You know, I just saved a theme file from the display/Themes, this is how the path to the msstyles file is written:

Path=%WinDir%resources\Themes\MetallicShades\MetallicShades.msstyles

I guess the '\' after %WinDir% isn't necessary. I loaded the theme with and without the slash.

<shrug>

if you used that syntax in dos you would get errors... i dunno about the theme loader though i guess it could be different..

the themes I save on my computer use

%ResourceDir%\Themes\jazz\jazz.msstyles

crazy!

Yep, Crazy it is. I've always inlcuded the slash after %...%. Never noticed how windows theme loader did it until now...

My system doesn't seem to recognize %ResourceDir%. %SystemRoot%, %WinDir%, etc all work as they should but not %ResourceDir%. Ah, I guess I need to set that myself if I want to use it. No problem...

Cheers,

yeah...he set ResourceDir on his own....

as for the \ , doesn't really matter. Strange how Microsoft is picky about one thing, but not about another.

wow thanx for helping guys guess it was the colorstyle setting

I never set ResourceDir... perhaps it is because I have StyleXP 2.0 installed? it may have set the variable... I use Style XP to change my icon sets

is there a way to load a themexp .iconset into a theme file?

or, can someone list all of the places in the registry to change the icons? I have worked out a few of them based on other theme files (my comp, network ,recycle, folders, help, run) but can't find the rest of them

Ok the visual style works fine now. And I can finnaly open the .theme file correct Thanks for all your help guys. But now I've got another slight problem with the theme file. It doesn't set the wallpaper specified in the .theme file, it just sets the default WindowsXP wallpaper. :s

MetallicShades.theme:

; Copyright © Microsoft Corp. 1995-2001
[Theme]DisplayName=Metallic Shades
; My Computer[CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe,0
; My Documents[CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\DefaultIcon]DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\mydocs.dll,0
; My Network Places[CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\shell32.dll,17
; Recycle Bin[CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon]full=%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\shell32.dll,32empty=%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\shell32.dll,31
[Control Panel\Cursors]Arrow=Help=AppStarting=Wait=NWPen=No=SizeNS=SizeWE=Crosshair=IBeam=SizeNWSE=SizeNESW=SizeAll=UpArrow=DefaultValue=Windows defaultDefaultValue.MUI=@themeui.dll,-2043
[Control Panel\Desktop]Wallpaper=%WinDir%\Web\Wallpaper\Alilarter01.jpgWallpaper.MUI=@themeui.dll,-2036TileWallpaper=0WallpaperStyle=2Pattern=ScreenSaveActive=0
[VisualStyles]Path=%ResourceDir%\Themes\MetallicShades\MetallicShades.msstylesColorStyle=MetallicSize=NormalSize
[boot]SCRNSAVE.EXE=
[MasterThemeSelector]MTSM=DABJDKTThemeColorBPP=8

I'm very sure the wallpaper is in the right place! Because If I copy and paste "%WinDir%\Web\Wallpaper\Alilarter01.jpg" into explorer it nicely shows me the image, so the path and file aren't wrong.

Anyone who can help me on this one? Thanx a lot again

correct...

you have to use a registry tweak to set the background because windows installation defaults to the bliss.jpg

or, you can overwrite the bliss.jp_ cabinet archive with whatever image you want, rename it to bliss.jpg do a MODIFYPE on it and compress it to bliss.jp_

after windows is installed, if you set the theme through the display properties, you will see it sets the background

Try removing Wallpaper.MUI=@themeui.dll,-2036.

[Control Panel\Desktop]Wallpaper=%WinDir%\Web\Wallpaper\Alilarter01.jpgWallpaper.MUI=@themeui.dll,-2036

I'm not sure what that does but when I add something similiar to my theme file, it does the same thing as yours.

Try removing Wallpaper.MUI=@themeui.dll,-2036.

[Control Panel\Desktop]

Wallpaper=%WinDir%\Web\Wallpaper\Alilarter01.jpg

Wallpaper.MUI=@themeui.dll,-2036

I'm not sure what that does but when I add something similiar to my theme file, it does the same thing as yours.

done and working

thanx again m8 u rock

Great! I still want to look up what that does. I don't want that modification to cause you any troubles.

Cheers,

Looking at themui.dll with reshacker, I found that bliss.bmp is coded into that dll. Still not sure what wallpaper.mui is supposed to do. Saving a theme from the display/Themes on my system, that wallpaper.mui reference was not present in the theme file. Haven't found anything useful with google yet. Still, I think you should be okay as is, Guuz

Weird thing I'm not able to save themes.... When I try to save one, the file is just not there ... weird stuff But works now thanx again

Hmm, The file is not where?

where I save it