This week's question we'll focus on something that doesn't get talked about as much.......and that would be icons. We have a couple of different categories for icons here on WinCustomize.

• Icon packs for use with IconPackager
  
  
• Icon category for general icon uploads.
  
  
• ObjectDock icons for icons that are meant to be used with OD.

We have been curious on how the community uses icons in their desktop setups. Do you change the entire icon set with IconPackager, or do you just change individual icons just for certain files or folders? 

Let us know how you use icons and if you'd like to see more on WinCustomize in the comments below!

The official start of summer was just a few days ago, and not sure about where you are but it is HOT here. So much so it's hard to do much of anything outside, not to mention the other reasons you're supposed to stay inside for.

We some really cool themes on WinCustomize that are perfect for a summer desktop. I picked out several that might help you put a great summer desktop together.

When have that desktop ready, show it to us on our monthly desktop screen thread here!

Summer Slice for WindowBlinds

Beach for WindowBlinds

Paradise Beach for DeskScapes 

Coconut Trees on Seashore

Net Surfer for CursorFX

Savers for ObjectDock background

https://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/history

Get one of the most-requested features for Windows today!
Organize your desktop with browser-like tabs for your apps with Groupy

[video]https://youtu.be/17_ErhXYXmY[/video]

From the people who brought you Fences, Start10, ObjectDock, DeskScapes, and countless other amazing programs, comes a new one that will transform the way you use your PC: Groupy.

Groupy is a killer app that will let you take things like File Explorer, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, and much more, and put them into tabbed groups. Just like modern web browsers group their websites together, you can now do that with all of the Windows apps on your desktop, making for a cleaner and more efficient experience.

The program works on Windows 7, 8, and 10. Once installed, creating groups is simple: drag a window to another window and combine them into a single window, with tabs showing in the title bar. To ungroup, simply drag the tab off the group.

New in v1.1: Save existing groups and launch them at a later time, contained and ready to go. You can even save groups associated with your active files thanks to new support for Microsoft Office! You can also enable a “new tab” button for groups that will let you create a new instance of your graphics program, Word document, and more with the simple click of a button.

Once a group is created, you can quickly switch between different windows with a simple hot-key or by clicking on the tab. Groupy can also automatically add launched programs into an existing tab group. For example, if you open a new Explorer window or a new Office document, you can have that window instantly become a tab in an existing group.

Seeing is believing. Try Groupy FREE and let it deliver the Windows experience you’ve been craving!

Or get it today for only $9.99

Have tons of Explorer windows? Many of us are juggling various internet browsers, programs and windows at any given time.		No problem. Groupy allows you to put all your windows together within ONE window given its own tab.

Drowning in spreadsheets? Lots of people run several Microsoft Office apps at the same time. It's easy to misplace them, even with multiple monitors.		Just put them together. Groupy fixes that easily by collecting all of your apps and placing them in an easy-to-navigate group.

 

Need lots of apps to get a job done? Lots of artists are familiar with working between various Adobe applications. Opening and closing multiple windows to reference what you need really adds up over time.		Tab easily between lots of programs. Switch between programs instantly using the Win-~ key. If you need to pull them apart, just drag the tab off like you would with a normal browser window.

 

Use multiple web browsers? Chrome, Edge, Firefox... sometimes, you need different browsers for different reasons.		Groupy supports tabs within tabs. Use as many different types of browsers as you want and move easily between them. It's like having a single browser!

 

Use lots of different apps? Maybe you're a power user or developer who uses a diversified mix of applications to get a job done.		Group ANY window with another window. Groupy makes it easier. To ungroup, simply drag the tab off from the group and keep working.

Groupy is the simplest and most useful app you may ever buy. 

Or get it today for only $9.99

It's also available as part of our award-winning
Object Desktop suite at www.objectdesktop.com

Are you an active Object Desktop owner?
Get access to Groupy today by logging into your Stardock Account.
If you can't remember the email you used to purchase Object Desktop
with, check out this helpful post.

