Windows® 7 Tweaks: A Comprehensive Guide on Customizing, Increasing Performance, and Securing Microsoft® Windows 7

Chapter 7. Customizing the Appearance of the Windows Interface

In the last few chapters, you customized various parts of the operating system, starting with the logon screen. After customizing the Start menu and the taskbar, you spent some time customizing the desktop, too. This chapter shows you how to customize what the entire user interface looks like by changing the theme or visual style and fine-tuning settings of both.

In the sections that follow, you learn how to make major alterations in the way your computer looks (much more than you've learned so far). First, I explain the differences between a theme and a visual style, to clear up any possible confusion you might have. Then you learn how to create an advanced theme. Finally, you are able to tweak the Aero Glass look. This chapter ends with an easy way to give Windows 7 a completely different look with a third-party skinning utility called WindowBlinds.

Working with Themes

Themes have been a part of Windows for a long time. Ever since Windows 95 was released, themes made it possible to save the configuration of the fonts, colors, visual style, wallpaper, mouse cursors, and even the sounds that are used. Throughout the years, not a lot has changed in the theme world. Originally, you had to buy Microsoft Plus to use themes, but now the ability to use themes is included in all the latest Microsoft operating systems. In addition, when themes were first developed, they did not keep track of visual styles (because they didn't exist). ...