Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and 7, Windows 8 Charms Bar Skin offers two separate skin options for your RocketDock. One is transparent and the other is black, giving you the option to switch easily and to whatever suits your current aesthetic.

To make use of Windows 8 Charms Bar Skin, you'll need to first download and install Rocketdock, a nifty little app that gives you a Mac-style navigation bar for your PC's desktop. Then unzip Windows 8 Charms Bar Skin and move the "Transparent charmbar" folder into the RocketDock program's skins folder. Strangely enough, the black bar option is named "settings," which could get confusing. You'll also need to move that in the same manner though.

Windows 8 Charms Bar Skin's Startmenu.exe file also needs to be moved into the RocketDock folder. Once done, Windows 8 Charms Bar Skin should work and appear once you launch RocketDock though.

Setup for Windows 8 Charms Bar Skin can be a bit of a pain, but once done you'll have two great new skin options for your RocketDock navigation bar.

Download Windows 8 Charms Bar Skin (for RocketDock) in Softonic

. NET My Command Button is also capable of adding effects such as fading, mirror, shadow, and glow. This software comes set with 13 default buttons and 6 default themes.

Download .NET My Command Button 1.00 in Softonic

Windows Leopard XP OS X is a basic Windows theme that changes Windows' overall appearance and makes it look like Mac OS X. All you need to do is extract the files from the ZIP file to the C:\Windows \ Resources\ Themes folder. Then right click anywhere on the desktop, select Properties, go to the Themes tab and pick the Windows Leopard XP OS X theme from the drop-down menu.

Windows Leopard XP OS X applies subtle changes to the Windows look and feel to make it more similar to Mac. The Start button is replaced by the Apple logo, the system is covered with an elegant gray skin and the three characteristic window buttons change to the typical Mac yellow, green and red buttons. It also includes a bunch of Apple wallpapers to choose from. That said, we still missed an extra bit of personalization such as a dock-style toolbar or some Mac-like icons.

Windows Leopard XP OS X applies a visual Mac theme to your Windows, though unfortunately misses extra elements such as icons and a dock-style toolbar.

Download Windows Leopard XP OS X 1.0 in Softonic

So now that you've got a brand new copy of Windows 7 installed on your computer, it's time for some personalization, isn't it? And changing your theme is the perfect way to start!

Windows 7 Visual Themes Pack is a collection of themes for Windows 7. They all come as themepack files, so installing them on your system is easy as pie: simply extract the ZIP file anywhere on your system, double click any specific theme and it'll be applied to the desktop right on the spot, as well as added to the Personalization window.

Windows 7 Visual Themes Pack includes a dozen themes with very varied designs, which means you'll probably find one that suits your taste. There are a couple of them that seem to have been developed for Mac computers rather than for Windows ones, but hey, to each his own.

Windows 7 Visual Themes Pack includes a dozen visual themes with which you can easily customize the look and feel of your computer.

Download Windows 7 Visual Themes 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

We were impressed by this Vista theme pack. Not only do you get the sleek menu bar characteristic of Vista, but the theme also sets up a Mac-like dock where you can nest icons from your favorite applications. They even magnify when you roll over them!

With Universal Vista Inspirat's Ubericon feature you can get that magnifying touch for every item you double click. Another feature that separates Universal Vista Inspirat from other simple Vista Themes is Y’s Shadow. 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, but 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 strange purple color 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.

Download Universal Vista Inspirat BricoPack 2.1 in Softonic

If you'd like to switch to Mac but haven't made up your mind yet, you can have a sneak peek at the operating system with the LeopardXP BricoPack.

LeopardXP BricoPack is a visual theme for Windows XP that completely transforms your old Microsoft OS into the brand new Apple system in just a couple of clicks. Unlike other visual themes that need certain libraries and drivers, or require you to install third-party apps on your own, LeopardXP BricoPack includes everything you need and is incredibly easy to install: click on the Next button a few times, wait for a while, restart and that's it.