[video]https://youtu.be/wI605lex_4s[/video]

From the people who brought you Fences, Start10, ObjectDock, DeskScapes, and countless other amazing programs, comes a new one that will transform the way you use your PC: Groupy.

At any given moment, people have a lot of windows open. 

Maybe it's a few Explorer windows, a couple of Excel spreadsheets, maybe a a Word document or a PowerPoint presentation.  Maybe they're working with Adobe Premiere and After Effects and a few other windows.  In any event, dealing with all these windows can get to be quite a mess. So what's the solution?

The answer is: Stardock Groupy, the program that lets you treat all your windows the same way you are now used to treating browser windows -- put them them together with each window given its own tab.

Have tons of Explorer windows? Many of us are juggling various internet browsers, programs and windows at any given time.		No problem. Groupy allows you to put all your windows together within ONE window given its own tab.

Drowning in spreadsheets? Lots of people run several Microsoft Office apps at the same time. It's easy to misplace them, even with multiple monitors.		Just put them together. Groupy fixes that easily by collecting all of your apps and placing them in an easy-to-navigate group.

 

Need lots of apps to get a job done? Lots of artists are familiar with working between various Adobe applications. Opening and closing multiple windows to reference what you need really adds up over time.		Tab easily between lots of programs. Switch between programs instantly using the Win-~ key. If you need to pull them apart, just drag the tab off like you would with a normal browser window.

 

Use multiple web browsers? Chrome, Edge, Firefox... sometimes, you need different browsers for different reasons.		Groupy supports tabs within tabs. Use as many different types of browsers as you want and move easily between them. It's like having a single browser!

 

Use lots of different apps? Maybe you're a power user or developer who uses a diversified mix of applications to get a job done.		Group ANY window with another window. Groupy makes it easier. To ungroup, simply drag the tab off from the group and keep working.

Groupy is the simplest and most useful app you may ever buy. 

It's also available as part of our award-winning
Object Desktop suite at www.objectdesktop.com

Are you an active Object Desktop owner?
Get access to Groupy today by logging into your Stardock Account.
If you can't remember the email you used to purchase Object Desktop
with, check out this helpful post.

Download and share customizations for your favorite Stardock software applications

Get the most out of your Windows desktop with a friendly community, unique user-made content, articles, tutorials, and more. Go beyond the default settings with your choice of thousands of custom skins, themes, icons, and wallpapers at WinCustomize.com.

Subscribe to WinCustomize Today
 Reg. $9.95 Now $4.97

 Create a truly personal experience with these apps:

DeskScapes Choose from thousands of animated desktop wallpapers. There's always something new to discover. Theme your desktop for holidays, seasons of the year, special events, and more.       WindowBlinds Utilize endless potential for customization thanks to our community of dedicated skinners. Whether you like busy and bright or sleek and simple, there's something there to suit everyone's individual style.     ObjectDock Not only are there plenty of choices for animated icons, but there is also a huge selection of ObjectDock backgrounds over on WinCustomize. Fun and easy to install, these are sure to add a bit of flair to your desktop.       Start10 The community at WinCustomize has created a large range of Start button options. Choose from hundreds of unique options from pop culture all the way to holidays and other special interests.

Since we don't have a wiki any longer, I wanted to at least have a place where tutorials and guides can be listed for easy reference.

More will be added.

Object Desktop

Object Desktop: The Benefits of Membership

Reminder: Backup Your Object Desktop Apps!

Using Object Desktop Manager

3 Tips for Using Stardock's Fences 

Start10

3 Tips for Using Stardock’s Start10

Start10: Using a Custom Start Button Image

Groupy

Getting Started with Stardock's Groupy

WindowBlinds

3 Tips for using WindowBlinds

WindowBlinds 10 Walkthrough: Changing your Desktop Theme

WindowBlinds 10: Colors, Textures, and Fonts

WindowBlinds 8 Walkthrough: Changing and Applying Skins

WindowBlinds 8 Walkthrough: The New User Interface

DeskScapes

DeskScapes 8: How to Have Animated Wallpapers on Your Windows Desktop

Animated Wallpapers for Windows 8 with DeskScapes 8

How to Create an Animated Wallpaper Using Stardock’s DreamMaker

DeskScapes: Using Random Wallpapers on Your Desktop

3 Tips for Using Stardock DeskScapes

ObjectDock

[video]https://youtu.be/Ylp0J-Lh2aE[/video]

From the people who brought you Fences, Start8, ObjectDock, DeskScapes, and countless other amazing programs comes a new one that will transform the way you use your PC: Groupy.

