Installation of Windows themes can be carried out both by standard means and using third-party applications. Standard themes use the effects built into the system, while third-party programs allow you to achieve deeper customization of interface elements that can significantly change the look of your operating system.
Standard theme installation tools
Standard applications of the Windows 8 operating system allow you to install the necessary themes, which can be downloaded both from the official Microsoft website and from third-party resources. The installation of the theme can be easily carried out by any user on whose computer a version of Windows is installed above Starter or Home Basic. These distributions have a limitation on installing Aero skins and do not support user changes to the system interface.
Go to the official Microsoft resource and use the "Themes" section to download the color scheme you are interested in. Once the download of the theme file is complete, navigate to the directory that you specified to download. By default, all files are downloaded from the Internet to the Downloads folder of the user's directory.
Double click on the document with the.theme extension and wait for the Aero configuration window to appear. In the list offered on the screen, you will see the newly downloaded theme. To apply it, move the cursor over the name and click once with the left mouse button. After that click "Save Changes". Installation completed.
Third Party Programs
Installing themes using third-party programs is carried out in a slightly different way. You will first need to install an application that will replace the standard Windows theme manager. With the help of third-party programs, it also becomes possible to use themes in Windows Home Basic and Starter.
Download the app to change the design from the developer's official website. Among the most convenient programs is Theme Resource Changer. For Starter and Home Basic users, Personalization Panel is the best choice.
Also download VistaGlazz, Universal Theme Patcher or UxStyle Core. These applications are similar in functionality and perform the function of providing access to manually changing theme files and adding your own effects.
Install all downloaded programs, then run Theme Patcher (VistaGlazz or Ux Style) to open access. Click on the "Patch" buttons and wait for the notification of the successful operation. After installing the patch, you can also manually copy the downloaded themes to the system directory "Local drive C:" - Windows - Resources - Themes.
Run the program to change the theme and adjust the effects according to your preferences and the parameters available in the menu items. Specify the path to the file of styles or themes in the program for further customization of the appearance. All color schemes can be found online.
