Automatically Change Desktop Themes

[phldaniel]

Hello! I am currently writing a program and am looking for a way to automatically update a desktop theme. In my program, I have it set up where you can press a command button that has a theme hard coded in the program; we'll say that the theme filename is theme.thm. Once that button is pressed, I want Windows to automatically make theme.thm the default theme.. same goes for the other buttons that i push... making that the default, thus everytime making a new default per my command button click..

any help would be most appreciative!!

Thanks

danny

[sebmaurice]

Hello

I don't know if it works with .thm files but it works with .theme files

In a button :

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim x
x = Shell("C:\Program Files\Plus!\themes.exe /s C:\Program Files\'Your theme folder'\'your theme file'.theme", vbMinimizedFocus)
End Sub

I hope this helps you

[dadames]

I have a theme that I want to distribute and apply automatically. What if the user does not have win2k or does not have Plus! (i.e. the file theme.exe is not on users system)? Is there API code to install and apply a theme?

[sebmaurice]

You can find the themes.exe in Microsoft Office 97 SR1 (the updated "Valupack" if I remember).

So, include it with your software package.


Else, you must save all parameters (the user will be able to uninstall your theme and retrieve his old parameters) and install step by step your theme by writting informations to the registry (where is the wallpaper, screen saver, icons, cursors, sounds...).