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What is a Desktop Theme?
A desktop theme is a collection of wallpaper,
cursors, icons, sounds, screensaver and a set of startup and shutdown screens. Not all of
these parts are necessary for a desktop theme.
I don't have Microsoft Plus! What do I
do?
There are several shareware and freeware programs available that will allow you
to use desktop themes. A list of several of them is available in the Utilities
section of Hero Themes. This list is not complete, so if you don't find one you
like, search the web for more.
How do I download a theme?
On most sites you usually just click on the name of the theme or on the download
graphic.
How do I install a theme?
This depends on the type of theme you download. There are two types of themes, a
"zipped" or compressed file (which is the most common) or an executable theme.
If you downloaded a zipped theme follow these instructions:
First, you must have a program like WinZip to unzip
the theme. Once your in the zip program, you must then extract it into your Plus!\Themes
folder. This should be C:\Program Files\Plus!\Themes. If you use something other
than Microsoft Plus!, consult the program documentation or help files to determine the
proper directories.
If you downloaded an executable theme, simply go into Windows Explorer then double click
on the theme name. Then the theme should automatically install into C:\Program
Files\Plus!\Themes.
Once your theme is installed, you then can go to your Desktop Themes program from Control
Panel, or wherever it's located, and select the theme you've just installed.
What's the difference between Plus! 95
and Plus! 98 themes?
Plus! 95 and Plus! 98 themes are basically very similar. There are however a few
important differences:
Plus! 95 themes will work fine in Plus! 98. The icons of a Plus! 98 theme will not load in Plus! 95. This problem is very easy to fix. To fix the problem, you can edit the .theme file in Notepad to fix the problem.
A Plus! 98 .theme file icon code looks like this:
[Software\Classes\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%ThemeDir%Theme My Computer.ico,0
A Plus! 95 .theme file icon code looks like this:
[CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon] DefaultValue=%ThemeDir%Theme My
Computer.ico,0
Just remove all instances of the line "Software\Classes\" from the icon code,
and the icons will load.
How do I make a theme?
Theme World has a good section on how to create desktop themes. Until I can create
this section of the FAQ, please visit Theme World's section at http://www.themeworld.com/faqs/create.shtml
Other known problems?
If you install Office 97 or Frontpage 98, the jpeg filter will cause problems
with the file themes.exe. The following error message will be displayed if you try
to install a theme that uses a jpg formatted wallpaper:
"Themes caused an invalid page fault in module Themes.exe at 014F:0040ABC6"
If you receive this error, download the updated themes.exe and
replace the current themes.exe file in your Plus! directory. The problem should be
fixed.
