Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Beta, Windows x64
Free themes, gadgets, wallpaper for Windows 7 beta
by Lee Mathews Jan 13th 2009 at 10:00AM
If you're running the Windows 7 public beta, why not head over to Microsoft's personalization page and grab some free downloads to customize your desktop? There are currently 15 themes, 13 wallpapers, and 8 desktop gadgets available.
If you're running a compatible setup (i.e. laptop with a tiny secondary display) there are also 5 gadgets available for SideShow.
The themes are straight from Microsoft, so no patching is required - just click and install. Not running Windows 7 and still want to use the stunning background images? Just extract the .themepack files using an application like 7-zip.
As a Windows user, customization has always been important to me. After being stuck with the boring green-and-blue start button/taskbar combo for so long with XP, it's nice to see a number of themes available at this stage of the Win7 game.
[ via Life Rocks 2.0 ]
note: I did try extracting the pack and installing the theme file on Vista Ultimate as well, but didn't have complete success. Wallpaper changed, and the taskbar started to re-color, then it reverted to the Aero Glass default. Let us know if you're able to get it working!
If you're running a compatible setup (i.e. laptop with a tiny secondary display) there are also 5 gadgets available for SideShow.
The themes are straight from Microsoft, so no patching is required - just click and install. Not running Windows 7 and still want to use the stunning background images? Just extract the .themepack files using an application like 7-zip.
As a Windows user, customization has always been important to me. After being stuck with the boring green-and-blue start button/taskbar combo for so long with XP, it's nice to see a number of themes available at this stage of the Win7 game.
[ via Life Rocks 2.0 ]
note: I did try extracting the pack and installing the theme file on Vista Ultimate as well, but didn't have complete success. Wallpaper changed, and the taskbar started to re-color, then it reverted to the Aero Glass default. Let us know if you're able to get it working!
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jash Sayani said 12:12PM on 1-13-2009
Nice find Lee. Will check it out. I am planning to develop some gadgets for Windows 7....
BTW, Win7 works fine on my Aspire one. Just installed it yesterday.
Reply
friko said 9:15PM on 1-13-2009
Someone should make a guide about installing it on netbooks for us n00bs. I have an Acer One too, but the guides I have seen are a bit confusing/light, mostly in the partitioning and booting from USB parts.
Henrik said 1:10PM on 1-13-2009
The Maple theme worked fine on my Vista x64. Had to set the wallpaper manually, but the colours etc. seems to be consistent with what I see in my Windows 7 VPC.
Reply
blarg said 1:59PM on 1-13-2009
Ive dl'd most of these new themes and have them loaded yet im only able to change the background and not the actual theme. I think the problem is the Standard VGA driver which im unable to update or rollback, when i tred the nvidia driver said im not running windows...
?
Reply
Mike said 4:50PM on 1-13-2009
grab the latest vista driver from nvidia's website.
blarg said 4:55PM on 1-13-2009
that is exactly what i tried, but in the driver installation an error pops up and claims im not using windows.
just curious what to do.
Reply
Basti756 said 5:56AM on 1-14-2009
Nice that you don't have to patch uxtheme.dll anymore to install 3rd party themes
@friko
check this site out to get Windows 7 to work on your netbook:
http://www.multimolti.de/blog/2009/01/09/shrink-windows-7-to-fit-on-asus-eee-pc-4gb-sdd/
Reply
friko said 2:44PM on 1-14-2009
Thanks, I was looking mainly for a way to partition my drive without a dc/dvd drive, though....