At any given moment, people have a lot of windows open. 

Maybe it's a few Explorer windows, a couple of Excel spreadsheets, maybe a a Word document or a PowerPoint presentation.  Maybe they're working with Adobe Premiere and After Effects and a few other windows.  In any event, dealing with all these windows can get to be quite a mess. So what's the solution?

The answer is: Stardock Groupy, the program that lets you treat all your windows the same way you are now used to treating browser windows -- put them them together with each window given its own tab.

Example 1: Got lots of Explorer windows?

No problem:

Example 2: So many spreadsheets

Lots of people end up with several Microsoft Office apps running that can easily get misplaced, especially if you have multiple monitors.  Groupy fixes that.

Just put them together.

Example 3: For the Adobe power user

Many artists are familiar with working between the various amazing Adobe applications.  Navigating between them adds up over time.

Instead, just put them together.  Now you can switch between tabs with the Win-~ key instantly.

Now it acts as a single app.  If you need to pull them apart, no problem - just drag the tab off like you would with a browser window.

Example 4: Chrome and Edge living together in harmony

Do you find yourself using multiple web browsers occasionally?  Groupy can help with that, too.

Groupy supports tabs within tabs.

Edge and Chrome are now acting as a single web browser.

Example 5: Mix and Match

Maybe you are a power user or developer who has a diversified mix of applications in use to get a job done.  No problem, Groupy will let you group any window with another window.

And to ungroup, just drag the tab off from the group.

It's both the simplest app and most useful app you may ever buy.  Get it now as part of Stardock's award-winning Object Desktop suite of utilities at www.objectdesktop.com today.

How can I get my registration / product key information

Table of contents

Activaiton Issues and Questions
Please click here

Information and Usage 
ObjectDock was not included in my purchase of Object Desktop, why?
ObjectDock is not starting at startup
How to hide the dock
How can I reset ObjectDock to the default settings?
My ObjectDock settings are not save between reboots.
How do I change the background theme?
How do I open a folder in a menu?
How to run shortcuts as administrator
Backup/restore my dock settings
Problems launching 64bit apps from ObjectDock

Self Support Options
Purging and re-installing

[confluence]https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1344897082/ObjectDock+was+not+included+in+my+purchase+of+Object+Desktop%2C+why%3F[/confluence]

[confluence]https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1343455344/ObjectDock+is+not+starting+at+startup[/confluence]

[confluence]https://stardock.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SHC/pages/1413316623/How+to+hide+the+dock[/confluence]

[confluence]https://stardock.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SHC/pages/1344602207/How+can+I+reset+ObjectDock+to+the+default+settings[/confluence]

[confluence]https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1344635003/ObjectDock+settings+are+not+save+between+reboots.[/confluence]

[confluence]https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1344602216/How+do+I+open+a+folder+in+a+menu%3F[/confluence]

[confluence]https://stardock.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SHC/pages/1344602207/How+can+I+reset+ObjectDock+to+the+default+settings[/confluence]

[confluence]https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1345159218/Backup%2Frestore+my+dock+settings[/confluence]

[confluence]https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1345224768/Problems+launching+64bit+apps+from+ObjectDock[/confluence]

[confluence]https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1349320768/ObjectDock+purging+and+re-installing[/confluence]

WinCustomize has a wide variety of skins and themes for nearly every aspect of your Windows operating system. From animated wallpaper for DeskScapes all the way to skins for WindowBlinds, from cursor themes to icon packs, we are the site for finding the best themes to use with your Stardock applications. Since we have a massive amount of available downloads, we've created a guide that explains what software is needed (if any) in order to use these great skins and themes.

