If you like changing the look of your desktop, replacing your icons is essential to make sure everything's in line with your new style. This Black Seven Icon Pack is ideal for anyone who wants to create a dark desktop.

There are 16 icons to use, which should cover most of your needs. It features icons for everything from games to images, downloads to drivers. While you can use these on any windows version you like, they are optimized for Vista, and don't suit XP very well.

The designs are functional rather than very stylish, but the use of black folders makes them useful for that kind of color scheme, and especially for anyone who's not a fan of Window's default yellow folder icons. Using them is easy. Right click the icon you want to change, hit 'Properties', then 'Change Icon', then you can find the new black seven icon you want.

The Black Seven Icon Pack features a generous amount of icons that can freshen up the look of your Windows desktop

Download Black Seven Folder Icon Pack in Softonic

Now that the download period for Windows 7 Beta is over, many people may have lost their chance to try Microsoft's new operating system. If you're among them, worry not: you still have the opportunity to take a sneaky peek at Windows 7, even if it's only by disguising your dear old Windows XP as the new Microsoft OS.

SevenVG RC Theme is a nicely tailored Windows 7 skin that gives Windows XP the new look. The theme is dead easy to install – something you don't usually find in this kind of software - and includes a wide array of changes: new fonts, new common tasks bar, new window style and much more.

Like I said, SevenVG RC is very easy to use. Simply follow the instructions provided by the developer on his website and you shouldn't have any problem. Bear in mind though that you need the uxtheme.dll file patched to be able to use this and other third-party themes.

The only thing I missed in SevenVG RC was a bit more extra material. It would have been great to also have Windows 7 icons and cursors, more wallpapers and some of the extra features you get in the new operating system, such as Aero Shake (which lets you minimize all windows by shaking one of them with the mouse) or Aero Peek, with which you can make all windows transparent.

SevenVG RC is probably the easiest and fastest way to give your old Windows XP a fresh, brand-new Windows 7 appearance.

Download SevenVG RC (Windows 7 Theme) for Windows XP in Softonic

Even if you don't have Vista, the Inspirat Bricopack will make your PC look like it’s been fitted with Microsoft’s latest Operating System. Not limiting itself to one visual style, Universal Vista Inspirat is a bulky (483 MB) yet complete theme pack made up of wallpapers, icons and appearances that will give your PC a complete makeover.

We were impressed by this Vista theme pack. Not only do you get the sleek dark menu bar characteristic of Vista, but the theme also sets up a Mac-like dock where you can nest icons of your favourite applications. They even magnify when you roll over them. With the Ubericon feature you can get that magnifying touch for every item you double click. Y’s Shadow is another feature that separates Universal Vista Inspirat from other simple Vista Themes. This feature gives a cool drop shadow to your windows, which you can easily increase or decrease and even apply to your taskbar.

Universal Vista Inspirat ingeniously improves the feel of your XP menu yet we felt a little more skeptical about the cosmetic changes it applies to other Microsoft applications. Word and Outlook are given a fresher, whiter look, but we were unimpressed by how Windows Media Player appeared, with a dubious purplish hue replacing the default sleek dark feel.

Universal Vista Inspirat is an impressive theme pack filled with original features that definitely separates it from typical Vista themes. Despite a slightly lengthy installation process and bulky file size, this theme is probably the closest you’ll get to Vista without dishing out $200.

Download Universal Vista Inspirat BricoPack 2.1 in Softonic

For many people, the only reason worth upgrading to Vista if for the look since the functionality and basic framework really don't differ that much from XP.

If you think the same way, then you'll be more than happy with Vista Transformation Pack. Once installed, the program makes superficial changes to XP that give it the Vista look. The main changes are that it "Vistarises" your start-up screen, cursors, sounds, screen-savers, tool bars, clock, etc. The transparent effect in Vista is hard to emulate on XP machines but by combining with Windows Blinds, Vista Transformation Pack does a surprisingly impressive job. Be warned however that some users have complained the program changes driver DLLs in XP which make it difficult to remove, or at least, it leaves problems behind when you do so.

To be fair to them, the developers advise you to view their user discussion board before installing to be warned of any potential problems as they readily admit that they are not aware of all the bugs it may cause. Note that if you're simply updating Vista Transformation Pack, there's no need to uninstall the original - just install the patch. They've also added a user selection feature whereby if you log onto your PC as a different user, you can select whether you want to transform your XP desktop to Vista.

This is probably one of the best transformation packs out there although be warned that it's likely that you'll suffer conflicts with programs from time to time, and may have problems with XP when it's uninstalled.

Download Vista Transformation Pack 9.01 in Softonic

Creating the look of Vista on XP has become something of a cottage industry, mainly because most people know that Vista IS XP just with a few fancy skins on.

VistaXP v2 VS is an excellent Vista skin for XP which gives you all the benefits of the Vista look, without paying hundreds of dollars for the upgrade. The package is inspired by the original Windows Vista look (Codename Longhorn) and the package contains two Visual Styles - Black and Silver. The Start menu (which incidentally I hate in Vista) is very realistic and manages to compact all your programs into a shorter Star menu bar than you usually get with XP. There are only 3 different fonts to choose from which surely could have been increased although fonts are not the most important thing when it comes to the look and feel of your operating system. However, it does feature the original Segoe UI font although the wallpaper is limited to the now rather dated Vista Beta 1 wallpaper. It's a shame the developer chose not to include any widgets in this pack as that would really have made it much more realistic but combined with another Vista skin pack, this could make a really impressive Vista look.

A very good Vista skin for XP although it lacks realism in some aspects but for free, you can't complain.

Download VistaXP v2 VS in Softonic

If you’re yearning to experience the dapper new Windows Vista interface but don’t fancy splashing out for an upgrade yet, then VistaXP is the perfect antidote. There’s no doubt that the XP styling is well past its sell-by date and this Visual Style provides a classy alternative modelled on the new OS.

Although VistaXP takes a bit longer to apply than most Visual Styles, you’re rewarded with a very accurate recreation of Vista’s window bars, taskbar and Start Menu. The style applies a sleek gun metal shell to your windows and program icons in the taskbar glow a brilliant deep blue when rolled over. Likewise the Start button turns a gorgeous green when you hover over it.

Unfortunately the visual style doesn’t include a Vista background or any of the innovative new desktop features of Microsoft’s latest operating system. However, by installing the Vista wallpaper and Vista Sidebar, you can get a true feel for the OS. Of course, you won’t get access to the fancy new file management tools, but it’s sure to raise a few eyebrows when your friends and colleagues pass your computer.

Download VistaXP V3 WB 3.1 in Softonic

Fix Fonts Folder is a utility that locates and fixes font related problems. It scans all installed fonts and checks the integrity of the fonts related part of the registry. It also repairs the fonts folder and rebuilds Windows font cache.

Download Fix Fonts Folder 2.0 in Softonic