Guide to changing your Vista theme and more...

Guide to Changing your Vista Theme and more...

This guide should come in handy for anyone who wants to change their standard Vista theme to something different.

Here are a couple examples of my previously used themes so you know what you can use this guide for:

View attachment 20486

Step 1: First you have to patch some files so that Vista will let you change the theme.

For Vista with no service pack installed use THIS guide.

For Vista with service pack 1 installed use THIS guide.

In order to take ownership of the files mentioned in the above guides, you can easily use THIS tool.

NOTE: There is a way to work around this step which should make it A LOT easier. From what I understand you can use Vista Glazz which will automatically patch these files. However if you have Vista SP1 installed, Vista Glazz 1.0 WILL NOT work. In this case you will need to download Vista Glazz 1.1 which is still in Beta phase so it might not be 100% stable. Currently the latest Beta Version for Vista Glazz 1.1 is 3.

Keep in mind though that I don't have much experience with this program so I don't know how effective it is.

Download Vista Glazz here.

I've used both guides and both work fine if you follow the instructions carefully.

Step 2: You can find and download Vista themes from the following websites:

http://browse.deviantart.com/customization/skins/?order=9&startts=1212912000&endts=1212998400
http://vistastyles.org/category/vista-styles/
http://interfacelift.com/themes-win/index.php?sort=date
http://www.myvistathemes.com/
http://themes.belchfire.net/vista-themes.html

Step 3: Once you've downloaded a theme, put it in the folder "C:\Windows\Resources\Themes"

Step 4: Now you can easily change your theme by...

double-clicking the newly-copied *.msstyles file in the "C:\Windows\Resources\Themes" folder
> then Apply > OK

You can use this method for any theme you have copied into this folder.

If for some reason your visual styles aren't Aero-enabled, do the following:

Check to see if transparency is enabled. You can do this by right-clicking the desktop > Personalization > Window Color and Appearance > then check "enable transparency". Aero should work now.

Also... changing your Vista theme DOES NOT use any more resources than the standard Aero theme so it will not slow down the computer.

Important!

Keep in mind that not all visual styles will work with both Vista and Vista SP1 so make sure to only look for themes for your particular version of Vista.

Also, I DO NOT take any responsibility if things go wrong especially in step 1 so be really careful when you patch those files. I also suggest you make a backup of your system. From my own experience, the worst thing that can happen is that Vista will only let you use the Windows Classic style in which case, your desktop will look like Win 98.

You can find good wallpapers on the following sites:

http://browse.deviantart.com/customization/wallpaper/
http://interfacelift.com/wallpaper_beta/downloads/date/any/
http://customize.org/wallpapers

Always make sure when you download a wallpaper to only download one that's available in your screen's native resolution, 1280x800, 1440x900 etc.

To apply a new wallpaper, right-click on your desktop, select "Personalize" > "Desktop Background". Then browse to the location of your wallpaper and apply it.

If you want to mod your desktop even more, there are some other tools you can use:

AveDesk
Rainlendar Lite
Rainmeter | skins for Rainmeter here
Yahoo! Widgets
Vista Start Menu
RocketDock
MyDock
ObjectDock Free
Google Sidebar

and of course the standard Vista Sidebar...

Since these programs run quietly in the background, they will use some resources (usually around 10MB of ram per program) which theoretically will slow down your computer but you'll be fine as long as you have 2GB of ram.

Hope this helps!

 

Hopefully, this should help with the questions.

Thanks CeeNote!

 

Yea I figure a lot of people want to change their themes but don't know how to do it so this guide should help.

You're welcome!

 

does changing the theme slow down your computer at all?

 

Not at all since you can change the theme from within Vista and it doesn't need any other programs to run in the background which would otherwise slow down the computer.

 

3rd party programs, like WindowsBlinds will slow down your system a bit but visual styles will not. They're just like the themes you use now.

 

Nice guide!

Quick q: Is there any theme that keeps Aero intact but changes the taskbar to white? I've always thought vista would look better like that but haven't found anything closer than the Longhorn theme.

 

Thanks!

