Your new PC came with Vista. Maybe your office deployed Vista. Or, perhaps, you got caught up in the early hype and bought Vista. Whatever the case, now you're stuck with it. Wish you could turn back the clock and restore your beloved Windows XP?
Turn Off Aero Glass
Start by right-clicking any empty area of the Desktop, and then clicking Personalize in the context menu. Next, click the Window Color and Appearance option. Clear the Enable Transparency check box and click OK. Presto: solid, XP-like windows and a zippier PC.
Roll Back the Theme
You can easily switch back to a more XP-esque theme. Head to the same Window Color and Appearance option as in the last step, and click the link marked Open classic appearance properties for more color options. In the 'Color scheme' box, choose Windows Standard, and then click OK. Wait a minute while Vista undergoes its XP transformation. When it's done, you'll see a familiar-looking Start menu, taskbar, and so on.
Careful observers will note that the above option implements more of a Windows 2000 look than a Windows XP style. For maximum XP-ness, call in outside help:
Stardock's WindowBlinds. This $20 utility lets you tweak just about every aspect of Windows' appearance or choose from hundreds of user-designed themes--including the aptly named Windows XP Style, a veritable doppelganger of XP's classic Luna theme complete with a big green Start button.
Restore the Start Menu
Open the Control Panel, and type start menu in the search box. Click Change Start menu to Classic view, and then choose the Classic Start menu option. Click Apply, and say hello to the menu layout you know and love. Like the Windows Standard theme, the Classic Start menu will seem more Windows 2000 than Windows XP
Bring Back the Hourglass
Not of fan of the cycling blue circle that appears when Vista is busy? Here's how to restore XP's familiar hourglass pointer: Right-click any empty area of the Desktop, choose Personalize, and then click Mouse Pointers. In the Scheme drop-down menu, select Windows Standard (large or extra large, your choice). Click OK
Turn Off User Account Control
Most Vista users already know that User Account Control, or UAC, is the scourge of the earth.
Open Vista's Control Panel, and type UAC in the search box. Click the Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off link. On the next screen, clear the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box, and then click OK. Rebooting seals the deal, sending User Account Control back to hell where it belongs.
Linear Mode
