Visual Styles: how to use them
Windows XP (home and pro) supports natively Visual Styles. That means that
you can easily change the way Windows interface looks and feels. This sounds
great but, there's always a but, Microsoft took quite an effort to ensure
that only three themes where to exist: the default blue (an eye-killer),
olive and metal ones. That was achived by locking the DLL responsible for
the skinning job.
Goes without saying, the skinning community worked hard to correct this
issue and, currently, three different programs are able to let us change
Windows XP look and feel. Here's some details:
1) UX Theme:
the easiest way in my opinion. It consist of a simple patch who unlocks the
guilty DLL. Just run it once, reboot Windows and put themes folders in the
correct location (X:\Windows\Resources\ Themes). Please consider that the
theme's folder name must be exactly the same as the .msstyles file's name
inside. In order to change themes, open the desktop properties dialog and
select a visual styles. Give it a try:
UX Theme
2) Style XP:
this is a commercial software the patches the correct DLL and offers an
original interface, making it easier to change between styles and themes.
Here's the link:
TGT Soft
3) Windowblinds:
This great program existed way before Windows XP introduced the visual
styles feature. It skins XP with a different approach and was created in
team work with Microsoft. Free to try, it costs something after a trial
period. Here's the link:
Stardock
Want to create a new visual style? Download a trial version of
StyleBuilder.
Want to create a new Windowblinds theme? Download
Skinstudio.
Clean and simple like the omonimous Litestep theme.. at least I tried!
2 wallpapers included in zip file, 3 colors to choose from.
Visual Style:
Download
A lot of brass-like metal and some wood for this old XP Visual style.
Visual Style:
Download
This is a port of a Blackbox Linux theme I really love.
Visual Style:
Download
A theme for everyday use. Graphics freely imported from an old LS theme of mine. Three color schemes. Wallpaper included.
Visual Style:
Download
4 colors for this glass-metal Style. Works very well as a vertical bar too.
Visual Style:
Download
A QNX port, of course I had to imagine how the start menu could be...
original graphics created by William Bull of QNX Software Systems.
Visual Style:
Download
I took the idea from a Gnomish theme, but I changed it almost totally. Simple and easy on the eye.
Visual Style:
Download
Windowblinds:
Download
Ok, it's wood again, but this is more like what you'd find inside a good old Jaguar!
Visual Style:
Download
Windowblinds:
Download
