Step By Step_ How To Use Custom Windows Visual Styles

Step By Step: How to Use Custom Windows Visual Styles

STEP BY STEP

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How to Use Custom Windows Visual Styles

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4:00 AM on Tue Sep 30 2008 By Jason Fitzpatrick 5,211 views

Customizing the appearance of your Windows installation can be frustrating, because both Windows XP and Vista are limited to the Microsoft's default themes out of the box. However, with a bit of tweaking under the hood, your Windows setup can try on a wider range of looks than come pre-installed. Let's take a look at how to patch your Windows installation to allow customized styles, and a few places to find new and interesting styles online.

Vocabulary and Methods When talking about the physical appearance of Windows there are two terms that are distinct but often used incorrectly in place of each other. Visual styles, which have the .msstyles file extension, are

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styles, which have the .msstyles file extension, are the files which supp;y all the information about how the interfaces within Windows should look. The toolbar skin, start button skin, borders, buttons, etc. are all stored in the visual style. Themes contain a visual style along with additional settings such as icons, wallpaper, etc. Later, when browsing for goodies, keep in mind that a theme pack will have further customization than a visual style pack. Throughout the tutorial you'll need to be able to access the menu within Windows where you can chane your themes and visual styles. The following screenshots are from Windows XP but the essential menus are nearly identical in function in Vista, too. For reference, here is how to access both: XP: Right-click Desktop -> Properties -> Themes Tab (or Appearance Tab for Styles) Vista: Right-click Desktop - > Personalize -> Themes

First, Back Up Your Current Theme For Safe Keeping

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Although you'll most likely find a new style that you really enjoy, on the off chance that you don't, make a backup of your current theme for you to restore later if necessary. Backing up only takes a moment and will allow you put things back exactly as they were before you started customizing, right down to the wallpaper. From within the Themes tab click Save As and name your theme whatever you'd like. Save it in a safe place.

Second, Patch Your Windows Install Patching your system for themes allows you to use non-Microsoft approved visual styles. At the very root you're simply replacing the Uxtheme.dll with a modified version that doesn't verify if the style has been signed by Microsoft. It used to be that patching your Windows installation was a hassle, a small one, but a hassle nonetheless. Now both Windows XP and Vista have patching programs available that make it no more hassle than clicking a button and rebooting. There are various programs that can do what the free patches do with some additional functionality thrown in, but they are hardly worth the $20 and up fees they command. For Windows XP, download the Uxtheme MultiPatcher. Run the file, click through the prompts and reboot.

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For Windows Vista, download VistaGlazz. Run the file, click through the prompts and reboot.

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Both patching programs will allow you to reverse the process should anything go wrong by simply running the program again. (However, I've been patching Windows installs for years without a hitch.)

Finally, Download and Install Custom, Third Party Styles The best way to verify if your patch job has been successful is to browse some of the great repositories of visual styles and select a few to try out. Below are some samples of the most popular styles at DeviantArt.com. Before you begin downloading through, a quick overview of where the files go is in order. If a style pack is zipped up properly then installing it is as simple as unzipping the files into the C:\Windows\Resources\Themes directory. Check when you open the zip file if the files have nested directories. If you install a visual style or theme and something is amiss, check the following list to ensure the files ended up in the right place:

.Theme files must be in the /Themes/ folder, not within any subfolders. .MSStyles files must be in their own subfolders. If the style name is NewStyle.msstyles, then sub folder in /Themes/ must be /Themes/NewStyle/ If your style pack came with a shellstyle.dll, that also goes within it's own subfolder, i.e. /Themes/NewStyle/shell/ If you have any problem with loading a style or theme, go back and double check for spelling and capitalization. The names are case sensitive. If a file has a combination of upper http://lifehacker.com/5056544/how-to-use-custom-windows-visual-styles

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sensitive. If a file has a combination of upper and lower case letters, the folder name you place it in must be spelled exactly the same. Now let's take a look at some popular third-party visual styles in action. Luna Element 5.0.5 by tornado5

Pristine OS 1.2 by MohsinNaqi

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Sentinel Beta - 1 by chaninja

For more visual styles, check out the following resources: Deviant Art - Windows Vista Styles / Windows XP Styles ThemeXP - Most Popular XP Styles If you have a little bit more time and would like to grab a theme hot off the press, check out the active forums where style designers throw up their newest work: JoeJoe.org - Vista Visual Styles / XP Visual Styles NeoWin - Vista Visual Styles / XP Visual Styles http://lifehacker.com/5056544/how-to-use-custom-windows-visual-styles

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What's your favorite Windows theme? Tell us about it in the comments—or show off your customized Windows in the Lifehacker Desktop Show and Tell Flickr group. Read More: Decrypt and Remove Commercials from TiVo Recordings in One Step , How to Wrap a Wine Bottle Restaurant-Style , How to Block Ads in Google Chrome , How To Build an Album Art Wall on the Cheap 18 DISCUSSIONS

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alcyone

Show: Oldest first | Newest first | Most popular

4:16 AM

4:16 AM

Oh, Sentinel Beta. I really liked that one. Back in the days. Like, five years ago.

