Applications
To enhance your desktop you will sometimes have to to download or buy cheap 3rd party software to use the themes you will find here at VistaDesktopThemes.com
This List will be updated regularly, so check back maybe there’s another great tool.
Tools/Software
XP/Vista – This piece of software is awesome to get some of the greatest themes on the net. This will allow you to handle .WBA files the WindowBlinds format. If you have 20 bucks laying around then go ahead and grab this one, this is truly a must-have to enhance your desktop.
Vista – Users of the new Windows Vista are able to use a special software called “DeskScapes” to set up animated Wallpapers as a desktop background. Microsoft assure that this is not consuming a lot of resources (CPU/RAM) and will automatically stop if you start full screen applications.
Howto patch the uxtheme.dll ?
Quote:
1) Download the file and extract in a handy location (eg: your Desktop). This should create a new uxtheme.dll file in that location.
2) Go to C:WINDOWSSystem32 and rename uxtheme.dll to uxtheme.dll.old
3) Put the new uxtheme.dll into C:WINDOWSSystem32
4) If you get any warnings from Windows stating that an original system file has been replaced, you must click “Cancel”, otherwise the new uxtheme.dll will be replaced with the original one.
5) Reboot
Source: UXTheme Patch
UXTheme Patch SP2 (XP) – If you want to load 3rd party themes into XP you will either have to patch your UXTheme.dll (free) or install a software like StarSkin ($17). Note: You can only load .msstyles files with that tool not .wba.
StarSkin SP2 (XP) – If you don’t want to patch a windows .dll file yourself you can use that piece of software to easily load .msstyles but it’s shareware!
