Transform Windows XP into Windows Vista without using Customization Pack

UPDATE: If you want to download all BITMAPs, AVIs and other files mentioned in this tutorial in a single pack, you can download it using this link.

PS: Please create a Restore point using "System Restore" before applying anything mentioned in this tutorial so that you can restore your system back to default if you don't like the changes.

NOTE: If you are facing problems while saving a file after editing in resource hacker, then make sure you have disabled WFP (Windows File Protection) service using "WFP Patcher" or use "Replacer" to replace the file. Both utilities can be found in our "Download" section.

Also if you are getting error "Can't create file...", that means you have edited and saved the same file in past and there is a backup file which need to be deleted before saving this file again. Go to the folder containing this file and you'll see a similar file having "_original" in its name. Delete it and try to save the file in resource hacker.

The most interesting thing in Windows Vista is its look, new icons, cursors, theme, sounds, login screen, boot screen, etc.

If you are still using Windows XP but want to enjoy the new Windows Vista look, then this tutorial will definitely help you.

After following this tutorial, you'll get the same Windows Vista look in your Windows XP. Following is a list of things which are going to change after following this tutorial:

Windows Theme or Visual Style
Boot Screen
Login Screen or Welcome Screen
Sounds
Cursors
Icons
Progress dialog box
Shutdown/Log off dialog box
About Windows box
System Properties dialog box
A few other mods

So here we start our transformation tour:

1. Windows Theme or Visual Style:

First thing which you should change is XP theme. You can get Windows Vista look in XP using "VistaVG Ultimate" theme:

VistaVG Ultimate Theme for Windows XP

2. Vista Boot Screen:

In Vista, Microsoft has removed the graphical boot screen and there is a minimal boot screen with just a progress bar. But it looks nice and you can download a similar boot screen for XP from here:

Download VistaVG Boot Screen

Use Tuneup Utilities to apply it. Its completely safe. To know more about Tuneup Utilities, visit following link:

How to change Windows XP Boot Screen using Tuneup Utilities

3. Vista Login Screen or Welcome Screen:

Vista new login screen is just awesome and "ears1991" at DeviantART created a look-a-like login screen for XP, which you can download from here:

Download Vista Login Screen

This pack contains both LogonXP and LogonUI files. So you can either replace existing "%windir%\System32\LogonUI.exe" file with the LogonUI file in the pack or use Stardock LogonStudio and apply the LogonXP file.

4. Vista Sounds:

Vista contains new sounds, which are quite nice. You can download the whole pack from here:

Download Vista Sounds

Just open "Sounds & Audio Devices" (mmsys.cpl) in Control Panel and goto "Sounds" tab and here you can replace windows default sounds with the new ones.

5. Vista Cursors:

Vista cursors are really sexy. You can download the pack from here:

Download Vista Cursors (Thanks Mike)

6. Vista Icons:

Here is an Icon Pack for Windows XP, which will change XP default icons with Windows Vista icons. So you’ll experience the high-resolution Vista icons in XP:

VistaVG Icon Pack for Windows XP

7. Progress Dialog Box:

Vista progress dialog box is different from XP. But we can make our XP dialog box to look-a-like Vista one by using Resource Hacker.

Just open "%windir%\System32\Shell32.dll" file in Resource Hacker and then goto:

Dialog -> 1020 -> 1033

Now replace the existing code in right-side pane with the code in following file:

progress_dialog_box_code.txt

Click on Compile Script button.

You'll also have to replace existing AVIs in the file with new Vista ones. Just download following Zip file and extract it:

Download AVIs

After extracting the Zip file you'll get 3 AVI files. Replace existing AVIs in shell32.dll file with these new ones in following manner:

AVI -> 160 ->1033 with 160.avi
AVI -> 161 ->1033 with 161.avi
AVI -> 162 ->1033 with 162.avi
AVI -> 163 ->1033 with 162.avi
AVI -> 164 ->1033 with 162.avi

And also download a BMP file from here:

Download BMP

After extracting the BMP file from it, add it at 404 location in file. Just click on Action -> Add a new resource and then click on Open file with new resource button. Select the downloaded BMP file and click on Open. Now in Resource Name enter 404 and in Resource Language enter 1033 and click on Add Resource button. That's it.

8. Shutdown/log off dialog box:

Windows Vista doesn't have any shutdown / log off dialog box but we can redesign Windows XP default shutdown box to make it more refreshing like following screenshot:

Download required BMP files from here:

Download Shutdown BMPs

Extract the file and you'll get 4 BMPs with the name:

1.bmp
2.bmp
3.bmp
4.bmp

Now open "%windir%\System32\Shell32.dll" file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the mentioned BMP files:

Bitmap -> 14351 -> 1033 with 1.bmp
Bitmap -> 14353 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
Bitmap -> 14354 -> 1033 with 1.bmp
Bitmap -> 14355 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
Bitmap -> 14356 -> 1033 with 3.bmp

now save the file and open %windir%\System32\msgina.dll file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the mentioned BMP files:

Bitmap -> 20140 -> 1033 with 1.bmp
Bitmap -> 20141 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
Bitmap -> 20142 -> 1033 with 1.bmp
Bitmap -> 20143 -> 1033 with 2.bmp
Bitmap -> 20150 -> 1033 with 4.bmp

Now save the file.

9. About Windows box:

To change the About Windows box you'll have to change 2 things: the BITMAP file and the text of box saying Windows XP.

