Section 22. Install a New Theme

22. Install a New Theme

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

7 Choose a Theme

11 Install a New Application to Your Device

SEE ALSO

21 Change the Wallpaper

Nothing has a more dramatic impact on the look and feel of your BlackBerry device than the theme. Every device ships with at least one default theme, and usually an extra theme you can use if you so desire . Themes determine the layout, color scheme, font size , and various other user interface components within the BlackBerry operating system. Even if you're happy with the default theme on your device, I encourage you to experiment with some other themes just to see how they work. You might be surprised that a different theme might actually make your device more usable.

1.	Download the Theme to Your Desktop PC After you've located a theme for your device, the first step is to download it to your PC so you can install it to your device. The website from which you are obtaining the theme should provide a link for downloading the theme. When prompted to open or save the downloaded theme file, click Save to save the file; you will then get an opportunity to open the file and execute it on your desktop PC after it finishes downloading. TIP Although a web search for BlackBerry 7100 themes is probably your best bet for finding new themes, you can download the standard Vodafone and T-Mobile themes in a single Zip file from the following URL: http://www.kalkounis.com/files/Themes.zip. You might also want to check a website such as BlackBerry Forums for additional themes. Just visit http://www.blackberryforums.com/ and search for "themes". 22. Install a New Theme
2.	Extract the Theme Files to Your Desktop PC Most themes are stored in compressed Zip files so they take up less space and can be downloaded more quickly. You'll need to unzip the theme by using Windows Explorer to extract the theme files from the Zip file to a new folder. The theme files should include a file that ends in .alx , which is the file used by the BlackBerry Desktop Manager to install the theme. There will also be at least one file with an extension of .cod , which is the theme itself. After these files are successfully extracted, you're ready to launch the BlackBerry Desktop Manager and install the theme. NOTE You can download and install several themes at once. In this case, there is still a single .alx file but there are multiple .cod filesone for each theme.
3.	Launch the Application Loader Wizard With your BlackBerry device plugged in to your desktop PC and turned on, click the Start button on the Windows taskbar of your desktop PC to open the Windows Start menu. Then select All Programs, BlackBerry, Desktop Manager . The BlackBerry Desktop Manager application appears. Double-click the Application Loader icon in the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. The Application Loader Wizard window appears.
4.	Select the New Theme for Installation Click the Next button to get started with the Application Loader Wizard. The wizard will take a few moments to analyze your device and then display the Handheld Application Selection window. This window includes all the applications installed on your device, including core operating system components. The new theme you are installing is not listed yet because you haven't added it to the list. TIP You must be careful when using the Application Loader Wizard because it allows you to make sweeping changes to the applications installed on your device, including critical core applications such as the phone and security features. Generally speaking, it's not a good idea to check or uncheck standard applications unless you fully understand the implications. Click the Add button to add the new theme to the list of available applications. Navigate to the folder on your desktop PC where you extracted the theme files. Click the file with the .alx extension, and then click the Open button. After returning to the Handheld Application Selection window, you now see the new theme at the bottom of the application list. If it isn't already checked, click the check box next to the theme name to select it for installation to your device. Click the Next button to continue in the wizard. The completion window of the Application Loader Wizard appears.
5.	Install the Theme to Your Device Click the Finish button to install the theme to your device, after which the BlackBerry Desktop Manager automatically synchronizes the device with your desktop PC. The new theme is now installed and ready for activation on your device.
6.	Activate the Theme on Your Device See 7 Choose a Theme to select the new theme and activate it.

NOTE

It's important to note that, when you change themes, any modifications you've made to the screen settingssuch as the font family and sizeare lost. Each theme defines its own specific font settings that override any customizations you might have made.