CNET Editors' review
If you can't wait to swap your boring old hourglass for a new shiny, spinning blue circle (among countless other icon and front-end changes to your system), but don't want to bother with actually upgrading from Windows XP to the Vista operating system, here's your download. The Vista Transformation Pack won't get you the Aero-style interface unless you have the complementary skinning software WindowBlinds, but it will give you just about every other part of the Vista look that's applicable to the XP system.
The installation went fairly smoothly, although it seems that you will need to have at least a 64MB video card that supports DirectX 8 to run the Vista Transformation Pack, even if you don't want the Aero-style interface. Although the program creates a backup before installing. However, we found that we need to restore all of our Windows display settings (fonts, color schemes) after uninstallation.
Making changes to your original setup choices is a bit difficult. It seems that every little tweak requires restarting Windows. We also ran into a problem with Windows repeatedly restarting. We had to apply a manual force quit, which prompted a Windows diagnostic boot-up screen the next time we restarted.
Vista Transformation Pack has loads of little details that can make your XP computer look as if it's running Vista, without the hassle (or cost) of upgrading. The spinning blue circle totally kicks the XP hourglass' butt. However, a lack of official documentation and some instability issues both help push the program down to the high end of the three-star titles. A few improvements could easily bump it up to four stars.
Publisher's Description
From Windows X:
The Vista Transformation Pack is for Windows users who want to replicate the look and feel of Windows Vista on their Windows XP or Windows 2003 systems. After using this desktop enhancement to modify your Windows interface to look like Windows Vista Ultimate, no one will notice you're using the same old Windows XP (or 2003) operating system.
Version 8.0.1 includes the ability to save transforming information for later uses and unattended transformation and to detect the targeted machine and give suggested setup configuration; some transformation procedures refinements you should look at like preconfigure on first run; removed obsolete dialogs and MSN skin; and other improvements.
What's new in this version: Version 8.0.1 includes the ability to save transforming information for later uses and unattended transformation and to detect the targeted machine and give suggested setup configuration; some transformation procedures refinements you should look at like pre-configure on first run; removed obsolete dialogs and msn skin; and other improvements.
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All versions:
3.2 starsout of 321 votes
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Current version:
3.0 starsout of 111 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"WILL CRASH YOUR PC!!!"
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
Cons
Crashes your pc
Nearly impossible to remove -
"really cool"
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
Does an awesome job of transforming XP to immulate Vista
Cons
Needs further development and a trustworthy sidebar. I do not recommend the Thoosje side
Summary
nothing to say
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"Great idea, but still buggy"
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
Does a great job of turning XP into Vista
Cons
-Buggy, damages system, spyware
Summary
Might be good in a few versoins time. until then dont bother with it
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"Best Software Ever!!!"
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
this item is brilliant! it has NO virus's, and it loks exactly like vista. i asked my dad what version of windows i had, and he said vista, and didn't beleive me until i showed him the system page. even when i lock the computer, it says windows vista
Cons
this item is brilliant. there is nothing wrong!
Summary
view the pros.
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"installation of VTP corrupted registry"
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
Installed in on two systems never got it working properly
seems to slow down apps and system aswel after reboot
reboot takes two minutes more. So no real prosCons
When computer is finished starting all apps seem to be slower to. I tried to install VTP 9.01 on an other system that has intell duo core but 2 gb mem but this system even got more problems with VTP 9 after installing I got the blue screen of death.
Summary
I have a computer with Intel duo core 2 and 4gb of memory and a 512MB graphics card, When I installed VTP 9.01 it corrupted the registry. Windows start to boot very slow and it would take over 3 minutes to startup windows.
Of course I deinstalled 8.02 before and SP3 was installed.
Before I had VTP 8.02 and that was working fine. No problems with installing what's however and system boots under 1 minute.
When computer is finished starting all apps seem to be slower to. I tried to install VTP 9.01 on an other computer system that has intell duo core but 2 gb memory but this system even got more problems with VTP 9 after installing I got the blue screen of death.
I better get back to VTP 8.02 and wait till some serious debugging took place for VTP 9. -
"Pretty sweet, but sp3 killed it"
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
really vistafied everything really well. simple to use.
Cons
everytime i restarted, it started a little differently, didn't always work, uses seperate little programs to do alot of the transforming so they are always running. Downloading SP3 kinda killed it.
Summary
i liked it, but now i'm kind of disenchanted with it because of its tendency to make my computer freak out, so i'll probably uninstall it. But thankyou very much for spending all the time making it, definitely worth it.
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"This Is A No Good Scam"
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
None whatsoever.
Cons
-Slows computer
-deletes files
-leaves messy tracesSummary
After reading all of the reviews i've come to learn that this is not good for your computer. Why make your comoputer "look like" Vista and still be using XP. I would listen to all the reviews about the bad things it does to your computer if I were you.
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"Not so great."
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
It supposedly makes your computer look like vista, and from what I've seen that is very good.
Cons
There's viruses in it, and it will not install, even when I disabled ALL of my protection (firewall, antivirus, anti-spyware etc.)
Summary
Very promissing, but for me at least, it didn't work.
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"Its looking great in my pc."
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
a smooth edge of exploring environment, well its appreciated to fell like working with the real one.
Cons
as of now nothing.
Summary
of course the nice stylish presentation, I think no one could deny of the transformation not unless expecting the real one.
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"A good substitute"
Version: Vista Transformation Pack 8.0.1
Pros
It Looks Similar to Vista and allows you to ge the feel of vista without the problems
Cons
Needs to be totaly free
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