[Tarun]

Looks great awergh!

Do you have an official logo for your project yet?

[awergh]

not really, since im not particularly great with graphics i havent really thought about it

[awergh]

i appear to have forgoten this forum again as i usually do but here is the new version hopefully shell update support will return next version when i try something

Release: NT4 Visual Update 3 Beta 1

[New Features in NT4VU3 Beta 1]
32Bit Icons!!!!! (Thanks to alexanrs the creator of Daedalus)
Transparent desktop icon label program install option

[Updated in NT4VU3 Beta 1]
Almost everything

[Issues Fixed in NT4VU3 Beta 1]
-Sysdm.cpl is now patched
-Newer logon screensaver is now an install option
-REGEDIT.EXE is now patched
-256 Colour Systray fix is no longer needed

[Issues in NT4VU3 Beta 1]
-Sysdm.cpl does not look right if IE6 is not installed and sometimes just goes weird.
-COMCTL32.DLL Toolbar BMP does not look right if IE6 is not instaled.
-Shell Update is not supported in this release.

[System Requirements Update]
Video card capable of 32bit Colour may be required for some icons and definately required
to see NT4VU3 Beta 1 in all its glory.

Screenshot


Download - 4.30 MB

[Eldmannen]

Good job. NT4 never looked that good.

But it was released in 1996, over a decade ago.
I wonder how many people are still using it.
Perhaps, its time to let it go?
Maybe make a visual update for Windows 2000 (NT5) ?

[Tarun]

I wish I had a copy of NT4 and Windows 2000. It would help me when I test in VMs (and I tend to test these GUI enhancements and other things too).

[awergh]

hmm true nt4 is old and i dont use it that much but i still enjoy playing with it and i think its more interesting to make a visual update for nt4 then 2k cause there is allready lots of visual updates for 2k i expect where as nt4 there isnt much. and i think nt4 is more challenging cause it has more old looking stuff like stuff from 3.1

you might have a working key for nt4 cause the setup excepts 95 keys though i can guess the cd key easily enough

[Eldmannen]

Haha, Windows 95 keys.
I used to know those 25 characters keys in my head from all those re-installs.

[damian666]

myself know the setup key from XP
thats what you get from installing 3 times a day

damian666

nice job Awergh

[Tarun]

awergh, the links in your first post for screenshots do not exist.

[awergh]

oops i havent updated the first post, all fixed.
interesting that you cant change the title of the post or anything unlike msfn where you can

[damian666]

yeah, i tried that too man
a very peculiar decision tarun

damian666

[Tarun]

Fixed.

[awergh]

cool, now im much more likely to remember to edit the first post

[Eldmannen]

Microsoft® owns the copyright for those icons from Windows Vista™ which I believe are used in your "visual update" project.

Microsoft's draconian EULA license pretty much forbids anyone to do anything.
Windows is proprietary software, not free software. It does not permit redistribution.

To install Vista you must agree to the draconian EULA. You may only use it on one single computer, and you must sacrifice your first born son. You may not post benchmark of it without complying with their rules, you may not use it in a virtual machine, you may not reverse-engineer it to check if its doing something malicious, you may not work around any technical limitations.

Clause §3.c "Icons, images and sounds. While the software is running, you may use but not share its icons, images, sounds, and media."

Clause §8 "You may not work around any technical limitations in the software".
Patching files to replace icons or add support for 32-bit icons also violates the license, even if only for private/personal use.

You cant just install it, take the icons, and put them on teh internets. Anyone who dares to defy the license are infringing on Microsoft's copyright and will be "PUNISHED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW" (in caps lock).

It would be useless to argue that you had no bad intentions since its a well-known fact that lawyers are soulless.

[damian666]

well, i been doing it for 2 years now, and i have not seen any lawyer so...

we are to small time for those guys to bother with us man

and your first born son? lol, MS is the antichrist

Damian666

[Eldmannen]

Not only can they find you, but others can report you to on the Microsoft Piracy Hotline.

