There are a variety of ways you can customize your Windows desktop. Back in the "olden days" customizing your desktop consisted of picking your wallpaper and screensaver. But today's computers can do much more than just use a screen saver (incidentally screensavers are not really necessary anymore due to the properties of the new LCDs). Now you can change the use of your desktop with several toys and gadgets. Through trial and error, when it comes to selection and usability, I have found that both Google and Yahoo gadgets to be the best choice both in price (free) and variety of choices. Creating an useful desktop that you can interact with, rather than just looking at, is both easy and cheap.
One of my favorite utilities, in terms of usefulness, is Rainlender. It is a desktop calendar that you can add notes and reminders to. The developers provide a Free Version and a Pro Version. The Free Version is excellent enough as a standalone free program, but the Pro Version can link with both Outlook and Google calendars, and permits for the transfer of calendar information between different computers (use the same calendar information from your work at your home for example). And on top of all this, the interface is easy and the available skins look great. There is a whole community of users that provide a wide variety of skins to apply, the only problem you will have in finding a visual style you like is choosing from all the possibilities.
And just lately I found a program I wish I had been told earlier about, Stardock's ObjectDock. This utility is one of the neatest things I have found for Windows. As an alternative to your desktop shortcuts stacked in rows on the desktop taking up real estate, you can place them in a row on the ObjectDock, add a variety of mouseover animations and most importantly reduce their size. I now have twice as many shortcuts in the same amount of space if I was using Windows default icons.
As mentioned before, there are a wide variety of skins that can be apply to change the appearance, it was actually time consuming trying out all the different styles that I liked. And that was just the Free version. The Plus version is starting to tempt me to add more variety to my desktop (more docks and options).
Now for the finale in desktop theme styling, changing the look and feel of Windows itself. There are two ways to do this; purchase a program to do all the work for you, or do it yourself. But if the thought of altering a Windows .dll files makes you a little bit aprehensive (or you do not know what a .dll file is) buying the retailed software that does the work for you might be the easiest way for you.
The most popular software that comes to mind are Starskin, StyleXP and WindowsBlinds. But continue on down if you would like to try it yourself (its not that difficult). I would like to give a thank you to the posters at these forums for providing the information for other people like me to use.
Read this forum thread at Neowin: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=140707 and this one for more information at Belchfire, http://themes.belchfire.net/index.php?showtopic=8767 , to find out where to get the uxtheme.dll and Multipatcher program.
That's all there is to it (almost)! Surf around and find your new theme (there are lots of websites dedicated to Windows theme), scan and download your choices, and apply by following the instructions below. Be aware that occasionally the theme won't work, and I would recommend that you create a Restore Point before you.
There are some particulars to follow when you apply your new theme style. Number one; change your File Settings in Windows to show all hidden files. Open the folder where you downloaded the theme file, then unzip it (using either Windows utility or the free utility WinRAR). Unzip them to the same folder and then copy them, or simply unzip to "c:/windows/resources/themes".
Here's the important part to making the new themes apply. /theme files must be in the top level of the /resources/themes folder. .Msstyles file types must be inside a named folder in /resources/theme, and the folder has to be given the exact name as the downloaded .Msstyles file. For example, the downloaded .Msstyles file is called "Dark.Msstyles" then the folder in /resources/themes has to be named "Dark". The Windows file tree arrangement will look like this.
Resources>themes>Dark
When the theme file has a "shellstyle.dll", then this file will go into a folder called "shell" placed inside the /Msstyles folder. Like this:
Resources>themes>Dark>shell>shellstyle.dll
This will have to be done for every Theme file that you apply. Now for the moment of truth! Right click on your desktop and choose Properties.
Themes that use a .theme file will be listed under the Theme tab, and the Appearance settings set by the .Msstyles files can be found under the Appearance Tab.
That's it! I hope you enjoy using your new customized desktop
About the Author
http://starwarsdesktop.blogspot.com/2008/06/customize-star-wars-desktop.html
I work primarily in AutoCad and Engineering, with a Bachelor Degree in something completely unrelated. I'm self taught in 3D modeling but have already had my work used professionally by a large company.
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Showing posts with label Screensavers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Screensavers. Show all posts
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Mystify Your PC With Great Screensavers by Jon Caldwell
Many who work in offices have had the experience of somebody meddling with their computer as they head off to the cafeteria for the occasional bite and today's identity theft prone world a screensaver might just save you from such activities. Screensavers can usually be set to ask for passwords when they go to work, that as you get back to your desk it asks for a password before again granting access to the computer system. Much similar to the new design that has been built into Windows, any inactivity that sends the computer into stand-by or idle mode asks for such passwords that guards your PC from unauthorized access. You get the nice graphics and the security you need when you forget to lock the terminal you're working on.
