I recently built a new computer system this past week and let me tell you, technology comes a LONG way in 1-2 years. Over the next couple months I will be revealing a complete “how-to” blog segment on building a system from the ground up (the right way). There is a big difference between buying hardware with higher numbers than buying hardware that is stable and fast, not to mention quality. I will be explaining the differences between IDE and SATA, DDR, DDR 2 and DDR 3. I will go in-depth in explaining why sometimes larger numbers really means less. I will be spending time explaining the importance of the power supply and rail technology. For now, here are the specs on my new system:

ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe Motherboard
AMD x2 5600 Dual Core CPU @ 3.0Ghz
2 GB Kingston Hyper X DDR2 6400/800mhz RAM
3.0GBS 320GB SATA Western Digital HDD
250GB EIDE Western Digital HDD
eVGA Superclocked© 8800GTS 320MB/320bit PCIe Video Card
Thermaltake Tsunami Case

Ok, this is really nothing new, I have actually been using this for quite some time now but I just recently got around to writing about it on my blog. As many of you know, running Windows XP can be a real drag most of the time. Especially when you get tired of looking at the windows classic GUI (graphical user interface) but who also would want to look at the Windows XP “Luna” theme? The really ugly crayola/playskool blue and gray themes bundled and set as default with Windows XP installations. About 6 months ago I stumbled across something called “UXTheme Patcher” Download Here . This patch will replace the themeui.dll files in your /windows/system32 folder. This will allow you to download and install ANY Windows msstyles (themes) you wish. What are msstyles you ask? They are themes for Microsoft Windows which give it a custom look, many of these themes can be found at Deviant Art, under the “Visualizations” category. In the screen shots you see below, I am using the uxtheme patcher combined with a theme called “Royale Remixed” By a person going by the name of “oddbasket”, this is by far one of the best themes I have found for WindowsXP. The “Royale Remixed theme comes with 3 color schemes, Royale, Zune and Noir. The first screenshot below is of the Noir color scheme, the second is of the Royale and the third is of Zune. You can download the royale remixed theme package Here.

Instructions:

Once you have downloaded the UXTheme patcher unzip it to a temporary folder like C:\temp. When the file has been extracted from the *.zip, navigate to the temp folder (c:\temp) and run the file named “UXTheme Multi-Patcher (Neowin Edition) 4.0.exe” be sure to pay attention to each screen and follow the steps exactly as described in the install process! You will get to a point in the installation/patch where you will need to pause and wait for a screen to appear. Make sure you don’t click “ok” on the patch before you see this window:

This screen is Windows File Protection, it will ask you to insert your windows CD, DO NOT DO THIS! It will prevent the patch from working and display a really ugly GUI/Theme. After you click “Cancel” for Windows File Protection, go ahead and click “OK” on the patch and restart your computer as instructed.

When your computer has restarted, right click the desktop and click properties, then select the “appearance” tab. You should see “Royale” in the list. Select it and then below under “Color Scheme” choose your style! Click apply and bam!

Customization:

Now that you have applied the patch, selected your theme and style, now it’s time to customize the rest of your desktop. Notice how the title bar is thick? I cant stand this so I always apply a thinner title bar, do this by staying in the “appearance” tab and clicking the “advanced” button.

To apply a thinner title bar, select “Active title bar” under the “Item:” and then below decrease the font size to 8, this will automatically give you a title bar thickness of 18, click apply and BAM! Now you have the thinner title bar.

To get yourself some custom desktop icons, use Icon Packager, from Stardock, They have thousands of different icon packages to choose from and it’s free to try! I am using the Bohemia Icon theme, Available HERE.

Now, some of you might be wondering where I got those cool little desktop “widgets” to the right of my screen.

Well, I have tried MANY Different widget tools and honestly, Yahoo Widgets is the best. Click here to get the Yahoo Widgets engine, Make sure during the install you don’t install the yahoo toolbar, unless you want it, I chose not to. I am using these widgets:

Yahoo Weather! (Bundled with Yahoo Widgets)

Analog Clock (Bundled with Yahoo Widgets)

Arlo Rose Calendar - Available Here

All the widgets are customizable with color and transparency, some widgets have other individual preferences depending on it’s function.

Finally, the wallpaper I use is available Here.

Troubleshooting tips:

1) Make sure the themes service is enabled.

Click start, then click “run”. In the “run” box, type: “services.msc” (no quotes) and click “ok”. Scroll down until you see a service named “Themes”. Right click on the word “Themes” and click on properties, then under the dropdown menu titled “startup type” make sure “Automatic” is enabled. Then click Ok. Restart the computer.

NOTE: If “automatic” is already set under “startup type”, then leave this setting alone, there is no need for a system restart.

2) Make sure during the installation, you waited/paused as instructed for the “windows file protection” dialog box to appear. Be sure to click cancel for “windows file protection” then click on “ok” to finalize the uxtheme patch.

3) If you have to re-apply the patch, it should ask you “are you sure you want to restore the original theme files”, click “yes” or “ok” and make sure to restart your computer system. After it restarts and returns to windows, run the “uxtheme” patcher again, make sure to follow the steps carefully. When you click “cancel” for “windows file protection” it will ask you “Are you sure you want to use these unrecognized file versions”? Click “yes” or “ok”, and continue to follow the steps.

Props go out to the main man oddbasket for creating the hot theme!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to click on “comments” below!

Enjoy!

Recently a question was posted on 9rules.com, (A REALLY awesome site containing a community of respectable designers/developers). This question was posted by a user named: eXctrik.

It was titled “How would you change MySpace”? I decided to give not only 1 answer of possible ways to change MySpace, But 10 answers! I have listed them below. I’m sure by reading this you will get a good idea how I feel about this ever so popular site.

the ten ways:

10. Take the word “My” out of the name, and replace it with “Waste of”.

9. Force all users that sign up to take an IQ test and report all results to 9rules.com for us to critque and ridicule.

8. Set a “500 errors in code found” limit on all user pages. And all pages MUST have a “doctype” defined! NO EXCEPTIONS!

7. Set maximum of 1 embedded “auto play” video or song per page.

6. All users must be at least this tall –> ¯ to register. (As they measure themselves in front of monitor).

5. The main/index page would include a disclaimer: “Warning, User registration may cause short term dizzyness and long term stupidity”.

4. All users over the age of 40 must register at “pervertedjustice.com“.

3. Rule number 1, we don’t talk about “MySpace”.

2. I would change the name from “MySpace” To “Microsoft MySpace”. This way, there is an understandable reason for not complying to web standards!

And the number one reason to change MySpace would be to…..(drumroll):

1. Forward the domain to 9rules.com! (home of the best content on the web)

Okay, I know, I know. Most of my regular visitors are probably wondering what the heck is going on here with my site. I re-designed about a month ago with talks in the first blog post of the site going 100% CSS and XHTML come spring. Well here I am! Early. I have taken this past week to sit back and get this project out of the way once and for all. This is the 6th reboot and the 4th revision. I’m hoping things function as I have designed them to. As most of you know that have visited with my old design, layout you can see that there is no more forum! YAYYYYY! All of the posts now can be commented on DIRECTLY! No more having to leave the post to an external forum based layout. Just click “Comment on post” at the bottom of each “blog” or “post”. Most regular bloggers, surfers, 9rulers and wordpressers are probably sitting there like “DUH”! Anyway, I have taken the time to reboot and if all goes well things should stay like this for atleast a season! If you have any questions, Just Post a comment! Go ahead, press it, see what it does.
-Michael