Holiday Lights for Windows

Used Holiday Lights for Windows?

Editors’ Review

Download.com staffNovember 8, 2008

Except for minor stability issues, this is the standard against which all holiday screensavers should be measured. Holiday Lights lets you string bulbs all around your screen, even on top of the program windows if you'd like. You can customize madly--bulbs for holidays year-round, MIDI songs, blinking patterns--and save your settings as a desktop theme. The screensaver options offer just as much choice. To change the sequence of bulbs, you just drag and drop from a list into border boxes. Clicking on the system-tray icon lets you close, uninstall, or open the preferences window. The quality of the MIDI music is even cheesier than the candy-colored spinning dreidel bulbs, and we noticed the bulbs occasionally disappearing from our screen. The animation also freezes for a second when a new song starts. Considering that Holiday Lights provides genuinely festive and extensively customizable fun throughout the year, it earns its keep.

Holiday Lights for Windows

Used Holiday Lights for Windows?

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Full Specifications

GENERAL

Release: November 13, 2003

Latest update: November 8, 2008

Version: 5.4

OPERATING SYSTEMS

Platform: Windows

Operating System

Windows 98
Windows 2000
Windows 95
Windows NT
Windows 10
Windows ME
Windows XP

Additional Requirements: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

POPULARITY

Total Downloads: 1,521,567

Downloads Last Week: 5

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Last Updated

User Reviews

4.1/5

71 User Votes

Had it years. Stable in Win 10. Excellent
nphuddDecember 31, 2016
Pros
Flexible. Cheap for what you get. Definitely "different"
Cons
A bit fiddly to set up, and a bit fiddly reinstalling the download bulbs. Music a bit "tin can" in sound - I rarely have music on
Summary
Not a screensaver for every day but good for special occasions
very disappointed
gatorfunJanuary 25, 2015
Pros
it works pretty good
Cons
disappointed it doesn't go on the screen top
Summary
***CAUTION-MALWARE ALERT****
ladysniperDecember 23, 2013
Pros
I used this years ago with no problems and loved it. DO NOT DOWNLOAD IT!! I should have read the reviews first.
Cons
These horrible people are targeting old customers. Malware called PassShow downloaded with this program. Pass by this one. Oh and it doesn't work with Win7 anyways.
Summary
DO NOT DOWNLOAD. Cnet should REMOVE THIS IMMEDIATELY!!!
CONTAINS MALWARE THAT IS HARD TO REMOVE!!!!!
mzmariehllDecember 19, 2013
Pros
ABSOLUTELY NONE!!
Cons
Program didn't load correctly. Offered other apps that I declined that were STILL put on my computer. CHANGES YOUR SETTINGS MAKING THEIR SETTINGS DEFAULT!!! EVEN AFTER USING AN UNINSTALLER, THERE ARE STILL COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM ON MY COMPUTER.
Summary
Proceed with caution! Filled my computer with malware!
mmontycorDecember 2, 2013
Pros
I love this program and use it every year.
Cons
I had to re-download the program this year (2013) and it filled my computer with malware.
Summary
Everything it claims to be!
AyaHazelovaNovember 12, 2013
Pros
Does everything it claims to do, and cheerfully! DOES work on Windows 7 Ultimate 64, but ONLY while using the Windows Classic Theme, so far. I am willing to bet this applies to other Win7 OSs as well, because I discovered this purely by accident. The system requirements clearly do not list this operating system, so try it at hardly any risk. Uninstalling this gem takes barely a few clicks if it doesn't work.
Cons
When the music changes, there is a slight delay in lights blinking, but this is not a heavy issue. I noticed that, while dragging desktop icons, the lights will freeze for that brief moment as well. They're barely cons, if not super tiny prices to pay for the preservation of a historical program. It would be great to see an update someday!
Summary
The system requirements clearly do not list this operating system, so try it at your own risk, but don't leave a negative review unjustly. If it doesn't advertise to work on your OS, you can't expect it to. This is a classic, old program and probably one of the few survivors of its time. It is still every bit as great as I remember it and, even if I need to use the Classic Theme, it is worth it. (It helps that I like classic theme already.)<br /><br /><span class='notifyMsg'> Updated </span>on Nov 12, 2013<p/>Update!! Holiday Lights works with -any- theme in Windows 7 Ult 64! I had noticed that, when changing to a Win7 aero theme, the lights disappear. If you disable Transparency in the Color Settings of the Display Settings, and then re-enable transparency, the lights will reappear and all will work as normal.
Works great in windows 8
cdejong2March 6, 2013
Pros
I have used this program for over 12 years. I just love it.
Cons
did not work in windows 7 but I upgraded just as soon as windows 8 was out and holiday lights works fine
Summary
Doesn't Work With My Windows 7
TC141November 17, 2012
Pros
Light Program, Nice Decorations, No Spyware
Cons
Stabiity Problem
Summary
I used vers 3.1 from 2002 to last year when I went from XP to W7. The older version wouldn't work at all, and I was delighted to see a newer version on CNET. However, the desktop decorations appear for a few seconds as the computer boots up, blink once, then disappear. Too bad.
I like very much
DiamondkittensNovember 29, 2011
Pros
I like the way it makes my desktop look very nice
Cons
You have to pay to use everything
Summary
I will be telling my family and friend about this. Merry Christmas everyone.
It works with Windows Vista!!!
djfrazierJuly 2, 2011
Pros
To my surprise, it works great with Vista! I took a chance on 07/02/2011 and downloaded it, opened it and the bulbs started flashing on my desktop! True independence day gift!
Cons
There are no cons!
Summary
I used to use it on my Windows 98 computer years ago and was waiting for an upgrade. After reading that there would be NO upgrade, I just took the chance. The worst that could happen is that it would not open, but itI DID! My computer is alive again. Try it. It may work for you as well. Heck, it may work with Windows 7. What do you have to lose?

Developer’s Description

By Tiger Technologies

Decorate your screen with holiday lights and sing along to the background music.