Make Vista Look & Behave Like Windows 7
Since Windows 7 has been unveiled at PDC 2008, coders and artists have been hard at work to emulate it’s look for it’s predecessor – Vista. Along with the theme, coders have come out with applications that provide you with 7’s features like Shake & Snap on Vista too. As a matter of fact, 7’s calculator can run on Vista too! To make your Vista look & feel like Windows 7 here are some resources that you can use.
1. Windows 7 Boot Screen
- Open the folder “%windir%\System32\en-US” and replace the existing “winload.exe.mui” file with the one in zip file. You will need to take ownership of the file before copying it. Please take a back up of the actual file before replacing it.
- Start->Run->msconfig and in the Boot tab and select “Microsoft Windows Vista” entry and enable “No GUI Boot” option and apply it. Restart your system to take affect and watch the new boot screen in action.
[via AskVG]
2. Logon Screen:
- Download Logon Screen
- Download & install LogonVista
- Load the logon which is in the rar file
-
Take ownership for basebrd.dll from c:\windows\branding\basebrd\basebrd.dll
- Replace with the given dll
- Logout and see the changes
3. Theme – Windows 7 Vista Style FINAL by ~giannisgx89
4. Wallpaper – Here is the official blue Windows 7 wallpaper:
Click to enlarge.
5. Taskbar: To make your Taskbar show only the icons, you can use the manual registry edit method or this nifty little application. Project page.
To make your taskbar show large icons:
- Unlock the taskbar
- Right click in the Quick Launch area
- View -> Select ‘Large Icons’
Also, to increase the height of the window tab, download this application:
6. Right Click Menu:
Just like Windows 7 has the Gadgets shortcut & the Display Settings shortcut in the Right Click Menu, this link will help you achieve the same as shown in the screen shot. [via AskVG]
7. Aero Snap: Just drag a window to a corner and it sticks there, if you liked this nifty feature added to Windows 7 you can rejoice for it is available on Vista too.
8. Aero Shake: Like the new Windows 7 feature, shaking the active window with your mouse will minimize all other windows; shaking it again will restore them. Dev Page
9. Win 7 Calculator
Some genius figured out that you can use the Windows 7 calculator in Windows Vista too. All you need to do is replace some system files and you’re done. [via DailyGyan]
To do this:
-
Make a backup of C:\Windows\System32\calc.exe
-
Replace it with the one in the archive.
-
Backup C:\Windows\System32\en-US\calc.exe.mui
-
Replace it with the one in the archive.
10. Sidebar: As Windows 7 won’t be featuring a ‘Sidebar’ you can simply drag your gadgets out of the sidebar then:
- Right click on the Sidebar.
- Select Close Sidebar.
Now you won’t be having the sidebar obstructing your desktop wallpaper.
~Enjoy.
PS: Please use this application inorder to ownership of system files to be able to replace them.
Ooooh! That Aero-shake feature looks damn interesting.
Good post. Stumbled. :)
Nice Tutorial Manan :)
Nice Article man!
Great article man.
great posts.
im so excited about windows 7 so im going to try this on our Vista.
thanks.
coolbusteratyourservice.blogspot.com
Nicfe post. Stumbled and DUGG :)
hey i got a problem ..in my laptop it doesnt open the file..it says to search a program to open the file..what can i do ti make my vista look like win 7..thanks
Hi hector, can i know which file is this? Only the logon screen requires an external program.
this messed up my vista how can i fix this or unistall i have dual boot and im on xp now what the hell did it do to my computer after it restart it?
Can’t be of much help unless you tell me what exactly happened to your Vista. Nevertheless try System Restore in Vista.
How do you get the quick launch buttons to be big like that? Thanks
@Sean:
1. Unlock the taskbar
2. Right click in the Quick Launch area
3. View -> Select ‘Large Icons’
You forgot, download IE8 RC1 to make it even more like Windows 7
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/default.aspx?ocid=ie8_s_460cbebd-1bc8-4e0c-980a-acee32ac3e1d
Yeah true thanks for the link. :)
Its a very good programm thx too
Nice one mate, i knew some1 would figure out how to make windows vista look like windows 7
Hey, thanks for all this. but i have a problem. when i moved the theme into resources > themes. and i used it, it just went into classic mode. like if the skin wasnt really windows 7.
the only thing it really changed was the wallpaper.
Hey, this is james again; i have fixed the problem above and all i ask of you know is the following:
When i go to do this step,
Take permission for basebrd.dll from c:windowsbrandingbasebrdbasebrd.dll
not even administrator permissions will allow me to replace it with your file.
and how do i make the task bar more transparent?
thanks,
James
ok, well all i need now is a mirror for the ownership download. i prefer for it to be compressed in .rar and i need to find out how to make the taskbar more transparent.
I’m sorry for not replaying earlier, didn’t have access to the net. Anyhoo, making the taskbar more transparent is in the Control Panel -> Appearance & Personalization menu.
For replacing system files you will need replacer, get it here. Should work. If you cana ccess rar files, zip shouldn’t have any issues at all :) Its just 338 kb.
yeah, i got that figured out last night. all i need now is how to replace the explorer.exe file to change the shutdown system in the startmenu. since i cannot take ownership of the file what do i do? (yes i have already downloaded ownership application.)
manan this is my most likely last post here. the following i need are:
how do i make the taskbar resizer work? i get this side-config error.
i made the explorer that i dl’d work temporarily i just need to know how to overwrite it.
and if i replaced the boot screen would anything possibly go wrong?
thanks,
James
sorry if i’ve posted too much.
