Farbhintergrund auf dem desktop seit upgrade von ms immer schwarz Änderungen werden bei erneutem Systemstart nicht dargestellt
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What is the DESKTHEMEPACK file format?
A .deskthemepack file is a CAB archive package of wallpapers and desktop personalization data for Microsoft Windows 8 and later. The format replaced the older .themepack used in Windows 7. A .deskthemepack archive can contain:
- Background images - usually JPEG files, including dual-screen panoramic wallpapers,
- A
.themesettings file, which stores resources for customizing the system desktop, for example: - Fonts,
- Sounds,
- Colors and accent settings,
- Other system settings.
.deskthemepack files carry the MSCF magic bytes at offset 0, confirming the underlying CAB container. Windows 10 and Windows 11 both support .deskthemepack natively, alongside the older .themepack format. Note that Windows 7 cannot open .deskthemepack files directly.
A custom theme can be applied by double-clicking the .deskthemepack file, because the embedded .theme file contains instructions for the system on how to apply the desktop personalization settings. The archive can also be extracted by renaming the file's suffix to .cab and unpacking it with any CAB-aware tool such as 7-Zip.
A .deskthemepack file can be created manually using the built-in Windows personalization tools. Apply your desired changes, then choose Save theme for sharing from Settings → Personalization → Themes. Windows will package everything into a .deskthemepack file and save it to the Desktop.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA theme pack only changes desktop appearance - wallpaper, color, sounds, cursors - and contains no programs, so legitimate .deskthemepack files are safe. Two practical notes: download themes from Microsoft or trusted sources (a malicious bundle could in principle include a hostile cursor/sound file, though this is rare), and remember the pack is Windows-only. If double-clicking does nothing, you're likely on an unsupported Windows edition or the file association is broken - extract the wallpapers via the .cab trick instead.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEWindows Desktop Theme Pack
DEVELOPERMicrosoftsince 2012 (Windows 8) - successor to the Windows 7 .themepack
CATEGORYSystem Files
MIME TYPEapplication/octet-stream
TYPEMicrosoft Cabinet (CAB) archive bundling a .theme settings file with wallpapers, colors, sounds and cursors (binary container)
MAGIC BYTES · FILE SIGNATURE
OFFSET
00010203
HEX
4D534346
ASCII
MSCF
A .deskthemepack is a CAB archive, so it begins with the 'MSCF' magic. Rename it to .cab (not .zip - modern packs are CAB, not ZIP) to extract its contents with a CAB-aware tool.
Programs that open DESKTHEMEPACK files
Windows3 apps
Windows (Personalization / Settings)
Built-in Double-click the .deskthemepack - Windows installs and applies the theme and opens Settings → Personalization → Themes. Works on Windows 8, 10, and 11.
7-Zip (to extract wallpapers)
Open-source Rename a COPY to .cab, then right-click → 7-Zip → Open archive to pull out the wallpaper/sound/cursor files without applying the theme.
Windows Explorer (to extract wallpapers)
Built-in Rename a copy to .cab and double-click; Explorer can browse a CAB and let you copy out the images. Technical details
deep spec| Container format | Microsoft Cabinet (CAB) binary archive |
| File signature (magic bytes) | `4D 53 43 46` ("MSCF") at byte offset 0 |
| Predecessor format | `.themepack` (Windows 7 era) |
| MIME type | `application/octet-stream` |
| Wallpaper image formats | Primarily JPEG (`.jpg`); PNG also supported |
| Embedded settings file | `.theme` - INI-style plain-text file describing all personalization references |
| Dual-monitor wallpaper support | Yes - panoramic/spanning images for multiple screens included |
| Activation method | Double-click installs the theme via Windows Personalization API |
| Export path in Windows | Settings → Personalization → Themes → "Save theme for sharing" |
| Extraction method | Rename to `.cab`; unpack with any CAB-aware tool such as 7-Zip |
| Supported Windows versions | Windows 8, 8.1, 10 and 11 (native support) |
| Windows 7 compatibility | Not supported natively; Windows 7 uses `.themepack` instead |
| Theme components bundled | Wallpapers, accent/color settings, sound schemes, cursor schemes, screen saver settings |
| Registry association | Registered at `HKCR\.deskthemepack` with `DesktopThemePackFile` ProgID |
| Audio assets | `.wav` files referenced via the `[Sounds]` section of the embedded `.theme` file |
| Background slideshow | Multiple wallpapers can be included for an automatic rotating desktop slideshow |
| Released | 2012 (Windows 8) - successor to the Windows 7 .themepack |
| Specification | learn.microsoft.com |
DESKTHEMEPACK conversions
Possible
.DESKTHEMEPACK .CABGUIDE
No conversion is needed - rename a copy of the file from .deskthemepack to .cab and open it with 7-Zip or…
How to convert
.DESKTHEMEPACK .THEMEGUIDE
Yes - rename a copy of the .deskthemepack to .cab, then extract the .theme file from the archive with 7-Zip…
How to convert
.DESKTHEMEPACK .JPGGUIDE
The wallpapers inside a .deskthemepack are already JPG or PNG files - rename a copy to .cab and pull them out…
How to convert
.DESKTHEMEPACK .THEMEPACKGUIDE
Renaming the file extension from .deskthemepack to .themepack is usually enough, but slideshow and…
How to convert
Community Q&A
asked by users
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Frequently asked questions
How do I open / install a .deskthemepack file?
Double-click it on Windows 8, 10, or 11. Windows applies the theme automatically and opens Settings → Personalization → Themes. There's nothing else to install.
How do I extract just the wallpapers from a .deskthemepack?
Make a copy and rename its extension to .cab, then open it with 7-Zip or Windows Explorer and copy out the image files. The pack is a Microsoft Cabinet archive.
Why won't my .deskthemepack open / Windows doesn't recognize it?
It's Windows-only and needs Windows 8 or newer; on older or non-Windows systems it won't apply. A broken file association can also cause this - rename a copy to .cab to get at the wallpapers regardless.
Can I use a .deskthemepack on a Mac or phone?
No - it's a Windows desktop theme. What you can do is extract the wallpaper images (rename a copy to .cab and open it) and set those as your background on any device.
What's the difference between .deskthemepack and .themepack?
.themepack is the Windows 7 format; .deskthemepack is the Windows 8+ version that adds slideshow and multi-monitor wallpaper support. Both are CAB archives; the newer one's extra features need Windows 8 or later.
Is a .deskthemepack file safe?
Yes, when it's a real theme pack from a trusted source - it only changes wallpaper, colors, sounds and cursors, with no executable code. Stick to Microsoft or reputable theme sites.
References
1Microsoft Learn - Theme file format (.theme/.themepack)learn.microsoft.com
2Microsoft Learn - Microsoft Cabinet (CAB) file formatlearn.microsoft.com
