5 Tools to Make Windows XP Look Like Vista
Do you like Windows Vista only because of its newly revamped Graphical User Interface? It surely does have an attractive interface but many are still hesitant to upgrade. Some because of it’s massive system requirements, and some because of all the negative buzz around it. Whatever your reasons are, you still can get a Vista like look even on your Win XP system. Below are some of the better free tools that can help you to make your Windows XP look like Vista. Just make sure you got a bit of spare RAM on your system.
Vista Start Menu turns XP’s Start menu into one like on Vista. Not only do you get a better look but also many new features that are normally not there. These include: resizable start menu, zoom in/out, program launcher, desktop search, power buttons, tabs, and more. Another noteworthy aspect, Vista Start Menu does not change your system settings, thus making it easy to install, as well as simple to remove.
VTP changes XP’s interface, including the Start menu, the Control Panel, system dialogs, icons, and more, to Vista style. Also includes a transparency function to mimic Vista’s Aero Glass functionality. It’s probably the most comprehensive package out of all, so be very careful with it. While I haven’t experienced any problems some folks reported difficulties in uninstalling it (see comments here). Here are some of the notable changes that will be made to your system.
[Update: Version 8 was released yesterday (Nov 28). It's seems to be better and much more stable. Read more here]
- Boot screen / Welcome Screen / Logon Screen.
- New desktop, file and toolbar icons.
- Progress Dialogs.
- New System Tray icons.
- New Sounds scheme.
- New interface visual styles.
- Windows Media Player Skins.
RocketDock is a portable, memory-friendly, smoothly animated, alpha blended application launcher that sits on your screen. It provides a nice clean interface to drop shortcuts on for easy access and organization. Some features that are worth looking at include: Minimize active windows to the dock, drag-n-drop interface, Dual-monitor support, Auto-hide and Popup on mouse over, and Running application indicators. Check it out in action in the video below
VistaMizer modifies about 400 of your system files, and when you reboot your system after installation you won’t remember how your old desktop looked like. It’s highly customizable and changes lots of stuff. What’s really good about is that it will keep backup of all the changes (so that you can easily revert it) and won’t replace/overwrite anything that would risk destabilizing your system.
WindowsBlinds is not a program specifically designed to Vistalize your system. It’s more a tool for applying different visual theme on your entire current Windows environment: changing overall look and feel, title bars, push buttons, start bar, start menu and more. Similar to the above RocketDock, it claims to be memory-friendly, so it shouldn’t slow down your system. Once installed, you can either apply one of the default visual themes or download one from the WindowsBlinds gallery (over 1000 themes). WindowsBlinds comes both in a free and paid version. Although the free version lacks some of the additional features it still does the job.
Share you thoughts in comments!
Nice to see you here John. Thanks, some interesting tools you got over here. Going to check them out …
Thanks Kaly,
I will be waiting to bookmark your posts too..
I use BricoPack Vista Inspirat Ultimate 2 ( a screenshot here ) and Desktop Sidebar with BLN_Vista_III skin to achieve my Vista look.
It seems like Transformation Pack has gotten their act together and I think I’ll give them a try
Hi R3dd0g,
Thanks for adding that wonderful tool to this list..
Hi there,
I found this is another nice tech blog. I like your posts..
Cheers,
James
great post. everything people need to turn their xp to look like a vista is right here in this post.
we got plenty of other good posts, check them out at Recommended Articles
Vista Transformation Pack has gotten much better, more refined and mature (albeit a bit more bloated). I’ve been using it since it was Longhorn, and it’s come a long way. However, if you want to achieve the window border transparency, you’ll need Windowblinds.. I think maybe even the paid version to get it. Overall, good set of tools here aimed at a very specific audience – I don’t doubt a large one, either =) Many people think Vista is pretty, but that’s all it has to offer, and that includes me.
I don’t agree with the author of this Article!!!
1. TrueTransparency 0.8.5
2. WinFlip 0.42
3. QT Address Bar 0.9.5
This is how i like it better…
Are they free?
what is point?
Seems that you’re article’s already a bit out of date. ;P
Vista Transformation Pack 8.0 was just released a little while ago. Link: http://www.jcxp.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=23824
Yeah, you’re right here. I think it was released within 24 hours after we published this post.
And why would you want to make XP look like vista again?
So you don’t have to look at the clunky ‘Early Learning Center’ My First OS look that XP sports, or indeed the bastardized classic view.
Personally I think WindowBlinds is the way forward. I used to use VTP but it was an absolute hassle. Plus, with WB you can choose from a plethora of different themes, not just Vista =]
Just to make it look better.
P.S. Of course you need to have enough RAM as well.
Or you could quit wasting your time with windows and get a real operating system by upgrading to OSX Leopard…
An OS is merely platform to start the applications I actually use. While a minimum aesthetic is necessary, caring what an OS looks like is tantamount to feeling passionate about interior design in a parking garage. What an OS does is far more important than how it looks.
Agree… But if you spend half of your day in front of the screen why not to make it look like something you would enjoy looking at.
I am not sure why anyone would do such a thing!
Sorry guys but all the information here is nothing but rehashes of posts that were made back at the beginning of the year. While I give you an A for effort, I give you an F for reusing the content.
Great post, TechDune!
A lot of research there!
Besides that…you always have some of
the “best looking” posts around!
Great job!
~Linda~
Why would you want to do that? Vista looks horrible!
Great post and pictures! This is very enticing!
Vista Drive Icon can be used to replace the Windows XP drive icons to look like Vista icons, including the little bar which shows the available free space. Red more abt it here.