(i accidently pushed the enter button on last post, in which i was going to add more before the thanks part)
i also need:
how to replace vista icons with windows 7 icons.
and how do i make not only the time appear on the right corner of the taskbar but also the date or day?
sorry for posting so much lol.
I’ll try to help you out. Internet is giving me some issues for the past week.
To replace explorer, try the the replacer application I linked you to in my reply above. Replacing the boot screen won’t affect your system. For date & time this link should help. For icons this app should help.
Manan,is Windows 7 Screen boot safe?I mean,can possibly anything go wrong?
I did this before with another one and i reinstall my windows…
Well, there shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve not faced it & haven’t come across complaints as of yet. So, I can say its safe, but then nothing can be predicted in the matrix. :)
Heya manan. I’m having a bit of trouble. I’ve gotten a good bit done but the boot screen… i can’t find the file to replace for the Win7 boot screen. Search couldn’t find %windir%System32en-US anywhere. I do realize that it’s in Cdrive->Windows->System32 but where’s the file?
Thanks,
Rasen
the file should be at c:WindowsSystem32en-USwinload.exe.mui
I figured it out. Nothing a bit of looking into can’t fix lol.
Great! Glad you figured it out :)
Actually, I’m still having problems with the boot screen. I replaced everything, put the backup of the original file on my flash drive, but the boot screen doesn’t show.
Kinda difficult to troubleshoot but have you done all the steps mentioned above?
Yeah. I replaced winload.exe.mui with the one in the file. Just won’t load. I suppose it isn’t a big deal. I guess the file won’t load or is outdated. That’s all i can figure.
Have yo done step 2?
Yes, I have. Should I also click “Make all boot settings permanant”?
Hey can anyone help me when i use the theme it makes my computer look like windows classic.
@Daaba: I think theres some patching issue in your case
@Rasen: The boot screen has anyway been changed, you can find the new one & a simpler method to apply it in the follow up post, here.
would be nice if someone found a way to make the gadgets not reposition after every restart when the sidebar is closed
i hav installed the win7 theme but everytime i try to change the theme my computer changes me to the classic theme instead. does any1 no y this is???
dont worry i hav resolved the problem
dylan I am facing the same problems with my vista,i try to change the theme my computer changes me to the classic theme I wanted to know how did you resolved that problem
good work keep it up… thanx for usefull infomation
Why not download the Windows 7 RC1? It is (or was) free and available, it will keep running until some time early next year. There are many Windows 7 features that this does not make Vista copy, the task bar is too totally different, almost need another program to replace the one in Vista or something.
Hi Dean, yes I agree. The reason I published this was because I kept seeing thread after thread in forums titled “Get Windows 7’s xyz feature in Vista” … so I decided to collate them & put them together :)
you know whats weird. I could do all this but wouldnt that be over kill since i already have windows 7 ultimate? BOOYA.
hey everything is great except the aero shake feature. every time that i even download it my laptop goes really slow. u gave any ideas? i got vista home premium
Hi Nithin, not really sure how to avoid that … possibly ‘coz the software isn’t updated. It did work fine on my machine though.
um. how do you switch back to the original right click menu.?
Hi jaemille sorry for the late reply … to undo the Right Click menu:
Start -> Run -> Regedit -> HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell
Under ‘shell’ there should be a Display Settings entry, delete it. Restart Explorer & you should be done :)
vista can never be like windows7. WIndows7 is awesome, I like it very much. Much better than Vista really.
yeh but you just wasted your money for something that barely makes a difference to vista
how can i take ownership for the calc.exe file?
Use this app to add the option to take ownership in the right click menu – http://bit.ly/bPguJx
hey, i’ve downloaded the windows 7 theme, but when i moved it to Resources > Themes and followed what the ‘read me’ said in Windows 7 style > Theme , the theme wasn’t really windows 7. like still vista-ish. any idea?
would it be applicable for Vista starter
No
Hey
How do i revert the taskbar changes. How do I get the things which show me what windows i have open back to being long and skinny?
thanks a lot worked perfectly now everyone thinks i have a some kind of weird version of windows 7
You people are saying something & giving something so please do as you are saying?
Hey, can anyone help? I’m trying to replace the .mui file but it says I need administrative permission, and once I click allow, it says it got denied. Anyone? o.o;
Go to Start>Search Box>type “cmd” right click > run as admin
In cmd type: net user administrator /active:yes
Log off, go on admin account and try it there.
—hope this works.—-
How come the theme doesn’t show up in the color scheme?
& How do you get the right side of the task bar like that?
all of my icons and time are in one line
I think that the theme takes care of that, probably a shell/reg tweak.
Is there anyway that I can do that?
Is there anyway that I can do that?
worked like a charm my boot login and theme are all looking like windows 7 not only is is looking like it but its running like it thanks to a nice program i have haha *not saying* thanks a lot.
Are the icons in the bottom right hand corner, stacked like in the pic?
just a note if you don’t have WinRar you can open .rar files with 7 zip which is completely free!
Nice tut!! I have tried and it works great!!
How can you get large window icons?
to get large icons on dektop, right click empty space on desktop-view-lare icons