Yes, the draconian EULA defines that they want your first born son. It imposes heavy restrictions on the use of the software. I don't understand why anyone would buy a Windows license when its so restrictive.
You cannot even post benchmarks without complying with their rules (paragraph §9). I am not gonna pay for something that takes away my freedom of speech.

With the tango! icons (which is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5) you are free to modify and redistribute the icons. Tango is used by the GNOME desktop environment.
http://en.wikipedia....Desktop_Project

With the Oxygen icons (licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5) you are free to redistribute the icons. Oxygen is used in the KDE desktop environment.

I use Ubuntu (a Linux distribution). With Linux you are free to copy it, edit it, change it, modify it, release it, distribute it, send it, give it, sell it, etc.
You don't have to give up your first born son, and don't have to put up with stuff like product keys, product activation, WGA, DRM, phoning home, etc.
If your friend ask you for it, you can give it to him without breaking the law.
If your friend ask you for Windows, then you either have the choice of being a bad friend and not giving him it, or breaking the law.

Buy it, use it, break it, fix it,
Trash it, change it, melt - upgrade it,
Charge it, pawn it, zoom it, press it,
Snap it, work it, quick - erase it,
Write it, cut it, paste it, save it,
Load it, check it, quick - rewrite it,
Plug it, play it, burn it, rip it,
Drag and drop it, zip - unzip it,
Lock it, fill it, curl it, find it,
View it, coat it, jam - unlock it,
Surf it, scroll it, pose it, click it,
Cross it, crack it, twitch - update it,
Name it, rate it, tune it, print it,
Scan it, send it, fax - rename it,
Touch it, bring it, obey it, watch it,
Turn it, leave it, stop - format it.

[damian666]

hmm, what to do? i think i take my chances with the MS lawyers, rather that then going to linux

sorry man, i know your right on most of the stuff, but i am a real windows guy myself so...

Damian666

[Eldmannen]

Wasn't really suggesting to make the switch, I was more raising some interesting points and planting some thoughts in your head.

But now that you mention it...
I've used DOS, Windows 3.11, 95, NT, 98, ME, 2000, XP, etc. I've used Windows for over a decade, for like 15 years maybe.
Windows was what I used, but recently (some months ago) I made the switch to Ubuntu.
Ubuntu is a pretty easy to use operating system I think.
You can also run Windows applications inside using Wine, or running Windows inside Linux using a virtual machine, or have a dual-boot configuration where both Windows and Linux are installed and you pick which one to boot.

You can actually install Ubuntu from inside Windows, without messing with partitions or anything. If you don't want it anymore, you can delete it using Add/Remove software. You can also run Ubuntu straight from the LiveCD without installation.
You can get a CD for free at https://shipit.ubuntu.com/ if you don't want to download it.

[damian666]

well, you keep planting man wont do you any good though...
i am really only intoo windows, oh i tried ubuntu, and redhat, and suse...
but its not my cup of tea really

i hate the way it looks, the way it "feels" and the rest too

but he, opinions can differ right

Damian666

[Eldmannen]

Then you might want to try it again later, it keeps evolving and is just getting better and better.

There are several different window managers and desktop environments.
From minimalistic window managers like ratpoison, wmii, stumpwm to light-weight weight window managers like Fluxbox and light-weight desktop environments like Xfce, to more full-blown ones like GNOME and KDE. There are enough choice to please just about anyone.

You can use themes to customize the look and feel. There are themes that make it look like Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X, etc.

One of the great things about Linux is the choice. Everything is replaceable, so you can pick whatever you want and have it look and feel just the way you like it.

Example:
* http://gnome-look.or...re1/73782-1.jpg
* http://kde-look.org/...re1/79891-1.jpg
* http://images.howtoforge.com/images/mac4li...l_m60b0f288.jpg
* http://images.howtoforge.com/images/mac4li...ml_6890eb3f.jpg
* http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/images/shot...jes_fluxbox.jpg
* http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...-screenshot.png
* http://upload.wikime.../5/54/KDE_4.png
* http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...71/Xfce-4.4.png