A program for downloading themes for Windows 7. How to update Direct X: improvements for gamers

(1.6 MB) (I tried it on my system - everything works fine), it will allow you to use themes in the system that do not have a Microsoft digital signature.
The program is striking in its simplicity - installation, launch, two clicks, reboot and you're done! Allows you to change themes not only in the "seven", but also in Windows XP SP3, Vista.

After installation, run the program and act in accordance with the screenshot:

After the reboot, run the program again and pay attention to the shield icon of the computer icon; if a checkmark appears, it means the files are patched.

From now on you can install themes; to do this, open the folder C:/Windows/Resources/Themes and drag the downloaded files here:

Now just right-click on the desktop and go to “Personalization” and select the downloaded theme.

Another program for installing third-party themes is Universal Theme Patcher(0.15 MB), it will allow you to use design themes in the system that do not have a Microsoft digital signature. Download and launch the application. Select the language and click OK.

The utility will tell you what we need to do to install new themes, click Yes.

In the next step there will be a window like this, click Patch for all three files:

After this, the program will offer to reboot, we agree.

In some archives with themes you can see some system files, for example – ExplorerFrame.dll (usually located in the ...Windows\System32 folder), they need to be replaced for the full functionality of this theme. (this is not a requirement; for most themes, writing the files to C:/Windows/Resources/Themes will suffice)

Windows 7 is an operating system whose visual style can be changed beyond recognition. There are a huge number of third-party themes available for free download. Gamers can design the system in the style of their favorite game: Stalker, World of Tanks, Dota, Diablo, Skyrim, Call of Duty, etc. Fans of simple compact themes pay attention to minimalism. There are themes to suit every taste:

mentioned games;
movies;
anime;
music;
minimalism.

Skins in the style of the Mac OS operating system are especially popular. No Apple computer - no problem now.

There are many sites on the Internet with themes to suit every taste. Below is a list of trusted resources. You are guaranteed to download the theme you like without registration and will not drag viruses or adware onto your computer.

Comparison of sites

Website	Description	Number of topics	Sorting by category (games, movies, etc.)
7Themes.su	7Themes. A site that hosts more than 650 themes only for Windows 7. A big plus of 7Themes: division into categories	More than 650	Yes
Oformi.net	The site is similar to the previous one. But the number of topics is half that – 300 pieces. The download is free and there are clear instructions for installing themes. A nice feature of the site is the ability to sort topics by date added, popularity, number of comments and alphabet	More than 300	No
All4os.ru	All4os.ru completes the top 3 sites with free themes. There are over 230 of them here. As on previous resources, there is a sorting option, a detailed description of each topic and screenshots	More than 230	No

How to install a Windows 7 theme

After selecting the appropriate skin, prepare Windows to support third-party themes. The task is simple and will take no more than 10 minutes. Even though Windows 7 supports full style conversion, it may experience some glitches. Therefore, we recommend creating a restore point before the installation procedure. In case of OS problems, you can “roll back” it to the previous level. The instructions consist of two parts: installing patches and directly adding the theme itself.

How to patch system files

Now all that remains is to place the downloaded theme in the desired directory in Windows.

How to add a theme in Windows 7

Step 1. Download the theme you like. Click “More details”.

A separate topic page will open. On the right there is a "Download" button.

Note! If you can’t download the theme using the first button, try Yandex. Disk"

The downloaded archive is opened using WinRar.

Then open “C:” - “Windows” - “Resources” - “Themes” and move the theme files to this folder.

Step 2. Examination. Go to “Personalization”. Right-click on the desktop and select “Personalization” at the bottom.

If you follow the instructions and follow the steps correctly, you will get the result - the installed theme will be displayed in the window.

Step 3. Click on the topic. We wait a few seconds. Ready! The photo shows an example of the installed “Mac White” theme.

How to change the start button in Windows 7

If you want to radically transform the Windows interface, you can customize Start.

“Start” is linked to the Explorer file (explorer.exe). Therefore, to transform the skin you will need rights to the file. The Takeownershipex utility helps solve the problem.

Method 1. Download the program. Go to the website 7themes.su. In the menu, select “Miscellaneous”, then “Start Buttons”.

