Add New Themes to Windows 7

One way of being able to add new themes to Windows 7 is to find a great place where you can download windows 7 theme packs for free. We have a link further down this post, but first, here is what we suggest is the easiest way of storing and keeping those themes you may download for future use - say for example if you had to reformat your computer!

1. Because we like to keep things tidy on our computers here, we tend to create folders and keep all the stuff we use neatly categorised in folders. Not everyone works the same way, but it makes sense to have a folder system that works for you, and is easy to understand. So create a folder on your C Drive (unless you have partitioned your drives or have a separate drive for files and stuff) and call it Windows 7 ThemePacks. If you are using your C Drive then you would create this folder inside your C:/users/yourusername/ directory
   
   
   EXPLANATION -
   Most uses who have Windows will have a C Drive - the C Drive is where Windows and all the program files are installed. Inside the C Drive you should see several folders - one of them will be called Users.
   Inside that folder you will see the other folders (one of them will be usually be your username) - for example Doug
   
   
   
   Inside that folder will be other folders (or what can be called directories) - By directories we simply mean a path to a folder - so it might be:
   C:/Users/Doug/Contacts - this would be deemed a DIRECTORY or in another words a path to a certain folder within a drive or a location on your system. We have another forum topic that explains directories in more detail.
   
   
   
   You can create a new folder called Windows 7 Themepacks wherever you like inside the C:/Users/ DIRECTORY or FOLDER or if you have a separate PARTITION then you may want to create a folder on that partition
   A Directory is really another way of saying where a folder may reside on a computer system. It may be for example -
   C:/Users/Doug/MyDocuments/Windows 7 Themepacks/ or it might be (if you have a separate partition):
   D:/Windows 7 Themepacks/
   
   Because every computer and user is different, we have no idea how your computer may be set up.
   
2. Next follow this link to free windows 7 themes - http://www.window7theme.com/ and you will immediately see some random themes on the first page. Along the top of their page are links to Top Viewed Themes and Top Rated Themes - so you decide which one you would like to look at first.
3. See a theme you like? Then click on the theme and on the page that opens scroll down a bit (under the adverts - DON'T CLICK THEM unless you want that item) and you will see a Download Link, normally just beneath the image - Here is a screenshot for example on a theme called Blue Galaxy
   
   
   
   We have highlighted the download link you should click on
4. When you do click on the download link it will open a new window to Windows SkyDrive with the particular theme already selected - as shown below. Just click on the link and you will be given the option to open the themepack (which means it will be installed straight away) or save the themepack. We chose to save the themepacks but it is up to you. If you save the themepack then you will need to follow Step 5 - if you opened it then you now have installed and will be using that theme you selected.
   
   
   
   
   
   Assuming you saved the themepack go to Step 5
5. So you saved the themepack! Open the folder you created earlier and then just double click the theme pack in the folder. Windows 7 will start using the new theme and that is all there is to it!

To help you get started we have chosen 8 themes already and created a zip file of them - Click here to download the zip file we put together. The file download is 7.4MB.
The zip file will need to be unzipped first but inside you should see a folder and inside that folder 8 themes - these are only a small selection of the hundreds of free themes available on Windows 7 Themes so don't be put off by our choices

If you liked this post please thank us, and tell others. If you think it needs some editing, then let us know.

Hi Minxster

I have edited the initial post so as to better explain what I had meant - it's very easy when we do this sort of stuff all day long to either miss something, or fail to explain the procedure correctly because we know it, but then wording that up in a way that makes sense may seem not quite correct. Go through the post above again and this time we hope that we have clarified what we meant by DIRECTORY

Minxster wrote: OKkkkkk.......... think I have done it............... but need to get food dished up............... so when I have managed to look again tomorrow, will let you know if all is well ok.......... but thanks anyhoo.

You're always welcome