Y-Corner

For those that are on Windows XP and like the new Vista look but don't have (or like) Vista, there are several visual style packages available out on the web that can re-create the "Vista look" pretty well on XP. Right now, there are two "Vista theme packs" that re-create the Vista look pretty well: Vista Transformation Pack 7.0 and Vista Inspirat 2.

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Vista Transformation Pack 7.0
Link: http://www.windowsxlive.net/?page_id=15



Pros:
- Compared to other Vista themes for XP, this one reproduces the Vista look most accurately.
- Option to choose to install several third-party programs that reproduce the functionality/appearance of Vista, such as the sidebar, orb, etc.
- Supports full transparency (via WindowsBlinds).

Cons:
- VTP 7.0 makes changes to a lot of system files. This may have the potential to mess up your Windows installation permanently if something goes wrong during the VTP 7.0 installation process.
- Can be resource heavy, as some of the third-party programs included in VTP 7.0 use a bit of memory.
- Uninstalling VTP 7.0 sometimes doesn't quite remove everything.

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Vista Inspirat 2
Link: http://www.vista-inspirat.net/



Pros:
- Does not make many changes to system files.
- Quick installation process.
- Easy to use control panel to repair icons/boot screens whenever Microsoft releases new updates that have the side-effect of reverting Windows back to the original XP icons and boot screens.
- Not memory/resource intensive.

Cons:
- Close, but not as accurate to the real Vista, compared to VTP 7.0.
- Does not include extra programs that emulate the sidebar and other Vista-like functionality.

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Besides these two, there are also lots of Vista-like visual styles available over at deviantART. You can find them at this link: http://search.deviantart.com/?q=Vista+in:customization/skins/windows/visualstyle&section=browse&qh=boost:popular%20age_sigma:24h%20age_scale:5

nifty. I considered using a VTP thing you mentioned earlier (I think it was in the desktops thread), but I knew my parents would freak out if I did something to major to their computer.

Vista Transformation Pack 8.01 was released a little while ago. A lot of it is big fixing, performance tweaking, and making XP look even more like Vista. Here are the changes:


[quote]Changes in Version 8.0.1

-Fixed pre-configuration specifications to improve performance (Removed unstable applications from list)
-Fixed TrueTransparency

hehe, i prefere windows 98 look XDD