Then click the “Installation Instructions” button.

It will help us get access rights to the explorer.exe file.

Method 2. Download Windows 7 Start Button Changer. It is designed to change the button skin. You can download it from the “Installation Instructions” page described in method 1.

All that remains is to select the line “Select & Change Start Button” in the program.

In the explorer that opens after clicking, look for the downloaded skin.

Ready-made skins are available on the sites described in the article.

Where are the installed Windows 7 themes located?

All themes are located in the folder “C:” - “Windows” - “Resources” - “Themes”. "C:" is the name of the drive where your system is installed. It may be different. The main thing is to find the folder with “Windows”.

Where are the default themes in Windows 7?

In the same folder where you installed them personally: “C:” - “Windows” - “Resources” - “Themes”.

How to delete topics?

Simply delete the theme files from the “Resources” - “Themes” folder.

“Installing the theme for Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows 7 Starter.” Unfortunately, in these editions of operating systems there is no “Personalization” item. If you right-click on the desktop you will not see it. But the problem can be solved. The Personalization Panel utility will come in handy.

Download the program. We go to the website Oformi.net. In the menu we find “Miscellaneous”, in the drop-down list select “Programs”.
Then click on the “Sort by popularity” item.
Scroll down a little and find the program you need.

Let's launch the utility. Select “Typical installation”. Click “Next”.
Examination. Go to “Personalization”. Right-click on the desktop and select the bottom line of the menu.
A window with themes opens.

How to update Direct X: improvements for gamers

In order for the system to support skins and smooth operation of games, it is recommended to regularly update DirectX. This is done in three steps.

Step 1. Find out the current version of DirectX. Open the Start menu and select Run. Or use hot keys (press Ctrl+R keys at the same time).

In the program that opens, enter the command “dxdiag.exe” into the text field.

Click “OK” and an information summary about the system appears. Find the line “DirectX Version”.

Step 2. Download the program from the official Microsoft portal: https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/download/confirmation.aspx?id=35

Step 3. We install the program by simply following the installation instructions.

Note! Uncheck "Install Bing Bar" if you don't need this add-on in your browser.

We are glad that our article helped you decorate Windows and make the system irresistible. Thanks for reading!

Video - How to install a theme on Windows 7

Automatically changing background images alone may not be enough to improve performance and efficiency. We will need to change the entire style of displaying information on the screen. How to update the desktop theme in Windows 7 using special programs or manually, we will figure it out further.

Is it possible to change the subject?

In most cases, when talking about Windows 7, we mean “Windows 7 Ultimate”. You can change the theme on this version. However, not everyone has the opportunity to use this particular version, and the options for home - “Windows 7 Home Basic” or “Windows 7 Home Starter” - are generally devoid of customization options: the “Personalization” item is simply missing from the Desktop context menu. So in the future, when talking about installing themes, we will focus specifically on “Windows 7 Ultimate”.

Also, before you start changing the theme, you should make sure that your account has sufficient rights to perform such actions in the operating system. It's best if you are an Administrator on your PC. If this is not the case, most likely you will not be able to replace the topic that has set your teeth on edge. Try contacting your system administrator or computer expert with a request to expand your powers.

Program for installing themes for Windows 7

The global brand in the field of application programs, StarDock, has been producing the WindowBlinds program for many years, which is the most popular program for manipulating themes in Windows.

The program is offered for download on the official resource, which is located at https://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/

The following window will open:

After downloading and launching the installer, the program will offer to use a paid version or a free version for trial, which is active for 30 days.

To start the program, you will need to enter your email address, after which you will receive an email with an activation link:

After clicking on the button indicated in the letter, activation will automatically occur in the “WindowBlinds” application and the trial period will begin counting from that moment:

During the installation, you will be asked to install another useful program from the same developer, which changes the desktop theme - “Fences”. It will allow you to organize your desktop icons by organizing them into unique folders. However, the folders themselves on the table will have the shape of rectangles of arbitrary sizes, which you can determine yourself. In addition, you can “swipe” additional screens to the right and left of the main one, just like in a smartphone.

