[Tut] Windows XP Customisation.

[Spl3en]

Hi,
The goal of this tut is to customize your Windows XP.
You're surelly tired of your current style, the ugly blue bar at the bottom... You are sick of you're current wallpaper :
. . .

Ok, in practical terms, this is our goal in image :


In other term :

• Theme
  
• Wallpaper
  
• Custom Console
  
• Sysmonitor
  
• Dock
  
• Icons
  

All these processes are quite stable, don't disturb your desktop display, and here are their RAM consumption :

(RainMeter is the sysmonitor)
So, my total Commit Charge is also 200MB.

You can download everything in this archive :
http://www.multiup.org/?lien=4d3911a207c...Forums.zip

If you don't trust me, you can download all of them separately, they are all free :

Spoiler (Click to View)

• Theme : Crystal Clear Aero.msstyles
  
• Wallpaper : pdc08-1920x1200.jpg (Win7 wallpaper)
  
• Console : Console2 project
  
• Sysmonitor : RainMeter.net
  
• Dock : RocketDock
  
• Icons : Tango Patcher 2600
  

Let's begin !



I ) Theme

• Firstly, you have to know that basically, Windows XP doesn't allow to modify the theme.
  So, we are going to patch it, with UxTheme.
  
  > This patch will allow you to launch ".msstyles" files, which can change the windows XP Theme.
  This patch will erase the original C:\Windows\system32\uxtheme.dll by a new one.
  
  If you are in Windows SP1 or SP2, launch the patch in the folder "Uxtheme SP2-SP1" (in the archive)
  If you are in Windows SP3, launch the patch in the folder "Uxtheme SP3".
  
  > You don't know your Service Pack ?
  Easy : Right Click on your "My Computer" > properties, it's displayed.
  
  You have to reboot after you have patched your uxtheme.
  
  Then, go in the "Theme" folder, then clic on Supportforums.msstyles .
  If everything is okay, this is going to display that :
  

II ) Wallpaper

• You will find the wallpaper of the screenshot in the folder "Wallpaper".
  Otherwise, i advice you to go on :
  
• http://www.crystalxp.net/ for some random wallpaper,
  
• http://animepaper.net/ if you would like an anime/manga wallpaper (good quality).
  

III ) Icons

• Take a look into the "Icons" folder in the archive. It contains the Tango Patcher 2600.
  Just run and install it. If you would like the same icon package than the screenshot (blue icons), choose the first choice when it asks which one package you want.
  You can try other package :
  
  
• The 1rst is a blue icon package (as on the screen).
  
• The 2nd is a orange icon package.
  
• The 3rd and 4th is a grey icon package..
  
  Then, you have to reboot to take effect.
  

III ) Desktop items

• You will find in the archive the custom console, the Rocketdock, and the sysmonitor.
  They are already pre-configurated, but if you want to change anything, just go into the settings, and change what you want.
  
  If you would like to change the explorer font, you can find the one i've used in the archive. Put it in C:\Windows\Fonts\, then right clic on your desktop, then in the tab "apparence" clic on "advanced", and you can change every explorer font here. Use kroeger size 7 if you want the same as the screen.

Enjoy !



> Don't hesitate to ask some help if anything is not clear.

Thanks for reading!

[Elektrisk]

Extremely awesome guide, and it does not appear to be leeched! I love the quality of your screenshots. I dunno why, but they just seem faded around the edges ^^

[Spl3en]

Thank you for replying
Yeah, i often do that on my screenshots, to avoid the "rectangular screenshot effect".
Not at all hard to do with Photoshop (3 seconds!)
(i don't even know if some easy&useful graphic tutorials is needed around here ?)

Anyway, glad you liked it

[cheeseburger]

Nice [TUT] i read most of it, not all of it.

[Ovchik]

Pretty cool... Good info...

[ignatius963]

help my theme only has the classical one no xp theme after i uninstall the uxtheme

[ProspectDotNet]

Thank you for replying
Yeah, i often do that on my screenshots, to avoid the "rectangular screenshot effect".
Not at all hard to do with Photoshop (3 seconds!)
(i don't even know if some easy&useful graphic tutorials is needed around here ?)

Anyway, glad you liked it

/off topic
You should post beginner photoshop stuff in graphics! I love what you did with my signature and I would like to learn!

/on topic
Nice share. It looks great!

[immi]

Awesome , Its really quality ;) Good work

[Extasey]

Niice, thanks for share!

Very detailed!

[Spl3en]

You should post beginner photoshop stuff in graphics! I love what you did with my signature and I would like to learn!

I think that my next tutorial is going to be a photoshop tutorial (i'm thinking about a javascript/css tut too )