Windows interface customizing

[Midas]

Not really portable and some installers are loaded with adware, but the easy results might be appealling for the more visually minded... remember: RTFM!

http://www.thememypc.com/


http://www.skinpacks.com/

[guinness]

I remember the days of wasting countless hours tweaking the theme to something other than Windows XP. I don't miss those days.

[Userfriendly]

I used to theme windows xp with FlyakiteOSX http://osx.portraitofakite.com/index2.htm or Xpize http://www.xpize.net/ and I'm surprised they're still around, though flyakiteosx is just a neat looking website at this point.

There's also vista and windows 7 versions of xpize but hasn't had updates for a long time either. These theme packs mainly just update the legacy icons so everything in the UI is uniform and consistent because a multi-billion dollar company can't be bothered with it.

Nowadays, simply changing the visual style is enough for me though. Skin packs tend to get nuked by windows updates overwriting modded system files.

[Midas]

My current desktop, with Classic Shell and the XP Skin Pack -- no extra tweaking, which I don't abstain from, but always (try to) reduce to the mininum possible...

I used to theme windows xp with FlyakiteOSX http://osx.portraitofakite.com/index2.htm or Xpize http://www.xpize.net/ and I'm surprised they're still around, though flyakiteosx is just a neat looking website at this point.

I've been a long time user of XPize, which I nLite into my XP install image whenever I slipstream updates. My discovery of FlyakiteOSX is very recent, posterior to my finally moving to Seven due to a laptop upgrade: I find it very interesting but am unwilling to delve into it. That's because I'm keen on interface enhancements, not relearning how to move around my system...

There's also vista and windows 7 versions of xpize but hasn't had updates for a long time either. These theme packs mainly just update the legacy icons so everything in the UI is uniform and consistent because a multi-billion dollar company can't be bothered with it.

Nowadays, simply changing the visual style is enough for me though. Skin packs tend to get nuked by windows updates overwriting modded system files.

Didn't know about those, either (I guess you meant www.sevenize.com in that second link, which doesn't even have any download available).

BTW, when installed, Skin Packs provide a 'Reloader' option precisely to avoid the skin rot you mention.

[guinness]

Midas,

Do you find Windows 7 a bit laggy when using that setup compared to the default skin?

[Midas]

Midas, Do you find Windows 7 a bit laggy when using that setup compared to the default skin?

On the contrary, it might be placebo, but I find it is snappier...

When I first got this new computer, I was sorely disappointed by how lagging it was, with it having a latest generation multicore cpu, loads of RAM, dedicated flash cache and all. It felt like regressing to Win95. Little by little, I have been managing to restore modern day zippyness, and this interface modding was one of the measures that contributed, I reckon...

[SYSTEM]

@Midas: Thanks for the links. I installed the Equinox skin pack.

[Midas]

Black is the new black...

EDIT:
If what you want is a simple makeover of the system icons, you might want to look at 7CONIFIER (DotNet 3.5 required).

A while ago I became interested in changing the icons on my Windows 7 Taskbar. Unfortunately I had to do it manually which required a lot of work. After much blood, sweat and tears I decided it was time for a change. It was time to create 7CONIFIER a tool is capable of changing all your taskbar and start menu icons in a single click (and key press)! All you need to do is select the package you would like to use and hit "Apply".

More info at http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-ti ... 7conifier/

[Midas]

In the interest of fine tuning your Windows 7/8 interface, Nanwick has a few specialized DotNET freeware tools:

+ Logon Animator
+ Video Boot (changes Windows 7 boot animation)
+ User Image Changer
+ Start Button Editor
+ Logon Toolkit (modifies files to run applications from the logon screen)
+ WMPlayer Background Changer (changes WMP12 background)
+ MKV Archive (stores files inside a MKV video files)
+ Unlockr (renames, deletes, replaces, and moves protected files)

Download @ http://nanwick.blogspot.com/p/downloads.html

[Midas]

In the same vein as Nanwick Video Boot, Coderforlife has Windows 7 Boot Updater -- in both command line and GUI (DotNET?) versions...



Download @ http://www.coderforlife.com/projects/win7boot/

(There is also an archive of the original animation resources, just in case you mess things up.)

[Midas]

Quick note to add that if what's required is just a lean and mean portable replacement of the default windows shell then CAMEO (x32 only) might fit the bill...

For more info, see my post at viewtopic.php?p=61717#p61717

EDIT -- http://cameo.binarybums.com/ appears to be dead, but CAMEO files seem to be still available at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/cameo-pde/

[Midas]

If looking for a way to run Windows gadgets in Windows 8, have a look at the aptly named 8GadgetPack...

http://8gadgetpack.bplaced.net/




From the same author, a portable (untested!) alternative for the Windows 7 gadget sidebar: 7 Sidebar.

http://7sidebar.notlong.com/

[Midas]

A resource related to first post in topic, but with extra troubleshooting info for Windows 8/8.1 users: http://www.windowsxlive.net/...

[Midas]

WoKhan (maker of Windows Firewall Notifier: viewtopic.php?t=20460) has put together DS, a little console utility (CLI) that allows anyone to run a screensaver as the desktop background...

Code: Select all

>DS.exe ssmypics.scr

E.g., the command above will run the 'My Pictures Slideshow' screensaver from Windows XP (with previously set options) as the desktop background. Unfortunately, in the briefest of tests (XP Pro SP3) it wasn't entirely compatible with my desktop icons so I had to discard it...

To stop the screensaver, use the task manager and kill the related process (which name is the same than the screensaver's one).

You can download DS at http://wokhan.online.fr/progs.php?sec=DS.