Boring with Windows standard icons, blue welcome screen and lackluster choice of display themes?. Seeing the same old blue screen each time you login to Windows XP 
This fantastic program comes built with a visual editor to make it easy to create your own logons which can then be uploaded to websites to be used by others - a great creative outlet and marketing tool for freelance graphic designers!.It includes an option to restore your default screens.
Once downloaded, double-click the setup file and install the application to an appropriate location. To create and change the default logon picture using logon studio:
- Click "Create".
- In the resulting window, enter an appropriate name for the picture and click the "Browse" button to locate it.
- Once done, click "Save".
- Now in the main window, simply select the picture and click "Apply".
NOTE: You can also click the "Download" button to download additional logon backgrounds from the LogonStudio website
SysReq:
- Windows XP/Vista
- Minimum screen resolution: 1024 width and 768 height
- 10MB free drive space
- 512MB RAM
Hawkscope is a productivity tool that allows you to access your hard drive contents quickly via system tray icon with dynamic pop-up menu. It allows you to configure your favorite locations for quick opening. Or you can just browse through your hard drive and find what you're looking for.
SysReq: 95, 98, Me, Server 2008, NT, 2000, XP, Windows 2003, Vista, Windows 7,|Java Runtime Environment 5 | 
The most interesting and useful feature of Windows 7 is the new "Superbar". Superbar is a redesigned form of the old Taskbar. It shows only icons of running programs (Iconized Taskbar buttons), it allows to re-arrange taskbar buttons, its height is a bit larger than the old Taskbar.This provides more space for other programs and opened windows to fit in.
ViGlance is a small and portable app which lets you use Windows 7 like Superbar in Windows XP.It will replace the normal taskbar of windows xp with this windows 7 like taskbar which is more beautiful and manageable for different windows and applications opened. It provide more space and good look feel as compared to the boring looks of windows xp taskbar
Features
ViStart another utility from Lee-Soft is a very small, but perfect Start Menu replacement for your Microsoft Windows XP system. ViStart will now index all personal files and program files and give ACTUAL instant results that is 4 times faster then the real Vista start menu.ViStart is lightweight, skinnable and freeware
Noto Personal Organizer is a mini application that you can move around your computer desktop. It is very easy to use because it works exactly like a real personal organizer, with page turning and separate side tabbed sections, such as: day to view, week to view, month to view, projects section, info section and address book
It is very easy to use because it works exactly like a real personal organizer, with page turning and separate side tabbed sections, such as: day to view, week to view, month to view, projects section, info section and address book. It also has added benefits such as a selection bars and icons that can be dragged and dropped within Noto to highlight certain events. Alarms can be set so you dont miss important appointments.
There are also embedded gadgets, including a calculator, mp3 player and a memory game. Noto is customizable with a pre loaded selection of cover designs, icons, gadget designs, and maps. You can add more to your selection by connecting online from within Noto to drag and drop more content from our download section.
SysReq:WinXP, Windows2000,2003, Vista |Trail Ver | 16.97MB
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Desktop getting cluttered?Tired of digging into crowded Start Menu? Loosing valuable time finding programs or documents? Organize your stuff the way you want?
JetStart is a unique tool, that enables you to manage your Windows Start Menu more efficiently, and launch your favorite or recently accessed applications with just a few clicks. The program offers multiple ways to access your program: You can sort them into 5 generic categories, select them from a list of recently used or newly added programs or search fro them by keyword
Toolbar
JetStart Toolbar allows you to quckly access your favorite Windows applications.
• Launch multiple programs at once
• Activated by hot-key or from the tray icon
• Drag files from Toolbar to Desktop, etc
• Convenient keyboard interface
• Docking to the screen edges
• Freely resizeable with mouse
Just type it!
Just type a few letters and JetStart will show matching applications as you type. Once you've found a desired program, you can immediately launch, drag to desktop or unistall it.
No more digging into crowded Start Menu! And best of all, it's completely Free!
SysReq:Windows XP, 2000, 98, NT|Freeware|0.9MB
You may like the features of Vista, but don't want to upgrade Windows XP, this application makes it easy to emulate most aspects of Microsoft's Vista. It doesn't replicate the Aero theme, but what it does do is take existing XP emulations of parts of Vista and combine them under one installer.you can easily modify Windows's appearance and make your work more comfortable and pleasant.
Transform XP to Vista does not modify system files; therefore, it is safe for Windows and easy in installation/removal.
The package includes:
Yahoo widgets - a lot of small and beautiful assistants. Anything you could only imagine on your desktop - from PC temperature to mini games.
Vista Theme - a special theme developed by Microsoft which transforms Windows XP into Windows Vista.
