ie8

Am I the only one that has ie8 not skinning fully...How do I get the unskinned portions under the header bar and around the sidebar to fill in?  If you have an answer let me know at [email protected].  Thanks.

27,733 views 28 replies
Reply #1 Top

Unfortunately you may not do it with WindowBlinds. However there is one hard way to recolour this areas manually through editing ieframe.dll file. I've done this a few times but, it seems to me, this way will not be popular...

1. You need use ResourceTuner to extract and edit (replace) some bitmaps: 308.bmp, 514.bmp, 515.bmp, 516.bmp, 517.bmp, 571.bmp, 572.bmp, 576.bmp, 577.bmp, 578.bmp, 582.bmp, 626.bmp, 627.bmp, 628.bmp, 629.bmp, 630.bmp, 654.bmp, 656.bmp and 769.bmp - IE toolbar backgroung. As well as the XML-resources (20481.xml, 20737.xml, 20739.xml, 20740.xml) - gradient of IE tabs.

2. Besides you need any Hex Editor and RGB to HEX converter to edit the gradient color of IE sidebar:

2.a key: 0x00B8 color: 0xE3EEFB - top area

2.b key: 0x00B9 color: 0xF1EDED - bottom area.

3. And finally you need enough free time to make these hacks.

Don't forget to create the untouched copy of ieframe.dll before you begin (if you are really ready)!

Reply #2 Top

Sounds scary. I'm glad I never "upgraded" from IE7

Reply #3 Top

Sounds scary. I'm glad I never "upgraded" from IE7
End of quote

Hmmm... May be this sounds a bit terribly... But it is possible!

So this is not a reason to use the old version of Internet Explorer. Especially if we will remember that there are a lot of other programs which can not be recoloured with WindowBlinds.

The Technical Progress is going forward much quickly around us. But on your logic we must still use Windows XP because it is totally supported by WB and SKS... :blush:

I don't agree. And I think that we need to find and learn more ways to change a skins of our programs if we really like skinning. :)

Reply #4 Top

So this is not a reason to use the old version of Internet Explorer. Especially if we will remember that there are a lot of other programs which can not be recoloured with WindowBlinds.
End of quote

I actually never use IE at all. I am an exclusive FF user. I only open IE7 when I'm checking a skin that I'm working on. Now if the WB devs could figure out how to make WB work with IE8 (perhaps your info is usefull?) I might switch to IE8

The Technical Progress is going forward much quickly around us. But on your logic we must still use Windows XP because it is totally supported by WB and SKS...
End of quote

Not the same thing at all, my friend. If you look at my recent skins, you'll see that I skin for all 3 OSs.

 

Reply #5 Top

(perhaps your info is usefull?)
End of quote

I think it will not useful because this way is hard and require to hack Microsoft DLL.

Not the same thing at all, my friend. If you look at my recent skins, you'll see that I skin for all 3 OSs.
End of quote

I agree. I just tried to say that we must try to reskin any built-in parts of new Operating System. Even if we don't use these programs every day.

IE8 is a part of Windows-7. And I'm sure that a lot of people will use it. So Stardock need to find a method to recolour/replace any parts of Windows-7 GUI (Navigation pane, Preview pane, IE Toolbar, IE Tabs, Explorer and IE Icons, etc...). Otherwise this work make no sence. Who need a GUI which contains half of parts that has been recolored and the other parts that still use the default OS colors?  

Reply #6 Top

IE8 is a part of Windows-7. And I'm sure that a lot of people will use it. So Stardock need to find a method to recolour/replace any parts of Windows-7 GUI (Navigation pane, Preview pane, IE Toolbar, IE Tabs, Explorer and IE Icons, etc...). Otherwise this work make no sence. Who need a GUI which contains half of parts that has been recolored and the other parts that still use the default OS colors?
End of quote

k6  

Reply #7 Top

i'm running Win 7 64 with WB, IE8, Fences all with no problems on a Dell XPS with the i7 chip.

