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March 2011 Desktop Thread -- Post your source images, dummies.

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T

Threi

notag
Qs7YF.png


DESKTOP Thread: March 2011 EDITION​


Pimp My Desktop™
There have been numerous questions throughout these desktop threads on how to get your desktop as balling as some occasionally posted, so if you are into that kind of thing read on and you can get your desktop pimped out as well :D

Nsvq2.png

Taking a Screenshot:
  • Quickest way is to press the "Print Screen" button on your keyboard (sometimes labeled "PRNTSCRN"). This copies your entire desktop to your clipboard. Now, open up MSPaint in program files or any other image editing software you have on your system. Right click > Paste. Or CRTL+V. On a blank canvas . And there's your desktop. If it's too big resize it to a smaller size.

    Another way is to use the snipping tool (Windows Vista/7 only). In the start menu search bar, type in "snipping tool". Open it, and capture the entire screen area, from one corner to the other.

Resizing your desktop (optional):
  • If you are posting multiple shots, or your desktop resolution is very large, please try thumbnailing your image before you post it (with a link to the original size) so that users can browse through the thread. How to do that, use one of the free image editing software listed below.

Free Image Editing Software:

Image Hosting Services:
  • Here a couple image hosting services so that you can upload your image:

    Minus

    Imgur

    Abload

    Tinypic

    *Note* min.us is the newest one, imgur, however does support automatic thumbnailing and has tools to upload straight from your desktop.

yFNvY.png

Posting your pic in the thread.
  • Please post sources If you can. Many users look to this thread to find cool wallpapers, it would be appreciated if you can post it. If not, try using tineye to see if you can find it (detailed below)

Someone didn't post their source

HkU3b.png


ibOWY0.PNG

The original. Functional, but maybe you want to spice it up a bit. If so, keep reading :)​

Enabling 3rd-Party themes
Adding this part in because a lot of nifty apps have come out, so that you don't have to mess with the system like you did in previous versions of windows.

  • Step 1 (follow >THIS< post or read below):
    To make windows reconize 3rd party themes, simply download a small app called UXSTYLE. It installs a small service that allows Windows to recognize 3rd party themes, much safer than what was required before.

    UXSTYLE (Click to download)

    *note* If you are having troubles installing it try disabling UAC temporarily*


  • Step 3:
    Now you have your theme file downloaded, what now?

    You take your theme folder and the xxx.theme file and put it in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes. If you did it correctly, it should show up under "Installed Themes" when you right click your desktop > personalize. (Desktop > Properties > appearance in WinXP)

  • Step 4:
    My start orb and icons still don't look slick though!

    A new annoyance in windows 7 is the fact that themes can no longer change the start orb. XP and Vista have the themes handle the orb, but in 7 the orb glyph is in explorer.exe. No worries though, there is a nifty little app to change it to whatever you want (Make a backup of explorer.exe first! If something goes wrong you can easily restore the system if you have a backup file!)
    Click to download the start orb Changer

    If by some rare freak accident it doesn't work and you can't recover explorer.exe, hit ctrl+shift+esc. When the task manager pops up, click File tab > New Task > Type cmd > Click Run. In the command prompt which opens, type sfc /scannow and hit enter. Restart when asked to.


    ...and my icons?
    Easiest thing to do. Just get an icon pack from anywhere (once again I suggest either deviantart [listed under customization > icons > dock icons] or customize.org), extract it to somewhere, make sure the icons are in .ico format (if not no worries, you can use a little converter [CLICK HERE]), and make shortcuts to whatever you want pinned on your desktop. Go into shortcut properties and change the icon, pin it to the taskbar, then delete the shortcut off your desktop.


    ...i want my superbar icons centered, dock style!
    Windows 7 doesn't have that option, but can do a small trick to make it appear centered.

    1. right click the taskbar > unlock
    2. make a new empty folder somewhere where you won't care about it
    3. right click the taskbar again > toolbars > new toolbar
    4. make it point to the empty folder
    5. right click that toolbar and untick both "show text" and "show title"
    6. rearrange it so that it's to the left of the icons
    7. drag back the icons so that they are in the center
    8. lock the taskbar

    any new open windows go to the left, so it's technically not "centered" unless you only use the apps you have pinned.

o6t9G.png


Windows 7 Visual Styles

  • There are many, MANY themes available, these are just a couple of my personal favorites. I advise you to browse deviantart's theme section to find one that suits you.


    *Note* Most of these themes have extra customization on them, requiring you to change system files, but I'm not a fan of that. So the previews show how it looks with just the bare skin active.



Icon Packs
  • As with visual styles, there are many, MANY icons available, these are just a couple of my personal favorites. I advise you to browse deviantart's icon sections (here and here) to find one that suits you.


