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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: FreeTerran on April 26, 2003, 11:30:08 am

Title: Win XP skins
Post by: FreeTerran on April 26, 2003, 11:30:08 am: We can i change the skin when i change it then are only a new background and the taskbar is the old.

Can anyone help me ?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Solatar on April 26, 2003, 11:56:47 am: Sorry...can you rephrase that? I'm not sure I understand your problem.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 26, 2003, 12:00:17 pm: He wants to know if there is a skin for XP to change the taskbar.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: FreeTerran on April 26, 2003, 12:01:28 pm: Nope,
I install a skin but the teskbar is after the installation the old windows standard taskbar.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Nico on April 26, 2003, 12:02:00 pm: in the display properties you can change your windows appearence, it's a roll menu called skin. there's choices only between the old and XP versions of windows. freeterran wants to know if there's other skins available.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: FreeTerran on April 26, 2003, 12:13:01 pm: OK i have find the bug and thx for helping.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 26, 2003, 01:04:38 pm: On that note, does anyone know some decent skinning programs to allow for different GUIs? I'm just getting used to it but I find the blue/green a little to "in your face", the silver and olive suck and I'd rather not have the same old Windows 98 look if i can help it. Any thoughts?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Kamikaze on April 26, 2003, 01:10:00 pm: do you want totally new looks (i.e. litewave, blackbox, aston desktop, desktop x) or just a few parts being different? (for the latter try windowblinds and maybe some other object desktop componenets)

Whatever the case, these take up more memory and processor power than explorer (at least with win98/2k, don't know about xp's chunky GUI) or in the case of windowblinds just adds more strain to explorer's already extreme memory/proc costs. (except Blackbox, as that's a light-weight linux window manager ported to windows)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 26, 2003, 01:23:06 pm: I'd go with a completely new look - it's not that I hate Windows look and yeah, I guess I'm used to it. But XX is old and XP is chunky and a little on the childish side. I'd rather have a clean and well cut GUI where everything is clearly labelled but unintrusive. Possible?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Stryke 9 on April 26, 2003, 01:26:10 pm: Err... are you sure? They're all memory hogs, and they generally are pretty badly done to boot- screw up your computer like nothin', and it's good luck only if you get 'em to work in the first place.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Solatar on April 26, 2003, 01:28:16 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Stryke 9
Err... are you sure? They're all memory hogs, and they generally are pretty badly done to boot- screw up your computer like nothin', and it's good luck only if you get 'em to work in the first place.

Hm...I must have excellent luck...desktop X hasn't caused a single problem for me...
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Stryke 9 on April 26, 2003, 01:33:04 pm: Very much so. I do believe that's the one that sucked out all my memory as soon as I booted it up, then put the computer into a series of crashes so that I had to reboot the computer only about a dozen times to get to the program and delete it.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Kamikaze on April 26, 2003, 01:33:32 pm: http://www.bb4win.org/news.php <-- clean, fast, light window manager ported from linux

http://litestep.info/ <-- litestep, built based on the NeXtStep interface (NeXtStep was a unix-based os iirc, now the license went to Mac and they made Darwin from it) and is probably the most popular and is pretty nice looking (edit: argh...sounds confusing, it's not necessarily the most nice looking :p). Highly customizable.

http://www.stardock.com/products/desktopx/ <-- desktop x, somewhat popular shell replacement. Packaged with the "object desktop" package. Memory hog when I used it (many months ago).

http://www.windowblinds.net/ <-- part of object desktop, changes window frame stuff.

http://www.astonshell.com/aston/index.html <-- aston shell, haven't used it. no comment.

http://www.lighttek.com/talisman.htm <-- talisman, don't know how it handles.

http://www.hellbent.com/digitaloxide/litespawn/ <-- I suggest you use this if you're going to use any shell replacement. It runs "under" everything and prompts you what shell to load (litestep, explorer and so on) after login. Also, if you're shell crashes it can restart the shell (or a different shell), reboot or shutdown. Useful if you aren't commited to quiting the explorer thing.

