[buchanan]

hi guys

i always set my windows theme to classic and select no sounds, always have. i also adjust for best performance rather than best appearance

now every time i restart it defaults to the blue xp theme with sounds.

it used to do this every once in a while and i just put it down to windows being less than perfect. but now it is every time i restart.

there are plenty of threads on this online but never can anyone help resolve the issue

can anyone help? i cannot stand the windows sounds

i'm using xp home by the way

thanks

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

Have you recently installed any programs or drivers that could have affected the registry?

[buchanan]

no, same programs as always

this has always happened, just now it happens every single restart

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

Hmm, I still think it's likely a registry issue.

Download and install Piriform CCleaner

Then select the Registry tab, and click Scan for Issues.

Then Fix them, it's unlikely it will be able to automatically fix it, more likely we'll have to work out what's doing this and delete/add/change it manually..

But it's best to eliminate this first.

EDIT:
Also, do you have the Theme Service installed?

[buchanan]

good call but already tried ccleaner 4d

what's theme service?

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

Go to
Start > Run > "msconfig"

Click the services tab, and look for one called "Theme(s)" (Not sure if theres an s or not) if it's there, disable it.

That should sort it.

[buchanan]

i've done that, now xp theme isn't showing up in themes which is good thanks

before that i just tried to delete the xp themes, it let me delete 1 theme but there was a folder there it wouldn't let me delete, even though deleting that file meant the xp theme wasn't showing up in themes it still reverted to xp on restart.

hopefully the msconfig fix you gave me will keep working i will post back if not.

is there any way to permanently delete the xp theme and permanently delete the xp sounds so that they will be gone forever and i never have to see/hear them again please?

thanks 4d, appreciate it

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

That's effectivley what deleting the Theme service should do, however you can download one of several programs that delete things otherwise impossible to delete (even the Recycle Bin shortcut)

But you shouldn't need to, unless M$ release some update that puts theme service back (I think .NET framework SP's may do this, however it's fairly easy to delete the file again) and I think that would still happen even if you force deleted them anyway.

[buchanan]

thanks buddy

what about the sounds, can i kill those off?

[4D(Fordy(Ford) Ollie]

You could download Unlocker

to allow you to delete them.

Just search the hard drive with windows on it for one of the sounds, because I've forgotten where tehy're stored

They should all be in the same place though, so you only have to search once.