How to Show Actual Theme Name in Windows 7 Desktop Properties?

Whenever you install a 3rd party theme in Windows 7 and try to apply it using Desktop Personalization window, you might have noticed that it always shows "Windows 7" label for the installed themes instead of their actual names:

Actually all such themes are created using the default Aero theme as the base and its name is set to "Windows 7" in its .theme file by default. You just need to modify 3rd party theme's .theme file and set its name to your desired one to show actual theme names. How to do it? Here are the required steps:

1. First open My Computer and copy-paste following text in addressbar:

%windir%\Resources\Themes

Press Enter and it'll open "Themes" folder.

NOTE: Here %windir% represents "Windows" directory present in system drive where Windows 7 is installed, most probably C: drive.

Alternatively, you can go to "Windows\Resources\Themes" folder manually.

2. Now look for the .theme files of the installed 3rd party themes:

3. Right-click on the file and open it in Notepad. Look at the 5th line. It'll contain following text:

DisplayName=@%SystemRoot%\System32\themeui.dll,-2013

4. Delete the text after "DisplayName=" and type your desired name in its place. For example, if you are using Luna theme for Windows 7, set the text to Luna:

DisplayName=Luna

5. That's it. Now save and close the file and open Desktop Personalization window and now you'll see the actual theme name:

NOTE: You can give any name to the theme according to your requirements.

This article was posted in 7 Themes, Troubleshooting, Windows 7.

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11 Comments

Astitva

thanks...it helped me a lot,i was just wondering the same when i downloaded vista theme
Astitva

and could you please tell that how to use aero peek and that preview thing in this luna and other non aero themes???
VG

^^ You can't get Aero features in Basic themes.
Someone

I want to find where they save the"My Themes" themes... VG Do you know where to find it?
MAGNUMHEART

vg. i still have the problem which displays my themes vertically not sorted like yours.

and besides it doesn't have the label "Installed Themes" ^^

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc257/magnumheart/ThemeBox2.jpg
VG

Do you guys use any 3rd party software to install these themes? I can't see "My Themes" section in Desktop Personalization window.
MAGNUMHEART

i really don't have any idea i just followed the steps

to install 3rd party themes using the "Universal Theme Patcher for windows [x86]"

is there something wrong?
VG

^^ I also used the same patcher but can't see "My Themes" section. Strange.
Amirz

Thanks VG solved my problem as well
oscar

it showed the name of the themes without doing this XD