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| Most Awesome Theme Ever: Bumblebee through and through. Even the Logon Screen! |
Owing to the fact that Bumblebee rocks and it the coolest of the autobots, I only thought it appropriate to put together this Windows 7 theme in his honor. It's a big change in comparison to the standard Windows 7 Aero theme, and requires several tools, but I think you will find that its well worth the 20 minutes you'll spend setting it up. And when you've done it once, it will only take 5 minutes for you to set it up for your friends.
Theme Includes:
The Start Menu gets a new color. The right side is still transparent but the main body has a black background. Also, the start orb is changed to an autobot logo.
Progress bars are now blue, and buttons are blue on hover and glow slightly yellow when selected.
Here is a list of the tools with links that you will need to complete the theme:
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| Desktop Screenshot |
UXTheme Multipatcher 8.0
Logon Studio by Stardock
Elegant Glass Theme by Simply The Frankie
Windows 7 Start Button Changer
Bumblebee Wallpapers 1920x1080 and 1920x1200
Transformer Sounds
Bumblebee User Icon
Phase 1: The Third Party Theme
Elegant Glass is a fantastic play on the existing Aero visual styles in Windows 7, but it is not a standard theme that can be installed with the simple click of a mouse. The operating system must first be patched to allow for themes of this nature to be installed.
1) Patch Windows
Download the UXTheme Multipatcher by clicking on the link above. This is a portable app, that is, it doesn't need to be installed to your computer. Simply run the file from the download and click the Patch button. The program will do the rest and notify you when it has completed.
2) Download Elegant Glass
Do not restart your computer when prompted. We will first put the theme files into their place in the operating system. Download the Elegant Glass Theme by clicking on the link above.
3) Locate Theme Files
Unzip the folder to your desktop or somewhere you can easily find it. Then locate the folder and open it. Then Click Elegant Glass Top. You are then presented with a folder and a file, both of which are labeled "Elegant Glass". These are the items that we will need to copy and move into a particular folder in windows. Leave the window with the Elegant Glass Theme files alone for the moment while we find the folder where we will put them.
4) Place Theme Files in the C:\Windows\Resources\Themes Folder
In the Start menu click on the Computer link on the right side. Click Local Disk(C:), then Windows, then Resources, then Themes. This is where the Elegant Glass folder and its companion file need to be placed. Go back to the window where we located the Elegant Glass Theme files. You can drag and drop the two items from this window into the Themes folder that we just navigated into.
5) Apply the Theme
Now restart your computer. When you log in again, right click on the desktop and click Personalize. In the list of themes scroll down until you get to the My Installed Themes section. Click on the Elegant Glass Theme.
Phase 2: The Logon Screen
Logon Studio is a simple program whose sole purpose is to allow you to change the wallpaper of the logon screen. It is a standard desktop application and will need to be installed in order to function.
1) Download and Install Logon Studio
Using the link at the top of the page, go to the Logon Studio website and download the program. Run the downloaded file and follow setup instructions. This should be a brief install.
2) Create a Logon Screen
Open the application. On the left side there are a list of available options. Click the Create button. In the Name field give your new logon screen a name, then click the browse button and select the background wallpaper you would like to put on your logon screen. You may choose from one that I provide in the Wallpapers download or choose your own. Click Save then Apply and you will automatically be taken to your new logon screen.
Phase 3: The Start Orb
The Windows 7 Start Button Changer is also a portable app, though because it makes backups of your all important windows explorer program, it is useful to tuck it away as a program on your system.
1) Move the Program into your C:\Program Files Folder
Click on the link above to download the Windows 7 Start Button Changer. After unzipping the folder, click the Start button, then Computer on the right side of the Start Menu. Click Local Disk (C:), then Program Files. Move the unzipped folder (Should be called buttonChanger) into the Program Files folder.
2) Change the Start orb
Click on the folder you just placed in Program Files. click W7SBC, Right click over the Windows 7 Start button Changer v 2.6 icon and then click Run as Administrator. When the Program comes up click Select & Change Start Button. You now need to navigate to the 10 Sample Orbs folder located in the W7SBC folder. In the windows explorer window that popped up you can click Local Disk(C:) on the left panel and then click Program Files, then buttonChanger, then W7SBC, then 10 Sample Orbs. Select the picture that looks like the transformers autobot logo by double clicking it. The Start Orb should change and you can then close the program.
Phase 4: Additional Elements
Wallpapers, sounds, and window color are simple changes that can make or break a good theme.
1) By clicking on the wallpapers link above you download a series of BumbleBee wallpapers that I just found online. you can search for your own wallpapers too. Any one of them can be set as your logon screen wallpaper.
