Tag Archive for windows shell

| May 22, 2009
3 comments

How to get Beautiful Windows XP themes for Free?

We all know how boring the default themes that come with Microsoft Windows XP  are and If you are wondering how to spice up your dull looking Windows XP look and Feel, then read on.

There are many Shell Replacement utilities available for Windows like StyleXP, WindowBlinds, Talisman etc which are all good. However, They cost a lot of money. If you are looking for some freeware to make the Windows XP look better, then you have to look into a smart alternative called UXtheme. Just download it and install it. When you install UXTheme patcher, Windows XP will complain that the vital system file is being replaced and will prompt you for Windows XP CDs, Ignore all of them and continue. You will need to restart your PC. Once you are PC is rebooted, you can have real fun.

Aquanox_VS_by_cyberchaos05

Where to get the free themes?

Just head over to DevianTart and navigate to Customization->Skins and themes->Windows utilities->Visual Styles. You will see a ton of good quality themes for Windows XP. They just work fine with UXtheme and you don’t really need StyleXP to be installed.

How to install new themes?

Simple, select the theme you like and download it. Mostly you will see a folder that contains .msstyles and shellstyle.dll (there will be other files too but these are important). Copy that folder and put it under c:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes.

How to change the theme?

Right click on the desktop and click on properties. Click on Appearance tab. Under Windows and Buttons, you will find the theme that you just copied. Select that and apply. Now just sit back and enjoy the new theme.

Here are some sample themes;

Royale Vista 2

Royale_Vista_II_Final_by_dobee

Royale Vista VS

Royale_Vista_VS_by_dobee

Ashen II

Ashen_II_by_Nevezen

Crystal.Systema Suite

Crystal_Systema_Suite_by_krosavcheg

NeoGeniX

NeoGeniX_by_dobee

Opus 3.0 

Codename__Opus_2_5

 

Category: Alternatives, Tech Reviews | Tags: , ,
| February 4, 2009
8 comments

Free alternative to winzip

Are you looking for a free open source alternative archiver like WinZip, WinRAR? then read on…

Well, If you looking for a WinZip like archiving tool which is Free, reliable, robust with high compression ratio then you should definitely try either 7-Zip or jZip.

7-Zip has been around for some time now and has an increasing strong support base. It offers a ton features;

  • High compression ratio in new 7z format with LZMA compression
  • Supported formats:
    • Packing / unpacking: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR
    • Unpacking only: ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, DEB, DMG, HFS, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MSI, NSIS, RAR, RPM, UDF, WIM, XAR and Z.
  • For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip
  • Strong AES-256 encryption in 7z and ZIP formats
  • Self-extracting capability for 7z format
  • Integration with Windows Shell
  • Powerful File Manager
  • Powerful command line version
  • Plugin for FAR Manager
  • Localizations for 74 languages

Well, 7-Zip is indeed worth trying and could also potentially be a default corporate archiving tool as it is reliable and more than that FREE. Corporates battered by the current economic turmoil, definitely will embrace such quality software at no cost.

jZip - A WinZip alternative

jZip - A WinZip alternative

An obvious downside of 7-Zip is that the GUI is not that intuitive and easy. A novice computer user may not be comfortable with its non intuitive interface. jZip exactly solves this short coming with a cool and easy GUI which is quite synonymous with WinZip archiver.

jZip is based on 7-Zip so, you get all the benefits of a proven archiving engine with an additional focus on intuitive GUI.

jZip is developed by Igor Pavlov and currently supports windows. But, the author claims that the Mac and Linux versions are in the pipe-line.

An excerpt from jZip.com

“jZip is about offering a robust compression and archiving application that’s easy to use. Something similar to WinZip, but totally FREE. We are currently working on the next jZip version that will offer additional features that will make it standout, not just as a free application, but also as the best one around.”

Highly recommended archiver for anybody - for home users, SMB and even bigger corporates. It could really kill softwares like WinZip, WinRar someday.

If you have any comments, please use the comments section below and let us know your voice or suggestions.

via jZip, 7-Zip

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Category: Alternatives, Open Source | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,