Enabling DCE

[glix81]

Could somone tell me what exactly this does, and how to do it?

[michaeltal]

In Longhorn Build 4029 it was possible to enable the DCE (Desktop Compositing Engine) by typing:

C:\WINDOWS\I386\SBCtl.exe dcestart

C:\WINDOWS\I386\SBCtl.exe wmgstart

(DirectX 9 GPU required)

I tried it with my ATI Radeon 9800Pro, but it didn`t quite work :(

First my task bar disappeared, then after some interaction with open windows they disappeared aswell. :crazy:

Well, it's obviously still very buggy in this early Build!

Michael

[glix81]

Would it be possible for me to transfer those files from 4029, and place them in 4053?

[michaeltal]

I don't know, but I don't think so, this would be to easy

:D

[Osiris]

let us know how it goes if you do try it but, could be intresting.

[michaeltal]

I played around with DCE in Build 4029 yesterday and it works now. (not very well, and still quite buggy!)

With DCE enabled, there is almost no CPU activity when moving a window :cool:

And I'm quite sure that in this build those cool window effects (transparency,...) are available, as shown at WinHEC 2003 !

The only problem is that noone except Microsoft knows how to activate them :(

Trying to find out how they can be activated I examined some of the system files responsible for DCE, but have not had any luck yet.

But I have found some other funny stuff :D

If you open c:\windows\i386\milcore.dll in an HexEditor and take a closer look at the ASCII view, you can see that some MS coder placed Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN) in there (in various languages).

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

This can also be found in other DLLs :D

Michael

[AcdShdw]

their is no DCE in 4029, and their is more to it than just whats below, theirs 2 more lines

C:\WINDOWS\I386\SBCtl.exe dcestart

C:\WINDOWS\I386\SBCtl.exe wmgstart

[michaeltal]

their is no DCE in 4029, and their is more? to it than just whats below, theirs 2 more lines

C:\WINDOWS\I386\SBCtl.exe dcestart

C:\WINDOWS\I386\SBCtl.exe wmgstart

oh YES, there is DCE in Build 4029!!!

I had it running yesterday!

Which "2 more lines" are you talking about?

Michael

[Glowstick]

DCE is in pretty much every build, just the activation sematic changed over the builds. Thanks to some cocky MVP, who chose to confirm that but then pull a "ner ner ner, we wont tell you how-to though". Stupid moron.

[michaeltal]

Thanks to some cocky MVP, who chose to confirm that but then pull a "ner ner ner, we wont tell you how-to though". Stupid moron.

Yes, I've read that post in a MS newsgroup, I think it was in microsoft.public.windows.developer.winfx.aero :(

[Windows X]

Is there any chance to make DCE compatible on 4053?

[Prince21]

Pst a screenshot of DCE working in longhorn michael

[y_notm]

why do u want a screenshot? its the same as a standard 4029 desktop except every window has little black spots at the top corners where its supposed to be transparent.

@WindowsX: people are working on it, but haven't had much luck... yet.

btw has anyone just tried throwing sbctl.exe in .NET Explorer (a reshack like program for .net programs) and seeing if there are any activation functions listed there? If no one knows what I'm talking about, post sbctl.exe from 4029 (it won't install for some reason on my machine) and I'll take a look

[michaeltal]

btw has anyone just tried throwing sbctl.exe in .NET Explorer (a reshack like program for .net programs) and seeing if there are any activation functions listed there? If no one knows what I'm talking about, post sbctl.exe from 4029 (it won't install for some reason on my machine) and I'll take a look

1)

I examined sbctl.exe with ResHacker and an HexEditor.

sbctl.exe is not very big, it seems as if it calls some other programm (probably a dll) after ist was started. So there is probably not much functionality in sbctl.exe itself.

I can send you the file tomorrow, if you want, just PM me! Currently I am not at home.

2)

Yes, posting a screenshot of the desktop with DCE enabled wouldn't make much sense, because as y_notm already said, it doesn't look any different!. But if you insist on it, I can post a screenshot tomorrow!

[Osiris]

Well this is getting intresting, If we could get DCE enabled id be tempted to retest 4051.

[AJerman]

This is all old news and you all are still in primitive stages, so this will be humorous to watch this thread develop :D

[michaeltal]

This is all old news and you all are still in primitive stages, so this will be humorous to watch this thread develop :D

well, at least you have fun then :p

It seems you know more than we do, so please share your information! :cool:

Michael

[iMonkey]

*wishes he could get longhorn* :no:

[Osiris]

Yes Betaz please enlighten us with the infinite knowledge you have expressed here thus far....

[Glowstick]

This is all old news and you all are still in primitive stages, so this will be humorous to watch this thread develop :D

Too bad you're living on a different continent than me, because I'd love to punch your face like I'd be trying to put out a forrest fire with a screwdriver! Either say what the deal is, aka the activation procedure (if you actually do know it, which I doubt), or **** off! Save yourself any further dickwaving!

[Nanorobot]

I have had a bit of sucess and some luck with the hardware acceleration. It doesn't eat us much cpu. :D :D :D The oly bugs are invisible everything which I have been getting. I did have it riunning ounce, but the focus is wrong and things dissapear after a while. The 2 commands I know are sbctl dcestart and sbctl wmgstart. I have a small chunk of registy, but its a bit buggy and needs the right values. This is my version of avalon.graphics, its a bit of regmon spying and the types and values are a guess!

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics]

"SkipDriverCheck"=dword:00000001

"DisableHWAcceleration"=dword:00000000

"ClearTypeLevel"=dword:00000001

"BreakOnAceError"=dword:00000001

"EnablePerfCount"=dword:00000001

"EnablePixelShaders"=dword:00000001

"BreakOnSpecialFailure"=dword:00000001

"DisableHWText"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Avalon.Graphics\GoodDrivers]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\windows\safer\codeidentifiers]

"TransparentEnabled"=dword:00000001

Edited March 13, 2004 by Nanorobot

[AcdShdw]

Too bad you're living on a different continent than me, because I'd love to punch your face like I'd be trying to put out a forrest fire with a screwdriver! Either say what the deal is, aka the activation procedure (if you actually do know it, which I doubt), or **** off! Save yourself any further dickwaving!

jesus christ tom what i sour problem, everytime you come back to neowin you always try to pick fights with everyone on the board either that your always making a mess of things

[Glowstick]

Feel free to ignore me, Bozo. Afterall, you were the one that used the "The other Tom Servo" as user title, so keep your trap shut. And I seriously can't stand that arrogant I-know-more-but-wont-tell-you ****, so I chose to give these clowns a rebuttal! If you have some wanted info, either share it or shut up and dont mention it at all. Got a problem with that? Whatever, kthxbyedrivethru!

Edited March 13, 2004 by Tom Servo

[Nanorobot]

Thats with longhorn 4029 and thats probably way too much info. And the DCE startup is different in 4053. :cool:

EDIT: Do it yourself then, we know where it all is.

[Glowstick]

Look at Nanorobot. That's how it supposed to be. He shares his knowledge instead of rubbing it under your nose and then pulling it away.

EDIT: Do it yourself then, we know where it all is.

What version you talking about? 4029 or 4053?