One of the things people like most about Windows is the ability to customize their PC down to the smallest detail. With Rainmeter, you can customize your PC like never before. Here's everything you need to get started.
What is Rainmeter?
Contrary to its name, Rainmeter is not a gadget that tells you the amount of rain outside – a mistake many people make when they first hear the name.
Instead, this is a desktop customization tool that allows you to display custom interfaces on your desktop. These themes include all kinds of different widgets, including clocks, calendars, small utilities, shortcuts, etc. to give your desktop the look you want. You can even create custom Windows desktop icons using Rainmeter.
Rainmeter doesn't just add effects to the screen. A lot of Rainmeter widgets are really useful and can show you data like system temperature, resource usage, music playing, etc.
Its capabilities go beyond monitoring. You'll quickly find many Rainmeter themes that feature functional tools like notebooks, to-do lists, custom shortcuts to launch apps, etc.
Rainmeter is also an open source program distributed freely under the GNU GPL v2 license. That means the program is completely free, and so are the thousands of pre-made themes you'll find on the Internet.
It is compatible with Windows 7 and above and is extremely lightweight, so you can change the look of your desktop even if you are using Windows 10.
Unless you stack widgets on top of each other on your desktop, you should have no problem running Rainmeter on almost any Windows computer. It doesn't affect performance much.
Download and initial setup
One of the best things about Rainmeter is that it is incredibly easy to set up and use. Initial setup only requires you to download the latest version from Rainmeter's official website and run the installer. Then you are ready.
If you launch Rainmeter for the first time, you will be greeted with the default Rainmeter interface with a few widgets and a welcome note. From this point on, you can ditch the basic interface and start looking for something that suits your preferences.
If you're worried that Rainmeter will affect your gaming performance, there are plenty of ways to prevent it. Additionally, common Rainmeter problems are quite easy to diagnose and fix, chances are you won't encounter them the first time you use it.
Search for Rainmeter skins
There are thousands of Rainmeter skins scattered across the web, with many sites offering them for free. DeviantArt is the most used, but you can also look at RainmeterHub or VisualSkins if you need more options.
Finding the right Rainmeter skin is simply a matter of scrolling long enough. Whether you want something minimalist or want to turn your desktop into a sci-fi inspired machine, it's all there for you.
Since most, if not all, Rainmeter skins can also be customized by editing the core files below, it is best to start with one skin as a base and then add more widgets or skins on top. above to suit your needs and aesthetics. Most Rainmeter skins are uploaded as .rmskin packages that you can install as a program and upload immediately.
If you want something minimalist, Quantrimang.com has a list of the best Rainmeter skins for minimalist desktops. On the other hand, if you want something sci-fi that can completely transform your desktop into a futuristic gaming console, you can try this Rainmeter SHIELD theme. If you prefer a clean desktop without icons, here is a Rainmeter layout that can help you get started.
From experience with the Rainmeter community, chances are you won't find something you like right away. Instead, you might like one element from one theme and a few other elements from another theme.
The beauty of Rainmeter is that it allows you to combine elements you like from different themes. You can even add your own wallpaper to create a truly unique desktop.
For this reason, you will find more widgets, effects, and small tools than full skins. You can then use these tools individually or with other components. In the Rainmeter theme screenshot above, the example uses the clock from one skin, while the audio visualizer comes from another skin.
Customize the interface according to your preferences/requirements
Most Rainmeter skins will give you some customization options right out of install. Almost every skin comes with an .ini file for each element that contains that element's settings. This file is often called settings.ini or named after the specific skin you are using.
For example, if you are setting up a Rainmeter clock skin, this installation file will contain options for the clock type, the font in use, whether you want the clock in 12 or 24-hour format, colors, etc. .
Some developers add custom user interfaces to the settings panel that make it easier for newbies to make the changes they want and save them. You can quickly access it by right-clicking on the skin you want to change, hovering over the skin name and finding the .ini file you want to edit.
However, sometimes you won't find any UI to help, in which case you have to edit the skin's source .ini file. You can access them by right clicking on the skin and selecting options Edit skin.
If you find yourself staring at a notepad file without knowing what the text inside means, don't worry. It's likely that there are comments on important areas you might have to change, or the developer has made some documentation available online.
Many weather skins in Rainmeter require you to enter your location code from a compatible service they support before the skin can display your area's weather. If such a skin does not come with an installation interface, you will have to enter this location code in the skin's source .ini file.
In the end, you just need to read carefully and find out where the location code is, then replace it. It's much simpler than it initially seems and a little patience will go a long way here.
Ultimately, you will be able to understand these source files better and make more changes to tweak the skin to your liking.
Create custom Rainmeter skins
Although the Rainmeter skin may seem complicated, all you need to create the skin is a text editor and Rainmeter itself. Rainmeter can automatically create text and simple or complex vector shapes such as rectangles and circles. However, you will need a separate image editor like Photoshop or GIMP for better control.
You can see the Creating Skins section in the Rainmeter documentation for a detailed explanation of how skins work below, as well as commands and options you may need to specify.
Creating custom skins is simple at first but can get really complicated as you add shapes, sizes, colors, fonts, variations, and other vector graphics. However, from this point on, there are no limits.
Rainmeter is a great way to start editing and customizing. Easy to use, lightweight on PC, has a large support community, and overall, one of the best free tools you can use to bring your desktop to life in unique ways.
