What's the point of XP's Visual Styles engine?

[Jeremy Stanley]

Why did Microsoft create a Visual Styles engine for Windows XP and
then lock it down so nobody can use it without hacking uxtheme.dll?
What's the point?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

MS Styles is a new skinning engine made by Microsoft to change the look of Windows XP.
To use them you need a program called StyleXP. With Style XP you can import, select,
rotate, and manage Themes, Visual Styles, Wallpaper, and Logons.
Download StyleXP from TGT Soft.
Another way to use MS Styles is using a patch.
You can use Neowin UXTheme Multi-Patcher.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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| Why did Microsoft create a Visual Styles engine for Windows XP and
| then lock it down so nobody can use it without hacking uxtheme.dll?
| What's the point?

 

[Black Baptist]

I think he's asking why there aren't more themes so the dll doesn't have to
be changed or using a 3rd party app.

 

[Jeremy Stanley]

I think he's asking why there aren't more themes so the dll doesn't have to

be changed or using a 3rd party app.

Exactly.

I know about StyleXP and the uxtheme patch, but it seems ridiculous to
me that Microsoft would create a skinning engine for XP and then only
offer one skin in three colors, with no officially sanctioned way to
create or customize skins. You have to hack the OS or buy third-party
software in order to exploit the feature.

I just noticed the "More themes online..." selection in display
properties, which, despite its name, does not take you to where you
can find more themes online. Instead, it takes you to an ad page for
the XP Plus Pack. I suppose the real reason themes are locked down is
that Microsoft thinks the $hundreds you paid for XP wasn't enough.

 

[Black Baptist]

Yeap it is odd for sure.

 

[Atreju]

I think he's asking why there aren't more themes so the dll doesn't have to
be changed or using a 3rd party app.

Don't you know already that M$ is notorious for Beta-Testing
"features" on their customers?

The Theme Engine is "capable" of doing lots of great things, but
nobody said they were going to go and spend the time making it
available to the end-user.



---Atreju---