how to run unsigned themes on your windows XP!

[matty0]

ok to start with, this tutorial has its risks and i *in no way* take responsibilty for any damages done to your computer. i will endeavor to assist you if something goes wrong but you do this at your own risk and i ask that you read this very carefully from start to finnish before trying this. The steps will be very simple and easy to follow, but i do ask that you proceed with caution.

 

Now, moving onto the tutorial.

 

Ok, so this is the standard windows xp theme

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/unsigned%20theme%20tut/unsigned1.png

 

...very boring and certainly dosent look good enough 4 my beast of a pc lol. so i will now walk you through exactly what you need to do in a few short steps, how to make it look however you like.

an important point to mention now, is that this tutorial does not use either "windowblinds" or "style XP" these 2 programs use an enourmous amount of resources and on slower computers can cause huge lag. this methold uses precisely no recourses (well no more than the oridnary start menu uses anyway) so if you can run the xp theme, you can run this.

 

-=- TUTORIAL -=-

 

Step 1 -

Ok, so step one is to locate which version of xp you are on (by this i mean which service pack) and to do this, navigate to

Start/Control Pannel/System - then look on that page and it will look something like this

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/unsigned%20theme%20tut/unsigned2.png

and as you can see from this i am on service pack 3. You will need to remember which service pack you are on to download the corect patch in the next step.

 

Step 2 -

no you know which service pack you are on you need to download the correct patched "uxtheme.dll" (this will be explained later)

Service pack 1 users download - SP1_uxtheme.rar

Service pack 2 users download - SP2_uxtheme.rar

Service pack 3 users download - SP3_uxtheme.rar

 

now i want you to download the appropriate uxtheme.dll into a folder on your desktop. call it whatever you like.

 

Step 3 -

ok so now you know what service pack you have, and you have the patched uxtheme. this file you have just downloaded is a hacked system file that usualy checks all themes on your pc are microsoft signed, so basicaly that allows "luna" "classic" and "royale"... loads of choice there! but this file you have just downloaded is a hacked version of that file that has the microsoft check removed. this means ANY downloaded theme will run.

 

So now you have and understand the uxtheme.dll you downloaded, you will want to replace the origional with it. but lovely microsoft diddnt want to make that easy, so you have a few more things you will need to do, and the next one of them will be to download "Replacer" from THIS LINK and save it in the same folder as your patched uxtheme.dll

 

Step 4 -

ok so this is now where it gets a little dangerous... from here on out its your own responsibilty for any consiquences.

ok. so go into the folder on your desktop and run "replacer.cmd" it will look like this

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/unsigned%20theme%20tut/unsigned3.png

then go to my computer and navigate to "%hard drive%/windows/system32 then scroll down (alphabetical order) to find uxtheme.dll, that is the origional microsoft uxtheme. we want to replace that with the patched one we downloaded earlier. so now simply drag-n-drop that into the replacer program you have up then press enter on it. replacer should then ask you to drag in the file you want to replace it with, so now go to your desktop and open the folder with the patched uxtheme.dll you download and drag-n-drop that folder into replacer and pres enter again. it will ask you if you are sure and tell it that you are. then you will need to restart your compuer and hope for the best

(i have done this patching literaly 20+ times and every time has worked without difficulty).

 

Step 5 -

ok now assuming windows boots up you have done it! now you can install unsigned themes

so i will now leave you to download to your hearts content but as a start i reccomend downloading "Royale Remixed" from THIS link as this is the theme i use. it is unsigned and if it runs then congratulations you have suceeded!!! it should look like this

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/unsigned%20theme%20tut/unsigned4.png

 

assuming this works fine then well done! just read step 6 to finnish off. but if either

A) your pc wont turn on,

then i am very sorry but you will either need to boot in safe mode and do a system restore, or re-install xp.

B) your pc boots but wont run unsigned themes,

then repeat the process and make sure you have the right uxtheme.dll downloaded.

 

Step 6 -

download themes!!!

google away and when you find some, store them in the folder "%hard drive%/WINDOWS/Resources" and then close the folder. then on your desktop right click and then choose properties, then to over to the tab called appearance. then in the drop down menu called windows and buttons, you can chose from any of the themes you download and apply them direct through windows!!! well done youve done it!

 

-=- little extra thing -=-

now lets b honest if you read this in the back of your mind your probably thinking "so with this i can make xp look like vista?" and the answer is yes you can an i can help you out a little bit there as well

 

i have searched the internet high and low and i can say with a degree of certainty that ive found the best theme. and i will upload it for you and put a link just about... HERE and extract the whole file into the folder i specified earlier then go and apply it, then to finnish of the theme install ViOrb that i discussed in THIS THREAD earlier and this will complete the theme.

 

Sorry if this has been a really long tutorial but i really wanted to be thouragh and i hope that i have been, i hope all goes well for you and if you have any problems please ask me and i will do my best to help.

