If you are still using Windows XP but want to enjoy the new Windows 7 look, then this tutorial will definitely help you.
After following this tutorial, you'll get the same Windows 7 look in your Windows XP. Following is a list of things which are going to change after following this tutorial:
- Windows Theme or Visual Style
- Icons
- Boot Screen
- Login Screen or Welcome Screen
- Cursors
- Taskbar
- Wallpapers and Sounds
- Progress Dialog Box
- Shutdown / Log off Dialog Box
- About Windows Box
- System Properties Dialog Box
- Extras like "Aero Shake", "Aero Snap", "Aero Peek", "Calculator" and "Wordpad"
PS: Please create a Restore point using "System Restore" before applying anything mentioned in this tutorial so that you can restore your system back to a working state if anything goes wrong.
1. Windows Theme or Visual Style:
You can get the same look in Windows XP by using following theme:
Download Windows 7 Theme for Windows XP
You can also use an excellent WindowBlinds skin created by "fediaFedia". It requires Stardock WindowBlinds to be installed in your system.
Download Windows 7 WindowBlinds Skin for Windows XP
2. Icons:
Download Windows 7 Icon Pack for XP
3. Boot Screen:
You can get a similar boot screen in Windows XP:
Download New Windows 7 Beta Boot Screen for Windows XP
4. Login Screen or Welcome Screen:
Download Windows 7 Login Screen for Windows XP
5. Cursors:
Windows 7 cursors are also similar to Vista which you can download using following link:Download Windows 7 Cursors
6. Taskbar:
You can get the same behavior in XP by using following tutorial:
Get Windows 7 Iconized (Icon Only) Taskbar Feature in Windows XP
Or you can use following small utility which can do the task automatically:
Taskbar Iconizer: Utility to Iconize Taskbar in Windows XP
Windows 7 taskbar also allows you to move taskbar buttons to change their positions, you can get the same feature in Windows XP by using "Taskbar Shuffle" utility:
Taskbar Shuffle: Move Taskbar and System Tray Buttons in Windows
7. Wallpaper and Sounds:
Download Windows 7 Official Wallpaper Shown at PDC 2008
Download Windows 7 Beta Build 6936 Default Desktop Wallpaper
Download Windows 7 RC Build 7048 Sound Schemes, Wallpapers, Icons & Lots More
Download Windows 7 Build 7057 Wallpapers and User Pics
8. Progress Dialog Box:
Dialog -> 1020 -> 1033
Now replace the existing code in right-side pane with the code present in following file:
progress_dialog_box_code.txt
Click on Compile Script button.
You'll also have to replace existing AVIs in the file with new ones. Download following Zip file and extract it:
Download AVIs
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 ->1033with 161.avi
AVI -> 162 ->1033with 162.avi
AVI -> 163 ->1033with 162.avi
AVI -> 164 ->1033with 162.avi
And also download a BMP file from here:
Download BMP
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 resourceResource Name enter 404 and in Resource Language enter 1033 and click on Add Resource button. That's it. button. Select the downloaded BMP file and click on Open. Now in
9. Shutdown / Log off Dialog Box:
Download Shutdown BMPs
Mirror
Extract the file and you'll get 4 BMPs with the name:
1.bmp
2.bmp
3.bmp
4.bmp
Now open "%windir%\System32\Shell32.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%\System32\msgina.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:
Download About BMP
Open "%windir%\System32\Shell32.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%\System32\msgina.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%\System32\xpsp1res.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:
About Dialog Box Code
Click on Compile Script button and save the file.
11. System Properties Dialog Box:
Get Windows 7 System Properties Dialog Box in Windows XP
12. A Few Extras:
"Aero Shake" is quite useful. Suppose you have more than one windows opened and you want to minimize all other windows except the window which you are working on, then you have to simply shake the current window with your mouse and all other windows will be minimized automatically. Shake it again and all minimized windows will be maximized again.
Using "Aero Snap", you can minimize, maximize, resize windows by just dragging-dropping them to the screen corners.
"Aero Peek" has replaced the old "Show Desktop" feature in Windows 7. It can be found as a small rectangle present at last in Windows 7 taskbar. When you hover the mouse cursor over it, it allows you to peek behind all open windows by hiding all windows and showing only outlines of all windows.
You can get all these features working in XP using following tutorials:
Get Windows 7 “Aero Shake” Feature in Windows XP
Get Windows 7 “Aero Snap” Feature in Windows XP
Get Windows 7 “Aero Peek” Feature in Windows XP
Windows 7 also contains a new redesigned Calculator which has new GUI and new options.
You can get the same calculator in Windows XP using following link:
Get Windows 7 Like Calculator in Windows XP
One more interesting thing in Windows 7 is the new Wordpad UI. Wordpad in Windows 7 contains Ribbons.
You can get a similar Ribbon UI Wordpad in Windows XP. “Solo-Dev” aka “Villain” has released an updated version of Windows default Wordpad which includes Ribbon UI:
Get Windows 7 Like Wordpad with Ribbon UI in Windows XP
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