Proper XP Themes
Saturday, November 17, 2001 by berzerka | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
If you're like me you might be bored of the 3 themes you can get for XP. I also don't like using programs such as windowblinds to change the look of windows because i dont want the extra "useful" features and don't want another program in the background.
However, i discovered the perfect solution today which you lot may be interested in.
Skinners have started to edit MS's visual files used for the themes on XP. This means that you are now able to change the look of XP without any applications doing the skinning for you, just download the theme file, double click it and your sorted! In order for this to work you have to download one program (233kb) which tricks XP into thinking that these new visual theme files are digitally signed, which is available here http://www.tgtsoft.com/aRgVW3Lp/dloads/stylexp.zip . A website which has lots of good visual themes is : http://www.themexp.org .
Enjoy themes the way they used to be in 98, 95 etc
.
To the makers of windowblinds: its good, just not my cup of tea
im sure there are other people in the same boat as me so i hope this post will help them!
~berzerka
However, i discovered the perfect solution today which you lot may be interested in.
Skinners have started to edit MS's visual files used for the themes on XP. This means that you are now able to change the look of XP without any applications doing the skinning for you, just download the theme file, double click it and your sorted! In order for this to work you have to download one program (233kb) which tricks XP into thinking that these new visual theme files are digitally signed, which is available here http://www.tgtsoft.com/aRgVW3Lp/dloads/stylexp.zip . A website which has lots of good visual themes is : http://www.themexp.org .
Enjoy themes the way they used to be in 98, 95 etc
. To the makers of windowblinds: its good, just not my cup of tea
im sure there are other people in the same boat as me so i hope this post will help them!~berzerka
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Illustrious
Reply #2 Saturday, November 17, 2001 12:27 PM
Reply #2 Saturday, November 17, 2001 12:27 PM
yup, i prefer this method to windowblids too, much less messing about all round really..
im currently running a windows.NET theme. just wait a while, XP isnt that old. it wont be long till some proper skins are made
im currently running a windows.NET theme. just wait a while, XP isnt that old. it wont be long till some proper skins are made
thecat2000
Reply #3 Saturday, November 17, 2001 12:44 PM
Reply #3 Saturday, November 17, 2001 12:44 PM
wow..you chose the wrong site to post this one on..
Style XP themes are just recoloured Luna themes so far, and even the good ones are rips of Alexandries work among others.
Style XP themes are just recoloured Luna themes so far, and even the good ones are rips of Alexandries work among others.
SpaceGhost
Reply #4 Saturday, November 17, 2001 1:24 PM
Reply #4 Saturday, November 17, 2001 1:24 PM
I tried XPStyles and I think it sucks, I know I know, it is still in beta. I agree with zathrus and thecat2000. I prefer Windowblinds 3 it is much more customizable. And the skinners are making great skins for WB 3. I tried WB 3 beta and purchased the product last week. The best money I spent in a long time. Since Win XP I don't use any shell enhancements any more ie. Litestep, Nexstart etc. Don't get me wrong, those are awesome products, I just love the look of Win XP. Windowblinds 3 only BABY Viva La Skinners!
Viva La Skinners!
Alexandrie
Reply #6 Saturday, November 17, 2001 1:43 PM
Reply #6 Saturday, November 17, 2001 1:43 PM
Windowblinds is the best and it's faster than msstyles
John Hamp
Reply #7 Saturday, November 17, 2001 1:46 PM
Reply #7 Saturday, November 17, 2001 1:46 PM
Indeed. The only "Proper" XP themes are WindowBlinds ones.
John Hamp looks at the MS certified for Windows XP logo.
Hacking DLLs so that you can recolor title bars and buttons isn't what I think most people want. Might as well stick to classic and just chnage the title bar color. quicker and faster.
John Hamp looks at the MS certified for Windows XP logo.
Hacking DLLs so that you can recolor title bars and buttons isn't what I think most people want. Might as well stick to classic and just chnage the title bar color. quicker and faster.
thecat2000
Reply #8 Saturday, November 17, 2001 3:06 PM
yes well to be fair a lot of these Style XP fans are new to Skinning, and really don't understand the rules throughout the community on issues such as ripping, and the like. But it in no way condones the act of ignorance towards other skinners in the Skinning community..
I just read a few comments by others who have been around for a while, and admit themselfs it is like banging their head against a brick wall trying to reason with them.
