Miscellaneous Debris

Avner Kashtan's Frustrations and Exultations
Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning

 

A few days ago, Microsoft released a new Desktop Theme for Windows XP named the "Zune Desktop Theme" – even though it looks a lot like Vista, all in black and orange. It fits in with Office 2007's Black skin, so I gleefully installed it.

Everything was fine for a few days until the first time I had to reboot (rather than Standby/Hibernate) – late last night. From that moment on, my Windows Explorer would crash every time you tried to do anything. Windows loaded? Explorer crashed. Tried to open a folder? Expolrer crashed. Save As from Word? You guessed it.

Took me a while to put two and two together since there were a few days between the two, but the solution is to:

a) Uninstall the Zune Desktop Theme.

b) Choose a different desktop theme (Luna, for instance).

c) Reboot.

This solved the problem for me. Even though I'd gotten used to the gloomy Vista-ish look, I won't be reinstalling it any time soon. Your experience might be different, but beware. If you're feeling curious or suicidal, here's the download link:

Zune XP Desktop Theme

Published Monday, January 08, 2007 1:09 PM by Avner Kashtan

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Comments

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Sunday, February 11, 2007 2:54 AM

Can you reproduce it?

Sudeep

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Sunday, February 11, 2007 3:30 AM

Well, I have since replaced my laptop with a new one and installed Vista on the old, so I can't reproduce it any more. :)

Avner Kashtan

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Friday, March 09, 2007 2:57 AM

not true man.. been using this zune theme for a few months now and never had any problem with it. the problem that you are having might be caused by something else. i dont think that a desktop theme can create such nuisance. im not a pro-microsft or loyalist guy.. just telling you my experience with the zune desktop theme. works fine on my pc and looks good too

anonymous

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Wednesday, March 14, 2007 8:29 PM

it is good dont bag it

m,e

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Sunday, April 08, 2007 5:13 PM

no... you are wrong. Zune is good looking and is working good in my system. Something you have to look for in your system and put it right. okay? Dont spread this rumor. Please go and delete ur comment there.

man

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Saturday, April 28, 2007 8:29 PM

hey it works right out of the box with me, no crashes even with video editing software and video editing software doesnt like themes a lot.

PS. if you are like me who hates windows live messenger and uses windows messenger 5.1 it perfectly adapts to the theme

i give it a 10/10

luna themes look to bright for me

santiago

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, May 01, 2007 7:14 AM

I've been using it for weeks now and it works really well and not to mention looks very good. It's just a DESKTOP them, maybe you have a virus or something

John

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, May 01, 2007 12:03 PM

i have to say that i know what might be causing him that problem. i think he downloaded the "Royale" one thinking it was the Zune one...similar thing happened to me when i downloaded the Royale theme. when i removed it and installed the Zune one, it worked perfectly.

Spooky89

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Sunday, May 06, 2007 10:42 AM

Wow, this is the most comments I've ever had for ANY post. People feel very strongly about this.

Fact is, installing the Zune theme (not the old Royale Noir, but the official Zune theme) caused my Explorer to crash. Removing it fixed it.

Was it because my computer's installation was already problematic? Probably. It worked fine on other machines, including my current one.

Will I take down this post? No. The fact that it works fine for 90% of the people doesn't change the possibility it could help the lone percentages that do get bitten by it.

Avner Kashtan

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Monday, May 07, 2007 7:16 PM

I've got the Zune black theme on 2 laptops and 6 desktops and it's never had a problem. Idevelop in VS2005, use Photoshop CS2, lot's of hoggish apps...but nver a bobble.

Satisfied User

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Monday, May 07, 2007 7:16 PM

I've got the Zune black theme on 2 laptops and 6 desktops and it's never had a problem. I develop in VS2005, use Photoshop CS2, lot's of hoggish apps...but nver a bobble.

Satisfied User

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, May 15, 2007 6:26 AM

I used the Zune Desktop theme on my laptop a few days last week. After those three days, when I opened the start menu by clicking on start and started to navigate by moving the cursor over the navigators, my laptop suddenly froze and stopped responding. (A Windows XP Home Edition laptop) Then I shut it down by pressing the power button, and then start it again.

Minutes later, I uninstalled the theme.

Ben

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Sunday, May 20, 2007 6:07 AM

Well, it works perfectly well with no crashes so far. First check out its requirements before installing it or there might be some software conflict on your machine.

N.B. Just create a Restore Point before installation, and you should be safer.

Kalin

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Sunday, June 03, 2007 3:17 PM

okay i haven't installed it yet but from the sounds of it im sacred to do so and my parents are to ,should or should i not (please reply soon)

me

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Monday, June 04, 2007 6:35 PM

where do you check the system requirments? and p.s if it screws up my computer i blame bill gates

me

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, June 05, 2007 11:23 AM

No problems with the theme for a year now on XP and multiple XP machines.

Dave Schinkel

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Monday, June 18, 2007 3:45 PM

Works fantastic for me, never had a single problem.

Kulawend

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Thursday, June 21, 2007 7:45 PM

I've never had a problem

Farina

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:40 PM

This is a classic example of PICNIC.

Problem In Chair - Not In Computer.

Suggest the blogger here sell his PC and buy himself a nice pretty Mac.

Bill Gates

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Friday, July 13, 2007 1:24 AM

I've been using the Zune theme for almost 5 months now but I never had a roblem. Works great with my PC and with 6 other PCs owned by my friends as well.

Belle

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Friday, July 13, 2007 11:46 PM

Thanks for the link, works great...

