Caster - X ™’s blog

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!

Edit: There is a xp>longhorn tutorial for longhorn fans now! [link]

Vista Transformation Pack 7.0
This is probably the most important thing in this tutorial, this pack has all basic things for the transformation:
ViStart The program that perfectly emulates the original vista startmenu.
Styler Application that gives the explorer a vista feeling.
Visual tooltip Shows a tooltip of a running program over start panel.
Blaero Start orb or ViOrb Shows a full start orb in the start panel.
Thoosje’s sidebar Gives a vista like sidebar to your desktop.
L Clock Shows a vista like clock and calender in the start panel.

Other features of VTP7
Vista Sound scheme
Vista system icons
Wallpapers
Visual Styles
Cursors
Boot screen
Logon etc.

Download Vista Transformation pack:
[link]

Looks like enough, but there are other small things that give you XP the vista feeling:

Visual styles:
Best Visual style (msstyles) Vista VG ultimate: [link]
ViOrb - to make the whole orb appear on the msstyles: [link]
Skins for ViOrb: (by chuckyrocks2007) [link]

Best WindowBlinds visual styles: WhiteFlame: [link]
Vista 2.1: [link]
(WindowBlinds info: [link] )

Applications to make Aero glass without WindowBlinds:
Vystal: [link]
FastAero: [link]
TrueTransparency (thanks to counteralchemist) [link]

Vista user pictures: [link] (by Picassa243)

Vista Flip 3D in XP

TopDesk 1.4 (free) [link]
TopDesk: 1.5 (shareware) [link]
ShockAero: (free) [link]
Madotate (thanks to Picassa243) [link]

All Original Vista Wallpapers: [link]

Windows Media Center:
(If you are using MCE 2005 you don’t need this)
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]

Explorer plugins
Styler (vista toolbar) [link]
Styler skins - Vista perfection X4: [link]
Other types and languages: [link]
Favorite links menu: [link]
Vista adressbar: [link]

Other Applications
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) [link]
Best Firefox IE7 theme: [link]

Vista style Paint: [link]

Windows vista Games RTM (original vista games): [link]
Vista Games explorer:
V1: [link]
V2 (possibility to add games): [link]

Windows Vista Sidebar RTM (original sidebar from vista):
Updated! [link]

New skins for sidebar RTM (non sidebar styler users)
LINK REMOVED
Edit: alternative sidebar skins by:ears1991 [link]

Welcome Center:
Glass: [link]
Basic: [link]

Real Windows Photo Gallery!
Windows Live Photo Gallery: ///coming soon///
preview: [link]

Windows Photo Gallery: [link]

Windows Mail: windows Live Mail [link]

Thunderbird: [link]
Thunderbird winmail skin: [link]

Windows Defender: [link] (WGA required)

Vista system properties: [link]

Windows Vista original icons and pngs:
347 vista icons: [link]
347 Vista pngs: [link]
Vista application icons: [link]
Vista RTM WOW icon pack: [link]

Windows Vista boot and logon:

Original vista boot screen for xp: [link]
Original logon for xp: [link]

Vista screensavers: [link]

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 :
Bsplayer (free): [link]
VLC player (free): [link]
Dreamscene animations: [link]
DreamsceneXP (flash on Desktop) [link]
AuroraXP: [link]
JelyXP: [link]

Other customization websites:
Crystalxp.net: [link]
Joejoe.org: [link]
Winmatrix: [link]
Wincustomize: [link]
Vistaultimate: [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]

Homepage