WinXP desktop theme modifications

[Megatomic]

A few years back I was customizing my desktop with themes and yzdock and stuff and all was well. Then I got into hardware modifications and lost interest in desktop mods. This brings me up to the present.

Now I want to mod my desktop again but I am way out of the loop. Back then I was hacking the uxtheme.dll with some downloaded file. And I was using yzdock for the MacOS X-like dock. And now I see all kinds of new stuff being used.

So, what's the really good stuff to use these days? I like to mod the desktop and use as little resources as possible, and I certainly don't want to introduce an application that contributes to instability. I've worked hard to build a rock-stable computer. That's why I used the hacked .dll last time around. Anything similar being used these days? How about favorite sites for themes and stuff?

I'll gladly take any advice/tips you care to give. TIA. :beer:

 

[Anubis]

Object Dock
http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/

I use Style XP only because the uxtheme.dll crashed XP last i tried to use it years ago

 

[imported_jb]

it seems that a lot of people still use Y'z dock. AFAIK, it's not being developed and is almost hard to find. and i almost don't like the latest version of Objectdock. i don't use any docks tho.

i think i'm addicted to WindowBlinds tho. i used to use the DLL patch. unless you want the bootscreens and logins that StyleXP offers. WindowBlinds says that its theme driver is way better than the XP one. its way more customizable. some places say that it uses less memory too. whatever.
it's also barely annoying to switch from a WindowBlinds theme to a XP VisualStyle on the fly.

check out Samurize if you want to really get some custom data on your desktop.

http://customize.org is the place to go for themes.

 

[naruto1988]

windowblinds is good

 

[Malak]

Well I don't have it installed on this computer yet, but I do have it on my other. It's called Litestep. It completely replaces the explorer shell. The theme community is pretty active and Litestep is still being developed, so it's a good wagon to jump on. There are all kinds of themes, and they are completely customizable. If you take the time to learn how things work, you can make any theme do what you want. Or even make your own theme.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: KruptosAngelos
Well I don't have it installed on this computer yet, but I do have it on my other. It's called Litestep. It completely replaces the explorer shell. The theme community is pretty active and Litestep is still being developed, so it's a good wagon to jump on. There are all kinds of themes, and they are completely customizable. If you take the time to learn how things work, you can make any theme do what you want. Or even make your own theme.

yea litestep is cool, iused it back in my win 98 days, cause explorer really sucked back then, the new litestep builds are pretty impreseeive , however i couldent find one that worked with dual monitors without some MAJOR reconfiging, and even then it was iffy

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: Anubis
yea litestep is cool, iused it back in my win 98 days, cause explorer really sucked back then, the new litestep builds are pretty impreseeive , however i couldent find one that worked with dual monitors without some MAJOR reconfiging, and even then it was iffy

Well I don't plan on ever having dual monitors so it's not such a big deal for me. How recent have you looked at it? I'm sure someone has been working on that.