NoelC

(emphasis mine) Though you feel confident in writing that, my point is that (unless you know something most folks don't) such a judgment is really not possible given what little we know - which is all being fed to us from the very same people we now eye with suspicion. When Microsoft's focus shifted from providing value to users in return for payment to providing ad-supported software for free, it was more than just a trivial observation. It actually is starting to affect us. I've been called paranoid, but let's not forget that they're obviously trying to deliver these Trojan horse updates couched in deceptive language. That's a fact so obvious it cannot be debated and it cannot be attributed to incompetence or language barriers or whatever. It ain't paranoia when there's actual evidence. "Political correctness" and "societal conformance" would have us accept this new level untrustworthy behavior as the "new normal", without speaking up and being labeled an extremist. But should we? Where does it lead? Never forget we are all akin to frogs in a pot of water. -Noel P.S., Jaclaz, I'm not being in any way critical of your judgment or what you wrote, specifically. But it helps to make my point that this is a bigger issue than mainstream public opinion is acknowledging.

You should strive to understand what's being done, then it will become more clear how to undo it. Specifically, the script above is adding several registry values in a specific places. You can just remove them to undo the effect. To disable the effect temporarily, you can change the values of LoadAppInit_DLLs in the two places to 0. That will avert the loading of the UxThemeSignatureBypass64.dll and UxThemeSignatureBypass32.dll files. -Noel

Sorry, I wasn't judging you. I just wanted it to be clear. I'm sure the right-click on taskbar button color problem can be solved. I just haven't looked there yet. Is there still just that one program out there for easily editing themes? It's not something I've gotten into much yet. I've pretty much only fooled around with the resources that can be replaced with Big Muscle's tool. -Noel

Just to be clear, this is NOT a theme atlas file for use with a stock Windows 10 theme. It's only for use with the Aero 7 V2 theme by DaMonkeyOnCrack from the DeviantArt site. The Windows build doesn't matter - if you have that particular theme working, then you can replace the theme atlas resources with those from this file using Big Muscle's tool. I've solved the problem with the "chrome" graphic showing up behind the back/forward buttons and address bar in IE. There's a variant of the theme provided that doesn't have it. This is the best I've had any system looking since Windows 7... -Noel

You're smart enough to know that they could be slipping things into places that don't seem problematic. Or have you decompiled the code to see what the changes are? They've turned devious and predatory. Everything we know about them from past experience is out the window. Everything we think should be off limits isn't. -Noel

Here's a copy of that theme atlas if you'd like to try it out. I'm not done yet, but it's substantially functional. Remember, this one only works with the Aero 7 V2 theme. http://Noel.ProDigitalSoftware.com/ForumPosts/Win10/ThemeAtlasForAero7.png -Noel

In "fallback" mode it leaves artifacts sometimes in the title bars, but that's just because it's not completely able to apply its hooks. -Noel

I'm on Classic Shell 4.2.1. If you're seeing any problems with Apps in a pre-release build, you should mention it on Ivo Beltchev's Classic Shell forum. He's quite responsive to bug fixes. I don't know whether he cares about performance in leaked builds, though. I prefer to wait until a new release comes out of Microsoft. I've been working out how to get the Aero 7 theme, together with Big Muscle's Aero Glass facilitating a theme atlas replacement, to be more like just what I prefer today. Here's what I've managed so far... I might even be able to tolerate Windows 10 once I make the released version look like this. -Noel

My plan is to install the next build they release as a fresh, clean install from an ISO into a VMware VM. I hadn't planned the setup to be done with the network off, but that's certainly something I will try. -Noel

Theme support is fully in Windows 10. It's just not used. That's why it's still possible to load 3rd party themes. I see no strong indication that Microsoft is going to add any, except that they've said they'd reconstitute Aero Glass if enough people voted. Who knows how much would be "enough". And mark my words, if they DO bring it back, it will be as sucky an implementation as you can imagine. To be fair the newest work Microsoft is doing doesn't conform to the theme. When you DO re-theme a Win 10 system the shoddy recent work stands out like a sore thumb. That's probably why they've pushed for such a flat, lifeless theme by default. It's almost comical. Sesame Street stuff - (musically) "...some of these things are not like the others..." -Noel

You sure about that? I see them as additional feet in the door. -Noel

For what it's worth, the only "messed up" I can see is that at the top of Internet Explorer the whole thing isn't translucent. Is that what you're seeing, or something else? The equal spacing of the caption buttons is probably here to stay with Win 10. -Noel

You certainly don't have to have it look like Windows 7's Start Menu - I use the Classic setting, which is just a set of fly-out menus. But I don't think you need to bring back any Start Menu at all if you don't want - Classic Shell is fully configurable, and (though I haven't tried it) I think it could probably be set up to use Windows' new Start Menu, yet STILL provide things like full-time taskbar translucency. I'm trying out some things... What I'm thinking of... The Aero 7 theme mentioned a few posts back isn't really done perfectly right for Win 10, but actually it's close - and pretty nice. It's possible to rework the elements of the theme atlas just as can be done with the resources out of the Windows standard .msstyles file. -Noel

Seems clear to me this is where they got the circle. http://www.edugeek.net/attachments/forums/general-chat/25069d1402571150-warp-capable-ship-concept-hal_9000.jpg Without the skeuomorphism, of course, 'cause that's baaaaaad. New slogan for Microsoft: "Embrace Excremence!" -Noel

No, I'm kind of behind on that. I figured I'd ask for suggestions, as you have done. Have you looked at what daveo is using? That looks pretty good. -Noel

I think like dhjohns - generally speaking, less add-on software is better. Since dynamic link libraries started via AppInit_DLLs load for every application, there could be some legitimate concern over the addition of even one DLL causing stability issues. That being said, for a long time I ran Aero Glass that way on my main system and never had a problem with it. Big Muscle seems to have an uncommonly high regard for quality and stability, so if anything is worth a try, UxThemeSignatureBypass64.dll is. I've been using it for months on my Win 10 test systems and I've had no instability, except for things that have turned out to be known problems in the pre-release builds having nothing to do with theming. Also don't forget that BigMuscle has overridden the wrong title bar coloration in ribbon-enabled windows inside that DLL. That's also a plus for using it even if you're not going to be using a full theme. Since Microsoft is continuing with the mindless flat, square look, meaning the only way to get decent looking controls is by theming, I have been weighing the idea of using a full theme implementation, if for no other reason to make scroll thumbs easier to spot. I personally, really, really like (slightly) rounded corners on controls. -Noel

Microsoft is crazy - like a fox. A majority of the, er, thought-challenged public just absorb whatever the media tells them and parrots it. Even an alarming number of high IQ people have become fanboys. Common sense isn't. -Noel

I think a few hundreds of millions of Win 7 users would poop their pants to have their Win 10 look like that right out of the box, Dave. -Noel

http://www.classicshell.net Even supports Win 10 rather well. -Noel

The OS will lie to old applications and tell them it's an older version. -Noel

Honestly, Win 10 seems to address fundamental Efficiencies in Windows 7 and earlier (as in, it wrecks them). It's really all about Metro/Modern. All about Windows being for all kinds of different devices. Well, I think there have been some improvements for gamers, though I don't go there myself. There have been virtually no advancements in other areas of the system as far as I can see - it's pretty much the same with some different window dressing (the flat, lifeless look permeates it now). There's been a call far and wide to resurrect Aero Glass, but everything they do seems to be more of a "how little can we get away with" kind of response. The Start Menu in the current build is NOTHING close to even the worst of its predecessors. Everything's being implemented in XAML form, which seems to equate more to "plain and featureless" than anything else. I suggest you find a way to host a virtual machine and run a copy of Win 10 in a VM to see for yourself. I would NOT suggest replacing a good system with it at this point. -Noel

It occurs to me "improvements" to Windows Update in earlier Windows versions could invoke that kind of behavior. I don't think there's a legal barrier to Microsoft drop-loading their "new and improved" features on the older systems. Look what they did with Internet Explorer 11, for example. It doesn't conform to the Windows 7 theme, yet there it is. Seems to me it's only a matter of time before they release an update that does something COMPLETELY unexpected, even after reading all the details of the KB article. Kind of like how the US government tacks unrelated things into bills under consideration by lawmakers. It's not like it's documented on the Windows 7 or 8 boxes exactly how Windows Update works. -Noel

Should we be compiling a complete list of "predatory updates related to Windows 10"? Here are the ones I know about so far: 1. (Seen by myself in Win 8.1) KB3035583, "Update enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1" 2. (Seen by myself in Win 8.1) KB2976978, "Compatibility update for Windows 8.1 and Windows 8" 3. (Seen by myself in Win 8.1) KB3044374, "Update that supports you to upgrade from Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2 to a later version of Windows" 4. (Seen by others in Win 7) KB2990214, "Windows 10 Technical Preview" Can you name any others? Assuming one wants to leave alone an existing installation (be it Win 7 or 8.1), is the best strategy just to hide ALL of these? -Noel

Nice to see you again, VBN. -Noel

I've been thinking that myself - a lot. But the evidence is there. We'll see how this plays out. It's possible the Justice Department has less leverage since it's a "free update"... Those good guys at Microsoft trying to make everyone's computing life better for free? What could possibly be wrong about that? -Noel