2) I personally like to set the window boarder color to Slate and turn the color intensity down. This can be done in the Personalize option by right clicking on the desktop.
3) The sounds included are some that I found online. In the Personalize menu you can click Sounds which is located at the bottom and change sounds individually. If you find any sounds that might be more appropriate please let me know!
4) You can also change your user icon by clicking the Start menu and then clicking on the user icon that you see in the upper right-hand corner of the start menu. Click Change Your Picture and then click Browse for more pictures which is located underneath the picture choices that windows provides for you. You can download the Bumblebee Icon from one of the links above (Right click on the picture and select Save As) and then use it as your own.
And now you have the most epic windows 7 theme known to exist! Let me know if you have any comments or concerns.
Logon Studio by Stardock
Elegant Glass Theme by Simply The Frankie
Windows 7 Start Button Changer
Bumblebee Wallpapers 1920x1080 and 1920x1200
Transformer Sounds
Bumblebee User Icon
Phase 1: The Third Party Theme
Elegant Glass is a fantastic play on the existing Aero visual styles in Windows 7, but it is not a standard theme that can be installed with the simple click of a mouse. The operating system must first be patched to allow for themes of this nature to be installed.
1) Patch Windows
2) Download Elegant Glass
Do not restart your computer when prompted. We will first put the theme files into their place in the operating system. Download the Elegant Glass Theme by clicking on the link above.
3) Locate Theme Files
4) Place Theme Files in the C:\Windows\Resources\Themes Folder
In the Start menu click on the Computer link on the right side. Click Local Disk(C:), then Windows, then Resources, then Themes. This is where the Elegant Glass folder and its companion file need to be placed. Go back to the window where we located the Elegant Glass Theme files. You can drag and drop the two items from this window into the Themes folder that we just navigated into. 5) Apply the Theme
Now restart your computer. When you log in again, right click on the desktop and click Personalize. In the list of themes scroll down until you get to the My Installed Themes section. Click on the Elegant Glass Theme.
Phase 2: The Logon Screen
Logon Studio is a simple program whose sole purpose is to allow you to change the wallpaper of the logon screen. It is a standard desktop application and will need to be installed in order to function.
Using the link at the top of the page, go to the Logon Studio website and download the program. Run the downloaded file and follow setup instructions. This should be a brief install.
2) Create a Logon Screen
Open the application. On the left side there are a list of available options. Click the Create button. In the Name field give your new logon screen a name, then click the browse button and select the background wallpaper you would like to put on your logon screen. You may choose from one that I provide in the Wallpapers download or choose your own. Click Save then Apply and you will automatically be taken to your new logon screen.
Phase 3: The Start Orb
1) Move the Program into your C:\Program Files Folder
Click on the link above to download the Windows 7 Start Button Changer. After unzipping the folder, click the Start button, then Computer on the right side of the Start Menu. Click Local Disk (C:), then Program Files. Move the unzipped folder (Should be called buttonChanger) into the Program Files folder.
2) Change the Start orb
Click on the folder you just placed in Program Files. click W7SBC, Right click over the Windows 7 Start button Changer v 2.6 icon and then click Run as Administrator. When the Program comes up click Select & Change Start Button. You now need to navigate to the 10 Sample Orbs folder located in the W7SBC folder. In the windows explorer window that popped up you can click Local Disk(C:) on the left panel and then click Program Files, then buttonChanger, then W7SBC, then 10 Sample Orbs. Select the picture that looks like the transformers autobot logo by double clicking it. The Start Orb should change and you can then close the program.
Phase 4: Additional Elements
Wallpapers, sounds, and window color are simple changes that can make or break a good theme.
1) By clicking on the wallpapers link above you download a series of BumbleBee wallpapers that I just found online. you can search for your own wallpapers too. Any one of them can be set as your logon screen wallpaper.
2) I personally like to set the window boarder color to Slate and turn the color intensity down. This can be done in the Personalize option by right clicking on the desktop.
3) The sounds included are some that I found online. In the Personalize menu you can click Sounds which is located at the bottom and change sounds individually. If you find any sounds that might be more appropriate please let me know!
4) You can also change your user icon by clicking the Start menu and then clicking on the user icon that you see in the upper right-hand corner of the start menu. Click Change Your Picture and then click Browse for more pictures which is located underneath the picture choices that windows provides for you. You can download the Bumblebee Icon from one of the links above (Right click on the picture and select Save As) and then use it as your own.
And now you have the most epic windows 7 theme known to exist! Let me know if you have any comments or concerns.