Vista Start Menu - modifies not only menu's skin but also its functionality. Learn how a convenient menu looks like
SysReq:Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 Server | Freeware | 11 MB
Another application to Transform your XP to Vista is Vista Inspirat BricoPack
Like most application launches, Circle Dock comes with a list of icons for frequently used programs, like the Control Panel, your default browser, and the recycling bin. You can add shortcuts by dragging them from your desktop or quick launch bar and customize to your heart's content.
Circle Dock has a ton of visual customization options as well. You can either display your icons in concentric circles, or as a spiral. You can add a rotating animation effect to the spiral to make yourself dizzy. There are a more than 30 skins to choose from.
This attractive freebie turns the usual ribbon-like dock inside out. Its default shape is a set of concentric circles, but it can also take the form of a spiral. You can further personalize the look with included skins and your own icons. The settings window offers useful tweaks as well, such as conditions for hiding the dock and a Portability Mode that lets you tote Circle Dock on a USB drive
What Circle Dock Allows You to Do:
- Drag and drop your files, folders, and shortcuts onto a circular or spiral dock.
- Rotate the dock with either your mouse wheel or the keyboard arrow keys.
- Change the image shown for the icons and change the skins (compatible with icons and skins for Rocket Dock, Object Dock, etc.)
- Ability to run the program from a portable USB memory stick and have the links in the dock point to the documents on the USB memory stick.
- Ability to synchronize the links on the dock with the files, folders, and shortcuts on your desktop or other folders in real-time.
- The dock appears where your mouse is by pressing a hotkey.
- Works on computers with multiple monitors
CircleDock
7.81MB Freeware
Sys Req:
Would you like to mark your favorite folders with green color, your work or school folders with blue, and your personal documents and photos folders with red ? No problem. With Rainbow Folders you can colorize as many folders as you want using any color of your choice.
Rainbow Folders is a unique application that allows you to change color of any icon representing any folder.Such colorized folders are visible in every Explorer window, every open/save dialog and in every folder selection tree as seen in many programs. In addition you can manage your favorite colors and colorize folders using Explorer context menu item. You can also add a custom hint or secure a folder from deleting it by mistake.
Sys Req:Windows 98, 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista| size: 783 kB|Version: 2.05 |Freeware
Download
Do you have hundreds of programs in your Start menu. Do you waste time looking for the program you need. Try Vista Start Menu to instantly find what you need among the large amounts of information.Vista Start Menu is the convenient alternative to the plain Start menu you find in Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Features
- Everything stays in place
Vista Start Menu keeps the positions of programs the same and leaves empty space in the menu when you un-install a program. But not to worry a new program will occupy this space in time.
- Flexible zoom
If your vision is poor, or if you set a very large or very small screen resolution, and you want to continue working with comfort, you can simply zoom the screen in or out. Zooming can be adjusted independently of the system settings with the help of the Ctrl+"+" and Ctrl+"-" keys on the keyboard, or on the screen.
- Resizeable menu
You can resize Vista Start Menu just like any other window, so all programs are visible on the screen at the same time and can be easily accessed.
- Power buttons
You can even quickly shut down or restart the computer using the keyboard, by using shortcut keys. EVERYTHING is much easier. Press the Windows key on the keyboard to open the menu and then press the key corresponding to the desired operation. For example, press F3 to switch the user or F8 to shut down the computer. Power buttons are also available in the menu and you can easily access them with the mouse.
- Highlighting new programs
All programs installed last week will be highlighted in a different color in the menu. This will help you quickly find new documents or programs and since they will never change their positions, you will always know where you can find them the next time that you need them.
- Comfortable scrolling
The convenient scrolling feature is especially for you. Just move the mouse pointer over the panel and the program will start smoothly scrolling the list.Comfortable keyboard support,Internet search,Command line support,System integration are some other features
Sys Req:Windows NT,2000,2003,XP,Vista| Freeware | Ver:2.8 | 1.6 MB
Dexpot will allow you to set up and customize virtual desktops within Windows such that each can behave as a seperate workspace with its own icons and runnning apps. It offers powerful tools to customize and manage these virtual desktops in a nice intuitive graphical user interface.
Every virtual Desktop is independent from the others and can have individual wallpaper, resolution, and icons. Desktops can be switched via hotkey, trayicon, the special Desktop Manager or an automatic slideshow.
Dexpot allows you to move and copy windows among the desktops at any time with an easy to use unified interface, that also offers control over numerous extended features like password protection, transparency, window rules, and profiles.
@ It creates up to 20 virtual desktops; you can navigate these through the system tray icon or using a number of cool looking gizmos that you can choose from.