Token by brsev


Flurry by heskinradiophonic
*note* Here is the explorer icon in that style, and the Windows Media Player icon can be found here (made by yours truly :D)


KARE by AP-graphik

iefKfe.PNG

These are all the same style of icons, made by multiple authors:
http://aablab.deviantart.com/art/Icon-Pack-2-160714703
http://ptzero.deviantart.com/art/Icon-Pack-2-Custom-Icons-I-161468024
http://ptzero.deviantart.com/art/Icon-Pack-2-Custom-Icons-II-161491157
http://ptzero.deviantart.com/art/Icon-Pack-2-Custom-Icons-III-161599215



Balloon by ccloyd9785


Ecqlipse 2 by chrfb


Flurry icons (not the same as the previous "flurry" icon set)


Faenza icons (windows port)


Slim Icons (YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN WITH THE PSD)

e88D0.png

  • RAIMETER (Click here to download)

    The most-used customization tool you will see in this thread. Has come a long way from the older versions, the skins are much more refined.


o6t9G.png

  • As mentioned, there are many skins avaliable, however the more popular ones tend to be easier to set up. The three "official" skin suites (as shown here) are Gnometer, Enigma, and ABP. Here are some of my favorites:

*NEW* Defiant by Varelse42

Omnimo UI by fediaFedia

ABP by toastbrotpascal

Gnometer by poiru

Rainify by poiru

Enigma by kaelri

Obsidian by macro-love

Sharp by macro-love

Hero by minhtrimatrix

MacBar 3.0 by vit-ok


fHS0n.png


Customization without Rainmeter
  • You're still covered. Although not as popular as rainmeter, skins for windows gadgets are avaliable.

o6t9G.png

Here's a port of the 10 Foot HUD/Weather for plain ol' Windows 7 Gadgets: click and click (US only for weather)

And an all-in-one pack of matching dark glass desktop gadgets: Chameleon glass by gersma

Also, here's some cool little windows gadgets, no external apps required. Basically an app launcher, you choose your launcher colour, the icon it should use, the app/folder location and you're good to go.

iLauncher 7 by franchu

Shortcut7 by franchu


Skinnable Media players
- Winamp (skins can be found on deviantart, customize.org, or winamp's main site): CLICK
- Foobar2000 (skins can be found on deviantar or customize.org): CLICK
- Winyl (New player, extremely lightweight, a bit buggy, only 4 [nice] skins.) CLICK


Wanna get those album art displays you see on people's desktops?

258b145.jpg


Get CD Art Display

  • Here's also a great source of Desktop apps and other software applications:
    www.Lifehacker.com

Tired of looking at the same desktop all day or having to change it manually?

Then you need Desktop Juggler!

It can change your wallpaper to any picture you wish at intervals of 1 minute to 500 hours, and it has detailed options like centering or stretching the picture if it doesn't fit.

You can also use it to download thousands of wallpapers from WallpaperStock or InterfaceLIFT.


2m4rfv5.jpg

Mac Customization:
  • Don't worry there's stuff for you too!
100% thanks to GAF's own Jasoco for bringing it up :

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  • Once again Please POST SOURCES. If you can't post your source for some reason. Say it in your post and GAF detective work will find source if enough requests are made.
  • It would also be great if you could post sources for your icon sets. If this isn't possible. Don't worry too much about it. Anything you bring up will be added to the OP.

If you have any recommendations. Please bring them up. Remember sharing is what the internet is all about.

So please! Show us what your desktop looks like!


Here's Mine: (Click for fullsize):

My Desktop

source (in widescreen)
*Rainmeter is a modified version of this skin*

My Laptop:


Source (Windows)
Source (Ubuntu)

*Rainmeter is Omnimo 3*
 
Scarecrow

Scarecrow

Member
Still can't figure out how to make my windows button one of those little black circles. It's just a blue tumor.
 
F

FleaTheMagician

Member
Nothing special here. I've got a folder of around 200 wallpapers and it changes every 5 minutes. I should get around to install rainmeter one of these days.

15eg3t2.jpg
 
Scarecrow

Scarecrow

Member
Threi said:
C:\Windows

just make a copy of it, and call the copy explorer2.exe
Click to expand...
This it? Looks more like a folder than an .exe, but what do I know? Thanks for your patience, by the way.
Untitled.png
 
I

InaudibleWhispa

Member
I've uploaded the Rainmeter skin config and font here. I edited it specifically for my computer, so I'm not sure how well it'll look on yours but it's pretty simple to edit the code a bit; I can't imagine it being too different (accounting for resolutions). I've only made a config file supporting iTunes and Zune, since that is what I use, and you'll need to enter your own weather code which should be simple enough if you're familiar with Rainmeter.
 
tearsofash

tearsofash

Member


Wallpaper is from the Pier Solar bonus CD/game audio disc

EDIT: oh and here's my windows one. I'm not really big into themes and such.

 
T

Threi

notag
Scarecrow said:
This it? Looks more like a folder than an .exe, but what do I know? Thanks for your patience, by the way.
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i45/cyberkirby/Untitled.png
Click to expand...
oh it's just like that because you didn't set windows to show extensions (it's off by default)

but yeah just make a copy of that. Thinking about it you don't even have to make a copy, windows has a command to restore system files if they are tampered anyways. Just go ahead and use the tool (using whatever orb you've found)
 
M

MarkMclovin

Member
I've followed the OP for changing the superbar, but even after rebooting, I still get the ugly looking classic style when selecting a downloaded theme.

Any ideas?
 
T

Threi

notag
MarkMclovin said:
I've followed the OP for changing the superbar, but even after rebooting, I still get the ugly looking classic style when selecting a downloaded theme.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
You did install uxstyle right? Make sure you installed the right one (x86 for 32bit, x64 for 64bit)

What you can try is opening task manager (if UAC is on click "show process from all users"), going to the services tab, look for the service called "UnsignedThemes". Right click it > "stop service", then right click it again > "start service".

Then try applying the theme again.
 
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