How to Create a Windows XP Custom MSStyle
- 1). Download an MSStyle theme file editor application (see Resources section). These helper applications are not included in Windows XP installations but are commonly used for MSStyle theme creation and modification.
- 2). Double-click the theme editor application download file and follow the default menu prompts to install on your computer. Open the program after installation is complete.
- 3). Select the "File" and "Open" menu options and change the file type filter to the "All Files" menu option. Use the file chooser to locate the Windows XP theme directory found in the "Windows\Resources\Themes" directory on the computer's local drive. Depending on the application you chose, there may be a file open icon also displayed on the program display that you can use.
- 4). Click the "Bitmap" menu option listed on the menu tree on the left-hand side of the application to view the available bitmap files to modify the look and feel of the MSStyle theme.
- 5). Select the name of a visual component to change the bitmap file and expand the menu item until you see the "attached image" associated with the style component.
- 6). Right-click the "attached image" label, choose the "Replace Resource" menu option and select the new bitmap file with the file chooser.
- 7). Repeat the resource replacement process for all desired components of the theme. Some of the available options include changing the look and feel of the Windows Taskbar, Start button and menu boxes. The options to modify the theme resources will vary slightly depending on the application you are using to create or modify the MSStyle theme.
- 8). Choose the "File" and "Save As" menu options to provide a unique name for your theme or, alternatively, choose "File" and "Save" to replace the existing Windows XP MSStyle theme.
