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Windows Taskbar and skin/theme change

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Paddy
Posts: 2
Joined: January 5th, 2011, 8:46 pm

Windows Taskbar and skin/theme change

Post by Paddy »

Hello I've tried looking in the FAQ/Help but I haven't found my answers. :confused:

Is it actually possible to get rid of the windows Taskbar? I've instaled enigma and it's all very nice but Enigma has its own "taskbar" but the windows taskbar is over it when i put the mouse downwards. So I'm thinking that the people who created Enigma and who created the Enigma Taskbar must of been aware that the Windows Taskbar looks absolutely horrible with the Enigma Taskbar. It's therefore logic to think that it must be possible to hide the Windows Taskbar at all times. What I'm saying is that what's the point of Rainmeter If you have the Windows Taskbar that ruins it all ?

Also, I've been trying desperetaly to install a new theme/skin (is there a difference? O.O ) found on http://customize.org/rainmeter/skins but I haven't bee able to. Do you have to install the skin in the c:/Program Files/Rainmeter/Skins file and then right click on the actual skin and then naviguate to Rainmeter -> Skins -> "The skin you just installed" ? Or is it really complicated and it takes a long time ??? I've found some skins that look really great and in the past days I've haven't been successful when trying to instal one.

Can you help me on both those topics ? I thank you very much and deeply apologise for my newbiness in this matter, but I'm really digging the Rainmeter concept ! :thumbup:

Windows 7, 4G RAM, Intel Duo P7350, GF 9800
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JpsCrazy
Posts: 667
Joined: April 18th, 2010, 2:16 pm
Location: NY, USA

Re: Windows Taskbar and skin/theme change

Post by JpsCrazy »

jsmorley wrote:First off, let's be clear. Rainmeter is not a "shell replacement" and cannot replicate the functionality of the Windows Taskbar or System Tray (Notification Area). You can auto-hide the taskbar. You can even remove the taskbar using 3rd party utilities, but if you do you will just have to live without important functionality, like pretty much all of it. You will not have icons for minimized applications available except via keyboard, none of your applications context menus will be available via the notification area, etc. Rainmeter is not capable of, nor is it intended to, replicate this functionality.
Basically, the best you can do is get a start menu button for Rainmeter, or use ObjectDock or some alternative instead. You can however replace the default windows themes with custom ones.
I would explain more, but google can tell you more than I ever could.

Secondly, yes, you do install skins to the Program Files/Rainmeter/Skins place in it's own folder. Then right click the Rainmeter icon and click 'Refresh All' or just exit out and reopen Rainmeter.
(Many skins now use the Rainstaller feature and is just much better overall. It cuts out the need for everything above this. It is highyl recommended to use.)
Then, Right Click on the Rainmeter Icon --> Configs --> Skin you want.
http://rainmeter.net/cms/Rainmeter101-AddingSkins <-- More so on the topic.
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JamesAC
Developer
Posts: 318
Joined: July 14th, 2009, 5:57 pm

Re: Windows Taskbar and skin/theme change

Post by JamesAC »

JpsCrazy wrote:Secondly, yes, you do install skins to the Program Files/Rainmeter/Skins place in it's own folder.
That should be: "No, you install skins to My Documents\Rainmeter\Skins"
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jsmorley
Developer
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Joined: April 19th, 2009, 11:02 pm
Location: Fort Hunt, Virginia, USA

Re: Windows Taskbar and skin/theme change

Post by jsmorley »

JpsCrazy wrote: Secondly, yes, you do install skins to the Program Files/Rainmeter/Skins place in it's own folder. Then right click the Rainmeter icon and click 'Refresh All' or just exit out and reopen Rainmeter.
Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\My Documents\Rainmeter\Skins
Windows Vista and later: C:\Users\YourName\My Documents\Rainmeter\Skins
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JpsCrazy
Posts: 667
Joined: April 18th, 2010, 2:16 pm
Location: NY, USA

Re: Windows Taskbar and skin/theme change

Post by JpsCrazy »

My bad - I forgot I was more or less running a portable version of Rainmeter.
Just gonna kind of be quiet for awhile now...
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Paddy
Posts: 2
Joined: January 5th, 2011, 8:46 pm

Re: Windows Taskbar and skin/theme change

Post by Paddy »

Thanks for your help ! I'll try and change the skin as you said :D

Update: Successfully managed to install a skin. I was unlucky yo not find a .rmskin in all the skins I downloaded (bad luck ?) and I didn't manage to see the page http://rainmeter.net/cms/Rainmeter101-AddingSkins when I looked for help, which is very useful indeed 8-) Thanks y'all !

Rainmeter <3
ravendawson
Posts: 1
Joined: January 21st, 2011, 9:07 am

Re: Windows Taskbar and skin/theme change

Post by ravendawson »

I do not think you can get rid of the Windows taskbar, but you can always hide it if you do not want it. Try to unlock and resize it off your screen. Go to your Control Panel, Taskbar, and Start Menu. You will then be able to specify whether or not you want to keep it on top of other windows. On the other hand, you can install a new theme by double-clicking on the theme packs created on Windows 7. However, you may need to patch some dll files if you use third party themes.
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