Force Close Issues with the Nightmare Before Christmas Theme
A couple days ago, I got an email reporting the dreaded "Force Close" errors on the Nightmare Before Christmas theme. Having done many themes and not receiving any word of force close issues, at first I didn't think a lot of it. Especially since I didn't really know much of the needed information, like device type and Android version, to be able to determine whether or not an issue even existed.
But despite not having any information to identify the problem, I decided to try to replicate the issue on my own device. And I think I have found a reason for why some people are getting the "Force Close" error. Its actually something that I've found to occur in every GO Launcher EX theme. The issue is that the way Android handles apps is that it installs the app and then you are given the option to "Open" or be "Done" with the installation. If you hit "Open", the theme will crash. This has nothing to do with anything being wrong with the theme or the device, but it is simply because the Android operating system can't read a GO Launcher EX theme because...well, it's not really an app. It's just a theme. So in order to get around this, you must tap "Done" and close the installation process and then go to apply the theme using the GO Launcher EX interface. Here are a series of screenshots that will help with the process.
As always, feel free to contact me at dan@twobrothersweb.com if you have any questions!
Step 1: After downloading the Nightmare Before Christmas theme, tap the "Install" button to install the theme.
Click on the image to the left to view a full screenshot.
Step 2: This is where you'll want to make sure that you do NOT tap the "Open" button. That causes the force close error because the Android operating system doesn't recognize a theme as a full application -- because it is not. If you do hit "Open" and get a force close error, don't worry about it. It doesn't really mess anything up. Just continue on to the next step.
Click on the image to the left to view a full screenshot.
Step 3: Instead of hitting "Open", tap the "Done" button. That'll finish the installation and close out of the installer. From there, hit the "Home" button on your phone to get to the homescreen.
Click on the image to the left to view a full screenshot.
Step 4: Once on your homescreen, tap the menu button on your phone. That will open the GO Launcher EX menu as seen in this screenshot. From there, tap the "Themes" button.
Click on the image to the left to view a full screenshot.
Step 5: If you have multiple themes installed you may need to swipe left and right to browse the themes you have installed on your phone. Find the Nightmare Before Christmas theme and tap the theme preview.
Click on the image to the left to view a full screenshot.
Step 6: Tap the "Apply" button to apply the theme.
Click on the image to the left to view a full screenshot.
Step 7: Enjoy the theme!
Click on the image to the left to view a full screenshot.