Let's see those desktops (rev 4.0)

Wow, that looks like the desktop of a respectable member of society.

I've been using a lot of wallpapers from the Gaia09 group as of lately, I just love what those guys put together for wallpapers!

Legendary724

My new wallpaper, shame I still have XP, it looks so ugly compared to your new Windows 7 and Vista. If only it could look all transparent.

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Me and Bram are using XP, and there are multiple ways to make a taskbar transparent, only down side is that you can't place anything within the Start Menu pop-up area as it wierds out.

Bram Turismo

Clean desktops FTW! 👍

I don't know what those icons mean, but they look awesome! The wallpaper is a beauty as well

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I don't think the icons are meant to mean anything, just put them on whatever you want, so I'm the labels option on Rocketdock to tell me what it is!

Bram Turismo

I've been using a lot of wallpapers from the Gaia09 group as of lately, I just love what those guys put together for wallpapers!

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I do too, you know that AMANA Collection link I posted on the last page, there all done by the same guys as GAIA. Desktopography is also run by the same guys. It seems that I always get everything from one group now. Heck I want an IPhone just so I can use the AMANA Theme.

How do you get your desktop to look like that and what reso are you on?


I bought a laptop the other day and it will arrive tomorrow or on Monday, if I could get my desktop looking like that I will be impressed. I cant do it on this PC cause I share it with my family sometimes. You guys have some truly awesome 'tops.

Can be done on any resolution.

To use different Visual Styles other than the XP options you need to modify a file called the Theme.dll. Just download a program called UX Theme Patcher (different versions for what Service Pack your running), run it once and when you reboot you can use loads of MSSTYLES from the internetz.

Then to make the taskbar transparent use a program called TransBar and set it to whatever transparency you want.

To get rid of the Taskbar start Button use a program called StartKiller. You won't be able to click into the start menu but just press the Win Key and it opens as usual.

To get those HUDs download a Program called Rainmeter (donwload version 1.0, don't bother with the betas until you've had experience with Rainmeter itself). The Skin we use is called Engima which is now included in the release of Rainmeter but you can always download more at Deviantart.

Any issues or want to know more just PM me or Bram, we should be able to help with most stuff by now.

New Zealand

Legendary724

How do you get your desktop to look like that and what reso are you on?


I bought a laptop the other day and it will arrive tomorrow or on Monday, if I could get my desktop looking like that I will be impressed. I cant do it on this PC cause I share it with my family sometimes. You guys have some truly awesome 'tops.

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SweetshopUnion and I will be available for help, though I might not answer immediatly after Sunday because I'm moving out. Anyway, let's get started on this case then: (Be sure to also read SweetshopUnion's post)

To change the visual style of your XP system, you need to update a system file in the Windows map on your harddrive: How to patch up your UXtheme-dll file in XP home or pro. Once you've succesfully done this, you can start to download visual styles from anywhere in the internet.

I always am to be found on Deviantart.com when it comes to icons, wallpapers, and visual themes or styles. A massive amount of members daily post some beautiful pieces of work. I have downloaded a massive amount of visual styles from lassekongo83, a member on Deviantart. Basically, you download the files and extract the .msstyle files in the C:/Windows/Resources/Themes folder. All you then have to do is to double-click the .msstyle file and a window should pop-up, showing the new visual style. Click "OK" and you've succesfully set your preferred visual style.

The icons are used by a software program called Rocketdock. Unlike Stardock's Objectdock, Rocketdock is completely free, is easy to use, and is much friendlier on the RAM usage than Objectdock. Also, Stardock's software tend to give me virusses, with Rocketdock I haven't had a single problem. If you want to have a dock on your new desktop, Rocketdock is definitly the way to go. When you've succesfully installed Rocketdock you can, just like with the visual style bit, search for some nice icons. Again, Deviantart.com is the place to be. The icons I am using now is styrizo's Reflections DOCK icon package. It comes in both black and white so that you can change the colour of an icon should the wallpaper be in the same colour as the icon. How to install and use your custom downloaded icons for Rocketdock. This is one of many ways to use your own icons.