I'm not sure, you might be able to find a modded aero theme on one of the websites I linked to but I don't know of any specific aero-based theme that has a white taskbar.

 

CeeNote,

Some people may not know how to take ownership of the file in order to apply visual themes.

This tool should help with that,

http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13145

 

Okay, thanks a lot! I'll put the link in the guide

 

Perhaps you can download a modded "clear" aero theme and add a white band at the bottom of your wallpaper?

 

Hmm I will search around what you've posted and see what I can find. Thanks!

Ooo you're tricky. That's genius!!
I'll try it and see how it works. Of course, this means editing all my wallpapers I use... :/

Thanks guys!

 

You might add that the theme will probably have the same name as Windows Aero. Or you can just double click the theme file(.msstyle) to open the Appearance Settings window after you move it to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes.

Actually there's a simple guide in my sig. but you surely did it better by creating a new thread with more useful information

And you might add Rainmeter(0.14) to the free softwares list, and here to get its skin.

Thanks for this guide :laugh:

 

Yes, I just added that method. Thanks!

Thanks for the link, I'm adding it right now.

 

You're welcome

 

Great job ~ The guide looks nice! Woot!

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

Nice guide.. bookmarked!
+rep

 

Thanks a lot!!

 

Something like this..? http://r3c1pr0c17y.deviantart.com/art/Summer-84310173

 

I tried changing my theme but it didn't work completely. I took ownership and applied the theme, but it would only stay at vista basic, even though i have vista ultimate. it wouldn't apply aero for some reason. i tired different themes and all of them were still stuck on vista basic, not aero. These themes were suppose to run with aero.

 

This is really odd. There's something else you can try though. You can download and install a program called WinBubble from here.

Now in the "General" tab, check "Turn On Aero to Computer Icon". Then click the "Apply" button to apply the settings. You might need to restart the computer afterward.

Now you go to the start menu and right-click on "Computer". Then "Turn On Aero"

Hope this helps!

EDIT: First check to see if transparency is enabled. You can do this by right-clicking the desktop > Personalization > Window Color and Appearance > then check "enable transparency". Aero should work now.

 

Im having some problems with elevating my privileges. I am the only account on my OS - therefore am the administrator. but the take control program is still telling me to elevate my privileges? helP?

 

I've never heard of this problem. Did you follow the guide to patching those files?

 

How do you navigate to systemroot system32?

 

Worked for me! thanks +rep

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

 

I really like the city theme you have where can i get that. BTW: i think i finally have it installed ok.

 

Looks good, thanks for the rep!

 

Here's the wallpaper:



...and the theme:

http://riazor19.deviantart.com/art/October-Desktop-66226218

 

Here's my theme. I decked it out a few wks ago, then I came up on this thread. I love the look, can't get enough. lolz

 

Haha awesome mac style.

 

^^thanks so much man!

 

ur welcome!

 

Hey, could you also post up the link to the car wallpaper you used?

 

Here you go:

 

I tired turning on aero but it was already on. When i clicked on windows color and appearance, i can't check transparency, it goes to themes and it has vista basic checked by default when i applied the theme.

 

Hey man, can you post a link to where you got that theme? thanks. always wanted to try a mac

 

take your pick http://browse.deviantart.com/custom...stautil/visstyles/&order=9&alltime=yes&q=os+x

 

This is really weird, what happens if you chose Windows Aero as your color scheme, does it just go back to the default Aero theme?

 

ya, it goes back to the default aero theme.

 

Hmm, sorry I can't really think of anything else, it should automatically make whichever theme you're using transparent. I have no idea why it doesn't work for you.

 

Some themes don't support Aero.

 

I have a question about the Trash Can. If I delete it from my desktop, how do I get it back onto my desktop?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=267863

 

doh, right when I found it too. Thanks

 

This one does though.

http://x3remes.deviantart.com/art/Reaper-X-Patch-86972479

 

hmm that theme works fine for me

 

Too metallic, no thanks.

 

That's just a patch.

Did you try this first?

http://x3remes.deviantart.com/art/Reaper-X-The-Theme-86403507

Install the patch as directed after.

 

yes i tired that but it had the same result. Also the patch is actually the theme itself but updated.