Desktop Customization

[Ephemeral]

Come on Fit.....
Power users don't run 'pretty' little things on the desktop, you run plain black background and turn off all the cutesy sliding menus and other 'visual' effects.

[za gophar]

OK, so I just got a new laptop. I'm looking to customize the theme of the desktop so it's not just the boring old green/blue/silver bars that XP gives standard. Anyone who has the kind of modifications I'm talking about, how did you do it and where did you get them from?

people find my setup pretty interesting.

i have a double height start bar that hides when the mouse is not on it
every icon is hidden either on the start bar or in the start menu, so basically my desktop is nothing but the wallpaper. i like it.

[Sufficient]

Google "LiteStep" ... maybe run "Samurize" too if you're into that.

You can start here: http://www.customize.org/

[Evasive]

stylexp = lag

Just use the default Windows XP theme

[Arikel]

use fluxbox :fear:

[Edify]

zabuza, cool theme ^^

so xp isn't like other windows versions where u can click properties and select different colors yourself?

[Zabuza]

yes, you can


lemme check

yep, go properties, the apperance and change color of cursor or mouse, but cursor is seperate and much more troublesum

[suxxor]

zabuza, cool theme ^^

so xp isn't like other windows versions where u can click properties and select different colors yourself?

naw, you can do that. like so:


just hit the "advanced" button to mess with whatever you like.

[Existenz87]

just noticed you had a lot of messenger service icons on your desktop. you may want to try trillian. its an all in one messenger, you can sign into all your accounts at the same time instead of having multiple programs opened. it supports Yahoo, msn, aim, irc, and icq.

plus they have some pretty nice skins.

[Edify]

whats the all seeing eye?

[Jeansi]

Thingy for finding multiplayer servers.

[Kim]

stylexp = lag

Just use the default Windows XP theme

I use stylexp, save me??!?!

[suxxor]

just noticed you had a lot of messenger service icons on your desktop. you may want to try trillian. its an all in one messenger, you can sign into all your accounts at the same time instead of having multiple programs opened. it supports Yahoo, msn, aim, irc, and icq.

plus they have some pretty nice skins.

I refuse to use trillian on the grounds that it alphabetizes my buddy list for "easier readability" (or at least the last version I tried did). all of the other clients I use for specific features that they have, and trillian doesn't.. yahoo does pretty damn good quality video chat, mirc has its lovely scripting language.. and I don't use msn or icq anymore.

edify: ASE is the alternative to gamespy. see here.

kim: this link will let you use 3rd party themes w/out styleXP. assuming you have service pack 2 installed. I've done this and tried a few themes, but they all looked too damn cluttered for my tastes. see Ephemeral's comment.

[Nockm]

Come on Fit.....
Power users don't run 'pretty' little things on the desktop, you run plain black background and turn off all the cutesy sliding menus and other 'visual' effects.

Agreed! Except I'm using a dark blue background.

[Fit of Rage]

Blasphemer!!!!