How To Install 3rd Party Windows 7 Themes

Are you interested in installing new 3rd-party Windows 7 Themes? Here’s a great tutorial that will help you to install all themes that come from a 3rd-party (other than Microsoft themes)

In order to install 3rd-party themes you first need to patch your Windows 7 system files. Because this involves modifying critical system files of Windows 7 I recommend that beginners take good care and create multiple backup files. If you have only access to one computer, I also recommend that you first learn how to restore the original files without the explorer.

1. Explorer Won’t Start: Learn How To Restore Original Windows 7 System Files Without It

This is only a short version of all steps involved, so please do your research.

This will only work if you have backuped your explorer.exe before as recommended above

1. Open task manager
2. Click on File, new task
3. Enter runas /u:Administrator cmd.exe
4. Enter your administrator password
5. “CD” to C:\Windows
6. Enter “rename explorer.exe explorer.broken.exe
7. Enter “rename explorer.bak.exe explorer.exe”

Need more instructions? Post comment below for clarification

3rd-party Windows 7 Themes Require UXTheme Patcher

In order to install 3rd-party themes we are now going to patch some system files

1. Download UxTheme Patcher Windows 7 SP1 (works without SP too)

2. Start the UXTheme Patcher

3. Make sure you have a backup of the files themeservice.dll, themeui.dll and uxtheme.dll.

4. Patch your files

Copy 3rd-Party Windows 7 Themes To Themes Folder

1. Open up C:\Windows\Resources\Themes within the explorer

2. Open up another explorer windows and go to your newly downloaded 3rd-party Windows 7 theme e.g. D:\5 Downloads\Clearscreen_Sharp_for_Windows7_by_K_Johnson\clsSharp_Win7_v3.2

3. Copy the folder clsSharp and the file clsSharp.theme and paste it into the other open folder C:\Windows\Resources\Themes

4. Provide admin rights to copy the 3rd-party themes into the folder

5. The 3rd-party theme should now be in the folder like this:

Final Step: Choose 3rd-party Theme From Windows 7′s Personalization Control Panel

1. Right-click on your desktop and scroll down until you see a list of “Installed Themes”. Clearscreen Sharp should be one of the installed 3rd-party themes:

2. Click on the installed theme and you’re done

You have now successfully installed a 3rd-party theme.

Still need help? Maybe this can help: Install Windows 7 Themes