So now we've got our visual style and a nice dock to go with it. Now we want to get our hands on those shiny HUDs and widgets. The main software program used for this is Rainmeter. Earlier versions did not have the Enigma skin both SweetshopUnion and I use, installed. However, the version you download now from Rainmeter's website will have the Enigma skin installed. Once Rainmeter has completed the install, you start it up, and an icon will appear in the taskbar's icon tray. Right-click this--> Configs --> Enigma --> _Home --> Home.ini and a window will appear. From here you can add pretty much anything you want. Right click on any icon already placed and you can follow the same path to add an icon. Go to C:/Program Files/Rainmeter and read through the Enigma readme.text file to get a better understanding of the skin. You can even edit some of the icons to different colours, fonts, sizes, placings, ect that you prefer.

If you want to make the taskbar partially or completely transparent, download and install Transbar. To get rid of the start button, download and install Startkiller.

All of the programs used to make these desktops are very reliable, and are very RAM usage friendly, the only thing you need to do is to keep yourself distanced from any desktop modification software made by Stardock. These programs are often very unreliable, and they eat your RAM like hungry maggots. Don't use any of these software programs. I have, and I was glad to get rid of all those programs.

Here are some other usefull links:

Wallpapers at Deviantart. (If you're using a 16:9 aspect ratio screen, be sure to keep an eye for this when you're downloading wallpapers, the HDTV/Widescreen category under the wallpaper section nearly always gives a 16:9 ratio wallpaper.
Customize.org. A big collection of wallpapers, skins, themes, icons, and more!
Visual styles at Deviantart.com. Endless collection of visual styles for Windows XP.
Gaia09. These guys make a number of beautiful wallpapers and icons and even visual styles. Be also sure to check out the gaia09 stuff on Deviantart!

Many websites offer icons, themes, skins, etc. but few reach the number of articles that Deviantart.com has. Be sure to check out www.deviantart.com!

If you have any questions, or you need help with one of the programs, contact SweetshopUnion or me.


👍

SweetshopUnion

I do too, you know that AMANA Collection link I posted on the last page, there all done by the same guys as GAIA. Desktopography is also run by the same guys. It seems that I always get everything from one group now. Heck I want an IPhone just so I can use the AMANA Theme.

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Thanks man! These guys produce some fabulous pieces of work! 👍

EDIT: Anyone got any Rauh Welt walls, and not the Renault 5 or blatant shop off Deviantart? Minimum size of 1024x768 thanks!

Man, I love those pieces of art some people always stuff up into their walls, it makes it so much more attractive! 👍

No fancy crap this time, the wallpaper is just too beautiful for anything fancy. Check out www.experiencetheplanets.com for some beautifully painted images of our solarsystem.

With parts of your help Bram I patched it and now know how to add themes etc, thanks for that, this is my current laptop background.

Porsche > Lotus.

Oh yeah, I just remembered I wanted to ask you something.

Do you know some good sites to get really scenic car shots eg. Car on edge of cliff or against water etc etc etc.

That lotus was just some quick pic I found after 2 mins searching on Google Images.

Try desktopmachine.com. I'm not really that clued up on where to get good car walls from but I would really like to know. I think Tommi2000 may know some good sites, he always has nice car walls.

While not all of them are scenic, a few of them are pretty good, my current one now untill I find a better one.

Go Rossi!!

new monitor...new desktop

This is my current choice of just a couple of hours ago.

My new one, I think I'll stick to this for a while.



Sorry for the size, forgot to resize.

Dang, it's been a while since I posted in this thread. Now you guys all have these fancy schmancy themes and whatnot.




I haven't gotten used to this proper monitor yet. I keep posting these pictures like usual, but now they're so small I can hardly see them, lol.

The mountain in my 'backyard.'

Change the weather to Left Align and you've got that sorted Bram.

Can I have the Wall please?

SweetshopUnion

Change the weather to Left Align and you've got that sorted Bram.

Can I have the Wall please?

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Tried it, but that makes it worse and it won't budge, so I'll take it like that

Wallpaper:

http://hemingway81.deviantart.com/art/Microcosmos-Evolution-133084361

👍