So you want an awesome UI?(Windows 7)

Not on my watch!

I assume that you're tired of the old, boring Windows UI.

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And you want to spice up your life a little.

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Then you've come to right man, man.


Let's start, you won't achieve greatness by drooling at my design.
You need the following:

• Internet(yeah dude)
  
• Photoshop(that's what I use)
  
• Everything(a program that can search up EVERYthing on your computer. everything)
  
• .ico file extention saver(add-on for Photoshop)
  
• UxStyle Core(patches your system, allowing you to install .theme's)
  
• A downloaded theme.
  
• A little sense of navigation
  

Jesus tapdancing christ, we can do stuff now.

[SIZE="5"]Applying custom themes:[/SIZE]
You've downloaded the UxStyle Core program(you better), and now you're going to patch your system so it can be modified.
It's very simple.

• Open up UxStyle_Core_jul13_bits.zip and extract the .msi that you're going to use. Extract 64.msi if you use a 64-bit system, 86.msi if you use a 32-bit system.
  
• Install it like you would install every other program, and you're done.
  

Now we can apply the theme!
I downloaded the 7 Soft theme from DeviantART. I like the theme because it's smooth and not overwhelming. [SIZE="1"]let us thank ~evthan for the theme![/SIZE]

• Start up Everything.
  
• Type in "resources\theme" without quotation marks, like this:
  
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• Open the folder "Themes" that I have marked, with the path C:\Windows\Resources
  
• You are now in your Themes folder:
  
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• You can see all your default styles.(if you had any customs, you wouldn't need me:yellowcard
  
• It's pretty simple from now on. All you have to do is drag and drop from the .rar file to the Themes folder.
  
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• You have succesfully added your theme.
  
• how2use? click the spoiler.
  
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[SIZE="4"]Congratulations, you just installed your first custom theme![/SIZE](or else you wouldnt be here:yellowcard

[SIZE="5"]Getting ready for custom icons:[/SIZE]
This is also pretty easy, and it only requires a little creativity.

• Launch up Everything.
  
• Type in "File formats", and you should be taken to the File Format folder in Photoshop main folder:
  
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• Open up ICOFormat-1.93b1-win.zip, and drag ICOFormat.8bi into the "File Format" folder.
  

Now you can save files in .ico format, allowing you to use your pictures as custom icons!

Here's how to apply the icon(s):

• Launch up Everything, and search for "Pinned", and open the one with the path ending in "QuickLaunch".
  
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• You now see a folder called "TaskBar". Double click it.
  
• You should now see a list of shortcuts to the programs that you have pinned.
  
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• Drag the ones you're keen on customizing onto your desktop.
  
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• Now you're ready to customize the icons.
  
• Open Photoshop, and get creative.
  
• If you use standard icons, the dimensions for the custom icons will be 32x32. If you use small icons, dimensons will be 16x16.
  

You now have a custom icon.

[SIZE="5"]Applying your custom icons:[/SIZE]
Right click the icon you just dragged onto the desktop, and click Properties, and then proceed to click "change icon...".

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You get a pop-up, where you see the icon you want to change.
Click "Browse..."

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Now find your way to your custom icon. Double click it, press "OK".

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The icon you see on your desktop is now changed, but the one you have pinned is not - we need to fix that.
Go to your taskbar, and right click the icon you want to change, and choose "unpin this program from the taskbar".

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All you do now is to drag and drop the new icon from your desktop, onto your taskbar.

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Voilá!

[SIZE="5"]You have successfully made your first custom icon![/SIZE]


Credits:
~evthan
voidtools for Everything
telegraphics.au for .ico file format!
UxStyle for their visual patcher.
Me for writing the guide.

Should you be in doubt of anything, feel free to ask.

[SIZE="4"]I thought I'd post this, the "show your desktop" thread seems a bit popular.[/SIZE]
now you can pimp yours too. c:

PS. move if it is in the inappropriate section. kthx