Jaok1m 4:19 AM

4:19 AM 1 reply

Royale Vista - [dobee.deviantart.com] I dont understand how people stand this horrible blue XP default skin, it makes me sick.

1 reply by metalmarious

SmartyCZ 4:26 AM

4:26 AM 1 reply

I use Alduin. It's the most beautiful theme for XP I've ever used.

1 reply by Avengelist

Harrelson 4:27 AM

4:27 AM 1 reply

I use a program called StyleSelector (google styleselector for vista). It enables me to change http://lifehacker.com/5056544/how-to-use-custom-windows-visual-styles

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styleselector for vista). It enables me to change the system font and size as well as select themes without any patching. It creates a folder called "Styles" where you put your Vista styles and changing them is as easy as selecting and clicking apply. Works perfect for me

1 reply by metalmarious

subtle 4:32 AM

4:32 AM 1 reply

It's amazing how often Lifehacker posts something I am thinking about ... how serendipitous.

1 reply by metalmarious

iroQuai

4:51 AM

4:51 AM

I really like "System 5" (found here: [andymorum.deviantart.com])With matching winamp skin (found here: [bigl523.deviantart.com]) and this wallpaper: [maariusz.deviantart.com]

Cornflakes

5:02 AM

5:02 AM

One year after figuring all of this out, I'm still using this theme: [www.askvg.com] Because it's perfect.

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Ph0Xy 5:05 AM

9/30/08 6:16 AM

5:05 AM 1 reply

Great tutorial. I've been using patched uxtheme for almost a year now, and it's definitly the best and most performent way of changing the theme. Better than all those WindowsBlind and stuff. I recommanded to everyone who wanted a custom theme.

1 reply by Ph0Xy

metalmarious

5:06 AM

5:06 AM

I like my windows task bar to be up top as well. it is closer to the menus so my mouse isnt constantly flying across the top and bottom

Junkan 5:10 AM

5:10 AM 2 replies

Although still by Microsoft. I am using "Royale Windows XP Theme" originally from New Zealand MS site, alternatively with "Royale Noir Theme for WinXP 1.47" [www.softpedia.com]

2 replies by anudeglory, anudeglory

Marco 5:21 AM

5:21 AM 2 replies

@Jason You should mention that the latest stable VistaGlazz 1.0 is known to cause problems on Vista SP1 systems. The developer even warns not to use this version to patch a SP1 installation. http://lifehacker.com/5056544/how-to-use-custom-windows-visual-styles

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I tried it once on XP some time ago, and it killed my whole system... so you better warn the LH users.

2 replies by token1, Asian Angel

ste-knows-best

5:34 AM

5:34 AM

I had nothing but issues with Vistaglazz on SP1 vista. Complete and utter nightmare. I will use default themes if It means avoiding such a fiasco again. My theme reverted to classic (horrible) and refused to change. There seemed to be registry files missing, screen turned a shade of red, desktop background couldn't be changed etc.etc.etc. I fixed it all with a system restore point, but NEVER again.

tomstrummer

5:49 AM

5:49 AM

My favorites are the Advance4 styles by sz1. Also, don't forget that there's a nice semi-official XP theme that doesn't require uxtheme patching.

Kaelri

5:50 AM

5:50 AM

I keep going back to SlanXP 2.0, though at the moment I'm using lassekongo's newest theme, CleanGlass. His gallery has a wide selection of attractive minimalist themes. Now, I'd love it if Lifehacker took the next step and posted a tutorial on creating and modifying custom themes ourselves. :) http://lifehacker.com/5056544/how-to-use-custom-windows-visual-styles

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JadeEmperor

9/30/08 6:16 AM

5:53 AM

5:53 AM

I like a theme that offers maximum screen real estate and at the same time is light, mean, and daring.

aaziz

5:58 AM

5:58 AM

[www.codegazer.com] "VistaGlazz doesn't support SP1 yet" You can manually patch the DLLs, but check out the last post on this blog for Beta 3 which is supposed to support SP1: [www.codegazer.com]

zubaz25

6:04 AM

6:04 AM

Windowblinds does a more complete job of skinning everything. I'll stick with that. Low memory use, more elements skinned, paid support, and tons of skins to choose from. [www.wincustomize.com]

elgilicious

6:13 AM

6:13 AM

Normally, I would just say "install Linux and take half the time to do the same thing." But, at my summer clerkship, I was barred from using anything but my XP terminal, and I wish I had this guide back then. http://lifehacker.com/5056544/how-to-use-custom-windows-visual-styles

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