Since we all know that Windows Vista has been released but its too costly to purchase. The most interesting thing in Vista is its look, new icons, cursors, theme, sounds, login screen, boot screen, etc. So I’m posting this tutorial to make our existing Windows XP to look-a-like Windows Vista.
Yes! There are lots of Vista Transformation packs available on net but I never use them because they slow down the windows and also install a few 3rd party utilities. So its better to do all the things manually.
In this tutorial, I’ll tell you about how to make following things to look-a-like Vista:
Visual style (or theme)
Boot screen
Login screen
Sounds
Mouse Cursors
Windows Icons
Windows Explorer
Progress dialog box
Shutdown/log off dialog box
About Windows box
System Properties dialog box
Windows Classic Startmenu Left-side Image and Start button Logo
and a few other things
So here we go:
1. Vista Theme
First thing which you should change in your windows is theme. There are lots of Vista themes available on net. I have also created a Vista theme for XP called “VistaVG Ultimate“ by Vishal Gupta.
Download VistaVG Ultimate by Vishal Gupta
If you use WindowBlinds, then you can also get the glass affect. You can search on DevianART and you’ll get lots of WB skins.
2. Vista Boot Screen:
In Vista, Microsoft has removed the graphical boot screen and there is a minimal boot screen with just a progress bar. But it looks nice and you can download a similar bootskin for XP from here:
Just use Stardock Bootskin and apply it.
NOTE: A few people have faced booting problem after applying this Boot skin, so use this at your own risk. You can also make your own boot screen using Tuneup Utilities.
3. Vista Login Screen:
Vista new login screen is just awesome and “ears1991″ at DeviantART created a look-a-like login screen for XP, which you can download from here:
This pack contains both LogonXP and LogonUI files. So you can either replace existing %windir%System32LogonUI.exe file with the LogonUI file in the pack or use Stardock LogonStudio and apply the LogonXP file.
4. Vista Sounds:
Vista contains new sounds, which are quite nice. You can download the whole pack from here:
Just open “Sounds & Audio Devices” (mmsys.cpl) in Control Panel and goto “Sounds” tab and here you can replace windows default sounds with the new ones.
5. Vista Cursors:
Vista cursors are really sexy. You can download the pack from here:
6. Vista Icons:
Here is an Icon Pack for Windows XP, which will change XP default icons with Windows Vista icons. So you’ll experience the high-resolution Vista icons in XP:
VistaVG Icon Pack for Windows XP
7. Vista Explorer:
Vista Explorer is very much different from XP Explorer. It contains Back & Forward buttons along with the Address Bar & Searchbar and under it there is another toolbar containing useful links, like Tile icons, details, etc. But there is a 3rd party utility available called “Styler“, which can add the same toolbars in XP explorer too. Just download Styler from here and then download following Styler Skin:
Download Viz Ultimate Styler Skin
Mirror
Now extract it and copy this skin to “%ProgramFiles%StylerTBskinsStyler’s” directory and then apply it from the styler.
Another thing in Vista is the Common Tasks are displayed at bottom of the explorer instead of the default left-side in XP. But if you’ll use my “VistaVG” theme, then you’ll get the Common Tasks at bottom automatically.
8. Progress Dialog Box:
Vista progress dialog box is different from XP. But we can make our XP dialog box to look-a-like Vista one by using my favorite Resource Hacker.
Just open “%windir%System32Shell32.dll” file in Resource Hacker and then goto:
Dialog -> 1020 -> 1033
Now replace the existing code in right-side pane with the code in following file:
Click on Compile Script button.
You’ll also have to replace existing AVIs in the file with new Vista ones. Just download following Zip file and extract it:
After extracting the Zip file you’ll get 3 AVI files. Replace existing AVIs in shell32.dll file with these new ones in following manner:
AVI -> 160 ->1033 with 160.avi
AVI -> 161 ->1033 with 161.avi
AVI -> 162 ->1033 with 162.avi
AVI -> 163 ->1033 with 162.avi
AVI -> 164 ->1033 with 162.avi
And also download a BMP file from here:
After extracting the BMP file from it, add it at 404 location in file. Just click on Action -> Add a new resource and then click on Open file with new resource button. Select the downloaded BMP file and click on Open. Now in Resource Name enter 404 and in Resource Language enter 1033 and click on Add Resource button. Thats it.
9. Shutdown/log off dialog box:
Windows Vista doesnt have any shutdown/logoff dialog box just like XP have but XP default dialog box doesnt look good. So here I’ll tell you how to change it in XP?
Download required BMP files from here:
Extract the file and you’ll get 4 BMPs with the name:
1.bmp
2.bmp
3.bmp
4.bmp
Now open “%windir%System32Shell32.dll” file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the mentioned BMP files:
Bitmap -> 14351 -> 1033 with 1.bmp
Bitmap -> 14353 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
Bitmap -> 14354 -> 1033 with 1.bmp
Bitmap -> 14355 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
Bitmap -> 14356 -> 1033 with 3.bmp
now save the file and open %windir%System32msgina.dll file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the mentioned BMP files:
Bitmap -> 20140 -> 1033 with 1.bmp
Bitmap -> 20141 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
Bitmap -> 20142 -> 1033 with 1.bmp
Bitmap -> 20143 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
Bitmap -> 20150 -> 1033 with 4.bmp
Now save the file.
10. About Windows box:
To change the About Windows box you’ll have to change 2 things:
The BITMAP file and the text of box saying Windows XP.
Download the required BITMAP file from here:
Open “%windir%System32Shell32.dll” file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the downloaded BMP file:
Bitmap -> 131 -> 1033 (For XP Professional)
Bitmap -> 147 -> 1033 (For XP Home)
Now open %windir%System32msgina.dll file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the downloaded BMP file:
Bitmap -> 101 -> 1033 (For XP Professional)
Bitmap -> 107 -> 1033 (For XP Professional)
Bitmap -> 128 -> 1033 (For XP Home)
Bitmap -> 129 -> 1033 (For XP Home)
Now to change the text of dialog box, open “%windir%System32xpsp1res.dll” file in Resource Hacker and then goto:
Dialog -> 14352 -> 1033
Now replace the existing code in right-side pane with the code in following file:
Click on Compile Script button and save the file.
11. System Properties dialog box:
To change the System Properties dialog box, you can follow this tut:. This tutorial will be available on 1st april 2008.
Hacking System Properties Dialog Box (Sysdm.cpl file) in Windows XP
12. Windows Classic Startmenu Leftside Image and Start button Logo:
To change them first download required BMP files from here:
Download Startmenu and Start button BMP
Mirror
After extracting the BMP files, open %windir%Explorer.exe file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the mentioned BMP files:
Bitmap -> 166 -> 1033 with 1.bmp (For XP Home)
Bitmap -> 167 -> 1033 with 1.bmp (For XP Professional)
Bitmap -> 176 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
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