One of them is Desktop Architect (still works on Windows XP, not sure about Windows 7 since Win9x-XP themes don’t work on it unless applied manually and resaved as themepacks or you use the Windows 7 Theme Converter it even works in Wine, and thus you can theme your Windows programs in Linux with it!). Using third-party programs for Windows 95 and above (and/or Plus!, an add-on for all Windows versions up to (and including) XP Windows 95 Plus!, the first version, was released by Microsoft at the same time as Windows 95), you could save & share themes, and make your own. In order for a desktop theme to be a ‘complete’ desktop theme, it must contain most of (or all of) the elements stated above (colors, icons, cursors, etc.) otherwise it’s just a wallpaper pack with a color added to the taskbar (which is good in its own right, but I prefer ‘complete’ desktop themes).ĭesktop Themes were first introduced in Windows 3.0, but they weren’t shareable until Windows 95. It has its own colors (for not just the taskbar, but every part of the OS, such as menus, selected items and text), icons, cursors, sounds, wallpaper(s) and sometimes a screensaver (sometimes extras too, like custom bootscreens and web view elements for 9x themes and custom start icons for Windows XP to 7 themes). A desktop theme is a way to change the look of a Windows installation (Linux and Mac OS (at least older versions 😉 ) also have them, but not all Linux distros (distributions) have them instead you can change all, most, or some of the elements separately).

Windows 95 wallpaper collection