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fediaFedia — Windows XP to Vista tutorial
Published: 2007-07-17 10:28:58 +0000 UTC; Views: 468826; Favourites: 565; Downloads: 54024
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Revised at 06/09/2008
Windows XP > Vista tutorial 
Now downloadable as a MS Word document!*
* latest updates and new adds may not be included
This is my 1st XP>Vista tutorial, I've searched and found all possible things that make XP look like vista. Happy reading!
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TRANSFORMATION PACKS
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These packs will automatically transform your XP to Vista, but you'll need MUCH more then that to make your XP look as close as possible to vista...
Vistamizer: [link]
BricoPack Vista Inspirat 2 (SP3 compatible) recommended: [link]
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Like I said, transformation packs are not enough, here is a list of other required things for a vista feeling:
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VISUAL STYLES
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Get the basic vista look with msstyles, you'll need to patch uxtheme first.
Best Visual style (msstyles) Vista VG ultimate: [link] 
Aero Ultimate ViOrb - to make the whole orb appear on the msstyles: [link] Aero Ultimate Vistart [link] ===================================================
WINDOWBLINDS SKINS
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Get the premium Vista Aero experience on XP with WindowBlinds 6! You will get real glass and blur, and many other features with WB!
Best WindowBlinds style: Aero Ultimate RC1 [link] - Highest Quality vista style for XP===================================================
GLASS WITHOUT WINDOWBLINDS
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Don't have WindowBlinds? Don't worry, you can get Aero Glass frames with these:
Border Skin - one of the best glass emulators for XP: [link] Best vista TT skin - Aero Ultimate for TrueTransparecy: [link] Vystal: [link] FastAero: [link] TrueTransparency (highly recommended) [link] ===================================================
MISCELLANEOUS VISTA ITEMS
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Vista user pictures: [link] ALL vista wallpapers [link] Vista Sounds [link] Vista screensavers: [link] ===================================================
WINDOWS FLIP3D AND ALTERNATIVES
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Get the awesome Flip3D effect just like in vista.
New! Best Flip3D - Shock3D (free)
TopDesk: 1.5 (shareware) [link] WinFlip: (free) [link] Madotate [link] ===================================================
LIVE TASKBAR PREVIEWS
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Did you notice a cool vista feature which displays small thumbnails over a taskbar? You can have the same in XP!
Visual Tooltips: [link] Visual Task Tips: [link] ===================================================
VISTA LIKE APPLICATIONS AND SKINS FOR THEM
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Windows Mail: windows Live Mail [link]
Windows Defender: WGA required Windows Live Photo Gallery: [link] Windows Media Center: Skins for XP MCE 2005 Media Center program: [link]
MediaPortal (open source media center): [link] Vista like skin for media portal: [link]
Nero Home: [link] Vista skin for Nero home: [link]
Other Media Center software: [link]
Windows Media Player 11 (Genuine Windows required): [link] Best windows media player resource pack: [link]
Internet explorer 7 (Genuine Windows required): [link] Mozilla firefox: (alternative to ie7) Tutorial on how to make Firefox look like IE7 Vista: [link]
Windows Calendar: [link] Vista Help for XP: [link] Vista Games explorer: V1: [link]
V2 (possibility to add games): [link]
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EXPLORER PLUGINS IN VISTA STYLE
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Want your explorer to look and work like vista's? Try these:
Favorite Links for XP: [link] Styler (vista toolbar) [link] Styler skins - Vista perfection X4: [link]
Other types and languages: [link]
Vista adressbar: [link] ===================================================
PORTED VISTA APPLICATIONS (originals)
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Real programs from vista hacked to work on Windows XP
Windows Vista Sidebar RTM (original sidebar from vista): [link] (Windows Sidebar Styler [link] )
Vista paint, notepad, calculator: [link] Vista games for XP: [link] Vista Snipping Tool, Sticky Notes, and Inkball Game, Texas Hold'em ported to Xp: [link] Windows Journal for XP: [link] ===================================================
WINDOWS SIDEBAR ALTERNATIVES
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Rainmeter Windows Sidebar (recommended): [link] Takes very little resources!
Google Desktop demo: [link] Thoosje's Vista Sidebar: [link] ===================================================
MODIFICATIONS AND DESKTOPX
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These applications imitate the functions of vista ones. Some of them are limited in functionality.
