How to install and use Vista themes and visual styles.
January 31, 2008
This tutorial will teach you on how to install visual styles and themes in Windows Vista in few minutes.
First of all download Windows Vista UxTheme patch.
And follow these steps to install:
Step 1: How to install
1. Login as a user with Administrative privileges -or- have Administrative credentials ready (check under the keyboard for a slip of paper).
2. Navigate to %systemroot%\System32
3. Right-click uxtheme.dll and click properties.
4. Take ownership of the file and close dialogs.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for themeui.dll and shsvcs.dll
6. Right-click uxtheme.dll and click properties.
7. Give yourself (or group) Full Control permissions and close dialogs.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for themeui.dll and shsvcs.dll.
9. Rename uxtheme.dll to uxtheme.old.
10. Rename themeui.dll to themeui.old.
11. Rename shsvcs.dll to shsvcs.old.
12. Copy patched files into %systemroot%\System32
13. Reboot (yes, this is really required)
Step 2: Download a Windows Vista Visual Style from our free Windows Vista Themes gallery, and copy the theme to Windows/Resources/Themes folder.
Step 3: Right click on desktop and click on Personalize. From the page that pops up, click on Theme and choose your newly installed theme!
Credits: GUIMod
February 11th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
i still cant do it, the new themes dont show up
April 28th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
I don’t doubt this worked at some point. Followed directions and failed. Just for grins also tried installing SP1 and getting the proper (SP1) version of uxtheme. Maybe system file protection is working its magic?
June 12th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
hi everybody,
i can’t rename the *.dll files, altough i am alredy logged in as administrator user on my computer. i am using windows vista ultimate 64bit edition, what shuld i do ? pls somebody help
July 11th, 2008 at 1:40 am
just messed up the themes program … now i can’t change themes just marvelous
July 13th, 2008 at 4:52 am
Me too.I cant change themes now.Plz help
July 20th, 2008 at 6:25 am
i cant do it
July 30th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Thanks for the tutorial it’s working
August 7th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
icant rename in old
August 12th, 2008 at 9:49 am
This Tutorial not working for me
(
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
this don’t work…no matter what i do…i have followed this tutrial and watched some Youtube videos about it, but…it’s not workin’. I AM THE SMARTEST NERD!
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Hi Guys
To rename dll files you need to take full control of that files that you want to rename.See below how I do it
First thing to do is disable UAC. Go into control Panel and click on Administrative Tools, then Local Security Policy, then choose Security Options, Scroll to User Account Control; Run all Administrators in Admin Approval mode double click it and disable UAC. This will now allow you to change anything on your Vista Operating system without OS informing you don’t have Admin privileges. You will still have to take ownership of files to rename and replace them.
In order to take ownership or rename any .dll or .exe files right click on any .dll or .exe file, Go into properties…Tab into security…Click Advanced, Tab into Owner, Click Edit, Highlight Administrators and apply, click yes when prompted…then exit out of properties all together, Right Click the .dll file again, Go into properties…Tab into security… then click edit, Highlight Administrators, Click allow full control and apply, click yes when prompted…and you’re done…Now all you have to do is replace old with new.
In order to do this… you must rename the old IE;
ieframe.dll as ieframe.dll. old and drag the included ieframe.dll in c:\Windows\System32\
Then Restart. You don’t have to restart, but it is the easiest way.
Secondly you must patch your system. You can either use Tune Up Utilities or patch it manually. I found that VistaGlazz has not been updated to work for SP1 yet. To patch it manually…
Here is the [link]
Just follow instructions stated in the link
Be Careful! Especially if you are replacing Explorer.exe, IeFrame.dll or Brouwseui.dll on account any of these will, if not properly renamed or replaced, might cause your PC not to work properly or start at all. SO I WOULD CHANGE ALL FILES VERY SLOWLY and carefully and follow instructions so that no issues arise.
But if in case something does go wrong, a system restore will do the trick, if it does not… Use your Windows Vista installation disk… You must reboot with Windows Vista Installation CD in drive and boot with CD when prompted. You will have to choose repair your PC and it will prompt you to choose method, choose System Restore. Now you will be able to restore with no problems as disk will have necessary files that you may have deleted or changed and is not allowing you to restore without disk.
Then all you have to do is try again. Have fun!
September 24th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Okay, I have come to the conclusion that absolutely NO ONE on the internet wants to tell you how to install Vista Themes and Visual Styles IF you have Vista SP1. They just won’t do it. All I see EVERYWHERE is the same crappy GUI tutorial, which is actually completely outdated and doesn’t work at all anymore. Someone… anyone, who is out there, answer me?
October 18th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
There is a very simple way to allow vista to change its themes for third party themes. what you want to do is install vistaglazz beta. This allows you to use third party themes even with sp1 and on ultimate. I know this for a fact as thats what i’m using right now.
October 20th, 2008 at 3:44 am
can some won help me i installed the theme and every thing went wrong it showed up as a theme then the only thing that changed was the back ground can some one tell me how to istall this fing thing because i am starting to hate vista in all degrees…..
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:52 am
Worked… awesome! THANK YOU!!!!
October 27th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
yo, man this solved my problem, nice
October 31st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
After following the instructions and restarting I am no longer able to login to my computer. At the login screen it says “uxtheme.dll not found” it just keeps restarting itself (the login i mean not the computer) and i can’t even get to my desktop or even start it up in safe mode or anything. The login flashes fast enough that I can’t type my password in. Searched the internet for answers but they all say that i have to restart but i can’t get out of login? any help would be amazing!
December 10th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Can you help me with my computer please?
February 6th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
What type of joke is this? I’m unable to take the ownership even. Some body leave a mail so that it’s easy for me. Or otherwise this site is a crap… Hahahaha….
February 12th, 2009 at 7:40 am
@ # wynand
bless mi tungs, wah u say really works, everything cris system wise, respect mi yute..
February 18th, 2009 at 5:19 am
@ johnny love ur obviously not coz u havent figured out to work it out yet.
and yes it does work.
February 19th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
These instructions are shitty – I followed them and when I tried to take off the theme, it screwed up the Windows default themes so now I can’t see anything on the screen because it’s all black! The computer is screwed up and now I’m going to have to pay to have someone fix the themes so I can see the screen again! Thanks for your help in fucking up my system!
April 27th, 2009 at 4:39 am
If you are renaming fils in the %systemroot%\System32 then what is the point in copying them into the %systemroot%\System32 as they are both the same and it will already have them in it as they was in it wene you edited them???
April 30th, 2009 at 1:10 am
The first time I tried changing my themes it crashed all my themes the only way to fix it is by using your system restore program on the back up area. THE ONLY WAY!!
May 10th, 2009 at 7:51 am
i can’t use themes! it’s really confusing/frustrating!
whenever i try to change the theme on my vista computer (to a mac theme, for example) it just changes the visual to windows classic theme. HELP!
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:02 am
How can I install vista theme in my windows xp sp2? Please exploit in details.