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If you want the cool new Windows 8 look but don’t want the extra hassle of installing the Consumer Preview, try out the following themes!

Windows 8 Skin For Windows XP, Vista or 7

There are currently two different skins on the market for making any of the older Windows installations look like Windows 8. Both of them have been around for a while now but their latest updates contain bug fixes and modifications that make them replicate the Windows 8 experience more faithfully.

Windows 8 UX Pack 4.0 is for Windows 7 only. Then there’s Windows 8 Transformation Pack 4.0 for Windows XP and beyond. Both of these apps will transform your desktop to look like Windows 8 without any of the heavy lifting that you will have to do to install and run Windows 8.

The two new versions have both attained 4.0 and the changes include using the Segoe UI font to better mimic Windows 8 and including all of the wallpapers found on the current Windows 8. The Start Button and the UI in general have been changed to align it better with what is on Windows 8.

These are essentially Windows Transformation packs, which means they will change the look of your Windows OS totally without changing any of the actual performance parts. So if your OS were a car, this would be the equivalent of a body kit that makes it look like something else altogether. The engine and internals are the same though.

These seem to be more stable and easier on the system, with an increase in overall safety. However, do exercise caution and use it at your own risk. If you have a secondary machine, use it on that machine first before using it on your system. The Windows 8 Transformation Pack seems to be a safer bet because it doesn’t seem to make any changes to any system file.