AskVG

Download Windows 8 RTM Theme for Windows XP

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“VistaVG” and “SevenVG” are 2 of the best and most popular themes available for Windows XP and I’m proud to be the person behind them. VistaVG theme is a Windows Vista look-like theme for XP and SevenVG theme was created to provide Windows 7 look-n-feel in Windows XP.

Many Windows XP users ask me when will I release a Windows 8 look-like theme for Windows XP? Now the wait is over and I think I’ll not need to create such a theme for Windows XP. Why?

Our friend “PeterRollar” has created a Windows 8 RTM theme for Windows XP which transforms your Windows XP into Windows 8 RTM. This theme is based on my SevenVG theme so you can trust on the theme and can apply it without any worries. It’ll not slow down your system.

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Following is a preview of this theme in action:

Windows_8_RTM_Theme_Windows_XP.png

As you can see in the above screenshot, Windows XP looks very close to Windows 8 RTM. Same square borders on windows, same borderless titlebar buttons and same clean UI.

If you also want to make your Windows XP to look-like Windows 8, you should definitely use this theme.

To enjoy the theme, just follow these simple steps:

1. First of all download the theme using following link:

Download Windows 8 RTM Theme for Windows XP

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2. After downloading, extract the RAR file using 7-Zip or WinRAR and you’ll get a folder “DA”. This folder contains 2 editions of this theme:

  • Advanced Version
  • Standard Version

Both these editions come in 2 versions:

  • Theme with Start button
  • Theme without Start button

3. Copy the desired version folder to “%windir%\Resources\Themes\” folder and apply the theme using Desktop Properties. Here, %windir% means C:\Windows\ folder. We assume that Windows is installed in C: drive in your system. If you installed Windows in some other drive, replace C: with the appropriate drive letter.

You can also double-click on the .msstyles file to directly apply it.

NOTE. Make sure your system is patched to allow custom 3rd party themes. If its not, check out following tutorial to learn how to use custom themes in Windows:

How to Install & Use Themes in Windows?

Published in: Themes and Wallpapers, Windows XP

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

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Comments

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  1. @IKJ
    I have removed this arrow because this skin is meant to be used with this deviation:
    peterrollar.deviantart.com/art/Windows-8-RTM-Build-9200-331185073
    The included SBar skin has its own arrow, So if there would be an arrow in this skin, you would have two arrows. If you have never tried SBar, give it a try, you will love it.

  2. @VishalGupta Thanks for forwarding my query 🙂 I appreciate it :]

    @PeterRollar Thanks for replying! 🙂
    I just wanted to say that you did a great job on the customization pack. I eventually found it:
    https://www.askvg.com/transform-windows-xp-into-windows-8-using-windows-8-developer-preview-kit/

    I didn’t realise there was an entire pack 😛
    I am going to go and install everything now! 😀
    Does it come with a llama? lol XD

    Thanks again @VG and @PR! 🙂

  4. hi,i m use theme vista vg ultimate but i have a problem on this themes
    my desktop lose icon and the icon show and lose show again
    how to fix it

  5. Cannot restore windows xp Logon ui to default.

    I want restore to default windows XP ui, but the logon lock screen image cannot restore.
    It still shows Windows 8.
    I donno how to restore it.. pls help me!!!

  6. @TimYao
    First of all tell us what u used the transformation pack or manual install method to install the windows 8 logon ui and whether u have the xp iso or cd with u available or not?
    -10th Jan 2014, 05:44 GMT

  10. Hey, how I can set icons to be like in Windows 8? When i apply theme and do things by tutorial, everything is fine. But icons aren’t from Win 8 😀

  16. when i tired to apply the theme a box showed up
    error loading visual styles

    the visual styles could not be loaded because the file failed to load not enough storage is available to process this command

  17. ^^ Make sure you have patched Windows using UXTheme Patcher and have copied the .theme file and its folder to C:\Windows\Resources\themes folder.

  18. i have one for vista to make it look like rtm:
    thevistas2004.deviantart.com/art/Windows-8-RTM-for-Windows-Vista-527974927

  19. VG wrote:

    ^^ Make sure you have patched Windows using UXTheme Patcher and have copied the .theme file and its folder to C:\Windows\Resources\themes folder.

    ME:

    This is exactly the problem, there is no .theme file in this package and I have looked around for advice and you have some other pages explaining how to make a .theme but I can’t get it to work either, please sort out this .theme problem once and for all, I see many other who ask about this dreaded .theme file, I have been trying now for 3 hours, edit… restart…. patch….. over and over again, I can not make it work because of the very scares information on how to put together a .theme file, please help us and thanks in advance. 🙁

    Here below is my .theme file based on the original luna .theme file one can find in Win XP, I just changed the Display name and path to the .msstyles file.
    —–

    ; Copyright © Microsoft Corp. 1995-2001

    [Theme]
    DisplayName=Windows 8.1 BLUE

    ; My Computer
    [CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
    DefaultValue=%WinDir%explorer.exe,0

    ; My Documents
    [CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\DefaultIcon]
    DefaultValue=%WinDir%SYSTEM32\mydocs.dll,0

    ; My Network Places
    [CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
    DefaultValue=%WinDir%SYSTEM32\shell32.dll,17

    ; Recycle Bin
    [CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon]
    full=%WinDir%SYSTEM32\shell32.dll,32
    empty=%WinDir%SYSTEM32\shell32.dll,31

    [Control Panel\Cursors]
    Arrow=
    Help=
    AppStarting=
    Wait=
    NWPen=
    No=
    SizeNS=
    SizeWE=
    Crosshair=
    IBeam=
    SizeNWSE=
    SizeNESW=
    SizeAll=
    UpArrow=
    DefaultValue=Windows default
    DefaultValue.MUI=@themeui.dll,-2043

    [Control Panel\Desktop]
    Wallpaper=
    TileWallpaper=0
    WallpaperStyle=2
    Pattern=
    ScreenSaveActive=0

    [VisualStyles]
    Path=%ResourceDir%\Themes\Windows 8.1 VS\BLUE 8.1.msstyles
    ColorStyle=NormalColor
    Size=NormalSize

    [boot]
    SCRNSAVE.EXE=%WinDir%\System32\logon.scr

    [MasterThemeSelector]
    MTSM=DABJDKT
    ThemeColorBPP=8

  20. ^^ Make sure you save the .theme file with the name “Windows 8.1 VS.theme” and put the .theme file directly into “%ResourceDir%\Themes” folder.

  21. I have created a Windows 7 theme for Windows 8.1 called Se7en UI: ironmanrogers.deviantart.com/art/Se7en-UI-541882067

    And about this:
    VG wrote:
    Actually people have stopped skinning Vista and have moved to Windows 7 so there are no new themes available for Vista.

    Actually, I still skin Vista (my favorite Windows version) so you will see new Vista themes from me.

  23. Sir, I am not able to get windows 8 theme option I get only two options that are win xp style and win classic style

  26. I can’t understand the following: “copy the desired folder”, and you didn’t answer the question again why you put ^^ for each reply?

  28. ^^ You need to copy a selected folder to “%windir%\Resources\Themes\” folder.

    “^^” is used when we post reply to previous comment.

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