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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berzerka
Reply #22 Sunday, November 18, 2001 1:36 PM
Reply #22 Sunday, November 18, 2001 1:36 PM
does it?! hehe, well what do u know
but, my choice still stands
but, my choice still stands
DavidK
Reply #23 Sunday, November 18, 2001 1:56 PM
Reply #23 Sunday, November 18, 2001 1:56 PM
berzerka - you've ignored the question of ripping through this entire thread. It's not a minor issue to the artists that produce work for any skinnable app or for wallpaper artists. What are your feelings? Would you download and use a ripped skin? Would you support the right of the original artist to get the rip removed from the site that is offering it?
Jafo
Reply #24 Sunday, November 18, 2001 3:37 PM
Reply #24 Sunday, November 18, 2001 3:37 PM
Actually, berzerka, if you use/are using msstyles and are signed up on one of these sites already, maybe you are in a box-seat position to make them aware of the errors of their ways.
The problem that some of us have is that we may be seen as having ulterior motives....admins/wizops of Wincustomize are not going to be treated as holders of valid, unbiased argument, and I, for one am not about to log on in disguise to try to sway them.
This issue is really the responsibility of each and every skinner/artist who has their work on public view, and therefore vulnerable to theft....
The problem that some of us have is that we may be seen as having ulterior motives....admins/wizops of Wincustomize are not going to be treated as holders of valid, unbiased argument, and I, for one am not about to log on in disguise to try to sway them.
This issue is really the responsibility of each and every skinner/artist who has their work on public view, and therefore vulnerable to theft....
paxx
Reply #25 Sunday, November 18, 2001 10:11 PM
Reply #25 Sunday, November 18, 2001 10:11 PM
Why is it that every time Styles XP is bought on, people automatically speak of ripping? Sure rips are bad, but it's not the product's fault that some of its users do rips. When IconPackager started, most of the icons sets made available were rips from other icons artists. Does that make IconPackager a bad program? Of course not.
Some people prefer msstles, and some people prefer Windowblinds; please respect that.
Some people prefer msstles, and some people prefer Windowblinds; please respect that.
John Hamp
Reply #26 Sunday, November 18, 2001 11:43 PM
Reply #26 Sunday, November 18, 2001 11:43 PM
I'm with you on that, Paxx. But let's be real, totally different cultures. Styles XP is little more than a standard copy protection crack. It appeals to a particular type of user. The results speak for themselves->most skins are recolored luna or rips. I don't really care since I don't have xp yet. I just get tired of people trying to shove that thing down my throat. Not everyone has a warezd copy of XP.
davad70
Reply #27 Monday, November 19, 2001 12:24 AM
Reply #27 Monday, November 19, 2001 12:24 AM
While I will admit that most of the msstyles i've seen have been unimpressive, there are a few talented people who have done totally new looks and i'm sure will be doing even better themes as they become more familiar with stylebuilder. we here at wc, need only to look through our own site and see the number of luna skins that we ourselves have done. obviously people are into this "look" so that's whats being done (see numerous past xp bashing threads here). i think it's wrong of us to sterotype all the people that are doing styles as kids and warez users. we should remain vigilant in trying to keep them from ripping our skins, but give some of them a chance. look at some of treetog, alexandrie, and dangeruss' early wb skins. while they were better than most of the other skinners, they are a far cry in quality from what they've done recently. by the same token...look at how crappy my first 2 wb skins are compared to the last 2 i did, while even those last 2 pale in comparison to other artist's work, you can clearly see an improvement in skills just as you will with some of these msstyles artists. there is also hope on the horizon that styles xp will become a legit program soon. like i said earlier...be vigilant in protecting our work, but give some of them a chance...one may be the next ummmm....davad70 
and hamster...not all of us have warezd copies of xp...it is available for sale ya know?
and hamster...not all of us have warezd copies of xp...it is available for sale ya know?
zathrus
Reply #28 Monday, November 19, 2001 1:30 AM
Reply #28 Monday, November 19, 2001 1:30 AM
Paxx: "Why is it that every time Styles XP is bought on, people automatically speak of ripping?"
You need only have a look at one of the XP theme sites to get your answer.. Check some Alexandrie rips at http://www.boomgames.com/xpthemes/
The ratio of original to ripped works is way off.
You need only have a look at one of the XP theme sites to get your answer.. Check some Alexandrie rips at http://www.boomgames.com/xpthemes/
The ratio of original to ripped works is way off.
Caylynn
Reply #30 Monday, November 19, 2001 8:42 AM
Reply #30 Monday, November 19, 2001 8:42 AM
I am so sick of the XP look that I am delighted that WindowBlinds exists. The skin authors can do so much more with WindowBlinds. XP hasn't been out very long, but I am already tired of all the XP-looking skins and themes. Boring.
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Reply #21 Sunday, November 18, 2001 1:27 PM
If someone wants a new look, they can also use classic and change the color of their title bar.
Even eFX can do more than msstyles. BTW bezerka, running msstyles you like uses more memory than running WindowBlinds.