 

Matty0

 

------------------------------------

 

25/2/09 updated with new download links to patched uxtheme.dll files for all xp service packs (SP1, SP2, SP3) direct on the ibotmodz website this time so hopefuly they'l stay up

Edited February 25, 2009 by matty0

[Korupt Data]

Did you forget to finish this tut? hope to see you finish it ^___^

[matty0]

Did you forget to finish this tut? hope to see you finish it ^___^

sorry i clicked post thread in stead of preview thread lol. all up and finnished now, have a read!

[Lockon]

This looks beast,Im gonna do it

[Korupt Data]

Another awesome Tut!

 

and again no windowsbilnds lol

[matty0]

This looks beast,Im gonna do it

glad i could inspire you

 

Another awesome Tut!

 

and again no windowsbilnds lol

nope no windowblinds, i used 2 have the program on my old pc (1gb ram, pentium D 2.5ghz) an it slowed it down like hell!!! i will never use that program again lol. this is a much better way imo

[Decatur]

i'll do this after setting a system resotre point, and backing up windows XP, having it on hand.

 

 

thanks

[matty0]

i'll do this after setting a system resotre point, and backing up windows XP, having it on hand.

 

 

thanks

good plan glad u liked the tut

[Quinn]

Plus rep to on IPB 3, I hated windows blinds because even on the best computer in my house (1gb of ram, it was good for '06) it slowed it down to the point where it was unusable and I had to go back to the most boring theme again. I'll edit this post and tell if it works on my computer (512mb or ram... lol)

 

Edit: The download linkage is broken.

Edited February 25, 2009 by XxQuinnzoxX

[matty0]

Plus rep to on IPB 3, I hated windows blinds because even on the best computer in my house (1gb of ram, it was good for '06) it slowed it down to the point where it was unusable and I had to go back to the most boring theme again. I'll edit this post and tell if it works on my computer (512mb or ram... lol)

 

Edit: The download linkage is broken.

yeah itl work just fine it uses no more power than the standard xp theme

 

and thanks for pointing that out m8! ive personaly uploaded all the files onto this site myself and the links are up agan and working now. try it out and let me know your results!

[.MeLo♥]

Wow awesome

thanks for all the recent shares lately!

+rep

[matty0]

Wow awesome

thanks for all the recent shares lately!

+rep

your welcome. im happy to help people out here u've all been rly nice 2 me an i figure that someday when i need help with something, you guys will help me karma peeps

[Slidell]

Thanks man I'm going to use this on my other comp.

[Korupt Data]

You should make a tut on how to run unsigned themes on vista.

 

(im going to if you dont )

[matty0]

Thanks man I'm going to use this on my other comp.

awesome let me know your results

 

You should make a tut on how to run unsigned themes on vista.

 

(im going to if you dont )

i dont wanna mod my vista that much rly, it only involves patching 1 file on xp, its like 6 or 7 for vista! and if 1 of them is impropperly replaced then the whole OS stops working compleatly and can only be fixed by a reinstall... i dont advise doing it if im honest, but if you wanna do a tut then by all means go for it...

 

just another point, i cant actualy think of any usigned vista themes really... there are a few out there but none worth destroying an OS imo. but if you can do it sucessfuly then congrats 2 u m8

 

i did it b4 SP1 came out an i had no problems...but its tricker with it... good luck m8

[Korupt Data]

awesome let me know your results

 

 

i dont wanna mod my vista that much rly, it only involves patching 1 file on xp, its like 6 or 7 for vista! and if 1 of them is impropperly replaced then the whole OS stops working compleatly and can only be fixed by a reinstall... i dont advise doing it if im honest, but if you wanna do a tut then by all means go for it...

 

just another point, i cant actually think of any unsigned vista themes really... there are a few out there but none worth destroying an OS imo. but if you can do it sucessfuly then congrats 2 u m8

 

i did it b4 SP1 came out an i had no problems...but its tricker with it... good luck m8

Yeah every time i make a new theme i do a system restore point and back up all the old files, if anything goes wrong i just so back :]

[matty0]

Yeah every time i make a new theme i do a system restore point and back up all the old files, if anything goes wrong i just so back :]

be careful m8, sometimes you can get stuck in a boot loop that just takes you to the boot screen then it just restarts... i know it can b done tho, so good luck

[Korupt Data]

be careful m8, sometimes you can get stuck in a boot loop that just takes you to the boot screen then it just restarts... i know it can b done tho, so good luck

Yeah i know :[ ive had it happen a bunch of times.. im lucky that my brings up system restore program after 5 fail'd boot up attempts.

[Quinn]

It works now!

[matty0]

It works now!

glad to be of service

[Decatur]

stupid...=[. I did it all and still nothin. I repeated and still nothin. stupid...=[.

[matty0]

stupid...=[. I did it all and still nothin. I repeated and still nothin. stupid...=[.

sorry 2 hear that mate. the alternative is "stylexp" i can do u a tut for that at the weekend if u rly want

[Decatur]

sorry 2 hear that mate. the alternative is "stylexp" i can do u a tut for that at the weekend if u rly want

nah don't worry bout it I just wanted to see Vista cause my machines cant run it