Free Windows XP Skinning Programs?

M

Michigan PC

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jun 29, 2005
Messages
1,349
what are some free windows xp skinning programs that you guys use or can reccomend?
 
Google uxtheme.dll and patch together. Then you can use any visual style you want.
 
Google for UXTheme Multi-Patcher (Neowin Edition) 4.0.

Then you can use themes in windows without any 3rd party programs.
 
Windowblinds isn't free, and it's one more app to run. By patching the uxtheme.dll file, there's no extra software needed.
 
djnes said:
Windowblinds isn't free, and it's one more app to run. By patching the uxtheme.dll file, there's no extra software needed.
Click to expand...

Well, not quite. Windowblinds is unique in two ways: first, it doesn't have a running process, and second, it actually uses less system resources than XP's built-in theming engine. There's a simple reason for this: Stardock wrote the engine for Microsoft, and Windowblinds is an improvement on that engine. Prior versions of WB sucked, but WB5 is pretty nice--I believe it even features hardware acceleration for drawing desktop elements, though I'm not sure if this is true hardware acceleration ala OS X's.

I coughed up for WB5 and haven't been disappointed.
 
I was using 4.5, and I wasn't real thrilled with it. Unless something drastic changed with 5, it's still a running process. 4.5 was definitely a running process...you could even go into Task manager and kill it, as proof. I switched to replacing the uxtheme.dll file, and I can use any theme from deviantart.com.
 
djnes said:
Google uxtheme.dll and patch together. Then you can use any visual style you want.
Click to expand...

^^^

There's another site that tells you how to do this very easily, step-by-step. Would I be out of line by listing the URL?
 
DigitalMP said:
^^^

There's another site that tells you how to do this very easily, step-by-step. Would I be out of line by listing the URL?
Click to expand...
I'm thinking it would be okay.
 
DigitalMP said:
^^^

There's another site that tells you how to do this very easily, step-by-step. Would I be out of line by listing the URL?
Click to expand...

I won't ban you for it...


:D
 
wait so if we download that uxtheme.dll we can go to deviantart and download themes under the windowblinds section?
 
H3d Case said:
wait so if we download that uxtheme.dll we can go to deviantart and download themes under the windowblinds section?
Click to expand...
No, you download and use the themes under the Visual Style section. Neowin's forums also have many Visual Styles to download.
 
Terpfen said:
Well, not quite. Windowblinds is unique in two ways: first, it doesn't have a running process, and second, it actually uses less system resources than XP's built-in theming engine. There's a simple reason for this: Stardock wrote the engine for Microsoft, and Windowblinds is an improvement on that engine. Prior versions of WB sucked, but WB5 is pretty nice--I believe it even features hardware acceleration for drawing desktop elements, though I'm not sure if this is true hardware acceleration ala OS X's.

I coughed up for WB5 and haven't been disappointed.
Click to expand...

About 5% of that statement is true.
 
Hawk001 said:
About 5% of that statement is true.
Click to expand...

ahahahahahaa :D


and guy, check out Neowin.com, in the Customizing Windows section. You'll need the multi-patcher lsited above, along with Replacer and ResHack to patch your uxtheme.dll file, then to replace and backup the current version. This allows you to use non-MS signed visual styles. Then you can go to sites like Neowin and DeviantArt, find new visual styles, and copy them into the appropriate directory for usage.

Neowin is nice because there is a lot of feedback for each user-created VS, but most of the threads span the entire development lifecycle, so grab your 2-liter of Dew.
 
DigitalMP said:
You'll need the multi-patcher lsited above, along with Replacer and ResHack to patch your uxtheme.dll file, then to replace and backup the current version.
Click to expand...
Or just your local installed recovery console, which most people should have done by now. All you need to do is download the uxtheme.dll file and rename it....then make the change in the recovery console. It takes about 20 seconds. I even shortened it by finding a uxtheme.dl_ file and replacing it on my XP CD....so when I install XP, I'm ready for custom themes right away.
 
djnes said:
I was using 4.5, and I wasn't real thrilled with it. Unless something drastic changed with 5, it's still a running process. 4.5 was definitely a running process...you could even go into Task manager and kill it, as proof. I switched to replacing the uxtheme.dll file, and I can use any theme from deviantart.com.
Click to expand...

Something drastic was changed with 5. There is no Windowblinds process anymore.


Hawk001 said:
About 5% of that statement is true.
Click to expand...

Whatever, buddy. Windowblinds used to suck. Version 5 has eliminated much, if not all, of its suckage.
 
now here's a weird question.. replacing the uxtheme.dll seems to work on my main workstation.. (winxp sp2, 2.4ghz, decent graphics card: nvidia geforce 6600GT) and it worked fine.. now my mother's computer which i built is only 1.6ghz and ecs mobo.. and i believe the graphics is onboard.. (been a long time since i messed with it) now my question is.. does using a theme require a decent graphics card? because it would freeze when i would try to apply a theme.. ?
 
this is the same question from this website. i've also tried looking for other files.. but thats all..

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=339820


Q: My system freezes during "Please wait..." when I try to apply a visual style. What's wrong?

A: This is most likely caused by extra uxtheme.dll files. Do a search for all uxtheme.dll files and delete the ones that are not in C:\Windows\system32.
 
Terpfen said:
Something drastic was changed with 5. There is no Windowblinds process anymore.




Whatever, buddy. Windowblinds used to suck. Version 5 has eliminated much, if not all, of its suckage.
Click to expand...

I concur.

I spent the $20 on wb5 and couldn't be happier.

I'm esp pleased by stardock doesn't care how many times I install it. I do reinstall quite often and have multiple computers running.
 
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