Get the perfect look: How to modify your Windows XP window border.

Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with my old Windows XP computer lately. You know, just for fun. And I got this idea to make the window borders on my Windows 10 machine look like the ones on XP. You know, the classic blue ones.

First, I started poking around on the internet, trying to figure out how to do it. I found out that it’s not as simple as just changing a setting. It’s because of something called “compositing” being forced on in newer Windows versions, I guess. Not sure I totally get it, but whatever.

Then, I found some mentions of a program called Border Skin. People were saying it could change the look of window borders using some “png images” and “aero features”. I had no clue what those were, but I was willing to give it a shot.

• I looked for a place to download Border Skin. Eventually, I found a safe link.
• After downloading it, I saw that it was a “portable software,” which I think means it doesn’t need to be installed. Cool.
• I ran the program, and it had a bunch of options to change the borders. It was a little confusing at first.

I also came across something called the Zune theme. Apparently, it’s an official Microsoft thing that can make XP look a bit more modern. I didn’t really need it for what I was doing, but I downloaded it anyway, just to see.

Another thing I found was Classic Shell. Some people said it could bring back the old XP Start Menu and icons. I tried it out, and it did work, but it changed a bit too much for my liking. I just wanted the borders, not a complete overhaul.

Then, I stumbled upon the Object Desktop. Once in ObjectBar, I clicked on File, then Load, and finally Theme Browser. Scrolled down until I saw a theme entitled, Windows XP. On the dropdown menu, I selected, WindowsXP Blue, and hit, Load. I now have an XP TaskBar.

Tinkering with Settings

After messing around with the settings a little more and I could customize the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties. That helped me get the Start menu looking a little closer to XP, too.

It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn close to the look I was going for. My Windows 10 windows now have that nostalgic XP blue border. It was a fun little project, and I learned a few things along the way. Might try some other customization stuff later.