Make XP like Vista? Cool!

Make XP like Vista
Transform your XP computer into a Vista computer

To give XP a Leopard Mac Os look, click here

The end of Windows XP is nearby.
That's why you have to make XP like Vista.
For Microsoft, Windows XP has a special status. For users it is still the first choice even now there is Windows Vista. But from the summer of 2008, Microsoft lets XP die silently.
That’s why I want to inform you so you can prepare yourself for a goodbye of this operating system.
If you would like to work with XP as long as possible, I will discuss about many tools and expansions so you can provide your XP computer with all the goods of Windows Vista.

Vista is quite expensive, exacting and it takes a while before you get used to it. Fortunately you can make XP like Vista so you get an XP computer which looks just like Vista!!!
Many of the new Vista tools can also be realized on XP with free and cheap programs.

Windows XP like Vista

This video below is a video about how to make XP like Vista. This video I found on Youtube. Using the video below and the information on this page will help you to make XP like Vista.

The video is a video about how to make XP like Vista. This video we found on Youtube. Using the video below and the information on this page will help you to make XP like Vista.

The now 6 years old Windows XP almost gets to its end. In 2008 Microsoft stops selling individual XP-licenses of it. After that the support will be reduced and at the end there will be no more updates available.
What kinds of consequences does this have for you, for how long can still you work with XP and what kinds of Windows development can you expect?

Microsoft will still bring out security updates for Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional for about 7 years from now on.
The next Service Pack (SP3) is announced for the first half of 2008. After that there will be maybe 1 or 2 more, but that's it.

The normal life cycle of Windows is 10 years. 5 years mainstream support and 5 years extended support. The in 2001 launched XP will be provided with updates until 2014. That's 14 years. This prolongation is thanks to SP2.
This Service Pack brought so many new functionalities, like a firewall, Internet Explorer with pop-up blocker and 'no-execute'-technology.
The optimization of XP got so many priority that the development of Vista was postponed.

What even more unusual is, is that Microsoft also maintains the Home version 13 years long. Normally systems for home usage can count on 5 year mainstream support. There is no 5 years extra support for these systems.
Based on this strategy the Vista Home-versions (also Vista Ultimate) will no longer be maintained after 2012 so they will be 'ended' even earlier then XP Home!

Because the end of Windows XP is nearby we put together a 'XP forever'-pack, which includes all the necessary systems expansions so you can still work with XP for a long time and you can make XP like Vista.

Because the two operating systems Windows XP and Windows Vista aren't that different from each other technically, Vista is not safer then XP! The thing is that Vista handles security aspects a bit more flexible.

The benefits of making XP like Vista is that, using the following tools, you can restore that balance and you can use XP for a much longer time.

So now we are going to make XP like Vista using the following tools. We even transform the XP look into the Vista look.

FREE TOOL #1: Bart PE

Bart PE Builder Bart's PE Builder helps you build a "BartPE" (Bart Preinstalled Environment) bootable Windows CD-Rom or DVD from the original Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 installation/setup CD, very suitable for PC maintenance tasks.

It will give you a complete Win32 environment with network support, a graphical user interface (800x600) and FAT/NTFS/CDFS filesystem support. Very handy for burn-in testing systems with no OS, rescuing files to a network share, virus scan and so on.This will replace any Dos bootdisk in no time!

Function:	Windows XP Live-System
Download:
Size:	57 MB

FREE TOOL #2: Windows Defender

Windows Defender is also free to download for XP. It removes viruses and malware from your computer. This tool is integrated in Vista but you can also download it for XP to make your XP like Vista.

Function:	Virus- and malware tool from Microsoft
Download:
Size:	4.91 MB

FREE TOOL #3: Ad-Aware 2007 Free

Lavasoft Adaware

Another nice Anti Spyware Tool is Ad-Aware. It also removes Spyware from your computer just like Windows Defender.

Function:	Finds ad- and spyware
Download:
Size:	17.33 MB

FREE TOOL #4: SteadyState

Steady State

SteadyState is a very interesting alternative for Vista's protection of young users. Using this tool you can set restrictions for surfing the internet, system- and software usage, without have the knowledge about group policies or NTFS-permissions.

Function:	Security for XP
Download:
Size:	3.4 MB

FREE TOOL #5: KeePass

Keepass

KeePass encrypts passwords on a very solid way using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and the algorithm Twofish and saves them in a database. For access to programs, files and services now you only need one single master-password.

Function:	Database with encrypted passwords
Download:
Size:	864 KB

FREE TOOL #6: Truecrypt

Truecript encrypts folders and complete partitions on a save way.

Function:	Encrypting program
Download:
Size:	1.5 MB

FREE TOOL #7: Spamihilator

Using Spamihilator you can clean up your mailbox from spam emails.

Function:	Spam filter
Download:
Size:	1.78 MB

FREE TOOL #8: XP-Antispy

XP Antispy

XP-Antispy is just like Spamihilator a tool to clean up your mailbox from spam emails and you can disable some XP functions which can better be done by this tool if you want to make XP like Vista

Function:	Spam filter
Download:
Size:	2.77 KB

FREE TOOL #9: Zone Alarm Free

Zone Alarm is a firewall which is a better replacement for the XP firewall which is integrated in Windows XP. The XP firewall only manages the incoming traffic. Zone Alarm does both incoming traffic and outgoing traffic and does even have many more functionalities. So if you like to make XP like Vista, using this tool your firewall is even better then in Vista

Function:	Firewall
More information:	Here
Download:
Size:	205 KB

FREE TOOL #10: Copernic Desktop Search

Copernic Desktop Search is a very nice desktop search tool to find all your files on your computer easily.

