Please recommend the single best rainmeter skin for newbie

[Roger]

Thank you again for your assistance. However, nothing has worked so far.

When I tried to follow eclectic-tech's instructions, there was in fact a 60 second countdown timer displayed from FileFactory but after a few seconds, several screens popped up with error messages saying that I should call an 800 number to talk to a technician, that pop-ups are enabled, etc. Furthermore, these screens wouldn't go away and I had to reboot to get out of the situation. I hope my PC is not infected, but plan to run Malwarebytes tonight to make sure. Obviously, this is very disturbing so I will not be accessing the FileFactory site again.

When I tried to download the file from Google Drive, Google said that I needed to sign in and ask permission from the owner. This probably happened because the sharing permissions on the file were too restricted. It is possible to set the sharing permission on a file to permit a user to download the file without signing in. If you can do that, that would be great.

Although I still hope that we can get the download to work, this sort of hassle is why I usually avoid non-Microsoft software. With the original Windows 7 gadgets, all I had to do was to drag them to my desktop and it was done. In any event, I'm still interested in trying to make it work. Thanks again.

[balala]

If you have a Dropbox account, try this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wmmigfjg00e0tbj/Clock%2C%20Calendar%2C%20Weather_1.rmskin?dl=0

[jsmorley]

If you have a Dropbox account, try this: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wmmigfjg00e0tbj/Clock%2C%20Calendar%2C%20Weather_1.rmskin?dl=0

He won't need an account, he can just say "no thanks continue to download"

[Roger]

Dropbox download worked !! Thanks ! Now to see if I can get it to work.

[Roger]

Thanks, Balala - it works like a charm, and I like it.

However, you said previously "Be careful, the pack contains an executable app (weather settings). If you're afraid to use it, you can delete it."

Where do I find the executable app? I didn't see it but didn't know where to look.

Finally, I'm not sure who runs Rainmeter, but I would suggest simple replacements for Win7/Win8 gadgets be easily available in some convenient and obvious location.

Thanks again.

[fonpaolo]

I think that the skins are already available in an obvious and easy location and they're easy to use...
Guide: paths
Guide: using Rainmeter

[jsmorley]

I think the poster is suggesting that Rainmeter should "feature" direct replacements for the gadgets from Windows Sidebar, perhaps having them ship with Rainmeter or at least be a link on the main page so it is easy for a person who is upgrading from Win7 to Win8 or Win10 to see Rainmeter as a way to "keep" those gadgets when Windows itself did away with the entire concept.

That is not an unreasonable thought, but it assumes that we in any way see Rainmeter as a replacement for Windows Sidebar / Gadgets. We just don't.

I personally always thought the Windows Sidebar stuff was ugly, and the process itself was bloated and resource intensive. The last thing I would want to do is re-create that crap, but that's just me.

In any case, Rainmeter itself is not about the skins you make with it. That is the job of skin authors, and they need to host the skins they want to share on deviantART or Customize.org or link to them here on the forums in "Share your creations". Rainmeter comes with one simple set of "starter" skins, to help new skin authors get started with coding skins, but the thousands and thousands and thousands of skins available are part of the Rainmeter "community" and not anything the Rainmeter project itself controls.

[balala]

Where do I find the executable app? I didn't see it but didn't know where to look.

In the @Resources folder you have a WeatherConfig.exe file. You can run it by clicking to the settings button which appears when you're hovering your mouse over the weather skin. You can use it to set up the location.

[Roger]

Balala,

Everything seems to work except the tiny arrows on the left and right side of the month. These arrows are supposed to move the calendar to the next and previous month, but they don't seem to do anything at all. Is there a fix for that?

Thanks !

[balala]

Those arrows are part of the background image, they are not buttons (I suppose when the background image was saved, the arrows was there and was included into the image). Maybe you could try to create them, if you'd like. Let me know if you need assistence with that.