Continuing on with our series this week, today we're looking at Files, Folders and Windows Explorer. Enjoy!
11. Windows Sound Schemes
Don’t like the sounds Windows Vista uses? Why not change them for your own? Select Sounds from the Personalization Control Panel to see what sounds are currently used – you can select a different sound from the drop-down list for a selected event, or click Browse to provide your own WAV file.
Switch sound effects in Windows Vista to your own choices
12. Convert to WAV
Want to use an MP3 or WMA file as a sound effect? You’ll need to convert it first
You’ll find many sources of free sound samples online – try www.wavcentral.com – but you’ll notice that many are supplied in compressed MP3 and WMA formats, which need to be converted to WAV before you can use them. Use a free tool like dBpoweramp from to perform the conversion. Once installed and set up, just right-click a sound file and choose Convert To in order to convert it.
13. Record Your Own Sounds
If you’ve got a microphone, you can create your own sound effects using Sound Recorder (type it into the Start menu’s search box to load it) – note that files are saved in the WMA format, so you’ll need to convert them using dBpoweramp before they can be used.
14. Make a Sound Scheme
Once you’ve finished customising your sounds, save them collectively as a sound scheme – under Personalization > Sounds, click Save as… Previous sound schemes can be reloaded from the drop-down menu, or click Delete to permanently remove obsolete schemes.
15. Change User Picture
Don’t like the image associated with your user account? Change it for another: click Start > Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety, then click Change your account picture. You’ll find a number of alternative images to choose from, or you can supply your own (if your image isn’t square, use an image-editing tool like Paint.NET to crop it).
Change your account picture to include your own image for a really personal touch
16. Replace the Logon Screen
Fancy a radically new logon screen? Keep an eye out for LogonStudio
Don’t like the default log-on screen for Windows Vista? Stardock’s LogonStudio enables you to replace it with a different skin. At present it’s still in beta, and only available to registered Object Desktop users, but keep checking back for the final release. Once out of beta, you’ll be able to choose alternative logon screens from sites like Wincustomize and really give your system the personal touch.
17. Change the Logon Screensaver
If you leave your PC unattended at the logon screen for any length of time, you’ll notice a different screensaver to that which appears in Windows Vista itself is used. You can change this with a Registry tweak, or – better still – download Logon Screensaver.
a) First Steps
Unzip Logon-screen-saver.exe from the downloaded zip file and double-click it. Read the statement and click Yes twice. When prompted, select the Interactive services tab on the taskbar and choose “Show me the message”.
b) Don't Panic
The screen will go black, and then two dialogs will appear on a plain background. Click OK in the lower dialog to bring up the familiar-looking Screen Saver Settings dialog.
c) Final Steps
Pick your chosen screensaver from the list, adjust the time if necessary and click OK followed by Return Now. The screen will go black again before returning you to the familiar desktop. Click OK one last time to finish.
18. Swap the Mouse Pointer
Don’t like your mouse cursor? Why not change all your mouse cursors en masse by selecting a different scheme? Open Mouse Pointers from the Personalization Control Panel and pick a new scheme from the drop-down list.
If that’s too drastic, you can also change individual pointers – select the unwanted cursor and click Browse to pick another. If you want to download new pointers from the web (try , make sure they’re in CUR or ANI format. Don’t forget to save your customisations as a new scheme.
Changing mouse pointers can have quite an effect on the look and feel of Windows Vista
19. Shed your Skin
If you yearn to go beyond simple colour tweaks and background changes, discover how to radically change the whole Windows Vista look by replacing the default “skin” with something completely different. One such tool that offers this functionality is WindowBlinds, a trial version of which can be downloaded from Stardock. Once installed, launch the program and pick Change how my windows look. Select the new skin from the list at the bottom of the window and check out its preview before clicking “Apply my changes” to see it in action.
20. Find More Skins
If the choices provided by WindowBlinds aren’t liberating enough, go to www.wincustomize.com and select WindowBlinds from the right-hand menu to choose from literally thousands more. Once downloaded, use the Browse button in WindowBlinds to select them. Buy the full version for $19.95 to wield even more control over your skins, or purchase the full Object Desktop suite ($49.95) if you want to create your own from scratch.
Part One
│ Part Two│ Part Three│ Part Four│Part Five
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