Let them be .. if all they want is a recoloured Luna skin then all I can say is 'That isn't real skinning.' nor is it really creative.
Reply #8 Saturday, November 17, 2001 3:06 PM
yes well to be fair a lot of these Style XP fans are new to Skinning, and really don't understand the rules throughout the community on issues such as ripping, and the like. But it in no way condones the act of ignorance towards other skinners in the Skinning community..I just read a few comments by others who have been around for a while, and admit themselfs it is like banging their head against a brick wall trying to reason with them.
Let them be .. if all they want is a recoloured Luna skin then all I can say is 'That isn't real skinning.' nor is it really creative.
Illustrious
Reply #9 Saturday, November 17, 2001 4:09 PM
Reply #9 Saturday, November 17, 2001 4:09 PM
ive seen a lot of what look like original work.
to be honest, i just bought this OS i dont want to spend more money on it just to make it look nice styles does what i need it to, make the tool bar and stuff look different. i found window blinds to be bloated, and more fuss than it was worth.. it was an early beta though so thats probably why.
i always thought skinning was a way to make your old stuff look better, and for free.
oh, and you CAN use custom shells, you need to edit the registry though
to be honest, i just bought this OS i dont want to spend more money on it just to make it look nice
styles does what i need it to, make the tool bar and stuff look different. i found window blinds to be bloated, and more fuss than it was worth.. it was an early beta though so thats probably why. i always thought skinning was a way to make your old stuff look better, and for free.
oh, and you CAN use custom shells, you need to edit the registry though
Illustrious
Reply #10 Saturday, November 17, 2001 4:14 PM
Reply #10 Saturday, November 17, 2001 4:14 PM
forgot the link again, go take a look at this site.
http://www.getskinned.org/index.shtml
http://www.getskinned.org/index.shtml
treetog
Reply #11 Saturday, November 17, 2001 6:38 PM
Reply #11 Saturday, November 17, 2001 6:38 PM
I really don't understand what people that doesn't like windowblinds come to win customize...
Maybe just to find some "inspiration"
Maybe just to find some "inspiration"
Alexandrie
Reply #13 Saturday, November 17, 2001 7:12 PM
Reply #13 Saturday, November 17, 2001 7:12 PM
not only inspiration, but actually steal work of others. Check out your skins will be in the party too I'm sure.
thecat2000
Reply #14 Saturday, November 17, 2001 8:17 PM
Reply #14 Saturday, November 17, 2001 8:17 PM
Style XP Gumph... 
As soon as see a decent theme from a Style XP Skinner..Then I wont accuse them of Ripping, and lack of imagination by just creating different coloured Luna themes.
Yes I bought the OS too, but I like the idea of using themes that are 'unique' different.. I.E NOT SHIPPED with the Operating System ! Honestly, when I looked at Alexandries work the Platinum and Ocean themes etc, it was a nice change of face for Windows XP already !
As soon as see a decent theme from a Style XP Skinner..Then I wont accuse them of Ripping, and lack of imagination by just creating different coloured Luna themes.
Yes I bought the OS too, but I like the idea of using themes that are 'unique' different.. I.E NOT SHIPPED with the Operating System ! Honestly, when I looked at Alexandries work the Platinum and Ocean themes etc, it was a nice change of face for Windows XP already !
Frogboy
Reply #15 Saturday, November 17, 2001 10:57 PM
Reply #15 Saturday, November 17, 2001 10:57 PM
Sometimes, like an iceberg, what we can actually see is only a small part of the whole.
The number of out of the blue users who have come onto our news groups (the Stardock ones) as well as onto message boards preaching how great Style XP is and how terrible WB is has been astounding. I don't think most of those people are ringers, but swap things around, can anyone imagine "Stardock advocates" going onto TGTSoft websites and message boards and news groups telling those uesrs how terrible their program is and how they need to use various Stardock programs?
That's been one of our frustrations. I and other Stardock people are out there taking our lumps. It would be so much easier just to create a horde of aliases who aren't constrained as a "real user". That certainly isn't to imply that TGTSoft is doing that. But there does seem to be a fundamental difference in the type of users who use skinnable software. It's not been enough for Style XP advocates to be happy with their program. They also want to get in everyone's faces telling them how awful WB is and how terrible WB skins are (while ripping them).