The installed WindowBlinds program looks like this:

The application allows you to choose from 15 styles. Each of them is both similar and different from the others. Among such a variety, you will surely find something suitable for yourself. In addition to the style, you can immediately change the desktop wallpaper, as well as create your own unique and inimitable style in the “Modify style” tab.

How to install the official theme?

The operating system offers its users several themes to choose from, which are installed according to the following instructions:

If you don’t like the above options, you can download other official themes. To do this, we continue our actions:

How to install a third party theme?

Microsoft does not allow its users to arbitrarily install and change themes in the operating system. This is done to generally improve the stability of the OS and the security of the users themselves. However, if the workplace is not very responsible, you can easily allow yourself to experiment, choosing a topic that suits you individually. But for this you will have to do a little magic.

The principle of installing a theme that is not signed by Microsoft is to download any program that allows you to patch system files, and then download and install the new theme itself.

The most recognized programs for our purposes are as follows:

Universal Theme Patcher. It replaces some system files, and after that you can install any themes from any creators without restrictions. However, replacing system files may be perceived negatively by your antivirus. After replacing the files, you need to restart the PC.
UxStyle Core. Its difference from the previous one is that no system files are affected, but an additional background service, Unsigned Themes, is launched. However, the application has a significant drawback: when you try to change the theme, sometimes the theme “flips” to the usual classic one. In this case, uninstalling and reinstalling UxStyle Core helps, after which the desired theme can still be installed. Perhaps until the next replacement.
VistaGlazz (VG). This application also affects system files, but also has important additional features: automatic creation of initial copies of working files with the ability to automatically restore if necessary; adding a “transparency” effect to windows (maximized folders, etc.).

After downloading and installing one of the three programs, you need to patch the system files. Next, we will consider this process using the VG program as an example (in the case of other programs, the actions are similar):

Next, we proceed directly to downloading and installing a third-party theme.

One of the most popular and trusted sites with a huge number of themes for every taste is located at https://winzoro.net/themes/windows7_themes/

The themes themselves are downloaded to any folder on the PC, even to the Desktop itself. Most often, a downloaded theme is an archive in *.zip format, which can contain not only files for the theme (Theme), but also thematic ones:

wallpapers – background options for the theme;
preview – screenshots to get an idea of the theme’s appearance;
me – a file that describes the theme’s capabilities, installation nuances and a little self-promotion of the creator;
System Files is a subfolder whose contents need to be replaced with system files, but this is at your own peril and risk.

To install the downloaded theme, follow these steps:

To fully comply with the creator’s intentions, you may need to install fonts, wallpapers and replace the “explorer.exe” file. It must be remembered that when changing the theme, the results of these manipulations will have to be canceled or restored. Therefore, it is better to copy the replaced files in advance to a backup folder on your PC or flash drive.

Advice: I would like to warn fans of everything free from downloading themes and styles for Windows 7 in the “*.exe” file format. Any of these files may contain a virus, and instead of updating the appearance of your desktop, you may have to reinstall the entire Windows 7 (see). In this case, you can lose all your documents, settings for Word, Excel, and other office or accounting programs. If you still download executable files from the Internet, be sure to use an antivirus.

Video instruction

This short video describes step-by-step and clearly the simple process of replacing a theme in Windows 7:

Well, now, after reading our article, you can independently change the themes and styles in your Windows 7. You can make your workplace less official, more friendly and individual, in some ways even surprising you. Special programs and a huge number of themes for Windows 7 available on the Internet will help you with this. Good luck in your design search!

Many personal computer users want to give the Windows operating system a more interesting and attractive appearance by personalizing it.

Therefore, the question of how to install a theme on Windows 7 is relevant.

Let's look at the entire process of installing a theme for different versions of this popular operating system.

The easiest way to install a theme on Windows 7

For novice users, the simplest and most accessible method of changing the appearance of the Windows 7 operating system is to install one of the certified themes downloaded from the official Microsoft website on a personal computer.

In this case, you need to perform a number of simple steps:

On a free space on the desktop, right-click to open the context menu;
Select “Personalization” in the menu;

To select one of the themes pre-installed on your computer, simply left-click on the option you like.

When you left-click on the “Other topics on the Internet” link, a page of the official Microsoft website will open, where a wide selection of various topics is presented.