Note: most of these don't have file managers so you'll still be using the explorer file manager, though it may look different.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 26, 2003, 02:29:01 pm: Thanks for the links/advice - though I'm a little dubious since I really know nothing at all about these things at the moment and don't want to bugger things up one day after install...
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Solatar on April 26, 2003, 03:37:32 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Stryke 9
Very much so. I do believe that's the one that sucked out all my memory as soon as I booted it up, then put the computer into a series of crashes so that I had to reboot the computer only about a dozen times to get to the program and delete it.

How much memory do you have?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Zeronet on April 26, 2003, 03:59:26 pm: i once had a matrix skin.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: FreeTerran on April 26, 2003, 04:17:19 pm: :cool: Cool :cool:
Can i see a screenshot ?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 26, 2003, 04:38:10 pm: (http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s11/smilies-12117.png)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Solatar on April 26, 2003, 04:43:02 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Zeronet
i once had a matrix skin.

sweet.

I had a nemesis one, but the windows were animated and that started eating up my memory.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 26, 2003, 04:54:44 pm: WindowBlinds is good though. I use it:

(http://members.lycos.nl/axxxewielder/desktop.txt)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Razor on April 26, 2003, 05:30:33 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Zeronet
i once had a matrix skin.

Go to this page and take a look:
http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?searchtext=matrix&sort=updatedate&order=Descending&library=1
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Deepblue on April 26, 2003, 10:08:19 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Tiara
WindowBlinds is good though. I use it:

(http://members.lycos.nl/axxxewielder/desktop.txt)

What skin is that :eek2:
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Admiral LSD on April 26, 2003, 11:43:02 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Kamikaze
...blackbox...

You can actually get Blackbox for Win32?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Kamikaze on April 27, 2003, 12:21:32 am: Yep, I use it on my laptop. Pretty stable and it's compatible with linux blackbox for plugins and skins iirc.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 27, 2003, 03:47:43 am: Quote
Originally posted by Deepblue

What skin is that :eek2:

Comes with Windowblinds. There are hundreds more to d/l though.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 27, 2003, 06:59:14 am: Hell yeah! This skin pwnz :p

(http://members.lycos.nl/axxxewielder/deskt2.txt)

Or should we just turn this into a desktop thread? :D
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 27, 2003, 07:07:15 am: Fine by me, but two conditions - 1 we show off Windows XP skins (or similar) and 2, we provide links to where we found them :)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: 01010 on April 27, 2003, 07:11:22 am: Quote
Originally posted by Tiara
Hell yeah! This skin pwnz :p

(http://members.lycos.nl/axxxewielder/deskt2.txt)

Or should we just turn this into a desktop thread? :D

Nickelback, Linkin Park AND Chad Kroeger.

::shudders::
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 27, 2003, 07:11:54 am: Here you can find over 3000 skins for various programs (2200+ for window blinds) (http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=1)

that pretty much covers condition 2 :D
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 27, 2003, 07:19:08 am: (http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s11/smilies-12569.png)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 27, 2003, 07:21:09 am: (http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s11/smilies-12573.png)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: FreeTerran on April 27, 2003, 07:28:09 am: Quote
Originally posted by Tiara
Here you can find over 3000 skins for various programs (2200+ for window blinds) (http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=1)

that pretty much covers condition 2 :D

Thx but there are only **** skins have you a good skin for me ?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Razor on April 27, 2003, 07:40:34 am: Quote
Originally posted by Tiara

Comes with Windowblinds. There are hundreds more to d/l though.

I downloaded two matrix skins. How do I use/install them
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 27, 2003, 07:45:51 am: Quote
Originally posted by Razor

I downloaded two matrix skinds. How do I use/install them

First d/l and install windowblinds (doh)

Then they should automatically install when you d/l them. Or just double click on them.

(Make sure you downloaded a Windowblinds shell (skin) they have .WBA extension IIRC )
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Razor on April 27, 2003, 07:46:47 am: Quote
Originally posted by Tiara

First d/l and install windowblinds (doh)

Then they should automatically install when you d/l them. Or just double click on them.

