Installing Custom Windows XP Visual Styles/ XP Visual Mods
 

I've never been able to properly install the custom visual styles that I've downloaded. I've patched my uxtheme.dll using the patcher program and I've extracted themes into folders in the Windows\Resources\Themes folder, but when I right click and go to display properties, the new visual styles are never in the list. I can get them to work by double clicking on the visual style file, but I actually want to install them properly. How do you do this?

I was also wondering what some of the more popular Windows XP visual mods are? I've got Y'z Shadow and Y'z Toolbar, but there are a bunch of things that I see that I have no idea how to do. What's the best way of replacing the Windows Icons?

You must create a folder with the name of the theme (without spaces) and then place your VS files in there. They should show up then.

I already did that.

The folder and the theme filename must be the same, like:

Theme1/Theme1.msstyles

or

FunkyThm/FunkyThm.msstyles

Actually, just double-clicking the .msstyles file from anywhere always worked for me. No need for special folders and naming.

Yup, it is.

Yes, but I want Windows XP to recognize it in the theme selection menu.

I don't know how to get them to be in the drop down menu; I didn't even know you could have them in there o_O. As for really nice (im my opinion) visual styles you might want to check out the group 4impressions. 4impressions.net

Everyone and their cousin's cat uses area o4, including me. :) It's sad that there are only a handful of decent VS.

As for the problem... have you tried creating a .theme file for the VS you want to use? The .theme file should reside in the 'Themes' folder and can be created simply by going into the Display applet of the Control Panel and saving the current theme.

I don't use the area theme... Longhorn Inspirational SE by stefanka. I'll try the .theme file thing.

You could try StyleXP which works in the same way as a patched uxtheme.dll, and I believe you can use any Windows Visual Styles with StyleXP. The other popular program is WindowBlinds, which certainly more powerful than Visual Styles/StyleXP but it is an extra process at startup. (Which I don't like, so I just use Visual Styles.) It is a part of the ObjectDesktop by StarDock, who make many other applications which change the way Windows look.

One of the easiest ways to replace all the icons is IconPackager, again a product of StarDock and a part of ObjectDesktop. Most of the popular icons packages are converted to IconPackager format.

I've never been able to get them to show up... like rock suggested just double-click them... that always works and it's less trouble in the long run.

EDIT:

area o4 = one of the best ever made, but im not currently using it. I have 44 Visual styles and they are all good. And by good i mean minimalistic, clean, attractive, and most importantly white or black.

You should seriously post a list of which ones you use. You should see some of the abominations people use. :(

Don't all of those programs run in the background (correct me if I'm wrong please)? I could of sworn that those programs use up resources unlike just patching uxtheme.dll which doesn't require another program since it skins the shell from the itself not through a third party...

Links to any of them plz :tpg:

heres a list of the ones i've collected over the years... good luck finding them because who knows if they're still around! I would upload them to yousendit but right now my connections too slow... wait till i get back to college ;)

Sweet, thanks. Some of those I've seen and even used before. I'm sure most of them are on DeviantArt, or Customize.org.

Also, continuing with the topic problem.. Do you have the Themes service running? And to be sure.. are themes enabled in the Performance section of the System applet?

Oh and heres my current desktop using case. Also, i use the patched version, not stylexp, because i don't like extra things running in the background.

I've never understood why people like "busy" themes.

http://pimpmydesk.org/ - here ya go people... the best site for links to GOOD VS. Probably 50% of them are good... that's a good ratio in my book.

You're correct, all of these are extra processes which use up resources; I only use IconPackager because I do not know of a way to easily change all the icons without using an external application. (Of course, if you do know, please point me in the right direction.) Although, applications such as WindowBlinds are much more powerful than just plain Visual Styles.