Why? Because of the Windows Personalization Gallery and the steady stream of new themes it provides.

Today I would like to look at Winter and Christmas themes. While it may be a bit early in the year, considering that we are still in the Autumn period, I still think that some readers may enjoy the overview.

The themes are limited to users of the Windows 7 operating systems. The wallpapers on the other hand can be used on other operating systems as well. Just extract the .themepack themes on your computer with a program like 7-zip. All wallpapers are located in the DesktopBackground folder.

Czech Winter theme

The beauty of the Czech winter, from the rooftops of Prague to tracks in the country snow leading to pine forests and other scenes of natural beauty.

Holiday Lights

Brighten up your desktop with sparkling images of holiday celebration and winter wonder in this free Windows 7 theme.

Snow Sports theme

Powder power: Catch air with the dramatic mountain skiing and snowboarding photos in this free Windows 7 theme.

Winter Sports theme from Samsung

Go for the gold with this high-energy, high-altitude free Windows 7 theme from Samsung, a proud sponsor of the U.S. Olympic team. Capture the excitement of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games!

Winter Theme

Serene scenes of snowy landscapes grace this seasonal free Windows 7 theme.

Arctic Theme

Enjoy the frozen beauty of the Arctic Circle and its wildlife—no frostbite necessary—in this free Windows 7 theme.

Dogs in Winter theme

The grass and foliage may have faded, but not the playful spirits of the doggies in this free theme for Windows 7. Enjoy them playing in leaves, running madly over the snow, chewing on stuff, and getting frost all over their whiskers.

Snow Angels

Snowflakes fall as delicately as angel wings in this free wintry Windows 7 theme.

The Windows Personalization Gallery is not the only place where you can get themes for free. One great location for hundreds if not thousands of themes is Deviant Art.

But users do not only get themes from the official Windows 7 Personalization site, they can create and distribute themes as well if they like. Sites like Windows 7 News have a large themes repository that offers official and custom themes for download.

Still, if you go down that route, you are working with individual themes only. The Windows 7 Theme manager changes this by offering a tool to browser, download and manage themes in its interface.

The program pulls the latest theme information from the Internet whenever it is started. Themes are displayed in groups on the left side. Available for selection are for instance TV Series, Celebrities, Animals, Cars or Games.

A click on a group opens the available themes on the right side in preview mode. Each theme is listed with its name and a preview image. A click on a theme in the list downloads it to the computer where it is opened with the default program, usually the theme engine. The selected theme is directly installed in this case. There is no other option to download themes without installation at this point in time, which also means that you can only select one theme for installation which will block the application window until it is installed on the system.

All installed themes are displayed in the program interface and the default Windows personalization control panel. Themes can be deleted from the program, but it is not possible to switch between downloaded themes there directly. Users need to open the Personalization menu of Windows to do that.

Regardless of those limitations, it is fair to say that Windows 7 Theme Manager offers an alternative to Microsoft’s Personalization gallery on the Internet. Then again, the limitations mean that it is as easy to download and install themes from the Internet than it is using the software, provided that you know where to find themes for Windows 7.

Interested users can download the Windows 7 Theme Manager from the Deviant Art page of the developer. The program is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows 7.

Windows 7 for instance comes with an option to add a selection of wallpapers to one theme, to cycle automatically through them over time, which is commonly referred to as wallpaper juggling. The intervals can be set between 10 seconds and 1 day. Another feature that has not received the attention it deserves yet are RSS desktop wallpapers.

The integration of RSS wallpapers has been another step towards greater personalization, even though the feature has not become that popular yet. The main reasons for this are that most Windows 7 users probably do not know that the feature exists, and those that do probably do not know how to create RSS wallpaper feeds in Windows 7. This article acts as a guide to explain how to create Windows 7 RSS themes easily.

We will be using Flickr RSS feeds to create the Windows 7 RSS themes, but the information can easily be used to create RSS themes from other photo sources or wallpaper sites as well.

The major requirement for the RSS feed is that the photos are added as attachments to the feed. We recommend to make use of the RSS preview feature in the web browser to see if the photos are attached, if they are the RSS feed can be used for the RSS theme in Windows 7, if not it cannot be used as the photos cannot be downloaded and integrated then.

Step 1: Finding an appropriate RSS feed at Flickr

Open up Flickr. We recommend a browser like Firefox that displays the availability of RSS feeds in the address bar.

rss feed icon

A click on that icon displays a preview of the RSS feed in the browser. Note that the photos are attached in the feed.

rss wallpaper

A good starting point are tags and groups which mostly come with a compatible RSS feed.

For this tutorial, we have decided to use the Wallpaper 1024 Minimum group at Flickr. One major problem is that it is not possible to find groups or tags that use the exact desktop resolution of the computer desktop.Most wallpaper sites, like Interfacelift for instance offer feeds for the exact resolution.

Before we can use the RSS feed we need to create a theme template. The following template remains the same. Create a new text document on the computer desktop and paste the following contents into it.