If people are satisfied with what msstyles can do, that's great. Welcome to the skinning community. But we don't go around trashing other people's software. You don't see Hoverdesk users trashing Litestep or vice versa. You never saw Chroma users bashing WindowBlinds or vice versa. Hence why this whole thing seems fundamentally different.
The number of out of the blue users who have come onto our news groups (the Stardock ones) as well as onto message boards preaching how great Style XP is and how terrible WB is has been astounding. I don't think most of those people are ringers, but swap things around, can anyone imagine "Stardock advocates" going onto TGTSoft websites and message boards and news groups telling those uesrs how terrible their program is and how they need to use various Stardock programs?
That's been one of our frustrations. I and other Stardock people are out there taking our lumps. It would be so much easier just to create a horde of aliases who aren't constrained as a "real user". That certainly isn't to imply that TGTSoft is doing that. But there does seem to be a fundamental difference in the type of users who use skinnable software. It's not been enough for Style XP advocates to be happy with their program. They also want to get in everyone's faces telling them how awful WB is and how terrible WB skins are (while ripping them).
If people are satisfied with what msstyles can do, that's great. Welcome to the skinning community. But we don't go around trashing other people's software. You don't see Hoverdesk users trashing Litestep or vice versa. You never saw Chroma users bashing WindowBlinds or vice versa. Hence why this whole thing seems fundamentally different.
Jafo
Reply #16 Saturday, November 17, 2001 11:47 PM
Reply #16 Saturday, November 17, 2001 11:47 PM
Maybe the solution is to join them, rather than try beating them....sign up on their sites, and just spend every effort to re-iterate how some of the themes are stolen art and some are not, and educate these new 'skinners' into the realities of the trade.
Or maybe ignore them....
Or maybe lobby Microsoft to pull their plug....
Or maybe just dust off and nuke them from space...it's the only way to be sure...
Or maybe ignore them....
Or maybe lobby Microsoft to pull their plug....
Or maybe just dust off and nuke them from space...it's the only way to be sure...
adni18
Reply #17 Sunday, November 18, 2001 4:23 AM
Reply #17 Sunday, November 18, 2001 4:23 AM
You are right Alexandrie!!!
The site www.themexp.org must be renamed to "THE RIPPERS SITE".
Except from the rips of Styles XP, they have ripped many of my wallpapers !!!
What kind of people are those people?
Someone must help me to stop them; I am not very good in this kind of action.
The site www.themexp.org must be renamed to "THE RIPPERS SITE".
Except from the rips of Styles XP, they have ripped many of my wallpapers !!!
What kind of people are those people?
Someone must help me to stop them; I am not very good in this kind of action.
berzerka
Reply #18 Sunday, November 18, 2001 6:52 AM
Reply #18 Sunday, November 18, 2001 6:52 AM
my point of all this is that u can have a new look on XP without having another program runnign in the background, i dont want more functionality on explorer, i just want a new look
berzerka
Reply #19 Sunday, November 18, 2001 6:54 AM
Reply #19 Sunday, November 18, 2001 6:54 AM
and as for treetogs comment about why people come to this site if they dont use windowblinds, the reason for me is that i create wallpapers and this is the place where i showcase them
Jafo
Reply #20 Sunday, November 18, 2001 7:55 AM
Reply #20 Sunday, November 18, 2001 7:55 AM
berzerka....as long as the 'new look' is not a stolen glance' [bit of a pun, that]...
There is nothing wrong with finding other ways to make Windows look different. The problem is only that one or two of these new ways are riddled with 'artists' who steal works from others, and claiming them as their own.
This is an abhorrent practice, and will never be tolerated on reputable sites, which of course tarnishes these new sites....it is either pig-ignorance, or blind stupidity, but either way.....they stink.
There is nothing wrong with finding other ways to make Windows look different. The problem is only that one or two of these new ways are riddled with 'artists' who steal works from others, and claiming them as their own.
This is an abhorrent practice, and will never be tolerated on reputable sites, which of course tarnishes these new sites....it is either pig-ignorance, or blind stupidity, but either way.....they stink.
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Reply #1 Saturday, November 17, 2001 12:00 PM
Don't get me wrong, bezerka, I have no issues with you at all. I just don't like the mentality thats surrounding these .msstyles and those who are making them, (note: not all of them, just the rippers). PS: I also class all these recoloured Luna skins as rips.. Really, enough is enough.
Blahg...