Rainmeter 101

What is Rainmeter?

Rainmeter is an application which will allow you to place what are called "Skins" on your desktop. These skins can measure and display a wide variety of information. Some examples of things you can display are:

  • System Information - CPU, RAM, Network, Drive Space, you name it...
  • Launchers and Docks - Be creative and create your own RocketDock or launcher
  • Music and more - Interfaces for WinAmp and iTunes, Internet radio or online video
  • Web-based content - Weather, GMail inbox, RSS feeds. Just about anything you can parse from the web

Skins are fully customizable by you. They are primarily just .ini text files with simple commands that say "Measure this, and display it here looking like this". We will get into customizing skins more later, but you can use all your creativity and very simple Rainmeter statements to really make your desktop your own!

Installing

Download the latest release or beta version from Rainmeter.net. You may download and run the installer (.exe) version or manually install with the "portable" (.zip) version.

Rainmeter is fully Windows Vista / Windows 7 compatible. The file which Rainmeter uses to keep track of the skins you have loaded and how they are configured (Rainmeter.ini) is now in your "Application Data" folder, and all Rainmeter "skins" are stored in your "My Documents" folder. This means that you do not have to run Rainmeter as an "Administrator" or worry about conflicts with UAC (User Account Control).

Rainmeter automatically installs the suite of skins "Enigma" by Kaelri as well as the "RainBrowser" skin manager and "RainThemes" themes manager by JSMorley.

Default file locations:

The Program:
Windows XP: C:\Program Files\Rainmeter
Windows Vista & Win7: C:\Program Files\Rainmeter

Your "Skin" files
Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\My Documents\Rainmeter\Skins
Windows Vista & Win7: C:\Users\YourName\My Documents\Rainmeter\Skins

Rainmeter.ini and your "Themes"
Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\Application Data\Rainmeter
Windows Vista & Win7: C:\Users\YourName\Appdata\Roaming\Rainmeter

More information on installing Rainmeter is available in the Rainmeter Manual at Rainmeter Installation


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