Choose a skin that matches the menu style and keep a built-in skin as a recovery option. Skinning changes presentation; it does not make an unsupported Windows component available. Treat downloaded skin files as software resources, not just harmless screenshots.
What to do
- Export your settings and note the selected Start Menu Style. The linked skinning reference distinguishes classic-style .skin files from Windows 7-style .skin7 resources.
- Obtain the skin from its author and read the installation notes. Check the files, origin, and any included license before copying them into the program skin location.
- Place the resource in the appropriate Skins folder for your Open-Shell installation, using authorized elevation only when required. Do not overwrite a supplied skin with a different file of the same name.
- Select the skin in the settings interface and test normal, highlighted, disabled, and submenu text. Keep the prior built-in selection available for comparison.
Check the result
Look for clipped labels, unreadable text, unexpected transparency, and wrong submenu sizing at your actual display scale. A preview image is not a compatibility test.
Limits & precautions
The project-linked tutorial is legacy documentation. Use it to understand the resource format, but verify current Open-Shell paths and behavior on your system.
Questions & answers
Can I use a skin for a different menu style?
Check its format and supported layout before installing it.
Does an XML backup contain the skin itself?
Keep the skin file separately; settings can refer to assets outside the XML.
Sources & scope
Documentation checked October 30, 2026. These instructions are documentation-led, not a claim of hands-on testing on your Windows build.