RR

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Wednesday, July 18, 2007 5:13 PM

Had the theme for about 4 months, no problems - win xp desktop pc

Isaac

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, July 24, 2007 1:23 PM

Thing is, loads of spyware and other software attach into the windows/internet explorers. If your machine isnt clean, switching skins like this (i.e. adjusting system files associated with explorer) could possibly cause the crash. Don't dog on the theme for that. The theme is great, and is working perfectly, and for all those who have a clean machine, I'm sure that they have had no problems with the zune theme. I wish that microsoft would put out more themes for our choosing. One thing is for sure... Uneducated irresponsible blog flaming isnt going to help their votes from the masses. To the gent that wanted to know if it is safe to install, my answer is yes. If your computer crashes, so be it... its better to find out that there could be something else wrong, the way I see it, if it crashes - you know that there was something else that needed to be fixed anyway. Some would rather live in ignorance of their spyware/viral problems, but truth of the matter is - you dont know what these spywares do. Long story short, the theme is great, if it conflicts with explorer, there was something already wrong with explorer.

Collin

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, July 24, 2007 10:26 PM

Iv been using this smackage theme for a year now. No problemo.

What ? No problem ?

Correcto Mundo !

PIDGIT

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Saturday, August 18, 2007 2:34 AM

I've had some crashes but I couldn't tell if they were Zune theme related, probably not

Matt

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, August 28, 2007 5:59 PM

Yes,  that's true; there hasn't ever been any single issue with my system since I installed this ZUNE theme; I wish Zune itself offers some more themes of that sort; because Microsoft never ever comes across with any such things as cool options.

So, Zune rocks; it's good as for your explorer crash and error; try pasting a screenshot of it somewhere; or mail it to me at :- nidharsh@yahoo.com; I'M a tech. representative for a geek squad co.; I would offer you whatever help I could for free.

Regards,

from :- HK_CK; India.

HK_CK

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Wednesday, August 29, 2007 4:38 AM

Ok. My whole school has this zune black theme installed and NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE COMPUTERS EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THEY BLOCK EVERY SINGLE SITE. but no issues with the theme.

josh

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Thursday, September 06, 2007 3:20 PM

That's probably nothing wrong with the theme, just a coincidence I believe. I've been using Zune Desktop Theme for quite a while both at home and at work - and never experienced anything wrong.

martin

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Saturday, October 06, 2007 1:36 AM

Nothing wrong with the theme and use firefox DUH!

SDR

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Sunday, October 14, 2007 3:22 PM

Theme is great I wouldn't count your one computer having problems as 10% of the populous with the zone theme. I would say maybe out of the millions of people using it, your one computer with troubles might be 0.00000000001% of the computers with troubles. Please don't spread lies.

Visitor

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Sunday, November 18, 2007 4:00 AM

No problems at all with this theme. I am using this from last few months and everything is working fine. The crash could happen from any virus or spam attack.

I would only suggest one thing that don't buy this idea.

.Net Professional

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Monday, November 19, 2007 10:11 PM

b

<a href=" top21.freehostia.com/1611.html ">b</a>

NAvOqggg

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Thursday, November 29, 2007 2:56 PM

Zune is fine have been running for ages and no probs...and as for fer puter not opening websites....find a way to bypass yer schools proxy server ;)

Judderman

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Friday, December 14, 2007 12:03 PM

I use this on every computer I ever use, at work and home. Thats 4 computers. One XP home, the rest XP pro. All work 100% fine.

I don't see how it could cause anyproblems unless perhaps you download it from a place that is not trust-worthy...

I wish there was one that is just all black.

Even though Royale Noire claims to be all black, it appears more dark blue on my machine... Zune is the only black one. I just wish zune was ALL black...

Matt

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Wednesday, December 19, 2007 8:26 AM

Well everyone seems to say its a good progarm and has been getting comments on it for abouta year it looks like so i downloaded it from here looks good but i want to turn everything black like my msn messenger and the backgrounds on web pages and the toolbar on web pages that would be neat if u could tell me that. Please email me at: gatman_031284@hotmail.com

Jason

GatmanxXx

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Thursday, January 10, 2008 1:09 PM

I too had windows explorer problems after installing the Zune theme on 4 windows xp machines but I feel the problems were unrelated and more likely to be connected to a hotfix or update issue.

My problem was related to the shell32.dll with explorer crashing then drwatson crashing. It would be helpful if the poster could have posted some technical details or error reports. My problem related to clicking on folders followed by windows explorer crashing. I will try to create the problem to see if Zune was responsible but I think it unlikely.

The Zune theme is one of the more attractive themes and for now I would rate it as safe. Regards ace-king.stumbleupon.com

ACE-KING.STUMBLEUPON.COM

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Thursday, January 10, 2008 10:23 PM

Ok, i own 7 desktops and 2 macs, i run all OS's known by man, the zune theme is on 3 of my windows dsktps, the theme been running like a charm for months on my Pentium4 and my AthlonXP2000 BUT on my Pentium Dual-Core I got the Explorer Crash about 5 mins after reboot, all 3 comps on XP pro sp2 from the same CD. Aint that a bitch. so im installing vista on that dual-core see what happens.

Cliff D'Anno

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Tuesday, January 15, 2008 12:16 PM

Got the same problem an hour or so after installing. Windows chose to shut down explorer. I saw this even before I installed so I thought "alright". Seems like a problem with the dual core.

Madidus

# re: Zune Desktop Theme - A Warning@ Wednesday, January 16, 2008 11:57 PM

Sounds like what happens when Zune or Royale themes are installed on a 64 bit version of Windows XP... That version of the OS HATES these themes, and screws up until you uninstall them; but on 32 bit, its perfectly fine.

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