Transform your XP Computer to a Modern Look
I am sure most of us are very tired looking at the clouds and cartoon-like look of Windows XP. Today we are going to look at a couple of free all in one transformation packs to give XP a modern look.
After using Vista and now Windows 7, when you go back and look at the original XP appearance it definitely shows its age.
** Editor Note: Major modifications like these should be attempted with caution because it can create instability in XP. **
Vista Transformation Pack
You can easily add new life to the user interface of XP with the Vista Transformation Pack.
In Express Mode you can choose the features for your user account where they show the amount of system resources required.
The amount of time it takes to apply the settings will depend on the power of your computer and amount of features installed.
When everything is set up a restart is required.
After restarting the Welcome Center appears where you can make adjustments to the configuration and other settings.
Go into the Appearance section to get the Windows Aero look.
XP now has the Vista Sidebar, Start Menu, Icons and more that you can customize to your liking. This does take up more system resources for all the features to run smoothly but it’s pretty true to the Vista look and feel.
Download the Vista Transformation Pack
Seven Transformation Pack
Like the Vista pack above, the Seven Transformation Pack will convert your XP based system to look and feel like Windows 7. Installation is very similar to the Vista pack with being able to select which features will be included in Express Mode.
Again like the Vista pack you will get the look and feel of Windows 7 including icons and menu layouts … this is a shot of Windows Explorer.
Here is a shot of the full desktop with Windows 7 start menu.
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How can you make Vista look like Win 7?
I am quite a novice, and an old novice at that, when it comes to computers.
Could you please give me some guidance as to which (Vista or 7) would be the best?
Could you also tell me if these packs are just cosmetic?
Many thanks,
Pastor Ray Richards
How easy is it to reverse this change? I looked at their website, and wasn't impressed, as it is not Microsoft related.
When you click to the website..lots of pop ads!!…Lots
i think its pretty awesome, thanks Mystic geek.
would love to use this on my old laptop running XP, but it seems very system resource intensive, so wont be able to use it, but indeed a great article.
How much ram does these use?
I set a restore point before installing, just to be safe. But so far it's pretty cool - I love my XP but am glad to be able to give it a facelift. Thanks for the info, Geek.
How can I get my PC to look like a MAC?
@Jim to do that … the best application we have found is Flyakite both myself and The Geek did an article on it, here are the links.
http://blogs.howtogeek.com/mysticgeek/2007/08/19/make-monday-not-suck-flyakite-os-x/
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows/make-your-xp-computer-look-like-os-x/
I wish i did a restore point before installing.
It does do alot of nice changes to your system, however It did not uninstall cleanly for me. There were still some of the third party apps that i had to manually remove and boot time is increased dramatically.
I run XP for Work and Vista for home and like both. I think XP should remain XP
The Vista Inspirat 2 Bricopack by crystalxp.net is also an excellent option!
>> http://www.crystalxp.net/galerie/en.id.130.htm > http://www.crystalxp.net/news/en285-leopardxp-bricopack-vista-inspirat-2.html
Sorry for the double post, the first link is for the Vista look and the second is for the Mac look. Enjoy!
how do i make my previously installed programs work when i have installed a new operating system
@ezzy try compatibility mode
Has it got the aero effects?
For the Aero effect on XP (or Visat with graphic cards under 128 Mo) with many different translutent templates :
http://www.customxp.net/TrueTransparency/?langid=1
You can use it without any other cutomization pack.
So, happy ?
A better way of doing this, is getting a hack for the uxtheme.dll file to work, then you can download new themes for it and some look pretty cool. However, getting the hack to actually work can be a pain in the backside, especially since SP3.
What RAM does it use? Processor power needed? Anyone? If you have used it, do tell.