Microsoft Plus! 98 Desktop Themes

Microsoft Plus! 98 was an enhancement companion package released to complement the Windows 98 operating system, offering maintenance utilities, games, and an extensive suite of visual customization options. Central to this package was a diverse collection of desktop themes that completely transformed the user interface with coordinated wallpapers, mouse pointers, system sounds, animated screen savers, color schemes, and system icons.

Complete List of Desktop Themes in Microsoft Plus! 98

The package introduced dozens of themes spanning popular media, photography, seasonal events, and lifestyle categories:

  • Architecture: Centered on structural design and classical building aesthetics.
  • Cathy: Inspired by the syndicated comic strip created by Cathy Guisewite.
  • Cityscape: Featuring urban skylines, metropolitan sounds, and city architecture.
  • Corbis Unusual Positions: Utilizing creative, high-resolution photography from the Corbis archive.
  • Doonesbury: Based on Garry Trudeau’s political and cultural comic strip.
  • Fall 98: A seasonal autumn theme with falling leaves, warm colors, and nature motifs.
  • Fashion: Focused on high-fashion runway aesthetics and modern design.
  • FoxTrot: Featuring characters and artwork from Bill Amend’s family comic strip.
  • Garfield: Centered around Jim Davis’s famous cartoon cat, lasagna motifs, and comic-inspired sounds.
  • Geometry: A minimalist theme driven by abstract shapes and mathematical patterns.
  • Halloween 98: A seasonal holiday theme featuring pumpkins, spooky sounds, and eerie screen savers.
  • Jazzy: Inspired by jazz music culture, musical instruments, and club vibes.
  • Peanuts: Dedicated to Charles M. Schulz’s iconic comic strip, featuring Charlie Brown and Snoopy.
  • PhotoDisc: Visuals sourced from the commercial stock photography agency PhotoDisc.
  • Rock 'n' Roll: Built around electric guitars, concert visuals, and rock music effects.
  • Science Fiction: A futuristic aesthetic featuring alien environments and space technology sounds.
  • Space: Highlighting astronomical photography, planets, and cosmic elements.
  • Sports: A general athletic theme covering various popular sports.
  • Travel: Featuring globe-trotting iconography, luggage tags, and world transit themes.
  • World Traveler: Expanded travel imagery focusing on international landmarks and cultures.

Core Components Included in Each Theme

Every desktop theme within Microsoft Plus! 98 was a comprehensive audiovisual overhaul for the desktop environment. Activating a theme changed several components:

  • Wallpapers: High-resolution desktop backgrounds tailored to the theme's subject.
  • Screen Savers: Interactive 3D and 2D animations that triggered when the system was idle.
  • Sound Schemes: Unique .wav audio files assigned to Windows events, such as starting Windows, error alerts, emptying the Recycle Bin, and closing applications.
  • Mouse Pointers: Custom static and animated cursors (.cur and .ani files) replacing default arrows and busy hourglasses.
  • Desktop Icons: Replaced the default system icons for My Computer, Network Neighborhood, and the Recycle Bin (Full and Empty).
  • Color Palettes: Adjusted window borders, title bars, and menu highlight colors to match the theme's aesthetic.