Classic theme systemwide?

[InterLinked]

I heard that there is a registry key that can force the Windows Classic theme systemwide in Windows XP. Does anyone know more about this?

I'd like to force the classic theme systemwide so it looks like Server 2003 or Windows 2000 - no Luna anywhere, even at the logon screen.

I remember our school district had them set up like this way back in the day, so it seems to be possible. Either it would turn from Luna to classic as soon as a logon occured, and the dialog box would change immediately, or it would be classic right from boot to begin with.

[InterLinked]

OK, so it's not complicated at all it turns out, at least if it's fine having Luna at the logon screen. Maybe that's how it was; I thought it wasn't always, but o/w this works:

1. Do NOT disable themes (make sure it is enabled)

2. Enable the GPO to "force a specific theme" and leave the field blank to choose Classic theme.

3. Using bginfo, you can have it write wallpaper information on logon using a login script. That takes care of the blue background + anything else that might be desired.

Now, as soon as the user logs in, the dialog box changes from Luna to Classic immediately, and it stays that way until logout.

[gerwin]

For my single user computer I did it like this:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ThemeManager

"ThemeActive"="0"

That disables Luna in the login screen.

Then besides that Tweak UI has some options to configure login screen appearance.

 

[InterLinked]

On 8/6/2020 at 4:04 PM, gerwin said:

For my single user computer I did it like this:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ThemeManager

"ThemeActive"="0"

That disables Luna in the login screen.

Then besides that Tweak UI has some options to configure login screen appearance.

 

Hey, so technically this DOES disable themes but it's that awful white thing with the Luna font, not quite Windows Classic.

So I won't be using it, but good to know that it works! Sad to know there's no way to force Windows Classic. I definitely remember it either like that or default Luna, not themes disabled entirely.

[ThomasW]

I don't think you really have to "force" anything — it's a very common way to set up Windows XP (and as you pointed out, in Windows Server 2003, it's actually the default!

You can just switch to "Windows Classic Style" in Display Properties (and then make sure to switch color scheme from to "Windows Classic" or something else of your choosing [anything other than that cold, awful, grey "Windows Standard scheme"]!)

For the login, you just go to the standard Webby Windows XP User Accounts control panel applet, click "Change the way users log on or off", and uncheck "Use the Welcome screen".

Now you don't need to disable the theming service, but if you're using the classic theme, it makes sense to disable it in order save the bit of memory and maybe startup time since you won't be using it for anything!  That's how I've run for years (and nothing of value was lost!   The best and easiest way is to use the Services management console (in Programs > Accessories > Administrative Tools if it's not found in the Control Panel)

Now if you really want to run classic Windows and obliterate the Fisher Price Luna theme, then you have to use the ineXPerience patcher.  (Which is much less common, but absolutely essential on any of my systems!

Clever solution with the blue login background elimination though if that works for you!

I'm pretty sure I read of a more elegant solution somewhere before (a fairly simple registry entry I think) but I haven't yet dealt with that myself either.

Good luck! 

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by ThomasW

[gerwin]

On 8/8/2020 at 1:58 PM, Dylan Cruz said:

Hey, so technically this DOES disable themes but it's that awful white thing with the Luna font, not quite Windows Classic.

So I won't be using it, but good to know that it works! Sad to know there's no way to force Windows Classic. I definitely remember it either like that or default Luna, not themes disabled entirely.

I used three ways together: Usual Appearance control panel to select a classic theme + "ThemeActive"="0" + Tweak UI to copy over some colors to the login.

Result is that I don't see any remainder of Luna XP theme anywhere. Neither do I see any default color scheme colors; using blue-grey myself as I find the white and light-grey too bright for my comfort. So AFAIK everything is customized.

[gerwin]

PS. In my spare time this week I am having fun theming Linux Solus Mate in this exact same Windows XP classic blue-grey color theme. Started with the b00merang Server 2003 theme as a base. It seems to work out pretty well.

[Tomcat76]

On a new install, after setting the theme to Windows Classic, I just run this .reg file.  There are different versions floating around the internet but this is the one I'm using.
 
You may want to backup the Colors and WindowMetrics subkeys first.
 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ThemeManager]
"ThemeActive"="0"

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Colors]
"ActiveBorder"="212 208 200"
"ActiveTitle"="10 36 106"
"AppWorkSpace"="128 128 128"
"Background"="58 110 165"
"ButtonAlternateFace"="181 181 181"
"ButtonDkShadow"="64 64 64"
"ButtonFace"="212 208 200"
"ButtonHilight"="255 255 255"
"ButtonLight"="212 208 200"
"ButtonShadow"="128 128 128"
"ButtonText"="0 0 0"
"GradientActiveTitle"="166 202 240"
"GradientInactiveTitle"="192 192 192"
"GrayText"="128 128 128"
"Hilight"="10 36 106"
"HilightText"="255 255 255"
"HotTrackingColor"="0 0 128"
"InactiveBorder"="212 208 200"
"InactiveTitle"="128 128 128"
"InactiveTitleText"="212 208 200"
"InfoText"="0 0 0"
"InfoWindow"="255 255 225"
"Menu"="212 208 200"
"MenuBar"="212 208 200"
"MenuHilight"="0 0 0"
"MenuText"="0 0 0"
"Scrollbar"="212 208 200"
"TitleText"="255 255 255"
"Window"="255 255 255"
"WindowFrame"="0 0 0"
"WindowText"="0 0 0"

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"AppliedDPI"=dword:00000078
"BorderWidth"="1"
"CaptionFont"=hex:f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,bc,02,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,54,00,61,00,68,00,6f,00,6d,00,61,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"CaptionHeight"="-270"
"CaptionWidth"="-270"
"IconFont"=hex:f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,54,00,61,00,68,00,6f,00,6d,00,61,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"IconSpacing"="75"
"IconTitleWrap"="1"
"IconVerticalspacing"="-1125"
"MenuFont"=hex:f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,54,00,61,00,68,00,6f,00,6d,00,61,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"MenuHeight"="-270"
"MenuWidth"="-270"
"MessageFont"=hex:f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,54,00,61,00,68,00,6f,00,6d,00,61,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"MinAnimate"="0"
"ScrollHeight"="-240"
"ScrollWidth"="-240"
"Shell Icon BPP"="16"
"Shell Icon Size"="32"
"SmCaptionFont"=hex:f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,bc,02,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,54,00,61,00,68,00,6f,00,6d,00,61,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SmCaptionHeight"="-180"
"SmCaptionWidth"="-180"
"StatusFont"=hex:f5,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,54,00,61,00,68,00,6f,00,6d,00,61,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00