[Theme]
DisplayName={themename}

[Slideshow]
Interval=1800000
Shuffle=1
RssFeed={rssfeedurl}

[Control Panel\Desktop]
TileWallpaper=0
WallpaperStyle=10
Pattern=

[Control Panel\Cursors]
AppStarting=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_working.ani
Arrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_arrow.cur
Crosshair=
Hand=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_link.cur
Help=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_helpsel.cur
IBeam=
No=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_unavail.cur
NWPen=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_pen.cur
SizeAll=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_move.cur
SizeNESW=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nesw.cur
SizeNS=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ns.cur
SizeNWSE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nwse.cur
SizeWE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ew.cur
UpArrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_up.cur
Wait=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_busy.ani
DefaultValue=Windows Aero
Link=

[VisualStyles]
Path=%SystemRoot%\resources\themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize
ColorizationColor=0X6B74B8FC
Transparency=1

[MasterThemeSelector]
MTSM=DABJDKT

Additional information about each variable can be found at MSDN, for know we concentrate on the two parameters that are important for the creation of RSS themes.

There are two variables that we need to change. First, at the very top the DisplayName. Change {themename} to your theme’s name, e.g. wallpaper 1024

Next, locate the RssFeed= variable and replace {rssfeedurl] with the RSS feed url of the Flickr Group RSS feed, in this case http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/groups_pool.gne?id=40961104@N00&lang=en-us&format=atom

The new theme should look like this now:

[Theme]
DisplayName=Wallpaper 1024

[Slideshow]
Interval=1800000
Shuffle=1
RssFeed=http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/groups_pool.gne?id=40961104@N00&lang=en-us&format=atom

[Control Panel\Desktop]
TileWallpaper=0
WallpaperStyle=10
Pattern=

[Control Panel\Cursors]
AppStarting=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_working.ani
Arrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_arrow.cur
Crosshair=
Hand=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_link.cur
Help=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_helpsel.cur
IBeam=
No=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_unavail.cur
NWPen=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_pen.cur
SizeAll=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_move.cur
SizeNESW=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nesw.cur
SizeNS=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ns.cur
SizeNWSE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nwse.cur
SizeWE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ew.cur
UpArrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_up.cur
Wait=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_busy.ani
DefaultValue=Windows Aero
Link=

[VisualStyles]
Path=%SystemRoot%\resources\themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize
ColorizationColor=0X6B74B8FC
Transparency=1

[MasterThemeSelector]
MTSM=DABJDKT

Save the text document as wallpaper1024.theme. A simple double-click will activate the theme. A theme can also be added to the available themes by moving it into the theme directory in Windows 7. The full path is given below.

Windows 7 displays a Subscribe to RSS Feed notification during installation, make sure to select Download Attachments so that all attachments are downloaded and changed in intervals.

subscribe to rss feed

Again, there is a black screen in the beginning and it may take a few moments before the first desktop wallpaper is shown. It is now possible to customize the theme further in the personalization control panel applet. Options are for instance to click on Desktop Background to change the interval in which pictures are changed, or the picture position.

Below is the RSS theme that we have created. Feel free to post links to your RSS themes in the comments.

wallpaper

Lastly, a few tips to manage themes more efficiently. Windows 7 identifies themes by their name. If you run into troubles make sure to rename the theme in the template – and not the file name, so that it is recognized as a new theme by the operating system.

Themes are stored in C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Themes, you can delete installed themes from there easily.

Third party themes, those that change many aspects of the operating system including the system fonts, taskbar, graphics, icons and basically any other element, can only be installed after system files are patched in the operating system. These system files lock the core elements of the operating system so that no unsigned themes can be installed.

The Windows Themes Installer for Windows 7 and Windows Vista changes this. The comfortable software program can be used to install and manage third party themes in the supported operating systems.

The software program will automatically patch the system files that block third party themes from being installed during the theme installation. It comes with an option to restore the original files if the user decides to go back to one of the original themes of the operating system.

New themes can be installed by selecting them from the list of installed themes and clicking on the Apply Theme button. It is furthermore possible to select a theme file from the local computer system with additional options to load a modified explorer.exe, oobeFldr.dll, ExplorerFrame.dll and Shell32.dll. New themes sometimes provide access to these additional files as well. A click on the Install Theme button will install that theme and add it to the list of installed themes in the program.

Windows Theme Installer offers an absolutely easy and foolproof way of installing third party themes in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Windows users can download the program from The Windows Club website. Windows 7 themes can for instance be found at Deviant Art.

Windows XP and Windows Vista users both received less than a dozen official themes since their release. Windows 7 users on the other hand are constantly bombarded with new themes and wallpapers that Microsoft publishes in the Windows Personalization Gallery.

This can be attributed partly to the theme engine changes in Windows 7 which make it easier to produce and distribute themes but also to the change in strategy.

Microsoft has released two additional Windows 7 themes in the past days. The Czech Spring and Life themes are both available for download at the official theme gallery.

The Czech Spring theme adds eight new desktop wallpapers to the operating system while the Life seem adds another five.

