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NoelC

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Posts posted by NoelC

  1. I believe I have Windows 10 all re-tweaked.  No Apps, private, nice desktop, minimal process count (in the low 80s with an empty desktop), passes integrity checks, runs all my "legacy" Win32 desktop software OK including some that cuts deep, such as Sphinx Windows Firewall Control and Classic Shell.

    Win10CreatorsEditionTweaked.png

    The only minor issue I know of at the moment, and this is from reading elsewhere, is that Windows Update can't be convinced to deliver patches to other Microsoft Products (e.g., Office) with my current configuration.  One person over on AskWoody.com has already been experimenting with this.  The box is grayed out with an asterisk here.  I have more experimentation to do.

    GrayedOut.png

    -Noel

  2. 11 hours ago, bigmuscle said:

    I know about this and I would like to fix it, but I has not been able to reproduce it on any computer.

    I haven't been able to reproduce it either lately.  My Win 10 system just boots up smoothly.  I have it set to auto-logon to my local account (via NetPLWiz), so it all happens together fairly quickly.

    CKyHC, have you tried adding an arbitrary few seconds delay to the AeroHost entry in the Task Scheduler?  I have no confidence this will help, but I do remember one time quite a while back that I had problems with Aero Glass for Win 8+ at logon, and I remember adding a small delay gave me a workaround.

    -Noel

  3. I'm sorry; I can't explain why those commands couldn't be found on your system...  They are simple command line executables.  You can look in the .bat file and see how they're accessed.

    The CMD window should be started "As Administrator".

    You could alter the batch file to do @ECHO ON instead of OFF and you should be able to see the actual commands being executed.  Do that and post the results here.

    There must be a permissions or path problem somehow.  Try running the commands interactively to make sure you have what you think you have...

    When I run SetACL I see this:

    SetACLScreenGrab.png

    -Noel

  4. Did you put the executables in the same folder as the batch file or in your path?  It will need to find the SQLite3 command when it's running, and it sets its default directory to the folder in which the .bat file is located.

    -Noel

  5. I think a lot of varying opinion could be traced back to two facts:

    1. No two folks do quite the same things with Windows.
       
    2. Everyone customizes it differently to suit their needs and tastes.  Some don't customize it at all and some turn it into something that only vaguely resembles what Microsoft delivered.

    Most of us have been through using some newer operating system releases since XP, and in each case we likely found the transition disruptive.  But then we got used to the new system and learned to run it adeptly. 

    Personally, I tweak my OS quite a lot, and I have found Windows 8.1 - heavily tweaked and augmented with 3rd party software - to be the best so far at what *I* need Windows to do. 

    I've done the same amount of tweaking (and RE-tweaking) of Windows 10 on a test system, and I have it set up very nearly as well (most of the same techniques and software effective on earlier versions work on Win 10)...  The biggest problem I see is that Microsoft no longer WANTS us doing this sort of thing, so it's a PITA to re-tweak over and over again, every time they release (or even update) it.  Trying to use a customized Win 10 is akin to paddling against a rising current.  I have better things I'd rather worry about.

    Yes, I know about the CB vs. CBB vs. LTSB and that I could probably use one Windows 10 release for longer than 8 months if I were to want to, but it's just not the same as having Microsoft fully support it for a period of years.  Years are what it takes to stabilize something as complex as Windows fully, so that it can run for months under hard usage.

    But it's all good - I have Windows 8.1 that way;  Well-tuned, running smoothly for as long as I care to run it, and it still does everything that the parts of Windows 10 I would care to run can do.

    For what it's worth, I have the new release of Windows 10 all tuned up with the exception of Aero Glass for Win 8+, which isn't yet released in a version compatible with Win 10 version 1703 build 15063.  Overall it's a little slower, a little more bloated, and from what I can see without ANYTHING new that improves on what I use Windows for one bit.  In a way I'm happy Microsoft has failed to implement any new "must-haves"...  It leaves my current system stable for me to just work with.

    -Noel

  6. Quote

    Microsoft, in response, says:

    If a customer who upgraded during the one-year program needed help with the upgrade experience, we had numerous options including free customer support and 31 days to roll back to their old operating system. We believe the plaintiffs' claims are without merit.

    WE, on the other hand, believe the vendor's policies are without merit.

    -Noel

  7. Hi alacran,

    If you have an x64 system it's better to use the 64 bit SetACL.exe.

    Honestly I don't have a wireless system here to test on so I don't know for sure.  There may be some commenters in the thread on the other forum who have stated what's necessary to keep wireless connectivity.