Welcome Center: Glass: [link]
Basic: [link]
Windows Picture Viewer for XP (mod): [link] Windows Photo Gallery (DesktopX): [link] Vista system properties: [link] Vista personalization for xp: [link] Vista clock for xp: [link] ===================================================
RESOURCES
===================================================
Windows Vista original icons and pngs: You can use these icons in a dock or any system elements:
347 vista icons: [link] 347 Vista pngs: [link] Vista application icons: [link] Vista RTM WOW icon pack: [link]
Vista Icon packages:
For tuneUP: [link]
For IconPacakger: [link]
For IconTweaker: [link]
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BOOT\LOGON\SYSTEM SOUNDS
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Original vista boot screen for xp: [link] Best Logon available for XP: [link] ===================================================
WINDOWS PRODUCT (RED)
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Dell released a special set of computers with Vista Product (RED) for charity purposes. If you have ever supported (RED) you can get the special wallpapers, screensavers, sidebar gadgets and dreamscene for XP: [link]
===================================================
DREAMSCENE ALTERNATIVES
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And last but not least:
Dreamscene (Video, Animated wallpaper): In Vista Ultimate there is a extra called dreamscene, it lets to use a video background as a wallpaper :
DreamRender - one of the best dreamscene programs for xp: [link] KMplayer (tutorial) [link] Bsplayer (free): [link] VLC player (free): [link] Dreamscene animations: [link] DreamsceneXP (flash on Desktop) [link] AuroraXP: [link] JelyXP: [link] ===================================================
WEBSITE LINKS
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Other customization websites:
Windows [design] [rus] [link] Crystalxp.net: [link] WinModify: [link] Joejoe.org: [link] Winmatrix: [link] Wincert: [link] Aeroxp.org: [link] The Vista (RUS) [link] JCXP: [link] Aqua-soft: [link] Wintuning (RUS) [link] Vistart (vista start menu) official website: [link] ===================================================
OTHER TUTORIALS
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If you want your XP look like any other OS, check out these:
XP > Longhorn tutorial for longhorn fans [link]
XP > Leopard tutorial by anoos: [link]
TUTORIAL: Transform Windows XP into Windows Vista, Without Using any Customization Pack: [link]
This tutorial is mostly hacking system files to look like vista.
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Comments are welcome!
Feel free to suggest other software, will be included to the tutorial!
if you found this informative, and don't forget to visit my gallery for lots more HQ vista stuff 
Related content
Comments: 402
Hi! I wanted to ask, this is a tutorial to make Win XP look like Vista, right? One doesn't have to have Vista as an OS to use this tut, yes?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yes - with this tutorial you can make XP look like vista - and you don't have to buy it, and no compability issues! 
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
not buy Vista !!!!!!!!!!!
I'm just want to tell that Vista have many feature outside this tutorial like fast searching, more stable OS, more strenght firewall, and more cool even your tutorial make my XP more cool
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Vista is crap, stick with XP and you're it.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
My anti-virus catches your program as a back-door trojan.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
I love this tutorial ... With this you can combine the performance of xp and the graphich of vista !!!
The only thing of the tutorial that can slowdown the system is the RTM sidebar ^^
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yes, sidebar does consume a lot of memmory, but as bill gates said: In 1981 "640 kb of ram ought to be enough for anyone"... lol
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
he had right !!! In the 1981, 640kb were enough while in the 2006 neither 640mb are enough 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Billy made vista (ultimate yes?) that uses 2 GB (minimum) Ram
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Impossible - it is Microsoft word document!!! You must be wrong. PS i use KIS 7.0 so my PC can not be infacted.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
hey fediafedia im 13 and im makin a tutorial / package like u so is it ok if i post a link 4 my tutorial pls? thanks.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
If you are making a tutorial with same links and nothing new - then forget it. but if you are trying to make something new then it's ok to borow links from my tutorial (as long as there will be credit there).
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
thanks - i jus need some links (just a couple!) lol
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
make sure you have new stuff, otherwise your tutorial will be useless.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
im gonna 4get this and make a longhorn 1 tell me if its good pls. (its gonna b called longhor noir)
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
tutorial? Coz I already have a longhorn tutorial in my gallery...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
don't give up - invent something new, like MAC OS tutorial.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
hey fediafedia i done it - a windows xp to windows home server (not the skin but its like a seperate program and looks really good) have a look and if you like it, i might put it on deviantart - go on [link] to see it and tell me what u think. thanks!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
This is nice but is there a way to get Windows Media Player to become transparent like vista?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
No, but you can try this: [link]
Or this: [link]
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thanks. appreciate the help
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
How can a tutorial not work? Your question has no logic. Please select a specific object that doesn't work.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I meant that the transformation pack wont work. But never mind about it, it's probably because of my computer what is full of viruses
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
One thing to add to this list, I just posted a Dreamscene program for XP. Its a program I just finished that currently has just the Aurora Dreamscene soo none of that VLC or BSPlayer stuff.........but please check it out. I just posted it about 5 minutes ago here: [link]
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I think it here: ---> [link]
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
OK I'll add your IE to other deviation.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Thanks ! I'm downloading Version 7 now. Hope it works
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yo're welcome! If you are downloading ie7 then it needs wga
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
OMG !!! The Real Windows Photo Gallery for XP ??
I hope it come soon ... it's wonderful !!!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yep real Photo gallery for XP! If you want to test it send me a note!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
The final should come on august 30
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
WOW! !!! will try this as soon as possible !!
thanK you very much
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Wow there are some great links here thanks.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
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