Transform Windows XP/7 into Ubuntu

Transform Windows XP/7 into Ubuntu

without using customisation package

Note:
All the dead links have been fixed, dated 15/9/2015.

Summary:
Transform the old & boring looks of your Windows XP / 7 into new and colorful looks of Ubuntu Linux.

Bundle Download:

Instead of downloading one by one, get the bundle download from here.  Size: 66 MB

Pre-Requisites:
Before further indulging in the Blog, make sure that the following file archivers are installed:

• WinRar (for unzipping RAR & ZIP files)
• B1 Archiver (for unzipping B1, 7Z, RAR & ZIP files)
• 7-Zip (for unzipping 7Z, RAR & ZIP files)

What is Ubuntu?

Like Microsoft Windows, Ubuntu is a computer operating system.  Unlike Microsoft Windows, Ubuntu is based on Linux based operating system.  Linux is faster & safer than Microsoft's Windows.  Another Linux distros Google's Android, which is also a Linux based operating system, but unfortunately it is only for Tablets & Smart Phones, whereas Ubuntu is a complete & continuously updated computer operating system by Canonical Limited. See the Wikipedia article on Ubuntu (operating system).

Transform Windows XP/7 into Ubuntu w/o using any Customisation Pack:
This blog post is solely dedicated to transformation of Windows XP/7 into Ubuntu without using any customisation pack.  Take a look at the following step by step set of instructions:

VISUAL STYLE

Ubuntu Human Visual Style on Windows XP

Ubuntu Human Visual Style on Windows XP

Two different start menus in Ubuntu Visual Style for Windows XP

1. Apply through patching (Windows XP & 7):
(a) For Windows XP:

• Universal Theme Patcher
• Ubuntu Visual Style for Windows XP

Instructions:

1. Run the Universal Theme Patcher
2. Click all patch buttons visible in the Universal Theme Patcher 
3. After patching, restart your computer 
4. Now copy the Windows theme file and its corresponding folder to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes 
5. Double click the Windows theme file in this folder. (Do not double click theme file in Downloads folder)

(b) For Windows 7:

• Universal Theme Patcher
• Ubuntu Visual Style for Windows 7 (including explorer.exe for changing the icons)
• Add Take Ownership Option to the Context Menu
• Replacer 2.63 

Instructions:

1. Run Universal Theme Patcher, and click all the buttons of Patch
2. Copy the MSSTYLES & theme files into C:\windows\resources\themes\
3. Now double click the theme file to install the theme on Windows 7
4. In order to replace the icons, you have to first add Take Ownership option to the context menu and then replace the explorer.exe file using the Replacer.  The location of explorer.exe is C:\Windows
5. To see the tutorial on how to replace the ORIGINAL DLL/EXE files with REPLACEMENT files see the video tutorial here.

2. Apply through TuneUp Utilities (For Windows XP):

• TuneUp Utilities
• Ubuntu Visual Style for Windows XP

Instructions:

1. Unzip the downloaded folder
2. Now open TuneUp Styler
3. Click “Select a Visual Style for the windows…”. Click Add and then “Load visual style from a file…”
4. Select the Windows Visual Style file and then click Apply.

LOGON SCREEN
For Windows XP:

Ubuntu Logon Screen on Windows XP

1. Through replacing logonui.exe (Windows XP SP3):

• Take Ownership Option
• Replacer 2.63
• Ubuntu Logon Screen for Windows XP SP3 (modified “logonui.exe”)

Instructions:

1. Unzip the folder of Take Ownership Option first.
2. Now add “Take Ownership” option in the Context Menu by double clicking the file: Add Take Ownership Option.reg
3. Click Yes, and you are done.
4. Now open this location: C:\Windows\System32, and find the file: “logonui.exe”.
5. Take ownership by right clicking the file and then clicking Take Ownership in the Context Menu.
6. Now unzip the second downloaded folder, inside the folder you will find the modified file “logonui.exe”.
7. Now run Replacer and replace original XP “logonui.exe” with the modified “logonui.exe”.  You will find the original file in this location: C:\Windows\System32.
8. Now you have successfully replaced the original file with the modified file.
9. Logoff to see the change.

Note: If you are having trouble in replacing the original file with the modified file, you can see the video tutorial on YouTube.

2. Through TuneUp Utilities (Windows XP):

• TuneUp Utilities
• Ubuntu Logon Screen for Windows XP

Instructions:

1. Unzip the downloaded folder, and inside the folder you will find a TLS file
2. Open the Tuneup Utilities, and go to Logon Screen in TuneUp Styler.
3. Now click the Customize Windows tab.
4. Click Logon screen under the Change Windows Appearance side.
5. Now click Add and then click “Load logon screen from a file”.
6. Now select the TLS file.
7. Now click the Apply button. Log off to see the changes.

BOOT SCREEN
For Windows XP:

Ubuntu Boot Screen on Windows XP

• TuneUp Utiltiies
• Ubuntu Boot Screen for Windows XP

Instructions:

1. Unzip the downloaded folder, and inside the folder you will find a TBS file
2. Run TuneUp Utilities, and go to Boot Screen in TuneUp Styler
3. Click Add, then click “Load boot screen from a file…”.  Now select your unzipped boot screen and then click Apply.
4. Restart the computer to see the new boot screen.