LeopardXP BricoPack is obviously not like the real thing but it does quite a good job in trying to make Windows XP look like the Leopard OS. Not only does it install new skins, wallpapers and icons, but it also adds new functionalities such as a Mac OS style dock bar, a Spotlight clone (which by the way doesn't seem to work properly), a top toolbar and a similar file explorer. All of these are included in LeopardXP BricoPack as extra tools and you can choose not to install them. Also, LeopardXP works fine even in systems with low resources.

On the downside, there are still a few areas in which LeopardXP BricoPack could be improved: for example, there are some Windows icons that the theme doesn't replace and don't really fit in, like the Windows logon and switch off screens.

LeopardXP BricoPack is an attractive visual theme that completely transforms Windows XP into Mac OS Leopard. It includes everything you need and is extremely easy to install and uninstall.

Download LeopardXP Bricopack 1.0 in Softonic

Once you have WindowBlinds installed, simply open the Mac OS X Theme file and you’ll be able to customize it to your liking. Mac OS X Theme features more than 20 styles to choose from, including the Aqua, Graphite and Platinum designs, with both left and right-handed button bars. You’ll be able to choose the desktop wallpaper and the system’s color scheme, as well as set the text font and transparency degree.

The Apple menu in Mac OS X Theme is unfortunately not an exact copy of the original but is pretty close. It's basically a stripped down Start Menu that has been made to look like the Apple menu in Mac OS X.

The look and feel in Mac OS X Theme is remarkably Apple, although Windows keeps creeping through, especially if we take into account two important flaws: the theme doesn’t include a dock-style taskbar, nor any Apple wallpaper.

Mac OS X Theme is a great visual theme for those who either can't afford a Mac or simply prefer the elegant Mac look and feel.

Download Mac OS X Theme 1.3 in Softonic

If you are one of the many that's been left unimpressed with Vista but like the look of it, Vista Buttons is for you. It helps you create Vista/XP/Win98 and Mac style rollover buttons and drop down menus with relative ease.

The developers claim the program features more than 500 buttons, 100 submenu designs, 50 ready-made samples. This is certainly more than enough to create a really cool looking website menu or desktop buttons although some of the designs are a bit dull.

The styles available include Vista, XP, Win98, Mac, Aqua buttons, round, glossy, metallic, 3D styles, tab and drop down menus.

You don't require any programming knowledge such as in HTML, JavaScript or CSS to create some really professional looking results. Vista Buttons generates all necessary images, html, javascript and css styles automatically.

There's also a theme editor but unfortunately, it's not accessible in the free version.

Download Vista Buttons 2.45 in Softonic

Having dozens of folders helps you categorize files in a better way, but it also makes it more difficult to find what you're exactly looking for, since they all look the same.

The best solution then is to give each folder a different color with iColorFolder. This simple tool also includes a few skins to change the folder's appearance, but I strongly recommend you to download the extra skin package available from the author's website.

After installing the program, folders will be automatically updated with the new skin selected by default, but you can change it afterwards and select a new color simply by right clicking on any folder you want to customize. And if you grow tired of so many colors there's also the possibility to go back to standard yellow folders.

iColorFolder is an easy, fun way to customize your icons and organize files in a more efficient way.

Download iColorFolder 1.4.2 in Softonic

IconShock Vusta Incons is a pack of 6 Vista style icons with different styles ideal for you to integrate in your web applications, software, catalogs, games, printing media and much more. Sizes range from from 16px to 256px.

The developer speciliases in sets of Vista, Mac, XP icons entirely compatible with web and development environments such as VisualStudio, Java, Swing, Delphi, Dreamweaver and more.

Download IconShock Free Vista Icons 1.0 in Softonic

FlyakiteOSX is a transformation pack. It will transform the look of an ordinary Windows XP+ system to resemble the look of Mac OS X. The installer simply automates the process of replacing critical system files, setting registry tweaks, and installing extras such as cursors, sounds, visual styles, etc.

In case you are not happy with the results of FlyakiteOSX, everything is completely removable. Just run the uninstaller from the Start Menu or from Add/Remove Programs. FlyakiteOSX does not contain any spyware or ad-ware of any kind. All files needed for FlyakiteOSX are stored in the Windows directory in a folder named 'FlyakiteOSX' that is hidden by default.

Download FlyakiteOSX 3.5 in Softonic