[Tutorial] Creating a Windows Vista Visual Style

[UK.Intel]

Click Here to Download this tutorial (PDF) | Click Here to View this tutorial in German

How to make a Visual Style for Windows Vista

Getting Started

1. Download and Install The uxTheme Patch from this LINK

This will allow you to apply custom themes

2. Download and Install my Theme Template from this LINK

This will install a copy of the original aero theme and place all the required files into the correct locations with Jemaho?s Improved Shellstyle, ready for modifying.i>3. Download and Install Restorator 2007 from this LINKb>

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; Copyright ? Microsoft Corp. 1995-2001

[Theme]

DiTemplate Themeizec-->

; My Computer

[CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]

DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-109

; My Documents

[CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\DefaultIcon]

DefaultValue=%WinDir%SYSTEM32\mydocs.dll,0

; My Network Places - SHIDI_MYNETWORK

[CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]

DefaultValue=%WinDir%SYSTEM32\imageres.dll,-25

; Recycle Bin

[CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon]

full=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-54

empty=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-55

[Control Panel\Colors]

ActiveTitle=153 180 209

Background=0 0 0

Hilight=51 153 255

HilightText=255 255 255

TitleText=0 0 0

Window=255 255 255

WindowText=0 0 0

Scrollbar=200 200 200

InactiveTitle=191 205 219

Menu=240 240 240

WindowFrame=100 100 100

MenuText=0 0 0

ActiveBorder=180 180 180

InactiveBorder=244 247 252

AppWorkspace=171 171 171

ButtonFace=240 240 240

ButtonShadow=160 160 160

GrayText=128 128 128

ButtonText=0 0 0

InactiveTitleText=67 78 84

ButtonHilight=255 255 255

ButtonDkShadow=105 105 105

ButtonLight=227 227 227

InfoText=0 0 0

InfoWindow=255 255 225

GradientActiveTitle=185 209 234

GradientInactiveTitle=215 228 242

ButtonAlternateFace=0 0 0

HotTrackingColor=0 102 204

MenuHilight=51 153 255

MenuBar=240 240 240

[Control Panel\Cursors]

Arrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_arrow.cur

Help=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_helpsel.cur

AppStarting=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_working.ani

Wait=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_busy.ani

NWPen=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_pen.cur

No=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_unavail.cur

SizeNS=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ns.cur

SizeWE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ew.cur

Crosshair=

IBeam=

SizeNWSE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nwse.cur

SizeNESW=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nesw.cur

SizeAll=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_move.cur

UpArrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_up.cur

DefaultValue=Windows Aero

Hand=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_link.cur

Link=

[Control Panel\Desktop]

Wallpaper=%SystemRoot%\resources\themes\[/b]izec-->\Wallpaper.jpg

TileWallpaper=0

WallpaperStyle=2

Pattern=

ScreenSaveActive=0

[Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]

[Metrics]

IconMetrics=76 0 0 0 75 0 0 0 75 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 244 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 83 101 103 111 101 32 85 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

NonclientMetrics=84 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 244 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 83 101 103 111 101 32 85 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 17 0 0 0 244 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 83 101 103 111 101 32 85 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 19 0 0 0 244 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 83 101 103 111 101 32 85 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 244 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 83 101 103 111 101 32 85 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 244 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 0 83 101 103 111 101 32 85 73 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

PaddedBorderWidth=4

[boot]

SCRNSAVE.EXE=%WinDir%\System32\logon.scr

[MasterThemeSelector]

MTSM=DABJDKT

ThemeColorBPP=4

[VisualStyles]

Path=%SystemRoot%\resources\TTemplateizec-->\[/b]izec-->.msstyles

ColorStyle=NormalColor

Size=NormalSize

ColorizationColor=0X45409EFE

Now you have edited those 3 importSave and Exit the file.e file.

(See the Next section ?Resource Locations? for a rough guide to show you what images to edit)ages to edit)Extract the Individual images (or the entire image folder) image folder)

If your image is not Alpha compatible then you will notice a horrible white background when applied to your theme[/i]to your theme

Replace the Images back into the folder they came from they came from

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This is just a rough guide of some of the Common Images you can edit to make your style, there are Hundreds of images you can edit and most of them are used for both aero and basic.

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For more advanced Styling see my other tutorialsher Vista Hex-Editingsta Hex-Editing - for Text colours, Margins and much more. DownloVista Font Changesta Font Change - for changing Font types. Download LINK

Edited August 1, 2007 by UK.Intel

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Very nicely done! You are a major part of the Vista skinning comunity, and pushing it forward with helpful posts like this.

[Jeston Veteran]

Thanks a lot, I will definitely try this out.

[Rascally]

Dude, this is EXCELLENT! Thank you very much for contrbuting this. It solves a couple little issues I was having with making a new VS on Sunday. :)

[UK.Intel]

Very nicely done! You are a major part of the Vista skinning comunity, and pushing it forward with helpful posts like this.

Thank you for the encouraging comments :) It means alot.

I wish anyone who wants to make a visual style for vista all the best of luck, and no matter what the outcome I know how much effort goes into it :)

[ThehAWKs]

always thought about making a theme now i can thanks

[UK.Intel]

always thought about making a theme now i can thanks

I look forward to seeing it (if you decide to go for it) :)

[QuangT]

How do you edit stream folder? I see only one image in it. where are those 822 to 846 images in stream folder?

[Minifig]

Great tutorial!

[ozgeek]

Hi all, I am using Restorator 2007 to replace the start menu pngs with the ones from maxclear onto the thin taskbar mod. When I do that, I get this:

(yes, I did use the AlphaConv.exe file to convert them to pngs.)

[Mr.Matt]

uk intel i can't thaknk you enough bro , but when i tried to edit the first couple of lines in the notepap code it whouldn't let me save the file so any help with this whould be great

[Mr.Matt]

also im running a 64 bit version of vista and tryed to install a vis style and it whould not werk can sum body help me put please

[hobbester]

Sorry to bump, but I'm going through this and wondered whether it was possible to find the provided template originally found here.

Mediafire no longer hosts the file

Also, there is a minor error in the original post and pdf:

Naming Your Theme Files

If you have installed my Theme Template, Navigate to C:Windows\Resources\Themes.

You will need to rename the following files to the name you wish to call your theme.

I recommend you name all the files the same.

? Template.Theme

? Template Folder

? Template.msstyle

Edited December 15, 2007 by hobbester

[stylong]

Meaning of other resource ID's I found:

list items background as used eg. in file explorer:

565 - selected focused item

566 - hovered item

567 - selected&hovered item

568 - selected item

.. and you NEED to change these when creating aero mods, cause MS made hover and selection look almost the same, :angry: !

897 - aero taskbar button glyph

I started creating a skin with some stuff and ideas taken from plastik xp by contra (only available for XP now :( ) and based an aero out of necessity.

What I changed also is nasty mandatory bubbly bluish menu and toolbar background.

[downtheory]

Not to go offtopic here, but could anyone please tell me how to align a new start button after I design it?

Everytime I try this my start button has white all around it, and its never aligned properly with the rest of the taskbar. I`ve been using the default Vista start button as a reference but still no luck. As of right now I have ForXy over at deviantart helping me out, but I would like to know how to do this for future reference. :) And btw, thanks Uk.Intel for the great tutorials.

[HappyAndyK]

Awesome tut. Thank You !!

[Leoboy]

Thanks! Happy Holidays :)