Windows 7 look is very much similar to Vista with a few minor changes here and there and if you are a customization lover like me, you might want to change its look and apply some 3rd party themes. But the question is, how to use 3rd party themes in Windows 7?
Like other Windows versions, Windows 7 also doesn't allow 3rd party themes to be used by default and you'll need to patch following 3 system files to be able to use 3rd party themes in Windows 7:
- uxtheme.dll
- themeui.dll
- themeservice.dll
All these 3 files are stored in "%windir%\System32" folder. Manually patching these files is a risky and time consuming task, so we are sharing a small utility which can help you in patching these files easily and quickly.
"Universal Theme Patcher" is an excellent UxTheme Patcher which supports Windows XP SP2/SP3, Server 2003, Vista SP1/SP2, Server 2008 and Windows 7. It can be used in both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) systems.
You can download it using following links:
Following are simple steps to use this awesome tool:
1. You just need to run its EXE file and it'll ask you to select the language:
2. Click on OK button and it'll detect the OS and condition of the system files. It'll show you the information and will ask you for confirmation:
3. Click on Yes button. Now you'll see the main interface of this tool. You just need to click on the "Patch" button given for each file:
4.Once you patch a file, the "Restore" button gets activated so that you can restore the default file in future:
5. Restart your system and you'll be able to use 3rd party themes in Windows 7 without any problem.
6. At last simply copy the .theme file and its theme folder to "%windir%\Resources\Themes" folder (where %windir% means "Windows" directory present in system drive where Windows 7 is installed. Most probably C: drive). Now double-click on .theme file and it'll apply the theme or you can apply it using Desktop Personalization window.
Following is a screenshot of Windows 7 RTM using 3rd party theme "Gel XP Blue":
PS: It supports all Windows 7 builds including public Beta and RC.
Complete list of AskVG articlesThis article was posted in 7 Themes, Troubleshooting, Windows 7.
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Jason
Sorry for the last 3 messages, i didnt think that my first 2 sent properly lol
VG
^^ That's strange. May be some problem with your Windows? I have checked it in RTM and its working absolutely fine.
Maniaslayer9
Hey VG...you know how to apply a 3rd party theme?
i've downloaded some...but when they apply...it only changed color of taskbar
VG
^^ I think you are talking about .theme files. Those files only contain some colors and icons changes. Those themes will not make any major change to your system.
Maniaslayer9
well look at this theme
http://djabytown.deviantart.com/art/ThaImpact-VS-for-Windows-7-RC-123553200
it looks pretty good but i don't know how to apply it...as i said it only changed tranperancy color...but theres alot of things in the folder...explorer things and .dll's...
it can't be that applying a theme is hard enough to apply every single file...unlike in vista it changed the whole thing
any help would be appreciated
VG
^^ Those extra DLL and EXE files are used to change additional things like Start ORB, Explorer icons, etc.
You should be able to get the look by simply applying the theme. If its not happening, then most probably your system is not patched properly. Try to re-patch it using uXtheme patcher.
Maniaslayer9
ok i applyed the ThaImpact theme but uhh start orb is still there and looks kinda bad with theme
the explorer things dont seem to apply...ill repatch like you said.
thanks for your help
LeOneL
i also applied "Get XP Blue" on my Windows 7 RC build 7100 and I was not able to log in again when I restarted the cimputer. Due to this, I had to repair my Windows OS to be able to log in again. Any idea how to fix it? I wanted to use the team because it is cool.
DarkPotato
Hi VG,
Thanks for the article. My graphics card does not support aero, does that mean that I cannot use custom themes for Windows 7? I've tried patching, it patched. I tried applying the Vista theme, and it did not work. I tried applying the Gel theme, and it still did not work. I've tried many registry tweaks to force aero for Windows 7 and none of them work.
Thanks
VG
^^ Almost all current Windows 7 themes are for Aero only, thats why you'll not notice any difference while using those themes.