MacLook problem with version 5

I have wanted a mac like option for a while now. I had installed windowblinds in the hope of doing so, but while it came close, did not do the trick, so today I installed version 5 and saw that option and thought YEAH!, but alas probelms arose.

I get the cions to change but the window buttons do not which is what I mostly want it for so windows buttons and mac buttons are on same side of window. I thought that maybe windowblinds was the problem so I uninstalled that and then reinstalled Parallel Tools but still no good, it looks like its going back to classic mode.

If it is indeed a theme can those files be downloaded?

 

Where is the theme??

I downloaded desktop 5 and tried to use MacLook and just can't get it work at all. The theme doesn't show up in the desktop preferences under either Windows 7 or XP SP3 (the 2 guest OSes that I run). And before anyone asks... yes I had the MacLook option selected before starting the VM and yes I re-installed Parallel Tools. I uninstalled the previous version of Parallels (Desktop beta) before installed the Desktop 5 final, changed the config, started the VM and re-installed Tools - no new theme. ?????

Can you search your Windows boot drive for *.theme to see if you have the MacLook theme installed in your VM?

 

Yeah I see no theme file either, though I can see that it is changing the fonts but thats about it...

Glad it ain't just me

 

Same deal here…I have an older version of WindowBlinds installed. Before upgrading to Parallels 5, I reverted to the original theme and deactivated WindowBlinds. After upgrading, I turned on MacLook, but the only thing that changed were the icons. The taskbar and windows still sport the XP blue theme.

I've noticed that, in addition to the old Stardock > Object Desktop folder in the start menu (from my old registered copy of WindowBlinds), there is now an Object Desktop folder which contains links to all the Stardock programs and a copy of WindowFX that insists the 30 day trial period has passed. I don't think any of this was here before.

 

MacLook works fine for me on both an XP and Win 7 VM. I did run into a buggy situation in Crystal the first time I applied it in Win 7 though.

I did not use themes/etc. I just selected "Use MacLook" from the Parallels 5 View menu. The first time I did this, I was in Crystal in Win 7 with QuickBooks open. Probably not a smart thing as things were screwy - won't detail. I switched to windowed mode, turned off MacLook, restarted the VM, turned on MacLook and went back to Crystal. All good.

After that experience, I played it more conservatively in the XP machine and just started out in windowed mode with no applications open. View > Use MacLook then switched to Crystal. All good.

Again, did not mess with customizing any elements and saving as a custom theme or whatever. Just went from my existing theme to MacLook.

 

Not working at all here either. Running XP64 as my guest OS ... Parallels tools installs fine, but nothing shows at all if I enable Maclook mode. Doesn't even appear as though the fonts are being modified as mentioned by one of the previous posters.

Since the machine is used for work, I don't really have the time to remove and rebuild the VM (VM was an upgraded image from Parallels 4) at the moment, so if anyone knows a workaround would really appreciate some advice.

I've tried pretty much every combination of starting the machine with/without maclook enabled, switching modes with it enabled, enabling/disabling in different modes ... kind of out of ideas now



M

 

MacLook theme can be applied only for user that is in Administrators group. Is it true for you?
Also, MacLook theme only supported on following Windows versions:
- Windows XP x64 (x32 not supported!)
- Windows Vista x32/x64
- Windows 7 x32/x64

If your user is in Administrators group and Windows version is supported, please, send a problem report (Help -> Report a problem...) and post its number here. I will investigate the logs. Before sending the problem report, boot Windows, login and check/uncheck/check View -> Use MacLook. Thanks.

 

Thanks wonder_mice. I've generated and submitted a report. Ticket number is 772156.


