C++ style menu bar in VB .Net?

Answer 1

You may have to get dirty and create a CustomRenderer(ToolStripProfessionalRenderer) to apply to the ToolStripManager

Without rehashing to much, this doc looks like a nice overview or you can always opt for the Microsoft tutorial

menustrip is derived from toolstrip

Answer 2

You may need to enable XP theme support in your project settings. To do this, go to My Project in your Solution Explorer, and make sure "Enable XP Visual Styles" is checked under the Windows application framework properties group down near the bottom of the Application tab.

If this doesn't work, you might need to create an application manifest as described in this MSDN article.