Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Installing themes on your Vista desktop is now easier than ever. Simply follow this guide to have themes running on your computer in no time.

Installing a Desktop Theme in Vista or XP

To install a theme, do the following:

1. Download a theme here
   
2. Download and install VistaGlazz
   
3. Open VistaGlazz
   
4. Click on the first icon and click “Patch files” (You’ll need to reboot after this)
   
5. OPTIONAL: Click the second icon to enable transparent title bars in maximized mode
   
6. Extract the contents of the theme zip file you downloaded to %windir%ResourcesThemes (%windir% is usually C:Windows)
   
7. Right click your desktop and click “Personalize”
   
8. Click “Theme”
   
9. Select your theme from the drop down list and click OK
   

Now you’ll need to change your wallpaper to match the theme and install any docks or other add-ons that came with the theme download (they’re all different, so it’s hard to write a comprehensive guide for them all.)

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix them.

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