Tag Archives: Customization

Windows Embedded Visual Style for XP

In case you’re looking for something fresh (and it’s signed by Microsoft, so you won’t need to hack anything to make it work)…

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Windows XP users have not really seen a lot of love theme-wise from Microsoft since the release of the operating system. A measly handful of official themes have been released by Microsoft and the trend seems to continue for Windows Vista users. There is not really a reason to not to supply customers with fresh themes for their operating systems. If you look on the Internet you find many resources that cater to the needs of users who want to change the default themes.

Official themes on the other hand have the advantage of being signed meaning that there is no need to tamper with the uxtheme.dll file that protects the operating system from unofficial themes. Vishal over at Ask VG discovered a new signed Windows XP theme that is also compatible with Windows Server 2003 that can be installed without changing system files.

He discovered the theme in the Windows Embedded Standard CTP Refresh distribution and provided download links to it. The theme is supplied as a self extracting executable that installs the theme in the right location in Windows. The theme can then be selected from the Themes tab in the Display Properties.

(via ghacks.net)

Dock Icons Galore!

I’ve been using RocketDock for quite some time, and I’m always on the hunt for great looking dock icons compatible with it (Or MobyDock, ObjectDock, RK Launcher, Y’z Dock, etc.). Luckily, I’ve stumbled across some pretty sweet picks lately and thought I’d share. 🙂

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Refresh_CL_Icon_Pack_by_TPDKCasimir

Sleek_XP__Software_by_deleket

You can find a whole bunch more great icons at the following links:

Skydome Images (Compiz Fusion/Beryl)

I found this post at my old blog and thought it would be worth reposting; these are cool skydome images and/or great widescreen wallpapers. Click on the images to download the full-size version.

(Note: I forgot who made these originally a long time ago; if these are your images, please send me a note and I’ll be happy to attribute them to you!)

Lifehacker: Top 10 Ways to Trick Out Your Desktop

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From Lifehacker:

For something that you look at every day of your working life, your computer desktop doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. That’s too bad, considering that the desktop can do a lot more than display wallpaper and hold shortcut icons. From widgets to workflows, from calendars to computer stats and beyond, you can do a whole lot on your desktop without manually starting up a single program. Hit the jump for our top 10 list of applications and tweaks that make your desktop a truly useful place to land.

(via Top 10 Ways to Trick Out Your Desktop)