HOWTO Make Ubuntu Look Like Windows Vista
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Download Microsoft Segoe UI Font from here
Unzip the downloaded archive and place the two .ttf files in your .fonts directory.
You can find it in your user folder. /home/$USERNAME/.fonts/
For example: /home/ruchi/.fonts
If the directory .fonts does not exist, create it.
Download Aero-clone theme
Download the Aero-clone theme from Gnome-look.org or here
Install the Beryl and GTK theme as usual
Icons
Download the nuoveXT-aero iconset
Download the nuoveXT-aero iconset from here
Panel
Change the gnome-panel size to 32px height.For this you need to Right-click on the gnome panel (the taskbar at the top of the screen) select properties
Change the size to 32 and click on close
Vista start-button screenlet
Download and install "Desktop Screenlets" and you can download from here
Install the "orb" screenlet (The orb screenlet is included in the .tar.gz from gnome-look.org) or from here .Place the orb screenlet above the main-menu button and lock the position.
Vista Wallpapers
If you want to make the experience complete download some Vista wallpapers for your desktop.
Download vista wallpapers from here or here or here
Install cursor to aero-drop
Download aero-drop (Aero Mouse Cursor with Drop Shadow) from here
Extract the archive and move the folder to ~/.icons/ .
Go to System---> Preferences---> Appearance---> Theme---> Customize---> Pointer---> aero-drop---> Close---> Close.
Then, go to ccsm (if you don't have it install it with "sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager").
General Options---> Cursor theme---> aero-drop
Close ccsm.
That's it you are ready for vista look for your ubuntu desktop
I found one person who prefer the Vista appearance… Free tip: art.gnome.org or gnome-look.org You can change every little thing in Ubuntu, enjoy it! Hugs
Hi,
thank u for this tutorial but I can’t see why I should make my lovely Ubuntu like a garbage (windows vista).
who to hell would like to change the look of linux to that shitty “mawworm”
this will show how flexible ubuntu can be and this is entirely users choice
How about a tutorial to make Windows Vista look like Ubuntu. Then all my friends won’t think I’m so lame.
here you go http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-make-windows-look-like-ubuntu.html
i dont get peoples who wants make linux look like something else… windows or macos… why u need this! linux is beautiful!
What everyone seems to forget is the poor slob (like me!) who is working in a “Windows only” work environment, but needs or wants to use Linux. Being able to camouflage your operating system so that it looks like a Microsoft product when it is in fact Linux is tremendously useful in such a case! I know that it’s a compromise, but better that compromise than living in the hell that is Windows!
Thanks this is what my wife was looking for. She loves the look of Vista but has come to love her new Ubuntu OS. Thank you for this. Also any printable instructions that include the address for the sites you link to so I can print it for later? Thanks again.
No screenshots of the result ?
Hey If I change ubuntu to look like vista would it give me same problem as vista. kidding………
It would be nice if language like,”Install in the usual way” was abolished for people who might not know what “the usual way” is.
Can you please amplify what you mean by “Install the Beryl and GTK theme as usual”, don’t assume your readers have the necessary knowledge please, I in particular need all teh help I can get !!
@pompeyrodney
For the Beryl theme
You don’t need Beryl. Install Emerald (The Beryl themes are Emerald themes )
sudo apt-get install emerald
Open Emerald by typing in a terminal “emerald-theme-manager”, click on Import and find the theme.
2) For the GTK theme
Go to “System > Preferences > Appearance > Install” and install the theme.
To apply the Emerald theme, after you imported it, you must type in a terminal
emerald
--replaceSometimes emerald might crash and you don’t have frames on your windows, press Alt + F2 and type “emerald
--replace” again.Can i change Ubuntu Back to what it looked like originally?
@ Nissan:
For Gnome, go to system->preferences->appearance
Then click on the human theme, select the Heron for the desktop and whatever else you would want to change back.
🙂
Reading articles like makes me wanna customize my desktop again.
Customizing Ubuntu is really addictive.
I spend days customizing/tweaking/fine-tweaking my desktop/splash screen/gdm.
Don’t go to gnome-look.org, It is highly addictive!!!
could someone PLEASE post an updated version of these instructions with working links
im currently reading 4 copies of this page on other sites trying to peice it all together
@Rothguard
Updated with the working links
done this for my mother. I installed ubuntu on her laptop but keep looking like vista cause she used to the vista graphics…
I can’t figure out how to install the Orb theme. I’ve installed screenlets (the orb theme is not included by default)… nothing i’ve tried has worked. Can someone point me in the right direction?
hi greg,
first of all, try re-installing the screenlet try gnome-look.org
once you have it on your desktop, simply drag it to where you need it to be and right click then click Lock position
I’m not sure myself how to actually get it on the desktop in the 1st place though. Hope this helps
newbie to ubuntu here, did the install system>preference>appearance but did not apply it immediately, now i cannot find the aero theme. emerald one worked fine.
I use this theme because I use both Windows and Ubuntu. I like things to be… what’s the word? Consistent. I like switching from XP to Ubuntu via VirtualBox to be smooth.
What GTK theme engine does this run on I have installed all the ones I could find in the synaptic package manager and it still say I do not have the required engine. Help.
I couldn’t get Orb working either, so I used GnoMenu instead.
O_o hurm… guyz…
can i use this method with my xubuntu???
im using gutsy 7.10
Honestley why would you want it to look like vista….Go “Buy” The disk if you want it so bad. Im getting Ubuntu in Dec. Plus It’s Still gonna act like Ubuntu…Becuase it IS! So instead don’t act like you realy need it…… Plus go on E-bay and buy Vista PC …My brother has done it…Great Remarks By the way people.
Works well… thanks for the how to 🙂
For the fonts…
will the .fontconfig folder work?
I’m using 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope.