Lost with Vista & Orcas

Hi,

I will first admit that I am more of a Win32 programmer when it comes to Windows.  But I decided it times I embrace this .NET thingy as it appears it isn't going to go away.   Ok I have VS2005 and I downloaded all of the stuff it told me to to program Vista Forms.  But when I went into create a new Forms, it still looks like XP.  Even when I installed this on Vista!  Ok figured I toasted something, decided to abandon VS2005 [C] and downloaded 'Codename Orcas' and even the simple 'Orcas' Express Editions.  They installed just fine.  Go into to either of them and create a Windows Form Application and guess what, they still look like XP.  Do I need to install the Vista SDK in them as well?  I am using C++ but this happens even in C#.

All I am trying to do is make a simple Vista Aero Basic Window and so far it still looks like XP Luna.  Any pointers in the right direction would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Jhan Jensen

Check the form properties for options relating to using Windows themes etc... for the EnableVisualStyles property - actually it's:

Application.EnableVisualStyles();

Unless of course, you are talking about WPF ... which you obviously are, now that I think about it.  You are creating the wrong kind of application, use WPF if you want all the fancy stuff.

StarBlue wrote:

I am using Windows XP ... the Windows still has a Windows XP "Luna" style or theme.

If you want Vista styles you need Vista. Pretty obvious.

Ok, I found my first problem in that I was in C++.  Once I went to C# I found the project but kept getting an error about project type not supported so I did this.

1) Open a cmd window at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE

2) Type "regsvr32.exe ProjectAggregator.dll".

And now I get the project and it creates.  I am new to this so I am sorry if I don't word things in the correct way.  I am using Windows XP SP2 and have a fairly decient video card.  I guess now is how do I turn on the Aero Interface?  I don't so much mean glass as that is for Vista only.  But like IE7 and WMP11 and several other newer apps have the layout like Aero but running in XP.  I have WPF working correctly, but the Windows still has a Windows XP "Luna" style or theme.

ZippyV wrote:



If you want Vista styles you need Vista. Pretty obvious.

Yes, I know that Aero Glass is Vista Only.  What I am getting at is how does Microsoft WMP11, IE7, and others  look "like" Vista Aero Basic in Windows XP?

StarBlue wrote:



ZippyV wrote:  If you want Vista styles you need Vista. Pretty obvious.

Yes, I know that Aero Glass is Vista Only.  What I am getting at is how does Microsoft WMP11, IE7, and others  look "like" Vista Aero Basic in Windows XP?

there are several ways you can do that....

one way -- create a form with no title bar or border and write code to manage it.

another way is to use a package like http://www.componentfactory.com/index.php

check that link out; it may be just what you want.

Thanks, I will try them.  Too bad we will probably have to wait until "Codename Hawaii" for those features to be put in to VS.