Themes, Plugins & Tutorials for Google Chrome

Nirsoft created a very useful tool that lets you view the passwords stored within Google Chrome. It is light and easy in use, just run the installation file and you’re ready to use it, when run it automatically display all the passwords you have stored which you can view in a table, search or view separately.

The following fields are available: Origin URL, Action URL, User Name Field, Password Field, User Name, Password, and Created Time. There’s an option to save the selected items into txt/html/csv/xml files.

ChromeMailer: Gmail as default mail program

If you’re using Gmail as your default mail, then you would probably love this new tool that opens the compose message form in Gmail automatically when clicking an email address. In Google Chrome by default when clicking on mailto: links they will be open in Windows’ default mail client.

ChromeMailer is a small free tool to use with Google Chrome browser that will handle the “maito:” function at the system level, so it is strongly advised to use only by those not using any proper mail clients (The Bat!, Outlook, Thunderbird) and only for the ones that prefer Gmail’s web mailing. For more details on that utility tool and to download ChromeMailer visit Skaelede.hu.

A few side notes:

  • For Windows XP you will need an up to date .NET and Windows Vista makes you answer UAC (User Account Control) from time to time, since it’s a free application.
  • You will not need this tool if you have Gmail Notifier installed: right-click the Notifier icon in your system tray, and select Options, then check the box next to “Use Gmail for internet mailto: links” and click OK.

How to create themes for Google Chrome

Although officially Google does not support yet various themes the look of your Google Chrome can be changed, you just have to replace the default.dll file responsible for the theme. The paths to the file is:

Path for Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\[your user name]\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\[current version]\Themes\default.dll

Path for Windows Vista:
C:\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\ [current version]\Themes\default.dll

Chromium Theme Creator

Chromium Theme Creator There is a special tool called Chromium Theme Creator with which new themes can be easily created. Most of the themes available right now were created with this tool and although it might take a bit of time to design a new theme the process itself is very basic. The .dll file contains the png image files of which the theme is actually made and by modifying these images in any image editor you modify the theme itself. So, there’s no coding involved and all in need to know is how to modify graphic images. You might need some patience though ’cause it is time-consuming process.

List of tools you’ll need:

  • Chromium Theme Creator: Download
  • GoRC.exe by Jeremy Gordon: Find it and download it from here.
  • ResHacker.exe by Angus Johnson: Find and download it from here.

How to use Chromium Theme Creator:

  1. Unzip the downloaded files into a separate directory, you’ll get a set of folders with png files
  2. Unzip and copy GoRC.exe and ResHacker.exe files into the same directory
  3. Be creative and modify with your favorite graphic editor the png images inside the folders of your project which are in facts bits of Google Chrome standard theme.
  4. Run Themer.exe file to start the Chromium Theme Creator application
  5. Make sure you’ve got the correct specified path to your original Google Chrome default.dll theme file
  6. Click on “Build” to build a new default.dll file that will be created inside your working directory
  7. Make sure you’re not running Google Chrome browser and click “Test” and to launch Chrome and see the changes you made.
  8. Alternatively you can press “Build+Test” to save time.
  9. Save your project when it’s ready by exporting the default.dll file you created. You might want to save your project files before you start working on a new theme.

UPDATE: Chromium Theme Creator v2 beta

Chrome Theme Creator V2

Chrome Theme Creator Version 2

Chromium Theme Creator v2 beta is now available. Updates include:

  • Self extracting Installer
  • Various projects simple management
  • Authorship details inside the same theme file (.cth extension)
  • Preview themes: ability show images from the theme file itself by dragging theme files and dropping over it in order to preview and if needed default.dll can be replaced by sepcifying Chrome’s path and it can be launched by clicking “Apply” button.