How-To: Make XP Look Like Vista

Windows Vista is supposed to, by default, sport a black, sleek looks to it, as many screenshots suggest. But what if you want the nice look, but do not want to (legally) download the Beta from Microsoft (Because things like these are just plain evil) and have to live with a buggy OS? Then you should download the Vista Theme for Windows XP. It makes your computer look like Windows Vista, without the constant crashes (oh wait, this is Windows!) and stupid glass things. It is fairly simple, and I have a little tutorial so you can learn.

1. Download the free tool UXTheme Multi-Patcher, and the theme Longhorn 5203. Note that you can use the tool WindowsBlinds to do this more easily, but it is not free.

2. Make sure to backup your uxtheme.dll file in your \WINDOWS\system32 directory.

3. Run UXTheme Multipatcher and follow the prompts. Your uxtheme.dll file will have its Windows File Protection removed and will be patched to allow custom themes, then you should reboot as required.

4. Extract the contents of the 'Longhorn 5203' archive to sit directly under your \WINDOWS\Resources\Themes\ directory.

5. Go to Control Panel>Display and select the Appearance tab. Under the 'Windows and Buttons' scroll box, select the new Longhorn theme. Then under 'Color Scheme' select one of the variations of the theme which suits you, and click the Apply button to see how it looks on your Desktop. 1. Download the free tool UXTheme Multi-Patcher, and the theme Longhorn 5203. Note that you can use the tool WindowsBlinds to do this more easily, but it is not free. Full Article, with screenshots