@ Dextop offers high customizability: each desktop can have its own name, icons/files/shortcuts, wallpaper, screen resolutions, running apps, transparency of windows, etc. You can also set rules for each desktop, e.g. to open a certain app when you enter a certain desktop for the first time or every single time, etc.
@ These desktops are overlaid ‘virtually’ on top of your ‘real’ desktop. So, for example, although you only see the icons that belong to desktop#2 when you’re inside it, all of these are actually in your standard windows desktop folder.
Sys Req:Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista|Freeware |1.76 MB |Homepage
SpaceTime is a free application that replaces your browser tabs with a series of stacked and rotatable 3D panes. SpaceTime also has some special built-in features which optimize the effectiveness of common web tasks, such as Google, eBay and YouTube searches. For example, with a Google search the web pages found by the first few search hits will be fetched, stacked in 3D, and ready for you to quickly scan.
SysReq:Windows 2000, XP ,Vista,512MB RAM,Pentium 4 2.4GHz or AMD 2400xp+,Screen Resolution:1280 x 1024,Color:32-Bit True Color
Network Speed:768 Kbits/sec, Size 9.44MB
Visual Task Tips is a lightweight shell enhancement utility. It provides thumbnail preview image for each task in the Windows Taskbar, as seen in the Microsoft Windows Vista.
Visual Task Tips is a simple utility and its only 102kb in size.Another utitlity -VisualTooltip- I had mentioned in this blog earlier, also a freeware which can create thumbnail previews in taskbar Windows XP .
Visual Task Tips Installer, 102.0Kb Zipped Installer, 81.3Kb
Pageflakes is an Ajax-based start page similar to Netvibes, My Yahoo!, iGoogle, and Microsoft Live. The site is organized into tabs, each tab containing user-selected modules called Flakes. Each Flake varies in content; information such as RSS/Atom feeds, Calendar, Notes, Web search, weather forecast, del.icio.us bookmarks, Flickr photos, social networking tools like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, email and user-created modules. Pageflakes has 250,000 Flakes and over 130,000 Pagecasts (publicly shared pages created by users with individual URLs).
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Pageflakes is all about the widgets, which it calls "flakes." And though there aren't as many different ones as there are actual snowflakes, there are already nearly 240,000 of them! Flakes let you add just about any Web content you can think of—video, picture, news feeds, e-mail, maps, online storage—or you can create your own custom flakes. Once you've chosen (via the slick interface) which flakes to add to your start page, a fluid, breathtakingly intuitive AJAX interface lets you customize to your heart's content. If you like the idea of a personal portal, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. If you've never tried building one, it's time
When you do create an account, you're asked for the usual name and password, but you also optionally get to add your gender, interests, and DOB. Do you smell social networking? Well, there is a bit of that: Next you're asked whether you want to create a Pagecast—or a shareable page. You can either share with selected contacts or the entire public, and doing that gives your Pageflakes start page its own URL, in the form www.pageflakes.com/username. Enter a title, description, and tags, and then you'll be able to invite people to view your creation; they can even modify your Pagecast if you choose to allow that. When you make a page public, too, your personal profile page is searchable on Pageflakes' home—more social-networking goodness
A freeware enhancement add-on for Windows lets you mark out folders with color-coded icons to make a search for important information a "one-glance" affair.
Folder icons can be customized using the standard Windows method but with Folder Marker Free you can do this on the fly from the right-click menu of a folder. So there is no need to go through additional dialogs or run Folder Marker Free itself! Simply select the folder you want to mark out, right-click on its icon and select a color-coded icon from the drop-down menu. The icon will be assigned to the folder at once.
With the same simplicity, you can mark out several folders. Simply select a group of folders with the mouse and assign a new icon from the right-click menu. Another great option is an ability to add up to ten icons of your choice to Folder Marker and use them in marking along with the default icons. The program can assign icons to a folder from a wide array file formats, including ICO, ICL, EXE, DLL, CPL or BMP.
- Folder Marker can change a folder icon with one mouse click
- Folder Marker can mark folders by priority (high, normal, low), by degree of work completeness (done, half-done, planned) and by the form of the information contained in a folder (work files, important files, temp files, private files).
- Folder Marker can change a folder's color
- Folder Marker changes folder icons from a popup menu of the folders. To mark a folder, you don't even need to run the program!
- Folder Marker's menu can contain convenient category submenus.
- Folder Marker contains a User's Icons tab. Add up to 10 of your favorite icons and mark folders with them. It's easy!
- Folder Marker can work with several folders at once
- Folder Marker can assign an icon to a folder from: ICO, ICL, EXE, DLL, CPL or BMP file
- Folder Marker supports 32-bits icons and
- Folder Marker can change the icons of ALL folders in your system. This is the favorite feature of customization lovers. Get rid of monotony! Make your folders your own!