    I'd suggest exporting the entire HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services subkey first so that you can see what things were set to before.  If you lose network connectivity you could restore services (and restart) until you get it working again.

    Good luck, and please post what you find.

    -Noel

  8. AppInit_DLLs plus theme selection via explorer page invocation you coded work as expected.  I am able to load an Aero 7 theme successfully.

    Trying to run the Aero Glass DLL led to DWM crashes and incomplete screen cleanup, even when symbol download was blocked, though I was ultimately able to facilitate a theme atlas replacement.

    Next thing I need to do is get more familiar with theme development tools.  Up to now I've re-engineered just the graphic theme atlas files, relying on being able to find themes already built that have good looking controls (e.g., Sagorpirbd's Aero 7 theme) but I've always craved more control.  I'm not terribly fond of the Windows 7 look and feel in the title bars.  TBH I haven't looked at other available themes, though; I probably should.  I know a lot of folks have made themes and it's possible I could find one that already has good, skeuomorphic controls and an updated look.

    Thanks, UCyborg!

    -Noel

  9. My understanding is that the DWMGlass.dll component of Aero Glass for Win 8+ auto-loads UxTSB.dll if it's present.  We know that there isn't yet a compatible DWMGlass.dll for Windows 10 version 1703 - the Creator's Update.

    I'd like to start experimenting with re-theming Windows 10 version 1703.

    Is there an easy way to set things up to avoid the incompatible parts and just invoke the UxTSB.dll functionality?

    If not, I imagine I could drop back to the older AppInit_DLLs method, possibly with one of the older theme signature bypass DLLs.

    -Noel

  10. Yes, it's true - but if you don't try you don't know.   So far with that one service re-enabled it's working pretty nicely.

    I look doubly hard at precisely the ones Microsoft tries to prevent us from disabling through permissions.  The entire "unistack group", for example seems utterly unnecessary without Apps.  I couldn't have known that without actually trying to disable the whole bunch of them.

    -Noel

  11. Seems to me that's just another downside of having UAC enabled.  The system believes it needs to protect itself from you.  That's why I've never used it, and refuse to do so even with the latest versions of Windows 10.

    Is anyone else here testing the Creator's Update and having a problem scheduling tasks based on time?  I.e., create a task that's set to run in 5 or 10 minutes, then try to run it manually?  With build 15063.11 I've been getting this strange error:

    OddTaskSchedulerError.png

    Edit:  I later learned that this came about because I had disabled the TimeBrokerSvc service.  I have since re-enabled it and can now execute time-based scheduled jobs just fine.

    -Noel

  12. On ‎4‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 1:45 PM, bigmuscle said:

    It would make no sense. There is no Aero Glass for build 15063, so there is nothing to discuss.

    People just should realize if they fill the topic with the off-topic stuff, I will not be able to respond to the valid posts.

    Big Muscle, I was just thinking people would like hearing any thoughts you have about the new version.  I know I would.  :)

    I was just dropping a hint that folks, myself included, really like your software and hope you'll continue to develop it (though I wouldn't blame you if Microsoft has made you tired of having to re-develop it). 

    You've done such good work in the past people are hoping you'll continue, that's all.  I had build 1607 build 14393 running (and looking) very nice, in no small part because of your fine work.   I've been using - trying to use - the Windows 10 out-of-box UI while testing version 1703 build 15063 and frankly it sucks pretty hard.  And of course I'm indebted to you for making my Windows 8.1 set up the system I can count on continuing to use on my real hardware.  Thank you!

    -Noel

  13. Out of curiosity, can you schedule a job in the Task Scheduler that runs at a particular time and run it?  I'm getting an oddball error when I try to run a newly scheduled calendar/time-based job (by right-clicking on a Task Scheduler entry and choosing Run).  Other jobs - e.g., one that is set to run at logon - works just fine.

    OddTaskSchedulerError.png

    EDIT:

    I got to the bottom of the above problem.  Apparently, unlike with prior versions, the TimeBrokerSvc is actually required for proper Task Scheduler operation.  Version 1.14 of my Windows10ReTweaker script had disabled it.  That's been removed in version 1.15 (at the same link described above).

    In order to re-enable it, if you've already run Windows10ReTweaker.bat, open RegEdit and change the following Start value from 4 back to 1, then reboot.

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TimeBrokerSvc]
    "Start"=dword:00000001

    This is what I'm seeing right now...

