Solved Browse dialogs empty with visual styles installed

[xMisterVx]

Problem's pretty much the same as this old thread. I can't seem to be able to change explorer or explorerframe in any way that wouldn't make this problem appear.

I tried installing the skins manually with UxStyle (and we're talking about some of the most popular skins out there, dEEP 7.3 and Elune for instance), or with CustoPackTools. End result is the same:
- either the theme works but I get an empty folder browsing dialog (such as if I click Save As from the browser, or Browse during any installation);
- or the Browse dialogs work after SFC /scannow restores all the files, but then the themes don't work.

Registry solutions discussed in the aforementioned thread encounter the same "DllRegisterServer was not found" error.

I could run a custom theme without replacing explorer and explorerframe with UxStyle, but... come on, that's half-arsed, isn't it, it should work and show all the theme elements. Been trying to get it done for two days now. I must be missing something simple. Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[Bongo]

Welcome to the Seven Forums
Post a link to one of the themes you are having trouble with and I will look into it.
You said you used a "CustoPackTools" was this something you installed or did it install a theme post a link to this also?
When you installed UxStyle teach you follow the procedure in this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34579-enabling-custom-themes-windows-7-a.html ?
How many system files and what are they have you changed like explorer.exe and explorerframe.dll?
Post that links and answer these questions and we will see what we can do.
Jerry

 

[xMisterVx]

Thanks for the welcome.

Themes I've tried are, as I noted above, Elune and dEEP 7.3. On DA, ranged by all time popularity, they're both in the top - I wanted to be sure they worked for a lot of other people before trying.

CustoPackTools is another way of installing them that automates the whole replacing process, it has both themes as well in its own download packages. Pretty sure it replaces explorerframe.dll.

Yes, I followed the UxStyle tutorial, it's pretty elementary. The service was running, and I was able to change themes at will, however upon replacing the dlls manually (I think I only replaced ExplorerFrame in both system32 and syswow64) I got the same error - by the way, here's an illustration, note how the theme works but the Save As window, for instance, has no address bar and an empty navigation pane.

I'm pretty sure I'm missing something simple, like taking control of something or other (though in CustoPack's case the process is supposed to be automated anyway).


Edit: as it might provide a clue, here's another symptom of the same problem: when a theme is installed (and so the Browse dialogs don't work properly), and when I click "Open containing folder" from uTorrent, an error pops up saying "Class not registered".

(by the way, sorry if I don't answer for the next couple days, will be offline)

 

[Bongo]

I will download those two themes and see what I can do.

First thing you should do is uninstall CustoPackTools.
Then do the SFC /scannow again so we have a fresh start.
I am going to test the explorerframe.dll and I will get back to you.
Jerry

 

[Bongo]

OK I tested the explorerframe.dll and I think I know what the problem is, I know this is going to sound strange but the explorerframe.dll in 64-bit/x64 folder goes in C:\Windows\System32 and the explorerframe.dll in 32 bit/x86 folder go in C:\Windows\SysWOW64, the easiest way to tell is checking the size of the file the one in System32 is 177MB and the one in SysWOW64 is 142MB.
Look at Post #6 of this thread http://www.sevenforums.com/customization/179502-basic-networking-information.html#post1525656 it will show you how to take ownership give yourself permission and rename and replace system files.
Jerry

 

[xMisterVx]

Well, thank you very much for taking the time, it does seem to work fine for now.

I wonder, though, I've seen some themes with only one version of explorerframe... I guess they just wouldn't work correctly then?

 

[Bongo]

Well, thank you very much for taking the time, it does seem to work fine for now.

I wonder, though, I've seen some themes with only one version of explorerframe... I guess they just wouldn't work correctly then?

You're welcome
You are correct if there is only one explorerframe.dll that comes with a theme then it will probably only work on a 32-bit computer, you could extract the images from the one explorerframe.dll and get a copy of the explorerframe.dll from System32 and SysWOW64 folders and import them into it to make your own. If you would decide to do something like that you can always ask for help here.
Jerry