Download the required BITMAP file from here:

Download About BMP
Mirror

Open "%windir%\System32\Shell32.dll" file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the downloaded BMP file:

Bitmap -> 131 -> 1033 (For XP Professional)
Bitmap -> 147 -> 1033 (For XP Home)

Now open %windir%\System32\msgina.dll file in Resource Hacker and then replace following BITMAPs with the downloaded BMP file:

Bitmap -> 101 -> 1033 (For XP Professional)
Bitmap -> 107 -> 1033 (For XP Professional)
Bitmap -> 128 -> 1033 (For XP Home)
Bitmap -> 129 -> 1033 (For XP Home)

Now to change the text of dialog box, open "%windir%\System32\xpsp1res.dll" file in Resource Hacker and then goto:

Dialog -> 14352 -> 1033

Now replace the existing code in right-side pane with the code in following file:

about_dialog_box_code.txt

Click on Compile Script button and save the file.

10. System Properties dialog box:

To change the System Properties dialog box, you can follow this tutorial:

Hacking System Properties Dialog Box (Sysdm.cpl file) in Windows XP

11. A few other mods:

1. Windows Vista shows the "View" menu on desktop too, you can also enable it in XP using following tut:

How to enable "VIEW" Menu on Desktop in Windows XP

2. Windows Vista's All Programs menu is different from XP, you can follow following tut to make ur XP Programs menu similar to Vista:

Change Look-n-Feel of Windows XP Start Menu

3. In Windows Vista an animated Vista Logo is also displayed before the Login screen. You can also do a similar thing in XP. Just download required BMP file from here:

Download ORB BMP

Open regedit and goto:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

In right-side pane change the value of Wallpaper String value to the Path of downloaded BMP file. e.g., if you saved the BMP file at "D:\Startup.bmp", then set the value of Wallpaper to D:\Startup.bmp. Now you'll get a similar Vista Logo just before the Login screen in XP too.

4. In Windows Vista explorer, A small horizontal progress bar is displayed under each drive icon showing the filled/remaining space in the drive.

You can also do the same in XP by using a 3rd party utility:

Download Vista Drive Icon

Just run the file and it'll add the progress bar in each drive.

5. In Windows Vista explorer, we get Bread Crumbs in addressbar which is quite useful. You can also get the same feature in Windows XP using "QT Addressbar":

QT Addressbar: Windows Vista Addressbar Clone for Windows XP

6. Windows Vista also contains a Sidebar, which is displayed on right-side on desktop (by default and can be changed to be displayed at left-side). You can also use a sidebar in XP. Just download it from here.

That's all for now. After following all the above mentioned steps, you'll get Windows Vista look-n-feel in Windows XP.

NOTE: If you have any problem with Resource Hacker and want to know about it, then please go through following tutorials:

All About Resource Hacker in a Brief Tutorial

List of Files to be hacked using Resource Hacker

List of a few Locations in Windows XP System Files to be Hacked using Resource Hacker

PS: If you want to transform your Windows XP into 7, then following link will help you:

Transform Windows XP into Windows 7 without using Customization Pack

Complete list of AskVG articles

This article was posted in Resource Hacker, Windows XP, XP Themes.

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861 Comments

Jack

Vishal, great work It took me a couple of attempts to get the shutdown and progress bar to work, but I finally got it when I used the WPF program.

My question is now that I have everything working fine can I uninstall the programs that were used in adding some of the functions (e.g. Stardock, Tuneup Utilities & Logon Studio)? If I uninstall will any of the components added in this tutorial stop working?
VG

^^ No. You should not uninstall them otherwise default things might get stored by Windows.
Rajosik

Hello sir, I was wondering, I can't get the QTaddress bar to work. I have .NET framework 2.0, the program installs itself and tells me to log off to see changes, but even after I do so I don't see any change.
Rajosik

Hello sir, I was wondering, I can't get the QTaddress bar to work. I have .NET framework 2.0, the program installs itself and tells me to log off to see changes, but even after I do so I don't see any change.
midhu

hi dude, i have done most of of ur works in my laptop..its really cool.but i have noticed that in vista while pointing to some icon in desktop it's highlighting in a square way which i felt i s really beautiful.pls pls try to make some thing like that..pls its really cool..
Xaphiris

Hello,

After replacing the AVIs, windows calculator will not work.

I get the following message and none of the windows hotfixes seem to correct this:

The system DLL user32.dll was relocated in memory. The application will not run properly. The relocation occurred because the DLL C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll occupied an address range reserved for Windows system DLLs. The vendor supplying the DLL should be contacted for a new DLL.

Other applications, that I'm not aware of, might also be affected, as it says in the Microsoft knowledge base, this kind of error can cause several programs not to work correctly.

Any ideas how to fix this while keeping the vista AVIs in shell32.dll at the same time?

P.S. I can't be expected to check the comments section here all the time so please send me an email when you reply.
Xaphiris

OK fixed it.

Security update KB925902 was causing the problem.

You can remove this update by opening the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet, ticking Show Updates and selecting / uninstalling the update after the list loads.
harris

hi vishal .
i modified the volme control but in it every item has an border of the xpdefault colour . its the same in some other mods also.
pls advice
Ashim

i want vista like icon slider...so that i can make it big as i wish...but icon should look smooth & clear...is it possible in xp....
clint

Hi sir, I have done transforming my xp to vist by following your instructions, but seems I have missed something because everytime I press the shutdown button, I get an error message "Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

I think I've done something wrong...please any help that could restore my Shutdown correctly? I know how to reformat but I don't want to do it...I only manage to shutdown my computer using the task manager.

If any help hope I could come back soon here in your site to get some solution and thanks in advance sir...