All wallpapers are offered in the resolution of 1920×1200. Windows 7 users who want to download them may visit the Windows Personalization Gallery to do so. The themes can be installed by double-clicking them once they have been downloaded to the local computer systme.

Themes in previous operating systems could alter many visual aspects of the system including the taskbar, fonts and even the shell. Standard Windows 7 themes on the other hand have been limited by Microsoft to only change the color scheme, desktop backgrounds (wallpapers), screen savers and sounds.

A benefit of this approach is that it is possible to save and share themes without the need for patching system files first.

Windows 7 still supports themes that change those other aspects of the operating system as well but users are then forced to replace system files before they can do that.

Most of the basic options to personalize the theme are available in previous Windows operating systems as well with the notable exception of wallpapers. It was previously only possible to use one wallpaper on the computer system. Users who wanted to use more than one had to install a software program that would exchange the wallpaper in regular intervals.

Windows 7 comes with the option to use multiple wallpapers in a theme which can be automatically rotated.

Windows 7 comes with multiple basic themes that can be activated by right-clicking the computer desktop and selecting the personalize option.

Available are several Aero themes as well as basic and high contrast themes. Microsoft has created a personalization gallery that offers additional Windows 7 themes, desktop backgrounds and gadgets for download. Users can download all country specific themes from there for instance.

Personalization has improved in Windows 7 and Microsoft is regularly updating the personalization gallery with new themes and backgrounds.

Two aspects play a role. There is the new and improved theme engine in Windows 7 that makes it much easier to create and share themes. Anyone can do it as a new theme is automatically created when a user changes the wallpaper of the system. It is possible to add additional wallpapers to the theme and change the colors, sounds and other elements.

The second reason for this seems to be a change in strategy. Microsoft seems to have realized that these things make a lot of users happy. That in turn is good for Microsoft as it changes the perception of Microsoft.

The four new themes have been released at the Personalization website over at Microsoft. All themes can be downloaded from that website free of charge. Themes can be installed on the operating system with a simple double-click on the downloaded file.

The themes as you can see consist of a dog, cat, summit and Christmas theme. Check out our Windows 7 themes collection over at our Windows 7 website for more themes not only for Windows 7 but also previous Microsoft operating systems.

Check out my article on custom Windows 7 theme creation over at windows7news.com if you would like an overview of the options offered by Windows 7.

My first theme pack has a winter theme. It consists of ten high resolution wallpapers that are rotated automatically. The color scheme is the Sky color scheme which fits perfectly into the winter theme. Take a look at my computer desktop below:

The total download size of the theme pack is roughly 41 Megabytes. It can be downloaded from the my Windows 7 site.

The theme pack has been added to the Windows 7 theme repository there as well where users not only find links to other Windows 7 theme packs but also download links to themes that turn other operating systems into Windows 7 visually.

This new option made it possible for Microsoft to offer a multiple of the themes that they offered for previous operating systems. The Windows 7 Personalization Gallery over at the Microsoft website contains download links to dozen of themes from country specific themes to sponsored themes. Every Windows 7 user can create basic themes with custom wallpapers, sounds, mouse pointers or desktop icons.

Windows 7 News has published a comprehensive guide on theme usage in Windows 7 (read: Windows 7 Guides: Managing Windows 7 Themes (Part 1) and Windows 7 Guides: Managing Windows 7 Themes (Part 2)).

Part 1 of the guide describes the build in theme management options while part 2 deals with custom third party themes that require system file patching before they can be installed. The Windows 7 theme patcher for Windows 7 can be downloaded from the same website. Please note that the patcher will replace several system files in Windows 7 with different versions. Make sure to backup all important data before making any changes to the computer system.

A good resource for finding third party Windows 7 themes is the Windows 7 themes repository at the Windows 7 News website. There are however other places to look for new themes for the operating system including Deviant Art.

On a personal note: I’m pretty happy with the default themes that are provided with the operating system and have not yet felt the need to search for third party themes. What about you? Have you customized your theme in Windows 7?

The only way to enable third party theme support in the Windows operating system is to patch system files. The number of files depends largely on the operating system. Windows XP users for example only need to patch one file while Windows Vista and Windows 7 users need to patch three files to be able to add custom Windows themes.

Universal Theme Patcher is the solution for all users. It can patch system files of 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and even those of Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008. The program is fully portable and can be executed right after downloading and unpacking it. Users of 32-bit editions of Windows need to execute UniversalThemePatcher-x86.exe while those that run 64-bit editions need to run UniversalThemePatcher-x64.exe instead.

The Windows theme patcher will display information if files need to be patched on the computer system after selecting the interface language. A click on Yes will lead to a detailed screen that is displaying the system files that lock the custom theme selection in Windows. Information included are the file version, platform, checksum and if the file is patched. Each system file can be patched and restored individually in that menu.

The program will automatically create a backup before patching the system files. Windows Vista and Windows 7 users need to run the application as administrators to be able to patch or restore the system files. The computer system needs to be restarted for the changes to take effect. It is possible to patch silently by using the -silent argument.

It is then possible to add custom themes to the operating system. Take a look at available Windows 7 themes for various Microsoft operating systems for a start.