I’d also recommend subscribing to WinCustomize. Once you become a subscriber, you'll have access to unlimited downloads, ad-free browsing, and discounts on Master skin purchases.

Become a WinCustomize subscriber here.

Galleries
When you want to browse the galleries on WinCustomize, the "explore" button on the site is the best place to start. Clicking here will take you to an overview of our featured galleries, which showcase the most popular categories on the site. You can also get a list of the galleries by hovering over the "explore" button. If you're a WinCustomize subscriber, you can customize this menu to show only the galleries you want to see.

When you click to view a gallery in WinCustomize, the gallery you select will have a description telling you which software (if any) you need in order to use that particular download.  The screenshot below highlights the description area.

In the screenshot above, we’re looking at the WindowBlinds gallery.  It gives you a brief description of the software and links to the product page required for that download. If you don’t already have that application, you can download the free trial from its site. If you are interested in customization and productivity for your desktop, I would recommend checking out Object Desktop. This is our suite of over a dozen desktop applications. You can see the benefits of being a member here.

To download a skin, just click the Download button on an individual skin page. If it is an item that requires the use of an application then read more about that below.

Software
While we have a variety of downloads available on WinCustomize, these are some of the most popular applications that users come to download skins and themes for.  Click the links to find out more information about the product and to download a free trial. 

• wba - Windowblinds
• dream - DeskScapes
• cursorfx - CursorFX   
• .iptheme - IconPackager   
• .dockzip - ObjectDock

Many other downloads will be contained in a .zip file, which you will need to extract once downloaded.

Master skins
WinCustomize creators who have reached the rank of Master are able to sell their skins on WinCustomize. These premium skins are available to purchase, but if you are a WinCustomize Subscriber then you will get a 20% discount on the purchase of these skins. When browsing the galleries, Master skins will have a special badge indicating they are from a Master skinner. You can also use the filters in the galleries to only show Master skins.

Tutorials and community help

For a list of tutorials on how to use many of the Stardock apps, see here. If you have questions about the downloads on WinCustomize, or just want to come chat with the rest of our great community, be sure stop by and visit our community forums here.

Halloween is always a fun time to change up your desktop with all types of wallpapers and themes. We have a real nice selection of Halloween skins for WindowBlinds, CursorFX, and other items like icons and wallpapers.

Take a look at some favorites, and see more Halloween skins here.

Windows 10 is here today and we’ve seen lots of questions about compatibility with Stardock software. I wanted to take the time to post a chart with compatibility so you can know what to expect when you update to Windows 10.

Now is a great time to be an Object Desktop subscriber. Learn more about Object Desktop here.

Note:

• Please note that even though we say it’s working on Windows 10 doesn’t mean full compatibility or supported and there is always the chance that issues will arise when being used with a brand new operating system.

• Always make sure you are using the latest builds which you can download from http://download.stardock.com

• If you have any issues or questions about a particular application, please post it in the forum category for that app. See the Stardock software forum here.

Make sure you are on our mailing lists which you can sign up for on Stardock.com. Also follow us on Twitter @stardock and our Facebook page.
 

We’ve had some really fantastic skins submitted to the WinCustomize galleries this week, and it was an especially good week for WindowBlinds skin. We had several WindowBlinds skins shared, but also a variety of other skins that should make worthy additions to your libraries.

Lets check out what’s new this week:

We have two new Master WindowBlinds skins to hit the galleries today!

First up we have Xenix by LightStar which has a really cool start menu design that extends to the entire skin itself.  Designed for Windows 7 and 8, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I have.

Xenix: https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/8199/

Next we have Alpha Skies by adni18.  This skin has 2 color variations and has sub-styles for Windows 8, 7, and XP.  Some extras like wallpapers and and a background for ObjectDock is also included.

