Customize Windows XP with Themes
Here is how to make it so your windows doesn’t look so much like windows, well XP that is. The best/free way to to it is with what is called MS Visual Styles. I added some pictures to the installation procedure to make it easier.
1) Download Neowin UXTheme Multi-Patcher v4.0
2) Install
- Uncompress the file and double click on “UXTheme Multi-Patcher (Neowin Edition) 4.0.exe”
- Click “Patch” on the first dialog box
- Click “Yes” on the Theme Service dialog box
- Click “Cancel” on the Windows File Protection dialog box
- Click “Yes” on the next dialog box entitled Windows File Protection
- Click “Ok” on the last UXTheme Multi-Patcher dialog box
3) Reboot
4) Download MS Visual Styles. Deviant Art is a good place to do this.
5) Copy the files to your C:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes folder
6) Click “Start” > “Control Panel” > “Display” > Theme Tab
7) Double click on the file *.msstyles (in the ~\Themes folder)
Choose your new theme (in the Display> Theme menu)
9) Apply > Ok
There ! You should have a Windows XP that looks completely different ! That wasn’t too hard?
ben said,
Wrote on January 17, 2006 @ 1:14 am
uhmm.. could not get it to work tryed about 3 hours
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on January 17, 2006 @ 12:10 pm
What part are you stuck on ben? I thought the step by step guide I wrote to be pretty self explanatory. I’d be happy to help you further if you contact me with a better explanation of what part you are having trouble with.
DarkSim said,
Wrote on January 20, 2006 @ 9:26 pm
Someone screwed up between version 2.0 (last I saw) and 4.0. This won’t work on XPSP2 .
Build 2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.050301-1519
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on January 31, 2006 @ 10:59 am
I got it working on service pack 2. I have heard other people with same build as you who got it working.
Noah said,
Wrote on January 31, 2006 @ 7:33 pm
cockroach//?? said,
Wrote on February 1, 2006 @ 12:23 am
I can’t find 6) Double click on the file *.msstyles
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on February 1, 2006 @ 9:41 pm
@cockroach
you should have downloaded from the link above and unzipped/rar’d in in your C:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes or C:\WINNT\Resources\Themes folder. You need to double click on it to load it into the Control Panel > Display > Theme Tab before you can select it.
CinCane707 said,
Wrote on February 5, 2006 @ 9:02 am
is there any program that can actually change my boot screen and logon without thrashing windows?
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on February 5, 2006 @ 2:01 pm
@ cincane707
I would try this program called Boot Editor for WinXP. You can find it here. When you start messing around with the boot.ini and the other files that you need to inorder to change your bootscreen than you can risk making your system unbootable. It is a risk that you cannot avoid.
Jeremiah said,
Wrote on February 5, 2006 @ 5:09 pm
help.
When I try to install the patch the following error mesage comes up:
Neowin UXTheme Multi-Patcher 4.0 has detected that there’s any Windows NT files in C:\windows
It’s not reccomended to continue with this. Please eject your Windows NT CD or move your setup files to another path. Press OK to exit.
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on February 5, 2006 @ 11:08 pm
@ jeremiah
hey if you have installed WinXP on C:\WINNT folder I am not sure that it will work. It probably won’t work for windows 2000 either. I haven’t tried it with that OS. If you are running WinXP and have it installed C:\WINDOWS … and you make sure to cancel out of the dialog box before finish installing the patch, than you won’t have any problems.
Sorry I will make it more clear and add pictures so that it is easier to understand.
Jeremiah said,
Wrote on February 10, 2006 @ 4:40 pm
Alright, well now I got it working, but the windows file protection keeps trying to restore the file. How can I shut this off?
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on February 10, 2006 @ 5:00 pm
I have windows file protection enabled and it does not ask me everytime the machine boots. You might try reinstalling it. Sorry I haven’t posted the screens. I will do that today.
If you don’t want to reinstall or definately want to disable windows file protection than this is how you do it.
Winguides.com
Anthony said,
Wrote on March 6, 2006 @ 8:25 pm
I have the same problem Jermiah has…but i dont kno what to do…I have the same error message:
When I try to install the patch the following error mesage comes up:
Neowin UXTheme Multi-Patcher 4.0 has detected that there’s any Windows NT files in C:\windows
It’s not reccomended to continue with this. Please eject your Windows NT CD or move your setup files to another path. Press OK to exit.
help plz…i tried to do what you posted above, but i’m confused
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on March 7, 2006 @ 6:27 am
I think if you installed WinXP with all your system files in the WINNT folder than the patch will not work. The WINNT is a carry over from NT 4.0 of which WinXP is based off of. I have everything in the WINDOWS folder and it works for me. It is possible that uninstalling/resinstalling will fix it if you do have everything in the WINDOWS folder.
Anthony said,
Wrote on March 7, 2006 @ 6:52 pm
i dont have a WINNT folder, and i have xp
llbbl » UXtheme 5.0 said,
Wrote on June 9, 2006 @ 7:23 am
[…] Previously released version 4.0 if you are looking for it. Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]
rrr said,
Wrote on June 16, 2006 @ 12:06 pm
Can you uninstall the patch and restore the original file?
Thanx:smile::neutral:
Duke said,
Wrote on July 22, 2006 @ 5:45 pm
I have the same problem as Anthony, and I cannot see how you could install Windows XP in a Winnt folder as people often install a fresh copy of windows xp only when they format the harddrive and thus a C:\Windows folder is created… don’t even know if xp works if you rename the system folder to winnt.
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on September 7, 2006 @ 11:11 am
Duke. Read the directions. It assumes you have C:\Windows. It should not cause problems either way.
Jac said,
Wrote on September 20, 2006 @ 10:36 am
Hi, how do I remove/unpatch this patch ?!?! I don’t have a Windows XP cd, it’s stored on a partition drive as a restore drive when I bought the pc.
Jac said,
Wrote on September 20, 2006 @ 10:43 am
Never minds, I runned the patch again now it’s unpatched
Logan Lindquist said,
Wrote on September 20, 2006 @ 10:44 am
reinstall the patch and it will ask you if you want to restore the original file.
junkpunk said,
Wrote on December 2, 2006 @ 9:38 am
after 5) i cant find the style to were i copied it, i can only see theme files there not style files..
flashbug said,
Wrote on December 16, 2006 @ 9:32 pm
Multi-theme patcher worked like a charm; REALLY really good–Congrats n tks for this page!
epıhfğ said,
Wrote on March 8, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
fsdkpzgm
akshay said,
Wrote on April 18, 2008 @ 1:14 am
Nothing worksout, Themes doesn’t appear in Apperance Tab nor can apply the whole theme. I used “Neowin UXTheme Multi-Patcher v4.0″ & rebooted the machine. Still same situation, plz guide.
TR_FERHAT_TR said,
Wrote on June 10, 2008 @ 10:00 pm
ananızı sikiyim ben orospunu dölleri ananı sikiyim ananı
Loretta said,
Wrote on June 25, 2008 @ 6:38 pm
So I’m not getting the Theme Service dialog box. Why is that? Can you help me?
Sonick said,
Wrote on July 8, 2008 @ 8:57 pm
Hola a todos desde México!!!
Muy bueno, eh!… por fin puedo darle color y variedad en estilos a Windows…
Saludos…
Greetings from Mexico!!!
A good way to give color to windows…
see ya…