Everything is skinning fine

Reply #8 Top

If you received ie8 with your W7, you might want to check if altering it constitutes a voiding of warranty for your OS. Not saying it does, just to check it out.

Reply #9 Top

i'm running Win 7 64 with WB, IE8, Fences all with no problems on a Dell XPS with the i7 chip.

Everything is skinning fine
End of quote

 

I find that hard to believe.  I've yet to find a single person who has the tabs of IE8 skinned by Windowblinds.... it just doesn't do it.

Reply #10 Top

I've yet to find a single person who has the tabs of IE8 skinned by Windowblinds
End of quote

That's right. IE8 tabs may be skinned only by changing GRADIENTS in the XML-files (ieframe.dll). Unfortunately they has not any bitmap resources...

Reply #11 Top

BUMP -- I would like to hear from the Stardock development team if there are any plans to incorporate IE8 in Windowblinds.  

Although I appreciate Vad's work-around, it seems difficult, and I certainly wouldn't want to be altering those things as often as I change Windowblinds.  

The Microsoft website doesn't even include Vista or Windows 7 in the available operating systems to download IE7.  My computer is under a year old, and I'm running Windows 7.  IE8 is the preferred browser for Windows at this present time, as it's safer and more secure than IE7.

Yes or no...are there any plans to include IE8 skinning in Windowblinds?

Reply #12 Top

I find that hard to believe. I've yet to find a single person who has the tabs of IE8 skinned by Windowblinds.... it just doesn't do it.
End of quote

so do i, cause it dosent skin, hence why i am still on ie7 as well, cant skin something i cant check or see on ie8.

Reply #13 Top

I spoke too soon and stand corrected. The tabs ARE NOT SKINNED

Reply #14 Top

Bump

Reply #15 Top

Speaking as just a user of the software and not a skinner, my eyes don't pick up on the parts of IE 8 that are not skinned, I'm looking at the page I just searched for. 

Reply #16 Top

Ok, John

Apply this skin and open IE8. Compare what you see with this:

Reply #17 Top

Speaking as just a user of the software and not a skinner, my eyes don't pick up on the parts of IE 8 that are not skinned, I'm looking at the page I just searched for.
End of quote

it stands out like a sore thumb for us skinners........:grin:

Reply #18 Top

Wow, what a tuff crowd, are you folks here all week? :-" :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Reply #19 Top

Quoting Philly0381, reply 18
Wow, what a tuff crowd, are you folks here all week?
End of Philly0381's quote


I take the time and effort to skin and make individual icons for IE6 and IE7, because SKS6 has places for them, even though my computer doesn't have IE6 or IE7 because it's a newer computer.  I would like to be able to do the same for the browser that my computer came with.

It just doesn't feel "finished" until all the parts are skinned.

Reply #20 Top

Being able to skin the toolbars and tabs for IE8 Is a 'must have' feature. I will not upgrade to IE8 until that is possible.

Reply #21 Top

Quoting Xiandi, reply 20
Being able to skin the toolbars and tabs for IE8 Is a 'must have' feature. I will not upgrade to IE8 until that is possible.
End of Xiandi's quote


Does anyone know if I would be able to revert to IE7, if my computer had IE8 already installed?

Reply #22 Top

Does anyone know if I would be able to revert to IE7, if my computer had IE8 already installed?
End of quote

i did just uninsall 8 and reinstall 7

Reply #23 Top

Wow, what a tuff crowd, are you folks here all week?
End of quote

yep

+1 Loading…
Reply #24 Top

are you folks here all week?
End of quote

Silly question....;)

Reply #25 Top

Please know that I was just trying to lighten up the conversation, nothing else was or is intended. 

This is probably why I don't take the time and make the effort to learn to skin.  I just can't see myself getting that involved. 

It is nice being old, you can pick and choose all day long because you keep forgetting, everything is new, for the first time, again. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: