How to Make XP Look Like VISTA

by Chadoh

21K2567

Intro: How to Make XP Look Like VISTA

Vista looks pretty cool eh, you might have even considered buying it until you saw the price tag, or maybe you just didn't want to get it because all of the bugs, but either way theres no need to fear because free vista is here! This is not actually windows vista but its pretty close. It's a theming pack called Vista Transformation Pack 7. It basically gives your old XP or 2000 a digital makeover, and we're going to find out how to use it.

STEP 1: Download Your Files

To make this look like vista we're going to need 2 programs:

1. Vista Tansformation Pack 7
2. Fast Aero

What is Vista Transformation Pack 7?
Vista transformation pack 7 is a theming program that themes your os to vista by changing things like your boot screen your taskbar your wallpaper your screen savers ect.

What is Fast Aero?
Ya know the nice transparent windows that vista has? This program allows you to have them without dishing out 20 bucks for windowblinds.

Lets Continue

STEP 2: Removing Hotfix KB925902

Now if you just tried to install the program you probably noticed an error message such as the one below. All you have to do to fix it is go to add or remove programs in control panel, and check the box that says "show updates". It will load and then scroll down to around the bottom where you'll find the hotfix we need to remove. Once found all you have to do is select remove and say yes when it says that it might mess with some files. When your done select finish and your computer will restart.

STEP 3: Installing

Once restarted click on the vista transformation pack 7 file and open it.

An error message will pop up saying get windowblinds. you don't need it so just press ok

Now a screen will say that this is free software and not to be sold.

Now, lets get to installing

Box 1. It basically says read everything carefully or you could (although it's highly unlikely) brick your computer. Press next.

STEP 4: Installing Part 2

Box 2. You will see a donate page to donate to Mr. Windows X (why don't you, he put a lot of hard work and effort into this).

STEP 5: Installing Part 3

Box 3. On this page you will find the requirements. Make sure your computer meets all the necessary needs and press next.

STEP 6: Installing Part 4

Box 4. You will now see the license agreement page. Read it over carefully and accept. Press next.

STEP 7: Installing Part 5

Box 5. This page just tells you what its going to do. read it over and press next.

STEP 8: Installing Part 6

Box 6. This page is the faq and is very useful and should be backed up so i have provided you with a copy for future reference.

STEP 9: Installing Part 7

Box 7. This page is very informing and includes important info. I have also provided you with a copy.

STEP 10: Installing Part 8

Box 8. This step asks you if you want to apply vista ui transformation into system or integrate vista transformation pack into system files. choose which one best suits your needs and press next, but if your unsure on what to do select the ui transformation because if you select integrate it into the setup files you can't revert your system files back to the original ones.

STEP 11: Installing Part 9

Box 9. This page asks you what your screen specifications are. fill them out and press next.

STEP 12: Installing Part 10

Box 10. This page will ask you if you want to install classic or express. select express, its much quicker and easier and in the end it still accomplishes the same thing.

STEP 13: Installing Part 11

Box 11. this page will ask you which features to install. select all of them and press next

STEP 14: Installing Part 12

Box 12. This is the final page before installing. it says that its ready and you can press transform. let it install and once its done it will say it needs to restart. Select restart and wait for it to load back up.

STEP 15: Welcome Center

Finally we're done!. Now that you've logged on you should probably see something called "Vista Transformation Pack - Welcome Center". Click on configure user account.

STEP 16: Configuring

Check the boxes that are checked in the picture and press continue. A window will pop up saying the computer needs to be restarted, select ok and wait.

STEP 17: Changes

Now if you've followed along correctly you're probably noticing some changes such as the boot logo and the welcome screen and the sounds. But as soon as you log on your thinking where the heck is the sweet vista taskbar!?! Don't panic its easy to find. all you have to do is right click on your desktop, select properties and then select themes. there should be windows aero, windows classic, windows vista, and windows xp. select windows vista and press apply. Congratulations. Your computer looks almost exactly like a vista. But what about the wallpaper you ask? go to properties and select backgrounds this time. scroll down and you should see some new backgrounds. choose whatever one you like (but if your going for a real vista look may i suggest numbers 24 & 36).

STEP 18: Fast Aero

Didn't think i forgot about it did ya?

This is a cakewalk compared to the last install we did. All you have to do is unzip the folder into the programs file of your C drive, and then copy fast aero (the little shield) to startup in the start menu.

STEP 19: Congratulations

Congratulations! we're finally done. Hopefully this turned out good for you :)

And this is my first instructable so if i did a poor job or left somthing out or mispelled somthing please tell me. thanks guys.


Chad

67 Comments

fudgyone 14 years ago

just to let anyone know, the fast aero download link is infected with a trojan virus. i found like 5 of them on the link. try something else if it works or risk your computer and your safety!

jrod92 15 years ago

i downloaded SP3 and it killed this, vistart and viorb still work, but nothing else does. i just got finished reformatting my computer and reinstalling all the drivers so i'm kinda tired of this kind of stuff for now so is there a simple way to just make this all go away? will uninstalling the transformation pack remove every part of it, or will there still be residual effects?

Sandisk1duo 15 years ago

transformation pack cannot be downloaded :(

livesteamfan 15 years ago

Fast Aero really slows down the system.

4_t477_guy 15 years ago

I recommend TrueTransparency instead of Fast Aero. Besides, Vista Transformation Pack 8.01 includes TrueTransparency.

livesteamfan 15 years ago

I have found out that this will also work on Windows 95 and 98, depending on your system.

steve_nguyen95 15 years ago

i have successfully done this but when i boot up my comp it still sez qindows xp. after that it shows the vista symbol and starts up w/ vista ultimate. any help?

AnarchistAsian 15 years ago

can you reverse it, and easily change it whenever you want, because this is the only laptop i will have for a long time(and it's very nice), so i don't want to permanently mark it or something.

P.S. today is my birthday, view my awsome instructable here

ll.13 16 years ago

Perhaps a better title for the Instructable is: Upgrade XP GUI to look like Vista. Vista looks cool, maybe, I don't like the performance though.

bleachworthy 16 years ago

well, think about this; XP has a maximum installation size of about six and a half gigabytes. less system files, means faster fetch time. the faster the system can retrieve the files, the faster the OS. vista has a minimum installation size of fifteen gigabytes, well over twice the size of XP. this means that there are more files for the system to retrieve, slowly but surly hogging all the resources it can get it's hands on. give vista 2-3 years, and it will be a good OS. this is just like when XP first came out. everyone wanted to stick to their 2k, ME, NT, (and god forbid) 98 SE. xp has grown to be the OS we all know, (and hopefully) love, because we gave it time to improve. and it did. sure, it took hundreds of megabytes of updates, and service packs that eventually replaced almost every file in XP itself. but it was worth it, wasn't it?

ll.13 16 years ago

Good point, but also when XP came out (2001?) that was the day of MegaHertz, now we run XP on 1.7Ghz and it runs well, even on 700Mhz it's not too bad, when computing technology is more advanced and Quad-Core CPU's are normal, Vista will be much better. Plus there is always Linux, with with a large choice of GUI's

LasVegas 16 years ago

WinXP - October 2001 SP1 - September 2002 SP1a - February 2003 SP2 - August 2004 If you want a really zippy OS! Try installing Win95 on a modern machine!

Punkguyta 16 years ago

No no LasVegas, you have it allllll wrong, try installing Windows 3.11 on a modern machine. I had it on a Pentium 1 120mhz once, that was so fast that it corrupted itself and every time I wanted to turn it off, I had to reinstall it every time, which being a fast computer (compared to what Win 3.11 was made on) installs pretty fast so I put up with it for sake of saying I had it. If win 3.11 were "placed" apon a modern machine, it would most likely destroy it's system files. -P

LasVegas 16 years ago

The fact that your Win 3.11 install corrupted itself had nothing to do with the speed of the computer. It was more likely due to the use of a similar, but incompatible file system (Fat32 instead of Fat16).

Punkguyta 16 years ago

When you install it, it wipes and formats the drive, to fat 16, so if it were due to an incompatibility (which I'm pretty sure win 3.11 did run on fat 32? Might be wrong here) IT wouldn't have booted to the desktop in the first place, which I must say win 3.11 is rather cute compared to today's desktops.

LasVegas 16 years ago

Much of your current hardware no longer is BIOS and IRQ based. Some of it also operates outside of the original 64K base addresses. Win 3.11 was never designed to run with more than 64K, let alone drive hardware outside of that space. I even remember a quote from Gates about then that computers would never need more than 64K... I'm sure Win 3.11 would quickly run out of stack space trying to run on modern hardware.

legless 16 years ago

He said 640KB not 64KB. They allowed 1MB of addressing space in total including the upper memory where drivers and such were located. SO you had up to 640KB of base memory which was loaded and dealt with in 64KB chunks.
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