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!
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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....