Turning your Windows XP or Vista into a mac and Linux

This Instructable will show you how to turn your windows pc into a mac and pc, as well as running Linux.

- I recommend you have at least 2 GB of RAM
-and over 10GB of hard disk space (if you want linux)
vista or XP is recommended - I am doing this on vista so please tell me if something such as the theme does not work.

This is my first Instructable... so be warned... =)

Step 1 to 6 is about Mac theming. Note that this is more advanced, so that you can customize things such as the background and theme, making it more like a mac.
Step 7 to end is Linux. Note that this doesn't delete anything, but is a virtual machine.

Notes:
This does not remove XP or vista.

Step 1 Mac it Up! - Downloads

Lets download Everything we need for the Mac part.

For Ease download them all to the Desktop in a folder called "Mac Theme" or another easy access folder.
First of all - the dock. Download Rocketdock from Here

Next goto this website to download the menubar (if it doesn't work - try here)

Download the files to patch your system

Check your service pack first for XP - right click properties on My Computer

Warning this is for Vista!!! Do not apply this on an XP machine.
Download the one for Vista with Service Pack 1 Here (x86) NOT 64 bit

Warning this is for XP!!! Do not apply this on a Vista machine.
XP users please try here - SP2 here ... SP3 here or, if broken try googling leopardxp or "uxtheme.dll SP3 XP download"

64 bits- im sorry but i dont exactly have the files - try searching for 64 bit uxtheme.dll patch on Google - also you will need to find your own theme (sorry!)

Now download the theme
Here for Vista
Here for XP

The Background
Here

The Cursors
Installer - just save this
Just download all of that and you should be good. (Again - I'm not sure about 64 bit)

Comments

[admin]

Hey, this is a great instructable and is very informative. Just one thing is missing... pictures! It really helps a lot when trying to follow directions so you should consider taking some photographs. Once you do that and leave me a message when you have so that we can publish your work. Thanks! Thanks for the cool instructable and we hope to publish this soon!

[Blackice504]

Hi its great to share knowlege when possible but best run a linux OS on a vmware workstation or you can use the built in Virtual Machine that come with windows 7, i seen the latest mac os they are still too far behind, but the linux is usefull i have 4 Linux servers on my Vmware Server ESXi 5.0 with 3 Windows servers.

but one thing i will say anything is better then vista just not mac.

too much support for other os plus you not have to worrie about mac telling you how to download music or share between your devices ect or what format to use.

anyway i will write an instructable on vmware ESXi.
you kill a virtual machine it not matter.
you upgrade hardware no need to reinstall.
vmware also supports 3D support limited but does work for virtual machine. ( great for running servers for games that not have dedicated server app )

[grundisimo]

All of the pages are either labeled as spyware or malware on my computer.

[TimeDroid]

wont run like one and i have a mac and my mac is awesome i can do 1,000 apps at once on my mac pro and with only using 6% of cpu

[account3r2]

broken links, please fix: http://www.vistathemes.org/windows-vista-themes/leopard.rar http://www.macosx-forum.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/defaultdesktop.jpg http://www.usher.com.pl/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/mac-os-x-cursors-10-setup.exe

[superMacaroni]

How do I turn a Mac into a PC? Not look like one, have the actual windows installed.

[A-Nony-Mus]

Is there any way to change the apple symbol in finderbar to a more modern one?

[Dmajore]

man the link for the background doesnt work...

[Chief7Rings]

Hey man, just Google it or click this link:

www.1stclasswallpapers.com/backgrounds/computer_and_internet/image/mac_os_x_leopard_space.jpg

[sawyer95]

dude just download vista osx

[strcrusher]

I was going to install something it told me i gotta remove vista osx so i did and guess what happened after i uninstalled it? I couldnt use any themes and it turned my new 2 month old laptop into a friek'n slow laptop!!!

[sawyer95]

try reinstalling it or put in a restore disc and did u try to put vista osx on a laptop with window xp

[strcrusher]

i didnt get a restore disk and how do u reinstall

[strcrusher]

 i know how to reinstall but i did that to windows 7 and it broke again

[flamtz]

packs like these have fail rates, (unfortunately). Some posts on the internet claim unbootable computers as a result.

[strcrusher]

 ya my computer is unbootable now

[Kasm279]

uh, the link for the XP theme is broken D:

[junits15]

download the "universal theme patcher" it can patch everything from Windows XP to windows 7, all of the "badass" theme designers use it, It also has the option to restore the files that you patch to their origional stae. I use this for my win7 system and have NEVER had anything go wrong.

[flamtz]

Sorry, but I don't really mod my xps... Google "XP SP3 uxtheme.dll patch"... I haven't tried these files (hint: find one with a lot of good comments, or downloads, and it will be the one you are looking for.)

[Bennwa]

so does it delete all your stuff? can u run xp if u need to or is it just OS?

[flamtz]

No it doesn't!!! =)
This is why we install it, as if it were a program...

[flamtz]

Just every time you want linux, click on VirtualBox... But if you want to make it at boot you can, installing another program to let you test out Ubuntu (But you only have 10GB of Hard Drive space)

[Bennwa]

oh sweet thanks dude

[jacobjordan]

This will not work on any version of XP and i will explain why. The theme you direct us to to use on XP is a PNG-based Vista theme, not a bitmap-based XP theme. These will not operate on XP. I found this out after being suspicious about the small file size, and wondering why this is the only 3rd party theme i have that wouldn't work. I could reverse engineer this theme to work on XP, but it would take me about a month.

[flamtz]

Sorry about that!!! I hadn't tested it on an XP machine. I'll find one soon...

[jacobjordan]

I did some searching, and i found several that looked good. Ultimately i used a program called LeopardXP to make my XP look like Mac OS X. I also used RocketDock, version of the Mac Firefox theme that had been changed to run on Firefox for Windows, a mac sound theme, and a mac cursor theme to help sell it. LeopardXP also changed all the system icons, one good thing that your instructable doesn't cover. Just google leopardxp. I recommend you add that to your instructable as the method for replacing the theme and icons on XP. It will also auto-patch uxtheme.dll. Other than the thing of this not working on XP, it's a good instructable. I rate 3.5*.

[blueberrypieisgood]

would this apply to all users? or just specified ones? Is it Permanent?

[flamtz]

I believe that it depends on where you install Virtual Box to... It is not permanent... Also - don't upgrade to SP2 for Vista, until a new uxtheme.dll comes out.

[REA]

i think i had already seen one out for SP2. i forgot where exactly.

[dla888]

Use a live CD instead of a VM.

[DELETED_jgunndesign]

(removed by author or community request)

[flamtz]

Yes, but what you do is illegal... against the terms provided with the OS. I actually looked into that path momentarily, but decided I didn't want a hackintosh.