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Post by anixx on Mar 4, 2024 3:46:00 GMT -8
Desktop Architect seems to be the best software to edit and manage the Windows Classic themes. It allows to modify color schemes as well as cursor, sound and icon sets (including folder, drive icons and many others), desktop wallpapers and legacy patterns, etc.
It can import and save color schemes from/to registry as well as import and create .theme files. Particlularly, it allows to import and edit MS Plus! themes, including sound schemes.
The only glitch I have noticed so far is that in imported schemes the right-side titelebar gradient color is not imported properly, but if set manually, can be saved in theme and loads well.
Both the installer and the program itself need to be run in WinXP compatibility mode.
I suggest to put in this thread your complete Desktop Architect-compatible themes, particularly, Win2000, NT4 and WinXP transformation themes with appropriate icons and sounds in the form of .theme files! The best themes I will include into the first post.
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Post by nonameneeded on Mar 4, 2024 12:11:58 GMT -8
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clara
Sophomore Member
Posts: 112 
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Post by clara on Mar 4, 2024 13:17:51 GMT -8
I use version 1.0 on 22H2 and it works pretty much as good as it can (hanging while applying theme and gradient issue aside, of course). Does its job.
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Post by nonameneeded on Mar 4, 2024 13:22:54 GMT -8
If you untick the fonts and additional icons (which you don't want it to replace anyway, because it might just mess things up) it seems to work on 23h2 too (with XP compatibility mode). Not that great but better than nothing at all.
Edit:
Version 1.0 of Desktop Architect you mean?
I've never seen that version but I might as well try it.
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clara
Sophomore Member
Posts: 112
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Post by clara on Mar 4, 2024 13:38:12 GMT -8
Version 1.0 of Desktop Architect you mean?
I've never seen that version but I might as well try it.
Yeah, it's available on archive.org. 95 compatibility mode works for me, system doesn't really let it change desktop wallpaper otherwise. |
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Post by nonameneeded on Mar 4, 2024 13:46:47 GMT -8
That's because it creates a file in the Windows directory called "Theme YOURNAME.bmp" and for some reason it insists on using that sometimes (but not always).
So I've created a batch file (which I run as an admin when it's necessary) consisting of these two lines (one of them is for the Plus! themes.exe which you wouldn't need):
del "C:\Windows\Theme Robert.bmp"
del "C:\Windows\Plus!.bmp"
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clara
Sophomore Member
Posts: 112
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Post by clara on Mar 4, 2024 14:19:33 GMT -8
Found another ancient theme manager that doesn't require compatibility mode to work and actually changes tilebar gradients. It was shareware, but the key is posted in the comments. Doesn't require installation to work. archive.org/details/desktop_themes_v187_ZIP |
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Post by nonameneeded on Mar 4, 2024 15:30:49 GMT -8
Works as "good" as Desktop Architect for me (I haven't tried the gradient title bars though).
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Post by OrthodoxWin32 on Mar 4, 2024 15:47:18 GMT -8
Found another ancient theme manager that doesn't require compatibility mode to work and actually changes tilebar gradients. It was shareware, but the key is posted in the comments. Doesn't require installation to work. archive.org/details/desktop_themes_v187_ZIPI didn't know this one. It cannot be installed, I get an error :
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clara
Sophomore Member
Posts: 112
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Post by clara on Mar 4, 2024 15:59:03 GMT -8
Yeah, seems like install errors out no matter what, but other than that, it works.
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Post by OrthodoxWin32 on Mar 4, 2024 16:25:20 GMT -8
Yeah, seems like install errors out no matter what, but other than that, it works. How do you manage to make it work ? |
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Post by nonameneeded on Mar 4, 2024 16:29:09 GMT -8
There is a setup file and the actual application.
You don't need to run the setup file, just double click on the actual application.
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Post by OrthodoxWin32 on Mar 4, 2024 16:34:12 GMT -8
Regarding DesktopArchitect, I've known him for a long time. I used it for a while, but quickly stopped because it frequently crashed when I changed the metric/fonts, similar to deskn.cpl. It seems to me that the only relatively stable old theme tool I knew of for use in Windows 10 was the original themes.exe from Windows Plus! (or Windows 2000).
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Post by OrthodoxWin32 on Mar 4, 2024 16:36:20 GMT -8
There is a setup file and the actual application. You don't need to run the setup file, just double click on the actual application. It doesn't work, he asks me this :
Clicking OK has no effect.
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clara
Sophomore Member
Posts: 112
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Post by clara on Mar 4, 2024 16:52:33 GMT -8
There is a setup file and the actual application. You don't need to run the setup file, just double click on the actual application. It doesn't work, he asks me this :
Clicking OK has no effect.
Oh yeah, it did that for me, but on the next start it worked somehow. Not sure if it helped, i changed the directory path, but it has reverted to Plus!\Themes anyway. |
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Post by OrthodoxWin32 on Mar 4, 2024 17:05:38 GMT -8
Oh yeah, it did that for me, but on the next start it worked somehow. Not sure if it helped, i changed the directory path, but it has reverted to Plus!\Themes anyway. I found the solution: it was not running as administrator, hence the issue. Thank you !
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Post by anixx on Mar 4, 2024 17:48:38 GMT -8
Version 1.0 of Desktop Architect you mean?
I've never seen that version but I might as well try it.
Yeah, it's available on archive.org. 95 compatibility mode works for me, system doesn't really let it change desktop wallpaper otherwise. Works well for me. Applies themes and desktop wallpapers just fine. As well as sounds. In WinXP compat mode. |
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Post by nonameneeded on Mar 4, 2024 18:44:29 GMT -8
Ok, I've just created a patch for Desktop Architect.
What it does is that it will enable all the XP compatibility layers but without the need to run the application as an admin (it runs as invoker instead).
It's quite easy to install:
Open a command prompt as admin and type the following:
sdbinst "C:\W98\Desktop Architect\DesktopArchitectPatch.sdb"
(of course it needs to be the correct path!)
Now it should work like it does in XP mode but without the annoying UAC prompt (because it doesn't run as admin).
But you need to make sure that all the wallpaper bitmaps Desktop Architect creates are deleted, because otherwise it won't be able to apply other wallpapers. You might have to search your hard drives for the files, sometimes they end up in a "virtual store" file.
I've also created a batch file for myself, in my case it looks like this:
del "C:\Windows\Theme user.bmp"
del "C:\Windows\Plus!.bmp"
del "C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\Theme User.bmp"
So whenever DA thinks it shouldn't apply your wallpaper run the above script and try to apply your theme again. It should work now.
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This is the patch:
Edit:
It's for this version of Desktop Architect (it will only work if the version number is exactly the same):
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Post by anixx on Mar 5, 2024 1:39:43 GMT -8
Ok, I've just created a patch for Desktop Architect.
What it does is that it will enable all the XP compatibility layers but without the need to run the application as an admin (it runs as invoker instead).
For me it does not need be run as admin anyway. Just with normal XP compat level.
Also, to run it as invoker you csimply can add RunAsInvoker to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers
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Post by OrthodoxWin32 on Mar 5, 2024 2:00:29 GMT -8
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