These may interest you.
REPLACE THE SHELL
http://shellcity.net/cgi-bin/DB_Search/db_search.cgi? setup_file=t
opicpage.setup.cgi&submit_search=yes&topic=A
========================================
Geoshell
http://www.geoshell.com/
http://www.sover.net/~wysiwygx/WinUtils3.html
http://sonofspy3.spymac.com/Sofffffffware2.html
http://www.sover.net/~wysiwygx/Sofffffffware2.html
Geoshell If you're looking for a small, stable, and effective
Explorer shell replacement, load
geOShell. Yes, it's faster -- and you can still run all your
favorite programs on it
(including Explorer).
====================================
If you want to try a new shell
http://www.vorck.com/remove-ie.html#newshell
If you want to try total shell replacement, you can try some of
these links:
Serenade (several users use this and report favorable results)
http://www.courtah.net/
Astonshell
http://www.astonshell.com/
Litestep (or, skip their "you must register!" and download from
here) and a Litestep Installer and a FAQ about Litestep
http://www.litestep.net/
http://leaf.terica.net/litestep.html
http://beyondconvention.net/ohussain/lsinstaller/
http://lsfaq.shellfront.org/
A very old list of shell replacements
http://list.shellfront.org/
A note from MS on modifying the taskbar
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en- us/
r
amming/taskbar.asp Use GPEDIT.MSC to change the Windows shell
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 &q=gpedit
.msc%2Bchange%2Bshell&btnG=Search Have a laugh at Neptune, what
Windows 2000 almost turned into.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Neptune