Tired of Windows XP’s three default colour schemes? Me too. Thankfully the folks behind Microsoft’s Zune mp3 player have a little something to give your Windows XP desktop a slicker Vista-ish style.

The Zune theme, which was previously called “Royale Noir”, has been out for a while – but unless you’re on a serious hunt for XP customizations, or have a Zune player, you’re not likely to stumble across it. However, if you’ve upgraded your Windows Media Player to version 10 or 11, you might be familiar with the look.

It features a rather dark, very Web 2.0-ish feel, with bright orange highlights and START button. And, unlike skinning software (such as WindowBlinds), it’s extremely light on system resources.

Installing this mod couldn’t be easier. Simply click here to download the theme’s install file – once downloaded, double-click it to install. The theme should activate automatically, but if not, or should you like to tweak it a bit, all the settings are available in XP’s Display Properties – under the Themes and Appearance tabs.

Grab a couple cool new wallpapers, sit back and enjoy the new look of your desktop.

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