Alpha Skies: https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/8200/

These are the first Master Skins of 2015, and we’re definitely off to a great start!  If you are a WinCustomize Subscriber then don’t forget your 20% discount on all Master Skins.

As we head into the weekend, lets take a few minutes and check out some of the skins that came in to the WinCustomize galleries this week.

Halloween is approaching and if you haven’t changed your desktop yet to show that, then you still have some time.  First, check out the entries in this years Halloween Fun Contest here.  There’s a great variety of skins there, and then take a look at some of the favorites posted below.

If you have your desktop all setup, be sure to post a screenshot in our monthly desktop thread here.

These are all the entries for the WinCustomize Fun Halloween Contest 2014 we received.  Not bad at all!

I went through all the galleries and I'm pretty sure I linked all of them, but if you see anything missing please let me know as soon as possible.  We'll start judging  soon and get the winners announced.

Thanks for everyone who contributed.  It was fun and we got some more great skins in the galleries for everyone to use and enjoy.  That is the best part!

Dreams:

Halloween - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/5959/

Burning pumpkin - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/5935/

Halloween Night - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/5930/

Bela Halloween - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/5929/

Graveyard Ghosts - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/5901/

ObjectDock:

HalloweenFun docks - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/objectdock_backgrounds/535/

WindowBlinds:

Bat O Ween - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/8166/

Dresdenx - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/8165/

Halloween BoO - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/8164/

Crazynightmare(shopping) - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/windowblinds/8162/

Wallpaper:

Bat O Ween - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/wallpapers/49432/

Busy Night - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/wallpapers/49431/

Malecifent_wallpak - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/wallpapers/49426/

BELA_wallpak - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/wallpapers/49422/

Xion:

Viola - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/xion/767/

Grave yard Xion - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/xion/766/

Screensavers:

Burning Pumpkin - https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/screensavers/1579/

The latest Master WindowBlinds skin to hit the WinCustomize galleries is the 8 Plus Skins by adni18.  This comes with two WindowBlinds skins, a red one and a blue one.  The design is simple and minimal, and the quality can’t get much higher.  It also includes wallpapers and an ObjectDock background.  If you are a WinCustomize Subscriber, don’t forget your 20% discount on Master skins.

8 Plus Skins by adni18

The weekend is nearly here, so it’s time to take a look at some of the latest skins and themes that have made their way to WinCustomize this week.  Don’t forget our new WinCustomize Fun Halloween Contest 2014 has started, and I hope to see some really cool skins come from it.

Lets take a look at some of this weeks skins!

It's been a while since we had a contest, and I thought it would be fun to put a quick one together for Halloween.  Halloween has always brought up some fun and unique skins, and people always seem to ask for new ones each year.  

See Halloween skins on WinCustomize.

This is just a quick, fun contest that is open to anyone and can be any skin, theme, wallpaper, etc. that is accepted on WinCustomize.  The only real requirement is it needs to have a Halloween theme to it.  The top 3 submissions will be voted on by WinCustomize admins/moderators based on the submissions creativity and quality.

Contest starts today, September 24th and will end on Monday, October 20th.  Winners will be announced once they have been determined.

Prizes:

Note: More prizes will most likely be added after I speak to a few people.

1st - 1 year Object Desktop subscription or renewal if already subscribed.

2nd - 1 year WinCustomize subscription, Choice of WindowBlinds, Deskscapes, Fences, ObjectDock, or CursorFX

3rd - Choice of WindowBlinds, Deskscapes, Fences, ObjectDock, or CursorFX

Requirements:

When submitting, add WC Halloween Contest 2014 in the top of the description.

Submissions must have a Halloween theme.

Rules:

WinCustomize moderation policies still apply

Submissions must be your own.  Any use of stock images or other images must have permissions included.

Multiple submissions are allowed, and encouraged! Remember though, quality over quantity.

We have had a good amount of new backgrounds for ObjectDock submitted lately.  Some of these fantastic looking docks are from WebGizmos, Richard Mohler, Uvah…..just to name a few.  Changing the dock background is a fairly easy task, but if you haven’t done it before, we have a tutorial here to get you started.

