Whether by downloading themes and backgrounds, or using third party applications to change more obscure settings like the default logon screen, many people seem intent on personalizing every aspect of their operating system to something that fits their individual taste. And what better to alter than an icon that's always visible?

This week's tip: Customize Your Windows 7 Start Menu Button
http://www.techspot.com/guides/260-c...t-menu-button/

You know I just have to wonder You always see this stuff to make Windows look like MAC and Linux... what kind of delusional reason do people really have, to need to make Windows look like something its not... given in this case you can use it to do any thing, so You could just slap together your own Windows Logo or personal logo and that would be cool. after all your are making your desktop your own.

But it seems like I see a lot of people making there Windows systems "look like" Linux/Mac, and I really do not understand why you would want some body else logo hiding somebody else logo... It's like buying an Xbox360 and then slaping a Wii sticker over the any thing that says XBOX, or modding a PS2 game to have the Xbox logo show up when you load a game instead of the PS2.

I've seen people go as far as to use window blinds and mod the start and login screens to mimic a Linux environment to the point were it's like Really, why? if you LIKE it that much WHY not just use Linux then just run your hand full of little office programs in a VM or Wine. or you could run a Linux distro in a full screen VM inside windows either way it just seems like you should just be using a real linux system/environment.

(I am in no way ditching Modding infect I love marking things up with my own art work all the time, I just don't get the attempted re-branding weirdness.)

IMHO Quick Restore Maker is much more useful utility, which I've used for some time. Changing appearance of your OS is something which differs considerably depending on users' own taste.

I'm not sure I really need that. The default orb looks just fine, and in my opinion, this is just as ridiculous as changing start menu text in Windows XP.

lol @ the first preview "windows > ubuntu"
I think utilities like this are all over the place..I'm not a Win7 user but thanks for the tip TS.

Great tip, and I do agree the the Win7 orb is definitely much more visually pleasing than "Start". I also feel the rollover effect is subtle enough that it is not disruptive. I personally would not even think to put the Ubuntu logo in place of the orb (I like Ubuntu and all, but why would I want it in Windows?) I could see other logos going in place of the old MS flag though.

Many thanks for this tip TS, I created my own custom image set and now have my personal logo instead of the default orb.

As for clrabbit's questioning of why people mod an OS to look like another OS, I think it is very plausible that some people may like the look of one OS better than another but due to functionality they may be tied down to another OS.

Keep the tips coming in TechSpot

I use Stardock Objectdock and don't have to look at the taskbar and makes running programs ultra-easy.

yeah i already knew it!
my start menu button is of apple! :P
i have changed it twice!
feels gr8 to have a new look!

clrabbit...WOW
All I have is thanks for the tip! I usually use the tip Tech-Spot puts out like God Mode,that was a pretty good tip.

I'm in the same boat! Shortcuts are always win when you can apply them to an OS.

Just one word, as seems to be the general consensus, why?

Why not?

Pretty cool, thanks for the tip TS! I really like the look of Win 7 but it's always fun to do some customizing here and there. I checked the orb collection through the link to SevenForums and there are some really cool looking ones there. Just might have to give this a try.

I see nothing of value by changing the Window's orb. I like tweaking my OS, but this just doesn't do anything.

Always fun to do a little makeover on the desktop. Thanks!

Because some people like to have aesthetically pleasing things. Do you change your desktop wallpaper? It does not provide any performance boost, but it looks nice so people do it. Same principle can be applied to virtually any other product. Some people choose to paint their cars with racing stripes and others choose to have solid colors. Neither option really "does" anything, but that doesn't stop people from doing it.

Haha! Ubuntu... that's a good one!

The default orb is perfect! If you change it.. its just not windows any more

I have found over the years of "MODDING" my systems, I tend NOT to MOD the OS like I used to as I have found it tends to made the OS unstable. Now I'm not talking about themes and that like, but when you start changing Log On and Log Off screens or other internal OS things, it tends to make bad things happen... Just a word of warning...