StyleXP or WindowsBlind? WHich one you prefer? and why?

[MameXP]

So i tried them both and i like them both
But i want to hear from you guys. Please include your experiences (ie pros/cons)

I found that StyleXP is not heavily modding your desktop. Its more like theme than visual mod. But its fast and simple.

WindowsBlind , on the other hand, can heavily changed your desktop looks if you have a good theme. It can be also associated with other extra program like iconpackage and such from stardock. However, it's slow.

For the looks, i think WindowsBlind win. But for speed, StyleXP is better.

Oh well thats what i got so far, let me know what you guys think

MameXP

 

[Hookj5]

I use windowblind, cursor, Desktopx, Iconpackager....I think thats it o yea logon and bootskin too. I also use Wallmaster to change my wallpaper at every startup. I get board with my desktop easily and those proggies I have found enable me to change anything very quickly.

 

[JigPu]

You hit it right on the head. Windowblinds is great for a totaly new visual experience (can REALLY change stuff) but tends to use more memory and cpu. StyleXP is just a hack to use themes that are basically spin-offs of the standard theme. No really heavy UI modding. However it is faster and uses less memory (and has the added bonus of not requiring a 3rd party program to be running)

I use Windoblinds myself. I've never noticed it to take up too much memory or CPU time, so I let myself splurge on the visuals My SETI WU times barely differ with or without windoblinds, so I consider it OK to run if your box is Crunching/Folding.

JigPu

 

[MameXP]

ye thats exactly what i'm thinking. For those who are folding please consider when you use ObjectDock. I foung that it DOES take some CPU time.

JigPu, If the StyleXP just hack the standard theme (i kind of guess this too ) then after i use the trial my theme i got will be there 4ever rite? I mean after the trial period i just can modify a new theme but my cool looks will be still there?

I'm asking because i wonder if i should buy it. Since i got me theme, and i aint gonna change it.

THanks

 

[JigPu]

I don't have any experience, but I'm pretty sure the theme will stay. Actually, if you want a totaly free route just patch uxtheme.dll. That's the file that StyleXP changes to allow custom themes, and you can get just a patch to change it for free

Here's a site with patching instructions if you're interested. I've never done it, so I don't know if the instructions are accurate or anything, but I do know that patching the file is supposed to work.

JigPu

 

[Burning Phoenix]

I've been using the patched Uxtheme.dll for nearly 2 years on different systems. It is really easy to do unless you dont have a floppy drive. You simply download the patched file on a disk along with the windows startup disk (i use the old win98 which i'm not sure works with a drive fromatted with NTFS) but anyways. Startup in dos with the diskette and rename the old uxtheme.dll to uxtheme.old and then copy the one on the diskette to replace the original on the drive.

 

[Audioaficionado]

I went to Lightstar and grabbed the patched uxtheme.dll for both XPsp1/S2k3 and found after several installations that the safest, easiest and most sure method was to just boot into safe mode, rename the original and just drag & drop the patched dll into the folder.

The installers and batch files failed ~50% of the time.

I prefer the pached dll as it's the easiest and lightest on my system resources. I've got the HP to do anything I want but I just don't want to replace my S2k3 native GUI shell as it's running so sweet now. Besides it's kinda hard to see my desktop anyway as my email, newsreader & browser covers it up all the time or I'm watching full screen videos