XP toolbar colors

XP taskbar colors

Is there a way to chang the color of the taskbar in XP to something other than olive/silver/blue, without having to get a program like windowblinds? I am somewhat of a minimalist and don't like any programs running in the background.

No not that I no off. In many cases computers running windowsblinds are a little faster then the normal xp style because it uses your video card.

There is a hacked uxtheme.dll available that allows you to use any of the themes available for ThemeXP. My only problem is that it seems that ThemeXP themes currently seem to be bundled with some other software, which I am not all that sure about. But installing the hacked .dll file allows you to run any theme you wish without needing to install special software.

You can download new themes off the net. RoyalBlue is a pretty good one IMO. However if you want to actually change the color yourself, I dont know how you would do so. I would guess the same as with boot screen. Though that requires a decent amount of work.

tenchi,
Do you have any idea where to find these, and where I need to put them once i find them? I had a friend do it once before using regedit and putting a Dll into one of my windows folders, but I can't get ahold of him, nor can I find any info about it. I know it can be done though, and it requires no extra running processes, and uses up no extra system resource.

you can change the colors very easily

control panel > display > appearance > advanced

i think the one you want to change is the 3d objects color. you can also customize all the other colors, fonts, sizing

edit: whoops, thought you were using windows classic style, not windows xp style. still might be worth a look. theres also more pre-set color themes in windows classic to check out.

get the themes at theme xp (along with other stuff)

and use style xp..

wizard james said:

get the themes at theme xp (along with other stuff)

and use style xp..

Click to expand...

I am somewhat of a minimalist and don't like any programs running in the background.

Click to expand...

Thanks Nexus.

I don't install any of those windows skinning programs, the last two times that I installed StyleXP I couldn't burn any CD's/DVD's, and it also screwed up autoread on all 3 CD/DVD drives I had at the time.

I am not to positive on how to go about this. Though I used to use this skin among other, I have not been on XP in a long time so I have forgotten most paths. As I recall there is the luna skin file in a folder somewhere in system32 which you can edit or add your own to. As for downloading skins and not using a program to install them, from what little I remember was pretty easy. Try these links to get you started
1.http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Themes/UXTHEMEDLL-Pack-DLL-for-SP1-included.shtml
2.http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Themes/ForeverBlue-XP-Theme.shtml
3.http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Themes/Royale-Theme-for-WinXP.shtml

The last one I think is just a .exe that installs it for you, though don't think it uses any programs besides the installer one time. The first two are files you need to install skins and a skin to test it out with. Try softpedia for skins, they have a decent selection. Just typing in like Royal Theme so that you don't get a bunch of WindowBlinds adds. Good luck and sorry I cant be of more help, my mind is becoming forgetful in these late years of my life.

Edit: Also one I forgot was my favorite
1.http://www.softpedia.com/get/System...ation-Pack-To-the-Ultimate-Transforming.shtml
I am not sure about this new version. The old version however replaced system files with its own, allowing it to run its skins without the help of a program. It also worked along side the Royal Theme. You may want to try this because it comes with like 20 skins, a few of which are extremely nice. (a lot nicer then anything I have seen WindowBlidns do) Make sure though you back up the files, you never know what might happen. If it were me though, I would DL the Royal theme first, then this, then if I was still not happy. Try the other ones.

All of the theme files, including any folders that they might come with, need to be put here:

C:\Windows\Resources\Themes

Check out this thread for more details:
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=271639&highlight=windows+themes

The basic idea of how to get it done with using no extra programs is:
1. Download the hacked dll file
for SP1 - http://freethemes.forthnet.gr/preview/310804.html
for SP2 - http://www.softpedia.com/public/cat/9/3/9-3-14.shtml
2. The SP1 file will be installed all by itself, the SP2 file requires some more work, but it isn't all that hard. Just follow the instructions on the site.
3. Find the themes you want to use, and put them in the correct folder.
4. Just change between themes as normal within XP!

I think that your biggest challenge might be finding some themes that don't come packaged with other software that you don't want. ThemeXP used to just give themes alone in a zip folder, but now they are pre-packed as an exe that installs some other junk with it.

I think that your biggest challenge might be finding some themes that don't come packaged with other software that you don't want. ThemeXP used to just give themes alone in a zip folder, but now they are pre-packed as an exe that installs some other junk with it

Click to expand...

Whoa, that pretty much scares the crap out of me. Is it spy/adware? Yeah, I am really freaking weary of third party software. Thus far, you guys have been so freaking helpful, I hope other people have learned from this thread. Now, if we can only find some themes that don't require a .exe. Anyone know of anything?

I am not real sure to be honest. I downloaded mine when I was getting ready to reformat my computer anyway. So I just installed it, took the files I needed and saved them to a seperate HD, and then wiped the drive clean. I then just used the files I saved to get the theme I wanted.

ok, just to post up on what "Nexus Realized" said about my post.

style xp can boot up in a few ways, the program it self, as a service.. or boot and close.

having it boot at startup and it applys the themes, then closes it self, so that nothing gets slowed down

Mayerfan, you can get some visual styles at Deviantart. Some are .exe files some are zipped. I'd probably stick with the zip files and follow the steps above to install them.

thanks guys, I think you've basically answered my questions. All of this started when I quit using a picture for my background (to save system resource, or so i was told...) and went to just a blank black screen, and realized how freaking attractive it was, how much it helped me to see clearly the things on my desktop, and how little it bothered my college dormroom roommate trying to go to sleep! I appreciate all of your help, now I can have a totally black desktop.


edit: edited to add that I got it to work, and it was so freaking easy. Also, as in incentive to anyone else to try this, I actually saved system resource by doing this, as well has having some apps run faster, as whenever you use these styles, you aren't using the XP themes, which we all know are a hog, it is just basically a cleaned up, rounded, and colored xp classic, but it looks very very good, better than xp styles IMO, and I'm sure yours too if you try it. Nexus, thanks for reccomending the site Deviantart, it totally had plenty of themes sent as zips, containing only msstyles and no jumbled junk.