Help me make my Windows desktop bearable!

[aysiu]

So I love my Ubuntu, but that's at home.

At work, I have to use Windows XP, which is not a terrible operating system. I just find it boring.

So far, I've opted for the Silver XP (instead of the default Luna) theme. I have the iFox theme on Firefox and the Crossover theme on Thunderbird.

I also changed up some of the default desktop icons for some more Mac- and Linux-friendly ones.

Of course, the wallpaper is the most noticeable change from the boring meadow with blue sky XP comes with.

Are there any other suggestions/tutorials on how to trip out my work desktop? I don't want to install new software (Windowblinds or whatnot), and I definitely don't want to spend any money on anything.

[briancurtin]

although i have heard it is memory-intensive, someone has made a OSX-like application dock that looked pretty nice. i cant think of the name off the top of my head, but if you like that style and have a decent amount of memory to throw around, that might be worth a shot to you.

ill ask around for that application name, or if someone knows it, feel free to chime in.

[Stormy Eyes]

Sorry, aysiu, I can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.

[nobodysbusiness]

There was a post on Digg a while ago about the Dell Decrapifier program to get rid of all the AOL trials, etc that come on a new Dell. Maybe give that a try if you haven't manually decrapified it already. A few months ago, I also had the problem of being forced to work on Windows XP at work, and I devised a novel solution: I got a new job. Do you think that might possibly help to improve your user-experience with your work computer?

[ComplexNumber]

aysiu
here are some useful links for downloads and theming tutorials and stuff. you may find this more your cup 'o' tea.

[Sgood1971]

Try WindowBlinds, lot's of themeing/skinning there. Desktop sidebar is also good.

[egon spengler]

One of these (shellenhancer) requires installation, the rest just edit the registry startup list or one system file.

Apply the uxtheme.dll hack then head to deviantart to get a visual style.

Y'z dock and shadow are useless but nice looking apps. Shadow is basically the XP version of xcompmgr and dock is a clone of the osx dock. Apple stopped distribution of the dock but I found it pretty easily on google.

ShellEnhancer lets you roll up windows, pin windows and set transparency for inactive windows among many other things.

bblean is a windows port of blackbox. Personally I think that litesep is a better replacement shell but bblean is a lot easier to set up and get going

[RavenOfOdin]

I recognize that you don't want to install new software, but unfortunately the software that MS provides you with leaves you with little in the way of options.

If you're comfortable with running a different shell, try LiteStep.

Very customizable and themeable.
I used it for a while before putting Ubuntu on my XP box.

Print out the installation docs and keep them handy, though, because installing this involves a fair share of Regedit hacking.

[aktiwers]

When I used windows, I also used Litestep as shell. Great shell

Also I have and still are a heavy user of http://www.shellcity.net/ , they have lots of great links to hand picked good shell extensions and other great stuff.

But then again, you will have to download some software to use it.

If your XP hangs a little I can recoment this little fix, that makes it a bit faster on the frame rates:
http://www.pagehosting.co.uk/rf/

Sorry if im too offtopic here

EDIT:

Found a screenshot of Litestep running on my Old XP Install:
Here

[Immaculate]

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/18591720/

Clearlooks theme. Includes a gnome clearlooks and an ubuntu one.

Someone accually suggested I make a tutorial on how to make XP like linux once. Never got around to it :/

On the other side of things, if you want an OSX look:

http://osx.portraitofakite.com/

Not just a theme. A whole desktop, with many programs included to make XP like OSX.

Sorry, aysiu, I can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.

So negative.