Okay I have cracked the XP themes system so that I can use extra themes. Works great, except for one thing: all the themes I have downloaded don't have the .theme file. I think that is what is needed to get it to show up in the list in Display Properties>Appearance. So now I have to actually double click on the .msstyles file in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\"my theme"
I noticed that the native XP themes only have something called Luna.theme but they don't show up as that in the list, they are called "Windows XP Style".
If i double click on every theme i download I can then go to DisplayProperties>Themes and "save" it so I can access it there, but it is a tedious process. It does create a .theme file but it doesn't show up anywhere but in the theme list still. I also have to do this for every theme i download and it takes forever.
Does anyone know how to create a "real" .theme file for existing themes? I am not talking about making my own theme (I got enough to do without that) just making a .theme file for t he ones i have so that it shows up in the DisplayProperties>Appearance list. Then I can save the .theme file with the .zip of the theme and be done with it. It will be all ready for me to install after future installations of Windows. It seems kinda lazy on the part of the theme maker to not include such a file, even though their theme is a very good one. Others do produce the file so I know it' possible.
Somebody? Anybody? Sorry if I said .theme too much
(btw, I noticed a .theme file can be opened with Notepad and read in plain English.)