Better Faster PC

If you use Microsoft Windows XP or Office 2003 and contact Microsoft for (now) FREE support you will want to know that this FREE support is soon to be ending. The products will continue to be supported by Microsoft, though support will have to be paid for.

To read the full details check out this post HERE at ZDNet which also give dates for end of support of other Microsoft products. Worth reading if you or your company makes use of the Microsoft support network.

Windows XP has proved to be the most successful release of Windows ever but one thing that most poeple always complained about was the lack of themes supplied by Microsoft, Vista and Windows 7 did not suffer this fate but for some peculiar reason Windows XP was never well supported in terms of themes from Microsoft.
So, today I am going to give you a list of some options you might not have checked out before. These are all completely free.

The Official Microsoft Themes for XP

• Royale Theme - Nice Blue Theme - Get it HERE
• Royale Noir Theme - Nice Dark Theme - Get it HERE
• Zune Theme - Another Dark Theme with a bit of Orange - Get it HERE
• Embedded Theme - Another Nice Blue Theme - Get it HERE

Some Alternative Themes for XP

 These themes are something a bit different and not offiicially from Microsoft - they do offer additional benefits from the official theme and more visual eye candy.

• deviantART is a great resource for XP Themes and you can get some amazing themes from HERE
• Just Skins has a nice list of the their Top 10 Themes for Windows XP - Get it HERE
• There is also a list of themes to make XP look like Windows 7 - Get it HERE

To install non-official themes (ie - Themes not from Microsoft) on Windows XP then you will need to use UXTheme Multi-Patcher which allows you to install any theme not created by Microsoft. You can get it from Softpedia right HERE.

One thing about Windows XP I have always hated (though it is the most successful Operating System ever released), is the lack of official themes supported by Microsoft.

Well, finally there is another one (1), but who is complaining, it’s better than zero.

The Embedded Theme for Windows XP is official, requires no patching and is a dark navy theme. Quite nice, not as dark as black, but not as bright a blue as the theme that comes installed with Windows XP.

If you need a fresh look on your XP desktop then the Embedded theme might be what you are looking for.

The link to the Embedded Theme for XP is HERE.

Unzip the files to Windows\Resources\Themes and then double-click on the file named Embedded.

Windows XP is still used by the majority of Windows users and is going to be with us for a while. While Windows XP is a great operating system and will probably be rememebered for many years after it is finally put to rest as one of the best Windows releases, the interface does look quite dated when compared to the lovely “eye-candy” of Vista.
I have already talked about Transformation Packs in a previous post. I am not a big fan of Transformation Packs, as they usually tamper with system files or require patching of Windows. I am not saying they are all flawed, however with any program that alters system files there is a chance something could go wrong and if it is system related it could be critical.
I have put together a small list of a couple of different things that can be done to freshen up the look of your Windows XP desktop a bit:

• Microsoft for some reason never released any themes for Windows XP but they did release the Zune Theme. It is a nice dark theme for XP and it is officially from Microsoft. Get it HERE.
• Want a bit of transparency? True Transparency is a tiny little program that gives window borders a much prettier transparent skin. Get it HERE. Need more skins to match your color scheme. Go HERE.
• ViOrb is another small program that gives you start menu a fresh look with a lovely Orb instead ofthe plain old rectangular START button. Get it HERE.

These are three quite safe ideas for freshening up Windows XP. There is no fiddling with the registry or changing system files and they are dead simple to install. There is never a guarantee when installing any program on any system as there there are so many different configurations of desktop computers but I have not experienced any major problems with the above mentioned programs. They are all small downloads and in a few short minutes your Windows XP install will be looking fresh and new!
Another great idea is getting hold of a copy of Windows XP Service Pack 3 if you have not got it yet. If you want to download Service Pack 3 then go HERE.
Please remember when turning on any visual enhancements on any desktop there will be more resources consumed. If you are using an older system it is a good idea to only test one program at a time as some programs will affect performance more than others.

If you are worried that other programs may have maliciously infected your Windows Registry than download a FREE scan HERE.