With nostalgic art by John Zed King, the screensaver features old style art of America's olden days when life was a tad bit slower and everything looked surreal and peaceful. Those were the days of Americans who loved daily life as the lovely country dirt roads complete with some of the best and loved classic cars and scenery that have long gone. Old locomotives and houses that shows a different side of America before the rush of daily grime took hold and everything was for earning profit. These scenes are some of the best artist renditions of Classic America when Oldsmobile's ruled and life was simpler and best. Bring a bit of nostalgia to your desktop with this lovely screensaver from http://Thundercloud.net. With complete themes that is sure to bring some peace and art to your desktop.
For some nifty and innovative scenery screen savers and themes visit their site and enjoy some of the best of the best. With free downloads asides from their paid versions, you get to test their wonderful art and scenery before you get a full-blown product. More are available for registered and paying users who get to use their products and the subsequent updates round the clock through their website. Their full subscription goes fro $60 but that gives you access to the whole library of animated screensavers and desktop wallpapers that is truly above the rest. Some of their screensavers takes you away to far off exotic lands where the beaches are clear and the scenery is pristine. Check them out for some of the best screensavers on the planet.
The visual arts industry that is the screensaver business has long since been a part of computer culture that even today's energy efficient hardware still use to prevent a problem known as screen burn-in. If you've seen a burned in image on your monitor, that's it. But with today's energy saving technology, do we still need screensavers? Well, that's totally up to the user for a computer system that is running a screensaver still consumes electricity, you'd think that it would be more environmentally friendly just to shut-down or better yet use the stand-by or hibernate mode to save on alkl the juice that's being eaten up by your unused PC. Power down and save a few kilowatts of power so you do get to save a bit of electricity. It's greener and for the benefit of all.
From the site comes some of the best sci-fi scenery from space; galaxies and planets you've never seen all in the convenience of your desktop. See galaxies and nebula as you coast around the universe, watch stars and planets whiz by in the beauty of the most realistic screensavers from outer space. No need to get on a rocket, just sit back and watch as the wonders of the universe are displayed right before your very eyes. See the sun and planets like never before as stunning graphics filled with details flash and change at set intervals. You even have the option of having an mp3 file playing in the background as a bonus.
About the Author
Jon Caldwell is a professional content manager. Much of his articles can be found at http://latestwindowscreensaver.com
With nostalgic art by John Zed King, the screensaver features old style art of America's olden days when life was a tad bit slower and everything looked surreal and peaceful. Those were the days of Americans who loved daily life as the lovely country dirt roads complete with some of the best and loved classic cars and scenery that have long gone. Old locomotives and houses that shows a different side of America before the rush of daily grime took hold and everything was for earning profit. These scenes are some of the best artist renditions of Classic America when Oldsmobile's ruled and life was simpler and best. Bring a bit of nostalgia to your desktop with this lovely screensaver from http://Thundercloud.net. With complete themes that is sure to bring some peace and art to your desktop.
For some nifty and innovative scenery screen savers and themes visit their site and enjoy some of the best of the best. With free downloads asides from their paid versions, you get to test their wonderful art and scenery before you get a full-blown product. More are available for registered and paying users who get to use their products and the subsequent updates round the clock through their website. Their full subscription goes fro $60 but that gives you access to the whole library of animated screensavers and desktop wallpapers that is truly above the rest. Some of their screensavers takes you away to far off exotic lands where the beaches are clear and the scenery is pristine. Check them out for some of the best screensavers on the planet.
The visual arts industry that is the screensaver business has long since been a part of computer culture that even today's energy efficient hardware still use to prevent a problem known as screen burn-in. If you've seen a burned in image on your monitor, that's it. But with today's energy saving technology, do we still need screensavers? Well, that's totally up to the user for a computer system that is running a screensaver still consumes electricity, you'd think that it would be more environmentally friendly just to shut-down or better yet use the stand-by or hibernate mode to save on alkl the juice that's being eaten up by your unused PC. Power down and save a few kilowatts of power so you do get to save a bit of electricity. It's greener and for the benefit of all.
From the site comes some of the best sci-fi scenery from space; galaxies and planets you've never seen all in the convenience of your desktop. See galaxies and nebula as you coast around the universe, watch stars and planets whiz by in the beauty of the most realistic screensavers from outer space. No need to get on a rocket, just sit back and watch as the wonders of the universe are displayed right before your very eyes. See the sun and planets like never before as stunning graphics filled with details flash and change at set intervals. You even have the option of having an mp3 file playing in the background as a bonus.
About the Author
Jon Caldwell is a professional content manager. Much of his articles can be found at http://latestwindowscreensaver.com
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