Take a look at the full ObjectDock Background gallery here.

Lets take a look at some of the recent submissions.

I hope you had a great weekend and the transition to Monday is going at least fairly well.  Today is also a great time to do a quick recap of skins and themes that came in over the past few days.  We had a nice selection of skins, so here’s a few I’d like to highlight.

I’ve been talking about and recommending Snagit for many years here on WinCustomize.  I started using it many versions ago as I needed a tool to capture screenshots with features that just couldn’t be found in Windows or other similar apps.  A few months ago TechSmith released Snagit 12 with several new features including a new user interface for the editor, an enhanced capturing experience, and more.  For the last month or so I’ve been using the latest version and wanted to share my thoughts about it, and a big thanks to Betsy Weber from TechSmith!

Snagit is obviously well known for capturing screenshots, but you should also know that it also captures video as well.  Their new enhanced capture now lets you select the area to be captured first, then you can select whether you want to snap a screenshot or record a video clip.  Another useful feature to note is scrolling capture.  Need to capture an entire webpage of content for example?  This lets you do that quickly and easily.  Profiles can also be used to streamline your capturing process.  These customizable profiles let you configure a capture and choose how to take the image and what to do with it when taken.  For instance, you can set it up to export to a specific location like Dropbox, or be inserted directly into an application like Word.

Once your image or video is captured it’s opened in the newly designed editor.  Here you have plenty of editing options for images, and for videos you can do basic editing.  Taking a screenshot is one thing, but what you can easily do with it afterwards is key in many cases.  When writing articles about the various Stardock applications we have, it’s often useful to point out or emphasize specific parts of the UI to show users a feature or function.  Snagit excels here because it has a variety of tools that are designed to accomplish this task.  Whether it’s a simple arrow, a speech bubble, or one of the many stamp graphics available, you can be sure you have the right tool to show and direct viewers to exactly what you want them to focus on in an image.

The editor is actually very useful for all types of image editing.  It use it frequently just for basic editing like resizing and cropping even with images I didn’t originally capture with Snagit.  You can expand Snagit even more by downloading more stamps to use in your images, and there’s a wide variety available for download.

The number of images you capture can quickly add up, but Snagit has an integrated library where you can find, sort, and view past captures.  The Snagit library sorts captures by date or by the application they were captured from.  This is especially useful for me because I can quickly find the images that were taken from a certain app such as WindowBlinds or ObjectDock.  Images can also be tagged or assigned flags for even more organization.

Getting your image captured and edited is one thing, but doing something with that image is another.  That’s why sharing is a very big part of Snagit and they’ve continually updated this with more sharing options.  Images can be saved in the familiar way of saving into a variety of supported image formats, or you can export images into various applications using the integrated output accessories.  With just a click you can export right into Word, OneNote, Camtasia Studio and other supported applications.  Snagit also lets you share to Facebook, YouTube (video captures), Dropbox, Google Drive and to Screencast.com.  Other outputs for other services and apps can be downloaded to expand sharing even further.

There’s still lots of features I wasn’t able to cover, so be sure to visit the Snagit site to get an overview of everything that Snagit can do.  It’s one of my most used apps on both my Windows PC and Mac, and I highly recommend it.

They offer a free trial, and there’s upgrade options also available for previous users.

Link: Snagit

The latest Master WindowBlinds skin from LightStar is Atheros.  It is based in Greek architecture, and he did a fantastic job using that to build a skin around it.  As always, attention to detail was paid greatly and overall it’s just a really cool skin to have.  It was designed for Windows 8 and Windows 7, and also includes a wallpaper and ObjectDock tile.

Don’t forget your 20% discount on Master skins if you are a WinCustomize Subscriber.

Atheros by LightStar

Lets take a look at some of the newest skins and themes available for your Windows desktop from WinCustomize.com.  There’s been some good stuff uploaded lately, so lets highlight a few!

You can view all the latest skins here.