Kevin here is the Code for the TabPage. Note: anything that calls
theme.xxxxxxx is the api call itself.

Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Windows.Forms

Public Class XPTabPage : Inherits System.Windows.Forms.TabPage

   Public Sub New()
   End Sub
   Public Function UseTheme() As Boolean
       Return Theme.IsAppThemed()  'This checks to see which version of
the commoncontrols is running
   End Function

   Protected Overrides Sub OnPaintBackground(ByVal pevent As
System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs)
       Dim g As Graphics = pevent.Graphics
       If UseTheme() Then
           Dim ox As Integer = CInt(g.VisibleClipBounds.X)
           Dim oy As Integer = CInt(g.VisibleClipBounds.Y)
           Dim dx As Integer = CInt(g.VisibleClipBounds.Width)
           Dim dy As Integer = CInt(g.VisibleClipBounds.Height)

           If ((ox <> 0) Or (oy <> 0) Or (dx <> Me.Width) Or (dy <>
Me.Height)) Then
               PaintChildrenBackground(g, Me, New Rectangle(ox, oy, dx,
dy), 0, 0)
           Else
               ThemedPaintBackground(g, 0, 0, Me.Width, Me.Height, 0,
0)
           End If
       Else
           MyBase.OnPaintBackground(pevent)
       End If
   End Sub
   Private Function PaintChildrenBackground(ByVal g As Graphics, ByVal
control As Control, ByVal Parentrect As Rectangle, ByVal ofx As Integer,
ByVal ofy As Integer) As Boolean
       'Parent Rect is the TabPage
       'ChildFind is the Rectangle of each control
       'See if ParentRect contains the Child - and drawit with xp
themes
       Dim child As Control
       For Each child In control.Controls
           'Declare the Size of the Rectangle to the same as the
control
           Dim FindRect As New Rectangle(child.Location, child.Size)
           'Now see if the ChildControl actually encopases the Passed
in Rectangle
           If FindRect.Contains(Parentrect) Then

               Dim ChildRect As Rectangle = Parentrect
               ChildRect.Offset(-child.Left, -child.Top)
               If Me.PaintChildrenBackground(g, child, ChildRect, ofx +
child.Left, ofy + child.Top) Then
                   Return True
               End If
               'Dim hdc As IntPtr = g.GetHdc()
               'Theme.DrawThemeParentBackground(Me.Handle, hdc,
ChildRect)
               'DrawBackground("TAB", Theme.TABP_BODY, 1, hdc, 10, 10,
child.Width, child.Height, 10, 10, Me.Width, Me.Height)
               'g.ReleaseHdc(hdc)
               Me.ThemedPaintBackground(g, child.Left, child.Top,
child.Width, child.Height, ofx, ofy)

               Return True
           End If
           Return False
       Next
   End Function
   Private Function ThemedPaintBackground(ByVal g As Graphics, ByVal ox
As Integer, ByVal oy As Integer, ByVal dx As Integer, ByVal dy As
Integer, ByVal ofx As Integer, ByVal ofy As Integer)
       Dim hdc As IntPtr = g.GetHdc()
       DrawBackground("TAB", Theme.TABP_BODY, Nothing, hdc, -ofx, -ofy,
Me.Width, Me.Height, ox, oy, dx, dy)
       g.ReleaseHdc(hdc)
   End Function
   Private Function DrawBackground(ByVal Classname As String, _
                                   ByVal PartID As Integer, _
                                   ByVal State As Integer, _
                                   ByVal hdc As IntPtr, _
                                   ByVal ox As Integer, _
                                   ByVal oy As Integer, _
                                   ByVal dx As Integer, _
                                   ByVal dy As Integer, _
                                   ByVal clipox As Integer, _
                                   ByVal clipoy As Integer, _
                                   ByVal clipdx As Integer, _
                                   ByVal clipdy As Integer) As Boolean
       Dim ok As Boolean
       If UseTheme() Then
           Dim htheme As Integer = Theme.OpenThemeData(Nothing,
Classname)
           If htheme > 0 Then
               Dim rect As New Rectangle(ox, oy, dx, dy)
               Dim clip As Rectangle

               clip = rect
               Try
                   ok = (0 = (Theme.DrawThemeBackground(htheme, hdc,
PartID, State, rect, clip)))
               Catch ex As Exception
               End Try
           End If
           Theme.CloseThemeData(htheme)
       End If
   End Function

End Class

' ******************* END OF CODE

Kevin, This is the code - the thing is that there is probably a bit of
rubbish in the part where it renders the children controls - but can't
figure out what

Regards
Brian Corbett