TUTORIAL: Transform Windows XP into Windows Vista

[Vishal Gupta]

Since we all know that Windows Vista has been released but its too costly to purchase. The most interesting thing in Vista is its look, new icons, cursors, theme, sounds, login screen, boot screen, etc. So I'm posting this tutorial to make our existing Windows XP to look-a-like Windows Vista.

Yes! There are lots of Vista Transformation packs available on net but I never use them because they slow down the windows and also install a few 3rd party utilities. So its better to do all the things manually.

In this tutorial, I'll tell you about how to make following things to look-a-like Vista:

Visual style (or theme)

Boot screen

Login screen

Sounds

Mouse Cursors

Windows Icons

Windows Explorer

Progress dialog box

Shutdown/log off dialog box

About Windows box

System Properties dialog box

Windows Classic Startmenu Left-side Image and Start button Logo

and a few other things

So here we go:

Transform Windows XP in Windows Vista without Customization pack

Edited June 19, 2011 by Vishal Gupta

[yadzil]

Hi Vishal,

Is there Windows About Box in XP? How can I open it?

[Vishal Gupta]

^^ I didnt understand. Do you want to know how to open "About Windows" in XP? You can open it from "Help" menu in Explorer or by typing "winver" in RUN dialog box.

[neo]

Hi Vishal,

Is there Windows About Box in XP? How can I open it?

You have missed this:

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

Dialog -> 14352 -> 1033

[Vishal Gupta]

I was notified that a few download links are broken in the tutorial, so I have fixed all the links.

[sombahd]

Hi Vishal,

Maybe you can help. I am using your "VistaVG Ultimate" on XP SP2. My 17" TFT flat screen runs best at 1280X1024. Like all other flat screens it is much less sharp at resolutions lower than "optimal". XP's "normal" fonts are too small for me and I must use the "large" (120 DPI) fonts available in Control Panel/Display/Settings/Advanced. The "VistaVG Ultimate" start menu looses the user pic and menu item icons. They seem to be too far to the left. Only small slivers of them are visible. I've attached a piece of a screen shot. How can I fix this problem?

[Vishal Gupta]

Yep. The theme has problems with larger DPI. Try to increase font size from Appearance tab instead of changing DPI.

[chaox]

hi gupta..

i want to ask, how to change this text --> "Microsoft Windows Registered to Vista Gupta"??

[ricktendo]

hi gupta..

i want to ask, how to change this text --> "Microsoft Windows Registered to Vista Gupta"??

Just add it in here

CAPTION ""

Edited March 17, 2008 by ricktendo64