(Make sure you downloaded a Windowblinds shell (skin) they have .WBA extension IIRC )

Thanks Tiara. :)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Razor on April 27, 2003, 07:51:43 am: Quote
Originally posted by Kalfireth
(http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s11/smilies-12569.png)

Inspector Gadget on Fox Kids.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Razor on April 27, 2003, 08:24:47 am: By the way, here is the Matrix skin that I downloaded. It is awesome. The Matrix Code on the window edges is animated and the numbers in the IE's bottom left corner are randomizing all the time so they're animated too. I strongly recommend this theme.
(http://www.fattonys.com/images/upload/matrix.jpg)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 27, 2003, 08:30:57 am: Quote
Originally posted by Razor

Inspector Gadget on Fox Kids.

Sort of.... I used to watch it when I was about 5 when it was on BBC2 or something like that.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: J.F.K. on April 27, 2003, 08:34:28 am: I used to use the theme that is used as the web design for ThemeXP.org (http://www.themexp.org), but my StyleXP, which lets you use unstamped standard XP themes (thus using no more memory than XP usually uses, unless the skin is extremely elaborate), expired. :sigh:
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Razor on April 27, 2003, 08:35:14 am: I don't know if you guys are interested but here is a Freespace skin (sort of), so dig in... :)
FREESPACE SKIN (http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?searchtext=freespace&library=1&sort=updatedate&order=Descending)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: J.F.K. on April 27, 2003, 08:43:20 am: Hey, that looks kinda cool. :yes:

I used WindowBlinds for a while, but it slowed down my P3-500 too much. Does that mean it's time for an upgrade again? :sigh:
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 27, 2003, 09:23:58 am: Quote
Originally posted by J.F.K.

I used WindowBlinds for a while, but it slowed down my P3-500 too much. Does that mean it's time for an upgrade again? :sigh:

:nod:
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: J.F.K. on April 27, 2003, 09:48:57 am: That Athlon XP 2800+ is looking good. Oh, I'm going to be so poor on the other side...

...then again, I wonder what FS2 looks like with all the detail settings up? Hmmm :)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: FreeTerran on April 27, 2003, 10:17:00 am: The FS skin is cool.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Razor on April 27, 2003, 10:26:54 am: Quote
Originally posted by J.F.K.
That Athlon XP 2800+ is looking good. Oh, I'm going to be so poor on the other side...

...then again, I wonder what FS2 looks like with all the detail settings up? Hmmm :)

Looks awesome. I have some screens, but I couldn't install High RES VP. My discs are broken. :( :( :( :no:
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Razor on April 27, 2003, 10:28:06 am: Quote
Originally posted by Free Terran
The FS skin is cool.

Got any screens?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Solatar on April 27, 2003, 11:43:53 am: Go to the link. There is a preview.

I just installed it. Awesome...
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Grey Wolf on April 27, 2003, 01:13:42 pm: 1700+/1800+ are good bargain chips, IMHO. They run just fine, and you don't pay very much for them. Not to mention they both can be overclocked to 2600+.....
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Vertigo1 on April 27, 2003, 05:25:01 pm: Quote
Originally posted by Grey Wolf 2009
1700+/1800+ are good bargain chips, IMHO. They run just fine, and you don't pay very much for them. Not to mention they both can be overclocked to 2600+.....

And you would be an utter moron if you bought them now since there is going to be a MASSIVE price drop within the next month or two. I'm talking 2700+ chips for the price of $70 or so. Now that the opteron is out, I imagine the prices are already dropping.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Vertigo1 on April 27, 2003, 05:29:07 pm: btw Thunder, use that DLL I gave you a couple of months ago. Just be sure to go into safe mode, rename the current one to something else, and paste it in. That way, XP won't replace it with the copy in the dllcache folder, and it won't complain about you overwriting a dll file and deny you from overwriting it. :)

