UXTHEME.DLL Pack (DLL for SP1 included)

The UXTHEME.DLL Pack is one of the many ways to patch your Microsoft Windows XP installation in order to use any theme you like. Its Softpedia category contains other applications that you can also try in case UXTHEME.DLL Pack does not produce the expected results such as UXTheme Patch For Windows XP SP2 Final or Style XP as well as Uxtheme Multi-patcher, SP3 UxTheme Patcher or Universal UXTheme Patcher.

Microsoft has published three more themes alongside the already-included Luna theme in Windows XP and that's where they stopped. Third-party themes are available for download on numerous webpages and some of them really provide a remarkable alternative to the official ones. The only problem is that they are not supported by default, thus the patch for the `uxtheme.dll` system file was created.

The UXTHEME.DLL Pack deploys two versions as well as two patching methods for both the first iteration of Windows XP (non-SP) and the SP1. No matter the version you want to use, you must be aware that the process may cause your Windows installation to stop working and that you should backup the original DLL in order to avoid an unexpected re-installation of the operating system.

For those of you that possess the first edition (non-SP) of Windows XP, the `NO SP1` folder is the place where you start the patcher. It quickly generates a `uxtheme.pat` file in the System32 directory of your Windows installation and notifies you of its location at the end of the process. From this point on, the rest of the operation comprises the renaming your `uxtheme.dll` file (backup purposes), the switch of extension from PAT to DLL and the restart of your PC.

On the other hand, the `SP1` folder contains the patched version of the DLL file and thus, you only need to backup your original file and replace it with the one that UXTHEME.DLL Pack provides you with. You should also consider, in both cases, to rename the `uxtheme` DLL file within all locations on your hard-drive in order to prevent the automatic replacement of the patched file upon restart.

This method is quiet tricky and the alternatives can be better and even faster. Using the UXTHEME.DLL Pack may seem a bit sluggish when performing the operations, considering that there are other ways to accomplish it instantly. Although it does its job, this pack does not contain patched versions for SP2 or SP3, hence the recommendation of utilizing it only if running a pre-SP2 edition of Windows XP.