office, and it Just Worked™.
• It's powerful enough for all the gaming I care to do, mostly Team Fortress 2 with MasterComfig ‘Low’. The most demanding thing I run on it is Burnout Paradise Remastered (2018).
• It has a traditional analog headphone+mic jack. I assumed any laptop would still have this, but apparently the original Framework did not, and those people had to get the audio module. Glad to have it built-in and save a module bay for something I use so often.
• Battery life is fine. People say it isn't as good as a Macbook, but I get 5+ hours out of it regularly which is all the time I ever care to spend computing away from a power outlet or from the USB-PD charger in my car, and I would rather charge twice as often than be stuck using Apple hardware and especially Apple software.
• Everything including the Intel AX211 Wi-Fi card worked out of the box on FreeBSD 14.3, my “main” OS and what I'm dual-booting with Windows 11.

If you want to get one and max it out:

• Get the higher-end i5-1334U Framework 12 SKU.
• Get one Crucial CT64G56C46S5, single 64GiB DIMM. Remember, technically unsupported according to Intel (they say 48G max), but I have had zero issues. See the relevant thread on Framework forums.
• Get the Corsair MP600 MINI 2TB TLC SSD. Be careful not to confuse it with the Corsair MP600 CORE MINI, which is QLC. Very confusing.

Do not get the WD_BLACK SN770 SSD that many people will recommend. It is known to be extremely buggy as this OpenZFS issue thread will show you.

Verdict: my favorite laptop ever, easily. My favorite form factor with all the promise of the 51nb ThinkPads (aftermarket motherboard upgrades from a group of enthusiasts) except backed by a company with an actual storefront instead of a loose network of resellers and “I know a guy”s.

The reason I had to replace my X210 was because its eDP flex-PCB flexed itself to death, so my X210's display now only works at one specific hinge angle where the broken trace makes contact. I tried and tried and failed to get in contact with anybody who could sell me a replacement part, and it's not a Lenovo FRU because the X210's WUXGA display was an upgrade at the same time as the motherboard (the original X201 board and display being oldschool LVDS instead of eDP).

It's a simple part, so I'm confident that I can measure it exactly, learn KiCad, make my own replacement, get it printed at JLCPCB or something, and revive my X210 some day. But I don't have time to do that right now, and I shouldn't have to do that at all. With my Framework 12, I could go to the store and buy that exact part for $19 USD. I cannot stress how much of a big deal this is. I am incredibly excited to see where the Framework Laptop 12 line goes in the future, and Framework have earned themselves a customer for life thanks to this machine.

Do you have Start11 installed, and if so, which version?

Would you be willing to run (as Administrator) sfc /scannow ? I ask because I have 24H2 installed and have no problems and since you are absolutely correct regarding extensive testing by SD, and because system file corruption can always occur with wonky results.

My AI (Leo) answered:

"Windows 11 24H2 can interfere with certain functionalities of WindowBlinds 11, though the issues are often related to specific configurations or third-party software rather than the operating system update itself. For instance, the rollup/rolldown feature may not work if the user is using the Windows 11 default theme instead of a WindowBlinds skin, which is a known requirement for the feature to function. Additionally, taskbar button skinning requires the use of Start11 with the "enhance taskbar" feature enabled, as WindowBlinds alone cannot skin taskbar buttons on 24H2 without this additional tool. Furthermore, issues with system applications like File Explorer or Control Panel may arise when using third-party tools such as Open Shell or RetroBar, which modify the native Windows environment and are not supported by WindowBlinds 11, which requires a native Windows 10/11 installation. While some users have reported crashes when selecting themes on 24H2, these may be linked to specific software conflicts rather than the OS update itself. Stardock support has advised users to ensure they are running the latest version of Windows 11 24H2 and to perform a clean reinstall of WindowBlinds if issues persist. Overall, while 24H2 is compatible with WindowBlinds 11, proper configuration and avoiding conflicting software are essential for stable performance."

Just to be clear, you need to create a new local administrator account, there are lot of case where by simply create a new local Admin account and running it within that new local admin account resolved the issue.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

That's great news, basj!

Yes, Start11 version 2.56, as well as Groupy version 2.3. (Big Stardock fan — thanks for keeping Windows usable, and thanks for the awesome strategy games!!)

Good idea, and indeed it did find things it wanted to repair.

I skimmed through the log and it seems entirely concerned with un-doing debloating (Xbox Gamebar, Windows Defender, SmartScreen, that sort of modern crapware). Here's the complete `CBS.log`: https://0.0g.gg/?a2ed8b12218dba94#CUJro9dH2gMLa51szenxWNNkH8iarHP4n4pv5KREUZhr

After rebooting, I ran it again to ensure it said it was happy, and it did:

After this, WindowBlinds showed me the “may not be installed correctly” message for the first time ever, and so I ran the Purge_WB script to get ready to re-install. Unsure if relevant, but both times I ran Purge_WB (today, as well as yesterday though I neglected to mention it) I got this message pop-up complaining about an entrypoint in WBCore.exe:

At this point (WB purged), I rebooted, reinstalled WB, rebooted again, re-activated WB with my serial and email, tried a Style again, but same problem as ever.