Cheers,
M

 

Suzuki-Stumpy, thanks for the report. It looks like everything is fine for you. But still the problem exists... Lets try to collect more logs (it will be very nice if you help me).
1. In your Windows go to "C:\Windows\Temp" folder and locate file "parallels.log"
2. Open it in Notepad (or another text editor)
3. Select all content (using Ctrl+A for example) and delete it, so the file becomes empty
4. Type the following text:
prefix:UITHEME=DBG_TRACE;
5. Press <Enter> (or <Return>, whatever name you like) key, so entire text file will have 2 lines: one with text, and another is empty
6. "Save as..." that file as "C:\Windows\Temp\parallels.log.opts" (don't forget to select "Save As Type" - "All Files", otherwise, Notepad will append .txt to your file name, and this is bad).
For your convenience I attached zipped version of such parallels.log.opts file to this post.
7. Reboot Windows.
8. Check/Unchek/Check option View->MacLook several times (it is very important!)
9. Generate one another problem report, send it and post its number here.
10. Attach new file "C:\Windows\Temp\parallels.log" here

Thanks!

 

Thanks again wonder_mice for your assistance.

I have made the logging alterations you suggested and submitted another problem ticket. This time number is 774682



Regards,
M

 

Ahh ... try again ... previous problem report contained an incorrect setup for the log files.

New report number is: 774784

 

Working great in XP x32

Maybe not supported - but FYI MacLook working perfectly fine for me in x32 Windows Pro XP SP3. (And in x32 Win 7 Pro.) Am admin on both machines.

(Don't want to side-track from the guys having problems. Hope it gets sorted.)

 

Suzuki-Stumpy, great thanks! From log I can see:
[G] 17:16:00.500 D UITHEME /prl_tools:1948:7a0/ Supported OS: 0
So, it thinks that you have unsupported version of Windows. The problem is clear, give me some time please to understand why it thinks so.

 

Oh, sorry me. My mistake. Supported Windows versions are:
- Windows XP x32 (x64 not supported!)
- Windows Vista x32/x64
- Windows 7 x32/x64

The problem is that MacLook theme works wrong in XP x64, so it was disabled for that Windows version. Sorry again.

DrKarl, yeh, it would be strange otherwise

 

Any help here?

After following wonder_mice's instructions, I had the following lines show up in my error log:

13:14:04.225 W /DesktopUtilities:1856:758/ failed to query saved desktop background color, err=2
13:14:39.165 F UITHEME /prl_tools:2320:914/ CreateProcessAsUser() err 3, cmdLine=["C:\Program Files\Stardock\MyColors\ThemeMgr.exe" /silent "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Stardock\ThemeManager\Parallels.MyColors"]
13:14:39.228 F UITHEME /prl_tools:2320:914/ Failed to apply theme=1


Note, that there is no such folder as C:\Program Files\Stardock\ on my machine. I thought this might be a Parallels Tools installation issue, so I uninstalled and re-installed with no luck. Any thoughts?

 

Nicholas Block, yes, it looks like problem with guest tools installation. Tools installation logs are also located in C:\Windows\Temp:
parallels-setup.log
parallels-tools-setup.log
Please, post those files here.

 

Additional log files

Here are the files requested. Thank you so much for your help!

 

Yes, the problem is that MyColors (required for MacLook) not installed. From logs:
MSI (c) (1C:CC) [13:12:25:557]: Skipping action: MyColors_Install (condition is false)
I can't tell now what is the the condition that is false, tomorrow I will look for it.
As a quick hack, try the follwing. During Parallels Tools installation (while it shows installation progress bar), go to C:\Windows\Temp\ and snitch mycolors_setup_parallels.exe (copy it to desktop, for example). After restart, if MacLook will not yet work, try to install MyColors using snitched mycolors_setup_parallels.exe. For that you will need to launch it from command line as:
> C:\Windows\Temp\mycolors_setup_parallels.exe /s

 

Darn it ... and I was so looking forward to having all my Windows apps look seamless on my Mac


Thanks once again for your help wonder_mice.



Regards,
Mk

 

Nicholas Block,
please, create Report a Problem and post ID number here,
thanks