Hey everyone! I love to customise* my machine and there is no general repository of information for customising Windows 8, as far as I can tell. So how about a big thread about everything you can do to make your desktop cool, pretty or whatever you fancy..? Everyone who has discovered a cool customisation hack, tool or setting, please share! Anyone who's got [intelligent] questions, please ask! Let's learn from each other and get on top of how we can master the GUI of Windows 8... Existing Threads: How to get the Start button back, (Please see separate thread) Win 8 Wallpapers (Please see sticky thread) Other Potential Topics: How to Customise the Start Menu (Metro) - Really change it Does Stardock and similar companies make any products for Win 8? What other customisation tools (freeware, shareware etc) are available and what do people think of them? Real hacks that change the look and feel of Windows 8 - Description and implementation How to customise the Desktop - are Dreamscapes and moving desktops still around? Cool GUI features that exist in Win 8 and are new (trying to think positively...) How to get Aero back, and is there any point? Warnings - what NOT to do, or you'll break the installation.... Help if you've messed up... Annoying features and how to turn them off.... *duh spell-checker, this is UK spelling, and it is correct.
Rainmeter is a good Tool to costumize your desktop. I hope there will be a free version of Fences2 soon, i dont want to pay for a software thats still beta
Theres activation threads, how to get rid of the installation tutorial, how to add net 3, how to add media centre, Refs filesystem, autounattend threads, and the ei.cfg trick. There are already alot of threads with lots of mods. A member with a higher post count should be the one moderating a super thread like this. This thread is by a seldom posting person who seems unaware of the many tricks already available on this forum that he didn't bother to read. It shows his level of commitment to the thread.
As i understand, this thread is about customizing the look and feel of win 8. Atm there are a lot of single threads around here but no repository. So not a bad idea. We will see what moderation statement would be...about your point who is authorised* moderating such a thread. regards *very british too .
I just want to report that I installed Stardock's free Startbutton for Windows 8. It installed quickly, works well - exactly like the "original" ....and lets you choose another image for the actual start button icon. I can't post links yet, but just google Start8 and you should find it. You have to sign up with email, click on the link and then download. However it is possible to immediately unsubscribe from Stardocks emails after that. Could you explain a bit more what this is about, please? All I've noticed is that I seem to be hassled more about permissions and warnings, even though I've tried to turn all of it off....
Might not be what you want but I managed to put the details pane back on the bottom in Explorer, you need a resource hacker and you need to change 7 UI files in the shell32.dll with the following. UI File 3 Code: <duixml> <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="genericlayoutstyle"> <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/> <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()"> <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/> </Element> </PreviewBackground> <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/> </TemplateBackground> <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/> <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/> </TemplateBackground> <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/> <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()"> <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client"> </ViewHost> </Element> </Element> </duixml> UI File 4 Code: <duixml> <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="musiclayoutstyle"> <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/> <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()"> <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/> </Element> </PreviewBackground> <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/> </TemplateBackground> <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/> <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/> </TemplateBackground> <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/> <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="musiclayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()"> <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client"> </ViewHost> </Element> </Element> </duixml> UI File 5 Code: <duixml> <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="photolayoutstyle"> <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/> <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()"> <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/> </Element> </PreviewBackground> <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/> </TemplateBackground> <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/> <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/> </TemplateBackground> <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/> <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="photolayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()"> <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client"> </ViewHost> </Element> </Element> </duixml> UI File 6 Code: <duixml> <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="documentslayoutstyle"> <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="90rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/> <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()"> <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/> </Element> </PreviewBackground> <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/> </TemplateBackground> <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/> <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/> </TemplateBackground> <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/> <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()"> <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client"> </ViewHost> </Element> </Element> </duixml> UI File 19 Code: <duixml> <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="documentslayoutstyle"> <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/> <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()"> <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/> </Element> </PreviewBackground> <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/> </TemplateBackground> <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client"/> <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/> </TemplateBackground> <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/> <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()"> <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client"> </ViewHost> </Element> </Element> </duixml> UI File 20 Code: <duixml> <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="documentslayoutstyle"> <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/> <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()"> <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/> </Element> </PreviewBackground> <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/> </TemplateBackground> <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/> <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/> </TemplateBackground> <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/> <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()"> <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client"> </ViewHost> </Element> </Element> </duixml> UI File 21 Code: <duixml> <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="genericlayoutstyle"> <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/> <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/> <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()"> <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectTitlePropertyString="prop:System.Computer.SimpleName;*System.Computer.Description" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.Computer.DomainName;*System.Computer.Workgroup;*System.Computer.Processor;System.Computer.Memory" layoutpos="Client"/> </Element> </PreviewBackground> <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/> </TemplateBackground> <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right"> <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/> <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/> </TemplateBackground> <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/> <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left" RootMgrClsid="{93319CCC-B277-48FF-95BD-6CDCCAFCBD31}"/> <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="genericlayoutstyle" layout="filllayout()"> <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()"> </ViewHost> </Element> </Element> </duixml>
Check this thread here for all Windows 8 Information h ttp://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/36236-All-Windows-8-Information
Thanks, but this thread is about Customisation only. Not activation, not technical problems or new features. It's a pain to have to read a general thread, if you are only searching for one topic - and a fairly popular topic at that. Mods have approved it, so it should be ok. This had to be your first post on the forum?! If anyone else has opintions about the usefulness, or lack thereof, of this thread, please simply report the thread to mod, and let them determine. Else, let's stay on topic: Windows 8 Customisation.
Actually I had over 75 posts on the thread "What are the options to activate Windows 8, if any", But that thread has unfortunately been deleted by a moderator because of excessive spamming and irrelevant posts by noobs
Here is a thread : Wallpapers Link: h ttp://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/26946-Windows-8-Wallpapers-Express-your-creative-side-here
It still needs much tuning: Frames of inactive windows should be just darker version of chosen color instead of black and frame of active window shouldn't be tampered at all.