(before anyone else asks, yes its a cracked DLL, and no its not illegal to do it since I used a beta version of that program by Stardock or whatever the hell they're called. At the time they just patched the DLL, but people were "aquiring" it, patching the dll, and uninstalling the program. Since then, they made it so that it runs as a service.)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 28, 2003, 07:01:59 am: I've got something sorted out as it is :) But... by the by, I've seen some screenshots of a Mac like utility on Windows which sits on the destop and allows access to various links placed on it, it's usually at the top of the screen and spins round to allow you to get to different links... anyone know what I'm talking about? I'll try and dig a picture up later...
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 28, 2003, 07:04:30 am: Thats DesktopX :D It allows full modding of the desktop. In conjunction with WondowBlinds you can transform your windows-look into a mac-look :p
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 28, 2003, 07:20:15 am: Cheers! I'm really just looking for that specific link function though.... any more specific you can be? :)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 28, 2003, 07:31:01 am: Quote
Originally posted by Kalfireth
Cheers! I'm really just looking for that specific link function though.... any more specific you can be? :)

You mean links placed on your desktop? Thats what DesktopX mainly does. There are about 1600 different DesktopX modules up for download at the link I posted earlier in this thread.

Just install DesktopX and download the modules to see which one you like. :wink:
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 28, 2003, 07:33:38 am: Roger that, many thanks :)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 28, 2003, 07:59:26 am: np :)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Kamikaze on April 28, 2003, 09:52:58 am: by the way, probably worth mentioning that desktop x will stop operating after some amount of time as it's shareware... you'll need to buy it to keep using it.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Fineus on April 28, 2003, 10:00:31 am: Yeah I got that - had a look around it, but I think I'll leave that side of things alone for the time being, I've got a good skin and have messed with TweakUI a little to get things just right. Shame some of that stuff wasn't included as default :)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Admiral LSD on April 28, 2003, 11:38:16 am: Quote
Originally posted by Kalfireth
I've got something sorted out as it is :) But... by the by, I've seen some screenshots of a Mac like utility on Windows which sits on the destop and allows access to various links placed on it, it's usually at the top of the screen and spins round to allow you to get to different links... anyone know what I'm talking about? I'll try and dig a picture up later...

You mean Y'z Dock? You can find that here:

http://yz.designtechnika.com/software/yzdock/index_en.html

edit: this shouldn't be a problem as you're moving to XP anyway but the program works *only* on WinXP (Home or Pro, it doesn't matter) and nothing else. I find it hard to believe it wouldn't work on 2000 as well, but thats what the site say and I'm inclined to believe it.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Stryke 9 on April 28, 2003, 10:23:28 pm: Why not just use a Flash/Java active desktop?

Solatar: Enough that if something drains it all right off the bat, that's bad. Less than a gig, more than most people- I can't tell what memory cards are working at any given minute (a couple I'm pretty sure don't), so it's from 5 to 7.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Vertigo1 on April 29, 2003, 01:17:32 am: Quote
Originally posted by Stryke 9
Why not just use a Flash/Java active desktop?

Because that would eat up a buttload of memory?
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Stryke 9 on April 29, 2003, 01:20:46 am: As opposed to... what?;)
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Admiral LSD on April 29, 2003, 02:39:45 am: Quote
Originally posted by Vertigo1
Because that would eat up a buttload of memory?

It's not memory you have to worry about with Flash, it's CPU usage. The Flash player has a nasty tendency to grab every bit of CPU power it can and cause even reasonably high-end systems to start chugging along. I tried using a Flash movie as a background once for kicks but had to get rid of it after only a few minutes because my system became almost unusable while it was running. That, and the fact that using Web content on the XP desktop causes the ugly patches of desktop colour to reappear behind the icon titles, a feature I'd been waiting years to be made the Windows default and wasn't going to give up lightly.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Vertigo1 on April 29, 2003, 11:46:00 am: Ick. Thats exactly why I killed ActiveX from loading on my desktop. Its totally un-necessary and just eats up memory that could be put to better use.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: J.F.K. on April 30, 2003, 08:59:35 am: I'm quite liking Windowblinds (I'm on the public version 4). Haven't noticed a performance hit at all.
Title: Win XP skins
Post by: Tiara on April 30, 2003, 09:08:01 am: Quote
Originally posted by J.F.K.
I'm quite liking Windowblinds (I'm on the public version 4). Haven't noticed a performance hit at all.

:nod:

Same here :D