XP Display Properties Dialog & Information

Windows XP - The default Theme.

Windows Classic - The older look to windows 2000, which is currently the .NET server default.

More Themes Online... - This will take you to Microsoft's "Plus! Pack" web page.

Browse...

Browse will add a .theme file to the list. The theme file can be located anywhere on your hard drive.

A .theme file that is located in the "c:\windows\resources\themes" directory will be automatically added to the theme list. (see below)

(NOTE : c:\windows is your XP system directory, and may be different depending on where XP was installed)

luna.theme is the Windows XP theme.

Here is the Luna directory:

luna.msstyles has the three styles : Blue, Olive Green, Metallic.

luna.msstyles also has three ShellStyles that are located in these three directories:

NormalColor is the ShellStyle for the Blue Visual Style.
Homestead is the ShellStyle for the Olive Green Visual Style.
Metallic is the ShellStyle for the Silver Visual Style.

When a change is made to a theme, it becomes modified. This includes the following :

• Desktop Background, Position, Colors
• Screen Saver
• Visual Style - Appearance : Windows and Buttons, Color Scheme, Font Size
• Mouse Pointers
• Sounds

This modified theme does not exists on disk. To save a modified theme, click Save As.
Notice that Save As defaults the saving of themes to "My Documents", and not "c:\windows\resources\themes".

Windows and Buttons lets you choose between different Visual Styles, including Classic.

Double-click an .msstyles File.

1. In explorer, double-click the .msstyles File.

The appearance tab will open, and that style will be shown under Windows and Buttons :



2. Before you continute, make other changes that you want to use on this theme.
3. Go to the Theme Tab and click Save-As
4. Name your theme, and save it.

Install Style XP

Style XP Plus will add many styles, including CoughDrop, ToothPaste, and Community Skin Pack, to the Windows and Buttons dropdown.

Add a .theme file

Many Visual Styles on the web come with a .theme file. If that .theme file is added with Browse..., or put in the c:\windows\resources\themes directory, then it's Visual Style will be listed here.