Function:	Desktop search tool
Download:
Size:	5 MB

FREE TOOL #11: Windows Desktop Search

Windows Desktop Search is just like Copernic Desktop Search a very nice desktop search tool to find all your files on your computer easily.

Function:	Desktop search tool
Download:
Size:	4.7 MB

Now we have some great system- and security tools to make XP more secure. The next thing we need is to make XP look like Vista.
Everyone knows Vista is graphically very nice and it looks great.
So now we are going to do the same thing to XP: make XP like Vista.

FREE TOOL #12: Vista Transformation Pack

First we need a complete desktop makeover so it will look in XP like Vista.
We can do this using the Vista Transformation Pack. This pack has a size of about 30 MB.

If you have a computer which isn't a powerful computer, I recommend not to install this pack. If you have quite a powerful computer you can install it.

I mention this because this pack demands quite a lot from your system and it makes radical changes within Windows.
I also recommend, before installing this pack, to create a new system restore point or to backup your system.

Function:	Gives XP the Vista look
More information:	Here
Download:
Size:	31.7 MB

Now we have transformed Windows XP into Vista. We gave XP a total makeover so it will look like Vista and we have installed some great tools to get the same tools in XP as in Vista.

More useful tools to extend the ‘XP forever’-pack

FREE TOOL #13: nLite

nLite nLite is a tool for permanent Windows components removal and pre-installation Windows configuration. After removal there is an option to make bootable image ready for burning on cd or testing in virtual machines.
With nLite you will be able to have Windows installation which on install does not include, or even contain on cd, the unwanted components.

Function:	Edits the Windows-Setup-CD
Download:
Size:	31.7 MB

FREE TOOL #14: Thoosje Sidebar

Thoosje Sidebar is Vista sidebar for Microsoft Windows XP and Vista has gadgets like media players, Sticky's, Calculators, Google search, Yahoo search, and lots of more search engines.
It has also Vista Sidebar gadgets like weather and system uptime and lots of more useful gadgets.
The sidebar uses 50% less RAM and is faster than the original Microsoft Sidebar with more extras and works on Microsoft Windows Vista and XP.

Thoosje's Vista Sidebar is also part of the Vista Transformation Pack. That turns your XP OS into Windows Vista.
This tool really makes your XP like Vista.

Function:	Sidebar for XP
Download:
Size:	6 MB

FREE TOOL #15: Video Lan Client

Video Lan Client is a mediaplayer. It supports a large number of multimedia formats, without the need for additional codecs. It can also be used as a streaming server, with extended features (video on demand, on the fly transcoding, ...)

Function:	Mediaplayer
Download:
Size:	6 MB

FREE TOOL #16: Shock4Way 3D

Shock4Way3D

Is your desktop full of icons, shortcuts and files, and are you unhappy how your desktop looks like? Then there is only one thing to do; clean up your desktop!

Do you hate cleaning up your desktop? Then you can choose for a virtual desktop manager like Shock4Way 3D. Using this tool you can create several desktops which can be used separately.

After installation of this tool, this tool can be found near the clock in the system tray. You can recognize it by the #1 icon.

This icon means that your first desktop is loaded. To switch to one of the other 3 desktops you simply click the icon in the system tray and now all your desktops are being showed. It will look something like in the picture above.

By dragging your mouse to the left or the right you can turn your desktops round and you can pick one by clicking on it.

For each desktop you can choose a different wallpaper, a different task bar etc. Would you like to configure more things, you can right click the icon in the system tray.
If you start a program on desktop 1, it will only be visible on that desktop, not on the others. Another nice thing is that you can drag one program screen to another desktop to use it there.

Download:
Size:	651 KB download

FREE TOOL #17: ShockAero 1.35

ShockAero does the same thing as Vista’s Flip3D but then for Windows XP. After installation you can browse through the active programs by pressing the Windows+Tab keys.

Each time you use this combination the next program will come to the front and you can choose this program by releasing the Windows+tab keys.

Except Vista’s Flip3D, ShockAero can also imitate Exposé of Mac OS X. Both options can be found in the quick launch of the ShockAero icon which can be found in the system tray after installation.

Download:
Size:	462 KB download

Make XP like Leopard Mac OS

Maybe you don't want to make XP like Vista but do you rather make XP like Leopard (Mac OS).
Therefore I will describe below a very nice tool which can make XP like Leopard.
This is a great tool so you can enjoy the Leopard features of Mac OS on your Windows XP computer.

FREE TOOL #18: RK Launcher Leopard Inspired

The creators of this tool took a very good look at the Leopard OS of Mac.
If you download this tool you also download a few skins and icons from Wincustomize.com, a famous website with additions for the looks and functionality of Windows.

Just like on Mac OS X, the zoom effect is standard turned off, but by clicking the right mouse button on an empty part of the 'dock', you can activate in the quick launch the option 'Magnification'.

Using this way you make it easier to work with this OS. This version of RK Launcher doesn’t have a real start menu. Even though there are shortcuts to shutdown or to restart the computer or to log off.
To add or remove shortcuts to the 'dock', you have to turn off the function 'Locked' in the quick launch.

Download:
Size:	21 MB download

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