Oh, my bad. You are correct that I did not create a new local Administrator account yesterday. I have done so now, did a Clean Boot (all non-MS services disabled, all startup items disabled, Start11 and Groupy disabled, manually started WindowBlinds Service), logged in to it and only it (not Fast User Switching with my usual account) but still same problem.

Here's the much shorter process list saved from Process Explorer while on the new local Administrator account, Clean Boot, WB Service manually started: https://0.0g.gg/?d1271cf49667210a#4mq1m9TNm41vHKgb9MGPtUyms3U5kHXz7ZbRChaChfKK

Here's a fresh video showing preconditions and unsuccessful testing on the newly-created account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaRt06jq-Yo

Something I forgot to mention when I was talking yesterday about the ways my Windows 11 installation is nonstandard: I also have the user profiles directory on a second partition, separate from the partition Windows is installed on. This is an official option, just one without a GUI, accomplished again using the `<ProfilesDirectory/>` key in `unattend.xml` file dropped into the root of my installer USB: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1964-move-users-folder-location-windows-10-a.html

That example is `D:\Users`, but mine is `U:\Users`. It's the same NTFS as the C:\ partition and was formatted at the same time as the C:\ partition by the same Windows 11 installer.

I did this as part of my intended dual-boot setup: a small 256GiB (Windows) and 364GiB (FreeBSD, will be ZFS) partition out of my 2TB drive, and then the rest of the drive as a shared space for my personal files that can be accessed by both OSes.

I went with NTFS for the shared space instead of exFAT or ext{2..4}fs, because exFAT lacks support for Extended Attributes and all the other fun filesystem features, extfs is poorly supported on Windows (Paragon's package now even discontinued as of last month), FreeBSD's extfs support lacks journaling, and so NTFS native to Windows and via `filesystems/ntfs` on FreeBSD felt like it would be the least-worst solution. I'll find out in a month or so if I was right lol

I have not actually set up the other OS yet, because I'm waiting on the forthcoming final release of FreeBSD 15.0 due to substantial changes from 14 to the way the base system is managed [keyword: pkgbase], meaning I want to clean install 15.0 instead of upgrading from 14.3. This means the U:\ partition has only ever been mounted/read/written by this Windows 11 installation, never by any other Windows installation or by any third-party drivers.

Anyway I can't imagine that would be a problem; I'm just trying to think of anything and everything that could be unique about my setup compared to most peoples' typical Windows install. If you would like me to provide my entire `unattend.xml` I would be happy to do so, though will edit it to redact my legit Windows serial number and the password hash for my local user account.

I have re-debloated my system after writing this post, undoing the changes made by `sfc /scannow`, so if you would like me to repeat that before trying something else, please mention it

This is what I suspected. This may have been what Brad Sams noted...the early cut out. I don't know enough to go beyond this, you might think about running a chkdsk /f to find and fix any and all errors in the file system on the disk. That would fix the 'unfixing' of the sfc /scannow. 

"Something I forgot to mention when I was talking yesterday about the ways my Windows 11 installation is nonstandard: I also have the user profiles directory on a second partition, separate from the partition Windows is installed on."

I don't know if changing location of WB installation (full or partial) might not be a source of trouble also. It could well be. I also wonder if files aren't being lost on bad disk sectors. I don't think doing a chkdsk /r will help as that might relocate files to a place that might cause more problems.

Damn it Jim, I'm a Doctor, not a computer nerd!

*Having Neil around at this point might be great, he muses*

Seriously though, my limited knowledge could screw things up so while I'll continue to watch this thread, I'll probably not offer advice, if that's ookay.

Best of luck fixing this,  gigadelic. 

e: I accidentally quoted this post while trying to edit it. See next.

Tried that just now without the /f (read-only) on both filesystems, and chkdsk thinks both filesystems are fine.

 

 
My SSD's hardware health is also reported by SMART to be fine, and I checked for SSD firmware updates and found none:

I installed all Stardock software to the default path in `C:\PROGRA~2\Stardock`. All of this filesystem split happened at the moment my OS was installed, before my user account was even created. Nothing storage-related has changed after any of my Stardock software was installed.

In fact the installer doesn't even let me change the install path:

 

No worries, and thank you for all of your ideas so far. Sorry for being the edgiest edge-case and taking up a lot of support effort, but I figure if I'm hitting some weird problem then probably at least a few other people are too but aren't willing to go through the effort of reporting and debugging it 

gigadelic, was reply #11 unintentional? I can delete it if you wish.

Whoops, I was trying to edit the SSD hardware health into my post. Yes please, or rather delete the older one that doesn't show CrystalDiskInfo and Corsair SSD Toolbox.

Tried, but that just makes a hash of everything. Will add a note re using the response #11 instead of the posted one.