These are great tools..^^…I tried using WindowBlinds before..^^..and it was really nice..^^
Zune desktop theme – excellent skin for XP:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=75078
Is there any performance issue faced after installing This particular Transformation Pack.
major props to RocketDock for using Run Lola Run in their example of minimizing video content.
that doesnt look like Mac OS X….*sarcasm*
http://www.everydaysale.co.uk is also very good for find voucher codes in uk
Hi!…I just installed Vista Transformation Pack 7 but don’t have the screensavers, sidebar or the transparency function to mimic Vista’s Aero Glass…what do I need to do to get these? Anyone have any ideas????? Thanx!
I wish I could use Window Blinds, but it won’t install (sigh) and no help section on their website. Not a good start!
very very informative .. thanks …
very good program
please tell me how to use rar files
I do not like the looks of Windows Vista, unless of course you count out the Basic theme.
I find Aero to be incompleted, and it does not melt in with the rest of the interface.
I have Windows Vista, and none of the tools will make Windows act like it.
Vista is smooth, even on older systems, like my own.
Many people talk how Vista is crap and none of their programs work.
Guess why?
They are numskulls, thats why.
I am a computer programmer (Look at my site if you dont belive me).
I know over 20 programming languages, including the most basic like C#/C++.
There is no problem with Vista if you use it fr what it is meant for. Doing stuff that matters.
My computer specs are:
256MB RAM
800MHz CPU
32MB GPU
160GB HDD
And of cource, a broken motherboard.
You know over 20 programming languages, yet you don’t know English?
Sounds like a good mix.
Hi TechDune! nice post!
Thanks for this post, I had my WinXp like Vista now ^^
this is an ok guide and help to making Xp look like vista. but what if your computer isn’t compatible with VTP 7 (vista transformation pack). mine can’t but i would say all you need is VIstart , vistamizer and transbar.
VIstart = the start menu of vista
vistamizer = the looks, sounds app’s and everything of vista
Transbar = the transparency of your taskbar
Hey guys,
Do you know any program which can make your xp look like Mac OSX?Vista is way too boring for me :p
Try flyakite os x, it bulks down your computer a lot, but it doesnt look bad. It makes it look like OS X Tiger or well the fourth version i forgot witch one that is…
Vista transformation pack doesn’t work for me, does it only work for 64 bit versions of windows or pro edition of windows xp????
No, I am running Windows XP Home Edition 32 bit and it I ran it for a short time.( got rid of it because it got boring)
Although, I do have a 64 bit processor that shouldn’t mean anything.
it is very beautyful
thanks for this wonderful post
Thanks to this article made nearly a year ago, I discovered RocketDock. Now my entire IT department for a rather large school system is using it, and we all wonder how we functioned with clunky old XP pro before!
Thanks for the wonderful articles, keep them coming!
RocketDock is a great tool & can make life more productive on the computer as well as make it look pretty
BTW, Here is a great video tutorial on how to install, setup, beautify & organize RocketDock: RocketDock, Increase Productivity And Coolness Factor To Your Desktop
Hello, this is an awesome packet, although I have some questions for you, Techdude. Do you need alot of ram? Does it have the vista personilize tab? Must I use the Vista startupd?
List of most vista applications and features for xp + Download links (i.e all vista applications ported to Xp etc) : -> Recommended for All Xp Users!
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20480
Cheers!
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Thanks, Techdune.
I think my preference is VistaStartMenu, as it is light touch and does not change much on my systems – especially performance.
Here is some help to keep your XP running fast …
I also like the irony of running XP that looks like the ill-fated Vista …
N
Hi!
Its a rip off I installed the download link it asked for a code by sms which cost me 9 pounds and nothing really happend please help!
Thanks for this article, it’s great. So great that we’ve made it ’sticky’ on The Webmaster Forums. Now we don’t have to repeat ourselves, just send people to this article!
Thanks to this article made nearly a year ago, I discovered RocketDock. Now my entire IT department for a rather large school system is using it, and we all wonder how we functioned with clunky old XP pro before!
cheers
thx
how many gigs of ram do i need?
i have 1gb of ram.
would my computer be able to handle these programs?
nice work
it’s great!
Updated the above link:
“List of Most Vista and Windows 7 Applications and Features for Windows Xp”:
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20480
and
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21246
Long live Xp!
Thanks for this great article. In addition, the best other guides for Windows XP to Windows Vista and Windows 7 Transformation i’ve ever known on WinMatrix for every Windows XP user (thanks to AMIRZ above):
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20480
and
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21246
You can find and download many cool stuffs + even some port apps and guides/links there to totally transform and enhance XP like Windows Vista and or Windows 7 for free, in both GUI and feature/function! Just FYI. Thanks.
It is a great article. In addition, the best other guides for Windows XP to Windows Vista and Windows 7 Transformation i’ve ever known on WinMatrix for every Windows XP. cheers and thx
ur the best man thnx i found this by friends they all tryeed it and i likied it ty
me xp look mad out it looks better than ever
tell me if u have any othe cool stuff for our computer and stuff to make it faster send to 52luis@live.com
I know what you can use to make your computer sound look like and have all the features in and for vista
that you can download for any operating system,
it is called Windiws Vista Transformation Pack
How do I download it?
Ok il just give you the url website link…http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.windowsxlive.net/vista-transformation-pack-9.0.1-its-fixed…&ei=i8ZDStmyDoKUjAey4ZWmDw&sa=X&oi=smap&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=3&usg=AFQjCNEacFDkhv_jAASZN0m-seHAqV9JmA
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Thanks for the cool downloads! My Windows XP looks exactly like a Vista! Soon, I will try to see if I can make mine a Mac! Look out for MacSwitch!
thanks for vista transformation of xp,its awesome.
It is very good,I like it.thanks
hello
I need the my xp to look like vista with the soft buttons on the destop.
nice tutorial