Having chosen the option that is most attractive to you, click on the “Download” button located directly below the corresponding image.

Download the selected theme

Next, you should run the downloaded file to install the theme - after which it will immediately be displayed in the “Personalization” panel.
If you want to change the image, you need to select the “Desktop Background” item in the “Personalization” panel and select the desired picture option.

In order to install several images on your desktop at once, you should select them and configure the slide show mode.

After all the settings have been made, do not forget to save the result.

Installing a theme on Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows 7 Starter

Many people use versions of this popular operating system such as Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows 7 Starter on their computers.

In these cases, there are some nuances and features of installing themes.

Let's look at where and how to install the theme if the personalization feature is disabled by default.

Before you begin installing themes on the Starter or Home Basic version of Windows 7, you must enable the personalization feature.

You can do this by installing a special patch on your computer called Aero Patch.

Downloading the patch

You can download it from winaero.com in the Unsupported software section. Next, you need to unpack the downloaded file and run it as a computer administrator.

Run as administrator

After this procedure, you must reboot. As a result, the operating system personalization feature will be activated.

This method works equally well for both Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic.

Installing a non-certified theme

Quite often, users of personal computers need to install non-certified themes on Windows 7.

Therefore, it would be advisable to consider how third-party themes can be installed without any threat to the operating system.

This process is not particularly complicated, so on average it will take no more than ten minutes.

The main thing is to perform preliminary preparation of the operating system, strictly following the instructions and rules.

In order for the installation process to be as successful as possible, you must first download and install two patches: Theme resource changer and Universal Theme Patcher.

Then run each of them in turn as administrator.

After both necessary patches have been installed, you need to restart your computer.

Thus, the operating system will be completely ready to install the third-party themes you choose on it.

This process consists of several successive stages:

we open a site that presents a wide selection of interesting topics for Windows 7;
choose the option you like best and download it to your computer;
As a rule, such topics are offered in an archive format, so the contents of the archive must be extracted;

the extracted folder should be moved to the C:/Windows/Resources/Themes directory.

Once the theme appears in the Personalization panel, you can apply it and see the results.

Change the Start button and navigation buttons

After the new theme for Windows 7 is installed on your personal computer, you need to give a corresponding updated look to such important components as the Start button, which are present in Explorer.

We start by replacing the Start button. To do this you need to do the following:

prepare the system for further changes in advance - obtain access rights to the explorer.exe file using a special program, for example, Takeownershipex;

after obtaining access rights, you should select the most suitable option for the “Start” button and download a simple utility called Windows 7 Start Button Changer;
when you launch this utility, a window will open in which you need to click on the button labeled Select & Change Start Button;

Next, the “Explorer” window will open, where you need to find the location where your “Start” button is saved;
Now all you have to do is click “Open” - and the new button will be instantly installed on your computer.

Replacing navigation buttons in the Windows 7 operating system is carried out as follows:

download and install the Windows 7 Navigation Buttons Customizer program on your personal computer;

the program is launched as administrator;
in the window that opens, you need to select the appropriate option and click on Change Selected Bitmap;

After selecting the image you like, you need to open it and save the changes made.

Please note that installing themes from third-party developers is only possible on versions of the Windows 7 operating system such as Professional, Ultimate, Home Premium, and Enterprise.

Despite a lot of text and pictures included below, installing third-party themes for Windows 7 is actually a very simple operation that will take you no more than 10 minutes the first time. And after that, if you follow the instructions correctly, it will take you about 2 minutes to install a new theme.

Keep in mind that all your further actions you do at one's own risk, no one except you is responsible for the possible crash of the OS. Before installing patches and replacing system files, we recommend making a restore point or backup of the OS.

Preparing the system to support third-party themes

1. Download and install the patch (run the program as administrator and follow further prompts).
2. Download and run the second patch as administrator, press 3 buttons in the window that opens Patch(see screenshot).

After completing the above operations, reboot your computer, your system is ready to install third-party themes.

Setting a visual style (theme)

Replacing system files

In our case, we will change the file ExplorerFrame.dll, which comes in the archive with the theme (if there is none, read the notes at the end of the article).

It might be useful to read: