Create Your Own XP Desktop Theme

The easiest way to create a theme is to make changes to an existing one and then save it with a new name. Windows XP comes with a number of themes, and you can download additional ones at many Web sites such as http://www.xptheme.info. Here are the instructions for modifying a theme:

1. Click Start, Control Panel, Appearance and Themes, and then click Display. (Or, alternately, right-click an empty area of the desktop, and then click Properties).
2. Click the Themes tab.
3. In the Theme list, click the theme that you want to modify.
4. Make your changes to the different elements of the theme, as described below:
   The following list shows individual desktop theme elements and their locations on the Display Properties dialog box tab or in Control Panel:
   • To change the background design, the color, or the position of the background design on your screen, click the Desktop tab in the Display Properties dialog box.
   • To change the icons on your desktop, click the Desktop tab in the Display Properties dialog box, and then click Customize Desktop.
   • To change the screen saver, click the Screen Saver tab in the Display Properties dialog box.
   • To change the color scheme, the window and button styles, or the font size, click the Appearance tab in the Display Properties dialog box.
   • To change the color, the size, and the font settings of individual window elements, click the Appearance tab in the Display Properties dialog box, and then click Advanced.
   • To change your mouse pointer scheme or the appearance of individual pointers, click the Pointers tab in the Mouse Properties dialog box. (Click Start, click Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Mouse.)
   • To change a sound scheme or to apply a sound to individual program events, click the Sounds tab in the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box. (Click Start, click Control Panel, click Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices, and then click Sounds and Audio Devices.)
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5. When you finish making the changes, click the Themes tab in the Display Properties dialog box.
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6. Click Apply.
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7. Click Save As.
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8. In the Save As dialog box, type a name for your new theme, and then click Save.
9. Click OK. Your new theme will be displayed in the Theme list and will be applied to your desktop.

Note that new themes are saved in the My Documents folder with the .theme file extension. To open the My Documents folder, click Start, and then click My Documents.

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