The "Windows XP" Desktop Themes v1.0 ==================================== ©Copyright 2008, Rich „Weeds„ Nagel - Some rights reserved Overview -------- Over a month in the making, introducing the "Windows XP" Desktop Themes v1.0 for your Windows desktop enjoyment! The files contained in this installation consist of several "Microsoft Plus! Pack" desktop themes and "Active" desktop themes for Windows 9x (or higher). Several themes are included in the installation, and are all based on graphics and sounds from Windows XP. The following desktop themes are included in this installation: Weeds Windows XP Desktop Theme Weeds Windows XP Active Desktop Theme Weeds Windows XP Active Desktop (Ambient Sound) Theme Windows XP Desktop Theme Windows XP Active Desktop Theme Windows XP Active Desktop (Ambient Sound) Theme The themes include new 3D stereo sounds, color schemes, cursors, Explorer toolbar menu and "Web View" graphics, icons, screensavers, startup and shutdown screens, and wallpaper backgrounds. System Requirements ------------------- The standard desktop themes included in this installation require any Windows 9x (or higher) PC running "Microsoft Plus! 95" (or higher). You can also use any third-party desktop themes control panel replacement, such as Left Side Software's "Desktop Themes v1.89", which can be downloaded from http://www.lss.com.au or http://www.gpsoft.com.au/lss on the Internet. Note that unlike the "Microsoft Plus!" and Windows 98 desktop themes control panel applets, "Desktop Themes v1.89" will also automatically change the Windows startup and shutdown screens (without you having to manually copy them to their correct folders on your hard drive). Also note that the desktop themes control panel applet that ships with "Microsoft Plus! 95" or "Microsoft Plus! 98" will automatically change the Windows Explorer "Web View" graphics (which are used when selecting "View as Web Page" within "My Computer" and the Windows Explorer), unlike the stock Windows 98 desktop themes control panel applet that ships with Windows 98 (which does not support changing the Windows Explorer "Web View" graphics). The "Active" desktop themes included in this installation require a Pentium 200 (or higher) processor, Windows 9x (or higher) with "Active" desktop and Java capability (or Sun Microsystems' "Java Virtual Machine" runtime installed), and your Windows desktop video resolution set to 800x600 24-bit color. To ensure that you have "Active Desktop" capability and that it is enabled, click "Start", "Settings", and then "Active Desktop" and make sure that there is a check mark beside the "View as Web Page" option. If you do not have "Active Desktop" showing in the "Start/Settings" menu, then you do not have Active Desktop capability. You will have to read the help provided with Windows 9x (or higher). Click "Start" and "Help", and then search for "Active Desktop" in the Windows help index. Installation ------------ To install the the "Windows XP" Desktop Themes v1.0, simply unzip "Windows_XP_Desktop_Themes_v1.0.zip" to any folder on your hard drive and then run the included "Windows XP Desktop Themes v1.0 Install.exe" for a completely automatic installation. Alternatively, you can simply open the "Windows XP Desktop Themes v1.0 Install.exe" file with any archive unzipping utility (such as WinZip), and extract only the files for the various desktop themes that you wish to use. The installer program file is simply a self-extracting ZIP format archive created with a registered version of WinZip's "Self-Extractor" utility. Usage ----- Simply run your desktop themes control panel applet of choice and load any of the included desktop themes. As previously mentioned, the stock Windows 98 desktop themes control panel applet that ships with Windows 98 (as well as Left Side Software's "Desktop Themes v1.89") does not support changing the Windows Explorer "Web View" graphics (which are used when selecting "View as Web Page" within "My Computer" and the Windows Explorer). In this case, you will have to manually copy the files "WVLeft.bmp", "WVLine.gif", and "WVLogo.gif" to your "C:\Windows\Web" folder on your hard drive if you wish to use their enhancements. Also as previously mentioned, the only desktop themes control panel applet that supports automatically changing the Windows startup and shutdown screens is "Desktop Themes v1.89". If you are not using a desktop themes control panel applet that supports changing these screens, you will have to manually copy the file "Logo.sys" to your "C:\" folder on your hard drive, and manually copy the files "LogoW.sys" and "LogoS.sys" to your "C:\Windows" folder on your hard drive if you wish to use their enhancements. Note that none of the desktop themes control panel applets support changing the Windows "link select" hand cursor, the "My Briefcase" icon, the Windows and Internet Explorer toolbar background images and animated logos, or preset the included screensavers' required options and settings for the various included desktop themes. In light of this fact, I have included the following "batch" and Windows "registry" files to assist you with automatically changing these Windows items to match the various included desktop themes: "Weeds Windows XP Additional Desktop Items.bat" - Automatically merges the files "Link Select (XP).reg", "My Briefcase (XP).reg", "Weeds Windows XP Explorer Toolbar Background.reg", "Weeds Windows XP Explorer Toolbar Logo.reg", and "Weeds Windows XP Screensaver.reg" into the Windows registry. "Windows 98 Additional Desktop Items.bat" - Automatically merges the files "Link Select (98).reg", "My Briefcase 1 (98).reg" or "My Briefcase 2 (98).reg", "Windows 98 Explorer Toolbar Background.reg", "Windows 98 Explorer Toolbar Logo.reg", and "Windows 98 Screensaver.reg" into the Windows registry. "Windows XP Additional Desktop Items.bat" - Automatically merges the files "Link Select (XP).reg", "My Briefcase (XP).reg", "Windows XP Explorer Toolbar Background.reg", "Windows XP Explorer Toolbar Logo.reg", and "Windows XP Screensaver.reg" into the Windows registry. Run your choice of one of the above three "batch" files to automatically change the afore-mentioned Windows items to match the included desktop themes, or to revert back to the Windows 98 defaults. Note that Windows must be restarted for the changes to take effect. Important Usage Note -------------------- After loading in any of the "Active Desktop" themes, you will no longer be able to right-click on your desktop to access the Windows right-click desktop menu (i.e. to access the Windows "Display Properties" control panel applet). This is simply a normal side effect of the running "Anfy Lake" Java applet used for the wavy water effects of the "Active Desktop" themes. Note that there is a tiny border at the very top of your screen (located in an area where the Java applet is not running) which can be used to accomplish this. Simply move your mouse to the extreme top of your screen and right-click to access the Windows right-click desktop menu. Legalities ---------- The "Windows XP" Desktop Themes v1.0 - ©Copyright 2008, Rich „Weeds„ Nagel - Some rights reserved The "Windows XP" Desktop Themes v1.0 (Windows_XP_Desktop_Themes_v1.0.zip) may be freely distributed in their whole and unmodified form for any non-commercial use, contained in their original unmodified and unedited ZIP format archive, including all documents, text, and support files. All other commercial and/or freeware media and references are trademarked and/or copyright per their respective copyright holders. Version History --------------- v1.0 - First public release. (January 28, 2008) ENJOY! ------ Rich „Weeds„ Nagel richnagel@earthlink.net richnagel@simpilot.net rfnagel@juno.com rfnagel@racesimcentral.com http://www.richnagel.net http://home.earthlink.net/~richnagel http://www.geocities.com/rfnagel http://www.geocities.com/timessquare/metro/7256 http://www.simpilot.net/~richnagel http://tang.cmoo.com/~snor/ http://tang.cmoo.com/~snor/weeds/ http://tang.cmoo.com/~snor/weeds/Desktop_Themes