WALLPAPERS

Ubuntu Wallpapers

• Ubuntu Wallpapers for Windows XP/7

Instructions (Windows XP):

1. Copy the wallpapers in C:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper\Windows folder.
2. You can now change the wallpaper from Desktop Properties

SCREENSAVER

Ubuntu Screensaver

• Ubuntu Screensaver for Windows XP/7

Instructions:

1. Unzip the folders and copy all the screensavers to this folder: C:\Windows\System32
2. You can now change the screensaver from Desktop Properties

ICONS (& DIALOG BOXES)

1. Through TuneUp Utilities on Windows XP:

Ubuntu icons on
Windows XP

• TuneUp Utilities
• Ubuntu Icon Pack for Windows XP TuneUp Utilities

Instructions:

1. Unzip the downloaded folder, and inside the folder you will find a TIP file
2. Run TuneUp Utilities, and go to System Elements in TuneUp Styler, and then click Icon Packages
3. Click Add, then click “Load icon package from a file…”.  Now select your unzipped icon package and then click Apply.
4. Your new icons are installed.

2. Through Replacing Modified File (For getting icons & dialog boxes) on Windows XP SP3:

Ubuntu Style Dialogs in Windows XP SP3

The biggest benefit of replacing modified "shell32.dll" is that you will also get the Ubuntu style dialog boxes including the turn off / restart dialog on Windows XP.  For this you will be needed to download the following:

• Take Ownership Option
• Replacer 2.63
• Modified "shell32.dll" (for Windows XP SP3)

Instructions:

1. Unzip the folder of Take Ownership Option first.
2. Now add “Take Ownership” option in the Context Menu by double clicking the file: Add Take Ownership Option.reg
3. Click Yes, and you are done.
4. Now open this location: C:\Windows\System32, and find the file: “shell32.dll”.
5. Take ownership by right clicking the file and then clicking Take Ownership in the Context Menu.
6. Now unzip the second downloaded folder, inside the folder you will find the modified file “shell32.dll”.
7. Now run Replacer and replace original XP “shell32.dll” with the modified “shell32.dll”.  You will find the original file in this location: C:\Windows\System32.
8. Now you have successfully replaced the original file with the modified file.
9. Restart to see the change.

Note: If you are having trouble in replacing the original file with the modified file, you can see the video tutorial on YouTube.

MOUSE CURSORS

• Ubuntu Mouse Cursors for Windows XP/7

Instructions:

1. Unzip the downloaded folder, and inside the folder you will find CUR files and a Install.INF file.
2. Right click the Install.INF file and then click Install in the context menu.  All the cursors will be automatically copied to your default mouse cursors folder.
3. Now open the Control Panel and then open the Mouse and then Pointers and then select Ubuntu from the Scheme’s drop down menu and then press Apply.
4. Your new cursors are installed.

SOUND SCHEME

• Ubuntu Sound Scheme for Windows XP/7

Instructions:

1. Unzip the downloaded folder, and copy all the media files in this folder: C:\Windows\Media
2. Now open Control Panel and then open Sounds and Audio Devices and then click the Sounds tab.
3. Now change the current sounds for each Program Events to the Ubuntu sounds (which you have copied to Windows default media folder)
4. Don’t forget to save your current Windows XP sound scheme before changing it to the new one.

DESKTOP MENU BAR

Ubuntu Style Menu Bar on Windows XP

• Object Bar
• Ubuntu Theme for Object Bar

Instructions:

1. First install Object Bar, and then run the application.
2. Now unzip the folder of Ubuntu Theme, and inside you will find an OBPACK file.
3. Simply double click the file, and a confirmation box will be appeared, simply press Yes button.
4. Your new theme for Object Bar has been installed.

VIRTUAL DESKTOP MANAGER

Virtual Desktop Manager on Windows XP

• Virtual Desktop Manager

Instructions:

1. First install Microsoft Desktop Manager.
2. Now right click the taskbar, and then click Desktop Manager in Toolbar menu.
3. Now your Desktop Manager is installed.

My Pages:
YouTube: youtube.com/user/znpower
DeviantArt: xulfikar.deviantart.com

SYSTEM REQUIREMENT:
Recommended:
·         2 GHz Intel or AMD Processor (Dual Core);
·         1 GB RAM;
·         128 MB Graphic Card Memory; and
·         80 GB HDD.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
Since some application files might have been "patched" or "compressed" (packed) to work properly on your Windows operating system, therefore, some "false alarm" or "false positive" may happen to some clean *.exe installers/applications /installation processes, although they are actually CLEAN & SAFE and does not pose a threat to your system. The term "false positive" is used when an Anti-Virus Software wrongly classifies an innocuous (inoffensive) file as a Virus. This incorrect detection may be due to heuristics or to an incorrect virus signature in the database of Anti-Virus. Usually some great and famous Anti-Viruses (such as Kaspersky, AVG, Norman, McAfee, etc) won't have such problem so far. If that happens to you, then simply ignore it and continue installing as it's guaranteed actually 100% safe and clean by me and other guys who are posting these applications. But again, it's still your own choice and right to decide.