Desk modding

As Deskmodding or desktop styling is known, analogous to the concept of case modding , changing, beautifying or improving the graphical user interface (GUI) of the operating system of a computer . This gives the workplace an individual look, but ergonomics can also be improved.

In the Internet , many have communities formed, dedicated to the topic Deskmodding / Desktop Styling deal. Here you will find, among other things, contact points for presenting the user interfaces you have designed yourself, forums on special modding programs and general forums with the aim of giving beginners a comprehensive insight into the subject.

background image

Deskmodding begins with changing the background image (Engl. Wallpaper ). According to a study by Microsoft, this is the most common way of changing the desktop under Windows 7 .

Visual style

Changing the visual style (Engl. Visual Style , as a term for a set of graphics and / or display parameters) is in Microsoft Windows innately only to a limited extent, because the operating system by default denied the use of visual styles that are not Microsoft digitally were signed . However, this restriction can be lifted by intervening in the system, either manually or with the help of special programs such as the UXTheme Patch (for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10) or TuneUp Utilities (for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1).

In addition to the wallpaper and the icons, the visual style is the basic building block when changing the desktop . For example, the appearance of other operating systems can be reproduced with the help of a corresponding visual style.

Most desktop environments and window managers for Linux or Unix support (also foreign) visual styles by default. Mac OS X does not offer any visual styles, but there are programs that at least make the window decorations slightly transparent.

Symbols

The symbols (Engl. Icons ) are just like the visual style and the background image is a popular and easy item to change the Deskmodding.

In Windows, this can be done by right-clicking on the relevant file and selecting "Properties" in the "Symbol" field, via which any * .ico symbol file or symbols containing * .exe or * .dll files can be selected, but also with various (partly freeware) programs. These programs exchange the icons, but also offer a function to restore the original Windows icons. The icons can also be exchanged in a Windows configuration file. This file is called "Shell32.dll" and is located under C: \ Windows \ system32 \ depending on the drive name. Changes in this file can be made with a combination of three programs (Reshacker, Replacer and Batchmod). Since changes cannot be undone, it is recommended that you always make a backup copy beforehand.

Under Mac OS X, individual icons can be replaced by "copy and paste". To do this, click on the symbol that you want to use and click on File → Information. In the upper left corner there is now the icon which you click on and copy to the clipboard via Edit → Copy. Next, click on the icon to be changed, go back to File → Information, click on the upper left icon and swap it with Edit → Paste. Complete sets of system icons can be exchanged using the candy bar. In addition, Pixadex offers a direct management of the icons similar to iPhoto for pictures. Icons can also be transferred directly from Pixadex to Candybar, which means you can create your own icon sets.

System sounds

The exchange of system sounds , which are played when starting or shutting down the computer or when there are warning messages, is also part of the desk modding area.

Web links

Individual evidence

^ Microsoft Corporation: Creating, Saving, Sharing Themes in Windows 7. In: Engineering Windows 7. Retrieved April 11, 2010 .

[1] Microsoft Corporation: Creating, Saving, Sharing Themes in Windows 7. In: Engineering Windows 7. Retrieved April 11, 2010 .