Make XP Look Like Vista

I recently downloaded three differen programs onto my XP service pack two
machine, these were DesktopX, Maodate and DesktopX SideBar.
These things gave me the widnows 3D filp, not as good as Vista but nearly
there, the side var and the Vista start menu and taskbar along with the
Windows Vista theme. These made XP look quite good and I could have
downloaded a thing to change the boot screen and the logon screen but I
desided not to fiddle around with the inner workings of a very complex os.
Has anyone else tryed this???

Louis C-W

 

stardocks bootskin for changing the boot skin works great... and doesnt
fiddle with important system files like other boot image changers do...

the logon screen changer from stardock is also very good... no problems at
all

 

Tried WindowBlinds by Stardock. Wasn't that impressed. Pity I failed to
read their NO-money back guarantee.

 

that is for skins or themes... the OP was asking for boot screen and logon
screen.

As for windowblinds, you are not impressed because people have not designed
yet skins that
are made for vista.... the ones you see are the older ones made for XP...

wait a little and you will see the new themes... I am sure its a good
solution
since Vista has only 2 themes...

 

The fastest way to make XP look like Vista to to take a handful of horse
shit and smear it on the screen.

 

Actually I didn't like any of the WindowBlinds skins for XP back when I used
XP.
Most of the skins are badly designed, but the biggest problem I had was that
WindowBlinds had numerous bugs that were never fixed. Fonts that didn't
display
correctly in buttons, window elements that were drawn incorrectly,
performance
issues. I really wanted to like ObjectDesktop and WindowBlinds (I paid for
the
deluxe package) but it is just too buggy.

Recommend you NOT use WindowBlinds for a good looking/stable system.

 

Oh I never used windowblinds on XP... never... ever!
Because as you say the themes were badly designed...

I used the UXtheme patcher for XP and used visual styles that were native to
XP
some are very well designed...

 

I've been tending to go the "other way" with the last two OS's... I used
the "Classic" look in XP to avoid its "Fisher Price" interface, and am
now using the "Classic" look in Vista Home Premium. My computer
displays have pretty much looked the same since 98...

/hates "flashy" interfaces...

 

I figured that with WIndows 2000. WindowBlinds worked with it .. but there
were always glitches etc. I figured not to bother and just stick with what I
could get "natively", so to speak. Altering the OS is a big propostion and
seems doomed to complications.

Saucy Lemon

 

Skins like this are well designed.

http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?skinid=5758&libid=1

With hacking your dll you are not getting native themes, you are getting the
ability to run unsigned themes.

 

yes.. unsigned themes, that use the native service that is built in to xp,
in contrast with windowblinds
that has its own service.

I am using the native theme service of xp...

I have used that theme you have in the link "Eminence".. but I don't like
windowblinds.. it has too many small annoying problems. I have tested
windowblinds with hundreds of themes...

I just dont like it... at least for XP..for vista it may be my only solution
to get rid of the horrible aero.

 

Boy, as soon as I opened that link it reminded me of my Win3.1 days.
There were some neat programs available to give you a Win95 look.
Calmira, Dashboard, Taskbar, Group Icons. That used to be fun. I finally
dismantled my Win3.11 with the Calmira shell last year. I was still
running it in my shop for record keeping and receipts and such.