Hi again,

Just a quick heads-up: from what I understand, it's best not to change the default installation directory for WindowBlinds. The software is tightly integrated with the Windows system and expects its files to be located in a specific folder. Moving it elsewhere can cause unexpected issues or prevent it from working properly.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Understood, and I did no such thing

Only my User profile folder is on U:\. Software is still installed to C:\. Not only did I not change the default WindowBlinds installation path, the installer wouldn't even let me.

Are you running Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise? if you do, please try Windowblinds in Windows Sandbox: https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1416396827/Testing+WindowBlinds+in+Sandbox. Try it and report back.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Yes, I am, because the Education and Enterprise SKUs are the only non-Server SKUs where the Telemetry spying setting goes all the way to “Off”, unlike Pro which only goes down to “Required”, whatever that is: https://admx.cengizyilmaz.net/policy/allow-diagnostic-data

Obviously there are utilities which turn it off for Pro too, but as we've seen with my Microsoft Defender that stuff loves to turn itself back on no matter how thoroughly one thinks they've removed it :p

Done!

Unfortunately it's not working in Windows Sandbox either. It's a different failure mode in Sandbox than in my host OS. In Windows Sandbox, WB Config won't open at all, and I never get prompted for my WB11 serial number + Stardock e-mail address.

First I tried rebooting as prompted (as shown above), but WBConfig didn't work on reboot. Then I also tried re-installing WB and trying WB11Config before rebooting just in case the Sandbox OS image was immutable somehow, in case a reboot was wiping out something the installer installed.

Same result either way: a brief spinning wait cursor followed by nothing.

I also tried running it via PowerShell `cd`ed to `Program Files (x86)\Stardock\WindowBlinds` just in case it outputs any debugging information, but it does not:

I then went looking for any other log files, but the only one I found was `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Stardock\WindowBlinds\SasLog.txt` which just appears to be a count of the number of times I tried to run it:

edit: it seems that the Sandbox's contents are discarded when one closes the Sandbox window, not when the OS reboots within the Sandbox while the window stays open. That's a great middle ground actually. Thank you for showing me this feature exists. So yes I did reboot after the Sandboxed WindowBlinds 11.07 installation

Hello,
I have forwarded your problem/question to Stardock Support Team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience. Thank you.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

IMHO, this is being overlooked a bit.  While I am sure the list is as complete as you recall, something here (or something else not noted) could very well be the cause. 

Did WB EVER work on this PC?

Do you have another PC where WB does \ not work in the same fashion?

In Event Viewer, are there any WB crashes?

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

No need to recall; here's my complete `autounattend.xml`, edited only to redact my legit Windows 11 Product Key and the unhashed passwords used for creation of my non-Microsoft-Account: https://0g.gg/?9440cf1f45fe196a#oZGvYbMWieDZ7SpPVBFS4eXcwpM2VcDj1Cg9d5TKu5R

These are all official Microsoft-provided options, consumed directly by the Windows installer, so if one of these is the cause for WB not working correctly then I still think it's reasonable to say these possibilities should all be accounted for, at least with detection and an error message: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/automate-windows-setup?view=windows-11

That also can't explain why WB doesn't work in my Windows Sandbox, which is a separate purely-stock (not even Activated) Windows 11 image to which none of my outer-OS unattended installation settings could or would apply.

No, I just got this computer and am setting it up for the first time.

This is my only Windows 11 computer, so while I do have a few older computers running Windows 10 I don't think that would be an adequate comparison to explain any behavior on this one.

Quoting sdRohan, reply 20

In Event Viewer, are there any WB crashes?

I don't see any, looking for any Source that starts with ‘Stardock’, ‘WB’, ‘WindowB’, etc.

Thanks for the ideas of more things to check, though; happy to rule out anything and everything I can

Its unknown because no one but you has ever edited their install to that degree. 

Does WB work.  Yes.  Does WB work on your highly configured system, no.  There has been a lot suggested and I am not certain I would have much to add other than what I have noted - you have a non-standard deployment - one that is causing WB not to function in some way. 

It would not but it would show you that WB works on a standard Win install, something not everyone is convinced of when it does not work on the one they try on.

This laptop's processor is x86, yes, not ARM, correct? 

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager

Windows Sandbox is this standard deployment, and it does not work. If I sold a software product, I would want to know if there was some way to make my product not function in a way that was indecipherable to a user, so I could at least detect it and show an error message. If I could wind up in a situation where it doesn't work in this way, others surely could too, and they might just silently uninstall and not go through the trouble of trying to help figure it out.

Yep! Intel i5-1334U

edit: ugh sorry I did it again, edit versus quote. The buttons are like right next to each other :p

Not entirely true.  For example, if you do not have other languages installed on the host box, they will not install on a SB.

I am running out of options for you, I am afraid.  Do I believe that if you had a standard Windows install, it would work, most certainly.  Could you have a 3rd party app that is killing what WB does, also likely. 

If you have verified that the WindowBlinds service is running and there are no crashes, I am not sure what else to suggest after all the other advice has been given.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Product Lifecycle Manager