    Tweaked15063.13Desktop.png

    -Noel

  14. You would have to extract the theme atlas from the resource attached to the theme DLL into a .PNG file, then modify just the caption glow portion of the image.  Then when you load it via Aero Glass for Win 8+ it would just keep all the graphics the same except for the glow portion.  I did that a long while back with the Aero7 theme I use for my Win 8.1 desktop, though I also updated the caption button graphics.

    I have in the past done the resource extraction with Microsoft Visual Studio, and the second part with Adobe Photoshop.  I used to have notes on precisely where to look in the theme file for the resource that is the theme atlas PNG but I seem to have misplaced them.

    -Noel

  15. Yes, "untimely" is the biggest part we can still control.  Control over what we accept from the now "cumulative" updates has already been removed, and IMO it'll mean Microsoft's demise because no one can possibly release software that's perfect every time.  Their whole strategy hinges on their being able to converge their updates into a system that actually works well.  At the same time as having let their testing staff go.  Riiiiiight.  Skeptics amongst us wonder how the system can possibly be stable after ANY update cycle, and lo and behold Windows 10 isn't gathering a reputation of being a cornerstone of business.

    That Microsoft should pre-ordain that any night in the mandatory what is it, 6 hours a day you CANNOT designate as "active hours", is an acceptable time to de-stabilize a computer system is ludicrous.  I quite often go MONTHS between times when I can justify taking time out from work and possibly de-stabilize my computer systems, which have tasks to perform 24/7.  They're now offering an ability to delay updates for a significant amount of time, but it still leads to an update that happens when THEY want it to.

    It's really not Microsoft's place to say, "everyone needs to take life and work less seriously so your systems can update when we want them to".

    And funny thing...  A lot of people actually want to run their personal systems as tightly as businesses want to run theirs.  People's data is important to them!

    -Noel

  16. I haven't personally tested it on 15063 yet, but the group policy that sets the registry entries my little program does still exists, so it should still be valid.

    If you've got Windows 10 Pro, I suggest using the actual group policy editor instead:  Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows UpdateConfigure Automatic Updates.

    And never forget, this is just a setting, which means that Microsoft has to program in the checks for it and obey it.  It's like the Pirate's Code.  I believe it will stop "normal" automatic updates, but if Microsoft pushes one they really, really want people to have the system will go ahead and install it REGARDLESS.  That's why I also disable the Windows Update service AND use a 3rd party firewall that's normally configured to block access to the update servers. 

    And even with all the extra measures in place I HAVE observed a Windows 8.1 system getting to the point where it hit its head against the firewall.  An application install, of all things, started the Windows Update service even though it was disabled.

    -Noel

  17. Down to 77 processes to support an idle desktop, with most of the services running in separate svchost processes.  My Windows10ReTweaker.bat file is updated, and as you can see from screen grabs above does a pretty dandy job of removing all the Apps except what's required to support the Settings panel.

    Aero Glass of course isn't out in a compatible version, but I am hopeful that Big Muscle will get around to updating it for the new version of Windows.  I wouldn't be surprised if he's getting tired of having to play catch-up with Microsoft all the time, though.

    -Noel

  18. Good idea installing it in a VM.  I have been "getting to know" Windows that way since virtualization was possible.  I know Windows 10 so well now that I know, for example, that I still don't want anything to do with their toy apps or cloud integration.  I'll do my own integrating with the cloud through my web browser, thanks.

    I'm not a big fan of file sharing / torrents myself.  There are places online from which you can get a clean Windows 10 version 1703 file via just a simple https: download (and yes, some are Russian).

    Or you could wait a week or two for Microsoft to publish an ISO file and just download it from Microsoft directly.  That might be the best idea, especially if you're not in critical need of version 1703 (and who is at this point?).

    I'm the first to admit (and thank the powers that be) that I am blessed with fast and reliable optical internet access.  I'm not sure how downloading 4 gigabytes would go on a lesser connection nowadays; I can see how you could have problems if the time stretches out to tens or hundreds of minutes.  I hope you can ultimately get through it.

    P.S., I've installed each Windows 10 release both as a full, fresh install and also as an in-place upgrade to its predecessor.  So far, knocking on wood, the in-place upgrades have been workable, or the job of re-setting up Windows would be even harder.  Note that I always seek a stripped down, privatized, App-free, cloud-free result, and so far it's been possible to achieve that.  I'm there again with version 1703, with just a few baubles along the way.  I fear that won't continue to be possible forever, though.

    Tweaked.png

    -Noel

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