There are countless ways to customize the look of Windows – the operating system itself has some scope for personalization even if only through changing colors and desktop background. If you would like to take things to the next level, you’re going to need some third party tools. The sheer number of ways in which Windows can be customize means that you could end up installing a large number of apps and spending a huge amount of time tweaking and tailoring different aspects of your system to your liking. If time is precious, you may want to try out a skin pack – and what better place to start than with a Christmas skin to give your computer a seasonal look. Enter Christmas Skin Pack 1.0 (32-bit).

This is the 32-bit version of the skin pack, but there is also a 64-bit version – be sure to install the correct version. The Skin Pack includes all of the tools that are needed to install new icons and cursors, change the boot screen, add a new look Start menu and much, much more. This isn’t likely to be a theme to keep installed all year round, but throughout December and January, it is a great bit of fun. The automated installation process makes customizing your desktop a whole lot easier than having to track down the individual tools needed to tweak different parts of your system to your liking.

If you’d prefer to get the look of Windows 8 rather than a festive makeover, look no further than Windows 8 Skin Pack 9.0 (32-bit). Again, this is the 32-bit version of the skin pack and a 64-bit version is also available, but there is also a version that has been designed specifically for Windows XP users. Again, take care to download and install the correct edition for the version of Windows you are using.  As with the Christas Skin Pack, it is possible to customize every aspect of your computer, but this time the focus is on mimicking the look of Windows 8 and getting the Metro interface in your current version of Windows.

You may feel like creating your own skin packs; after all they represent a very quick and easy way to apply a huge number of settings to a system. If this is the case, look no further than Skin Pack Installer System 3.0 (32-bit) – as with the other tools mentioned in this article, there is also a 64-bit version and a version for Windows XP. The tool features a wonderfully simple interface that makes it easy for you to choose the icons, images and other resources you would like to include in your own skin pack, before creating the necessary installer. A great present to give to friends and family!

You can find out more about each of these tools by paying a visit to the Christmas Skin Pack 1.0 (32-bit), Windows 8 Skin Pack 9.0 (32-bit) and Skin Pack Installer System 3.0 (32-bit) review pages.