Alias Windows XP Theme

X

xinli11

Cadet
I was wondering if anyone has ever attempted to create a good quality windows XP skin for Alias? The ones i've found on line don't really take full advantage of Windows XP's theme engines and what icons and wallpapers they give look really bad. I've actually began to tinker with the whole theming Windows XP idea today. For starters, I replaced my windows XP Bootup screen with an FBI logo.

[attachment=10356:attachment]

Then I went on to replace the default windows XP login screen with something a little more Alias'esque:

[attachment=10357:attachment]

Next, I want to really change how windows XP looks and feels in terms of how the taskbar looks and how window borders look. Just to give an idea of what a themed XP can look like:

[attachment=10358:attachment]

Of course actually creating the skin is the hard part, design wise. So I was wondering if anyone else has done this already, so I could take some pointers. If not, I will just have to figure it out as I go along. And of course any advice/suggestions are always welcome. I'm not the best graphics designer, but I have some skills in using photoshop.

So far the screenshots you see is just me tinkering for a few hours, trying to figure out the technical feasibility of this endeavor. Any serious effort to skin windows XP will probably take much longer, and hopefully yield better results.

So any thoughts would be very welcome.

Xin Li
 
how ca you change the login and start-up screen? an did you make those pics? i love them and i was wondering if i could maybe use them too? please send me a PM.

Where do you find wondows XP themes, anyway? :blink:

~crimson snow
 
Xin Li, that's amazing! What program did you use to make it? I've heard of WindowBlinds but you have to buy to get the registered version so I didn't get it.
 
This is cool! (y) I would like to know how to do this too! :smiley: Oh, for the theme. That's easy to find :smiley:

Just go in to your programs/control panel/Appearance and themes/ and click on the change the desktop background.

I hope that helps. :smiley:
 
I found this place called themeXP.org and it's really cool. You can download a bunch of stuff. Like a Alias log-in screen and boot one, but I can't do the boot thing. (n) But now my taskbar looks dark-red and transparent. color: cherry. theme's name is coughdrop. Transparency: very low.

desktop_aa.jpg


Here's where I got the stuff called styleXP, has all the suff in one place. WP's, icons, themes, etc.

D/L StyleXP and StyleBuilder

I just saw it, but thanks. ^_^

Just go in to your programs/control panel/Appearance and themes/ and click on the change the desktop background.
Click to expand...

~Crimson Snow
 
I got the CIA boot screen from ThemeXP.org. Changing the boot screen and also the login screen is abit tricky, since both of those are components Microsoft never intended the end user to really mess with. Theme XP.org provides these nice little packaged bootup screens you can install. Just becareful. You could end up seriously screwing up your system. Be sure to get the right version of the file for your Windows XP (The one for SP1 patched windows, or the one without). If you install the wrong one, you could end up with a system that refuses to boot up.

Another approach is to get this program called BootXP. It will let you change your boot screen yourself, and it will be smart enough to figure out how to patch your system, so you don't have to do it yourself. You can use bootXP To import boot screens you download from THemeXP.org. So that might be the safest way.

ピールショットで男肌ブートアップ！

For the logon screen, I used a program called LogonStudio

LogonStudio: Software from Stardock Corporation

I believe this was free. With it, you can basically change the different components of your logon screen to your heart's content. It takes a little bit of playing around to figure out. But the interface is overall intuitive. If you have questions on how to use the program, just post back here.

As for the wallpaper i used, I didn't design that one. I got it off allaliasmedia.com, or something like that. It would be cool if some of our resident wallpaper designers want to try their hands at designing some logon screens.

BTW, there is also a progrma, not free, called SkinStudio, from the same company that made LogonStudio that allows you to create custom Winblinds themes. That's what i plan to use to create the actual theme.

Xin Li
 
Yeaaaaah... if you don't know what you're doing... you could seriously mess up your comp... like I did.

I'd downloaded everything and had this Simpson-esque theme with the log on and boot screen and sign off... and I had this cool arse Windows theme... but then my theme disappeared... and so did my original XP theme... and it messed up my comp so I had to reformat. Not a good thing.
 
IluvVaughn13 said:
Here is my log in so cool!!! and I have an xfiles boot
[post="979142"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​
Click to expand...

where did you get that one? I can't find any decent FBI/CIA ones which can take multiple users and that one looks like it can
 
IluvVaughn13 said:
It came with a login program that xin gave me a link to
[post="979205"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​
Click to expand...

what link is that? I can't seem to find a decent CIA login either.

~crimson snow
 
fivetoesonefoot said:
i tried to download some icons, but i can't figure out what to do after i download...any ideas?
[post="979221"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​
Click to expand...

I think you need to grab a program called StyleXP, which will be able to read iconzip files. Unfortunately, the program is not free. Not the last time I checked at least.

Xin Li
 
Dru said:
how ca you change the login and start-up screen? an did you make those pics?  i love them and i was wondering if i could maybe use them too? please send me a PM.

Where do you find wondows XP themes, anyway?  :blink:

[post="978709"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​
Click to expand...

Me too please...and how do you know if you have Service Pack 1 or 2, or if you just don't have it? And if maybe you can just send me the ones that you used?! So, please, send me a PM!

Thank you!

-Miriam
 
fivetoesonefoot said:
i tried to download some icons, but i can't figure out what to do after i download...any ideas?
[post="979221"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​
Click to expand...

I think you need a program called StyleXP. It can only iconzip files, which is what's contained in those you downloaded. I haven't played with it myself yet. But I suspect that would be the right appraoch.

Xin Li
 
I will seriously mess up my cpu, and I can't do that. This is my haven and i can't risk anything. but if someone can give a step by step on what to do.... :D
 
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