How to Include Custom Themes in Windows XP, MCE or 2003 Setup?



If you are a Windows XP, MCE or 2003 user and use 3rd party themes like VistaVG in your Windows, then many times you might have wondered how to include these themes in Windows setup so that it can install and apply itself whenever you install Windows.

Now no longer wondering or wait. Just follow these simple steps and you'll be able to include your desired themes in Windows setup:

1. Copy your Windows Setup from CD to your hard disk.

2. Suppose you copied the whole setup to D:\Setup folder. Now open Setup folder.

3. You'll see a few folders like I386, etc. Now create a new folder $OEM$

4. Open $OEM$ folder and create another new folder $$

5. Open $$ folder and create another new folder Resources

6. Open Resources folder and create another new folder Themes

7. So the final path will be:

D:\Setup\$OEM$\$$\Resources\Themes

8. Now copy your desired theme's folder and .theme file from %windir%\Resources\Themes folder and paste into the new "Themes" folder which you created earlier.

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/2392/themecopyaq5.jpg

9. Now goto "I386" folder in the Setup and look for file "WINNT.SIF". Open it in Notepad and paste following lines at last.

[Shell]
CustomDefaultThemeFile = "%WinDir%\Resources\Themes\VistaVG Ultimate.theme"

NOTE: We have taken "VistaVG Ultimate" theme in our tutorial, if you want to include any other theme, then replace "VistaVG Ultimate" with your desired theme name.

10. Save the file and you have done. Now you can create a new Setup CD using this customized Windows setup.

TIP: If you want to do the same using utilities, then use nLite which can also do the job easily and automatically.



This article was posted in Windows XP.

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28 Comments

  • Can we include new fonts in the XP installation CD,if so how

  • Ya Same Question.

  • how to edit *.thm that is theme files?????? means i want to edit windows theme but how? resource hacker cant work. pls help..............

  • help please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • hey vg you've showed 1 themes but ahat about more.

  • VG

    ^^ You can copy as many themes as you want in "$OEM$\$$\Resources\Themes" folder but only one theme can be made default obviously.

  • :idea: hey vg how to burn the setup folder as a bootable cd :?:

  • VG

    ^^ Use nLite to create bootable CD. There is a tutorial for it in "Windows Setup" section.

  • hey vg tell how to edit inbuilt luna & classic themes so we change there wallpapers???????????

  • hey vg tell how to edit inbuilt luna & classic themes so we change there wallpapers???????????

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