Unable to load skins

[glb5287]

When downloading the latest version of rainmeter from rainmeter.net, i begin the installation process and upon finishing, I get an error stating : There are no available skins at : C://Users\1723\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\. Furthermore, when installing the Mond skin at : https://visualskins.com/skin/mond, it begins installing and never finishes.

From reading the forums, Rainmeter is initially installed in program files(which doesn't allow writes) but a folder should be created for skins under the user documents folder for this. However, a folder isn't created here and even after manually creating the Rainmeter/Skins folder, I still get the error message from above. The default skin Illustro isn't even on rainmeter.

When looking at the text file for Rainmeter in settings, this is what's in it :

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
Logging=0
SkinPath=C:\Users\17243\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\
Debug=0

[illustro\Clock]
Active=1
WindowX=(#SCREENAREAWIDTH#-200)
WindowY=0

[illustro\Disk]
Active=2
WindowX=(#SCREENAREAWIDTH#-200)
WindowY=176

[illustro\System]
Active=1
WindowX=(#SCREENAREAWIDTH#-200)
WindowY=68

[illustro\Welcome]
Active=1
WindowX=50.000000%
WindowY=50.000000%
AnchorX=50.000000%
AnchorY=50.000000%

here are the logs :

IniFile: C:\Users\17243\AppData\Roaming\Rainmeter\Rainmeter.ini
SettingsPath: C:\Users\17243\AppData\Roaming\Rainmeter\
SkinPath: C:\Users\17243\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\
Path: C:\Program Files\Rainmeter\
Windows 10 Home 22H2 (build 19045.4170) 64-bit - English (1033)
Build time: 2023-07-31 11:58:37
Language: English (1033)
Rainmeter 4.5.18.3727 (64-bit)

[eclectic-tech]

When downloading the latest version of rainmeter from rainmeter.net, i begin the installation process and upon finishing, I get an error stating : There are no available skins at : C://Users\1723\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\. Furthermore, when installing the Mond skin at : https://visualskins.com/skin/mond, it begins installing and never finishes.

From reading the forums, Rainmeter is initially installed in program files(which doesn't allow writes) but a folder should be created for skins under the user documents folder for this. However, a folder isn't created here and even after manually creating the Rainmeter/Skins folder, I still get the error message from above. The default skin Illustro isn't even on rainmeter.

The Rainmeter program IS installed in "Program Files" by default; that folder is never used for your skins or settings.

All files for settings and skins, that require read/write privileges, are located in your "User" folders.
BTW it should be in "C:\Users\{yourusername}\Appdata\Roaming\Rainmeter\" for all settings
and "C:\Users\{yourusername}\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\" for all of your installed skins.

I would first recommend you download a new copy of Rainmeter from https://www.rainmeter.net/. The installation should finish and open the illustro skins when Rainmeter is started.

If you get an error when installing, then something other than Rainmeter is causing issues for you.

I would recommend NOT USING "Visualskins" as a source for skins; it is not maintained and most skins from there are old variants; the Mond skin from there has many issues... try this updated version: Mondtholomew

[glb5287]

Not sure what else I could possibly do. I've tried installing different Rainmeter versions, tried installing at different locations, after installing it and getting the error of "no available skins at location", I've manually made the Rainmeter/Skins folder and updated the settings location in the rainmeter app and exited and restarted, and then tried installing the correct version of the mond skin, only to get the error : "unable to create file".

maybe somethings aren't meant to be.

[Brian]

This sounds like your AV program is restricting access to your Documents folder.

If so, you may have to "whitelist" Rainmeter to alllow write access to the folder. Depending on your AV settings, you may have to whitelist every Rainmeter executable (such as Rainmeter.exe, RestartRainmeter.exe, SkinInstaller.exe, and uninst.exe)....or it may be able to select a folder.

If you are using Windows Defender, check if "Controlled folder access" is turned on. It is located in Windows Security\Virus & Threat Protection\Ransomware Protection, then select "Manage Ransomware Protection". From here you can turn off "Controlled folder access", or select "Add an App through Controlled folder access" and select the Rainmeter executables listed above.

If you are NOT using Windows Defender, you will have to find some documentation with your AV vendor.

Hopefully that will help.

-Brian

[Yincognito]

First, I want to congratulate you for a very informative description of the problem - well done!

Secondly, if by any chance eclectic-tech's and Brian's advice doesn't solve the issue, you might want to consider taking ownership of the skins folder, via the right click context menu in Explorer.

If nothing works, the few things I can think of are either your Home version of Windows having a more restrictive policy, or some weird issue with the user name being entirely made of digits.

If things fail, it might help to know whether:
- other software can write to similar user locations
- Rainmeter can work with a skins folder placed in another location / partition

[balala]

- Rainmeter can work with a skins folder placed in another location / partition

Let's say how the place of the skins folder can be changed (probably this is not obvious for a beginner, what glb5287 is, I suspect):

When downloading the latest version of rainmeter from rainmeter.net, i begin the installation process and upon finishing, I get an error stating : There are no available skins at : C://Users\1723\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\. Furthermore, when installing the Mond skin at : https://visualskins.com/skin/mond, it begins installing and never finishes.

From reading the forums, Rainmeter is initially installed in program files(which doesn't allow writes) but a folder should be created for skins under the user documents folder for this. However, a folder isn't created here and even after manually creating the Rainmeter/Skins folder, I still get the error message from above. The default skin Illustro isn't even on rainmeter.

To change the place of skins as proposed by Yincognito above, right click the Rainmeter icon in the Notification Area and click Edit settings. Rainmeter's options are opening into your default text editor (even if I think you know this, I posted it, just to make sure). Under the [Rainmeter] section, replace the SkinPath option, adding another one, as described by Yincognito above. When you did this, don't forget to restart Rainmeter: right click its icon in the Notification Area once again, click Exit, then restart it from the Start menu.
Not sure this fixes the issue, I added this just to make sure you know how to cheange the place of skins, if needed.

[Yincognito]

Let's say how the place of the skins folder can be changed [...]

Good idea. I was on my phone just mentioning these as last steps to try and identify the cause, if it ever comes to this, hence the lack of instructions. It would be interesting to eventually find out what was the culprit in this.

[glb5287]

I finally was able to get it working! I ended up changing the location of the folder and updating its skinpath from the text file in rainmeter settings.

I moved it to my hard drive and it just worked

[Yincognito]

I finally was able to get it working! I ended up changing the location of the folder and updating its skinpath from the text file in rainmeter settings.

I moved it to my hard drive and it just worked

Nice! Just curious though, since this is more of an alternative/ workaround and doesn't really tackle the cause of it, where was your C: partition placed on (given that the above implies that it was not on your hard drive)? A thumb drive, a SSD, a network drive?

[balala]

I finally was able to get it working! I ended up changing the location of the folder and updating its skinpath from the text file in rainmeter settings.

I moved it to my hard drive and it just worked

I just wondering now a few things. First of all, your Skins folder was on a hard drive unit (might that be a SSD, but from the point of view of Rainmeter, this has not too much importance), explicitly on C: (or maybe Yincognito is correct above? For sure the C: drive can be placed onto a SSD - I know because it is placed so in my case as well - but I'm not sure it can be thumb drive or a network drive - can it be?):

SkinPath: C:\Users\17243\Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\

By the beginning this is a valid path for the Skins folder, unless the user name can't contain only digits. I'm not sure if this is the case, I never tried this out and don't try it now either. I might be wrong at this point, but in my opinion, 17243 should be a perfectly valid user name. Isn't it?