How to Extract the Contents of a Windows Theme File

This brief tutorial will show you how to extract all of the files packaged inside a Microsoft .theme file. This way you can access all the images used in the theme, without having to use the theme itself (desktop backgrounds etc).

1. Microsoft Theme files are actually just .zip files, with the .zip extension renamed to .theme. This tutorial uses 7zip, which is a free utility that lets you open all sorts of files. Head over to the 7zip download page, download and install 7zip. The installation is a breeze – you’ll just download the file, run it, and click “Next” a bunch of times.

   Now locate the Theme file you want to open and access the contents of. Right-click the file, select 7-zip from the menu, and then Extract files… from the sub-menu.

2. Click OK to extract the files.
3. Now you’ll find a folder in the same location as your Theme file. Open the folder up…
4. … and you’ll find all the contents of the Theme file. That’s it!
5. Note: we have a tutorial on using 7zip to open many types of files.