Windows 7 explorer for Windows 8

By Tihiy
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

 Share

Recommended Posts

Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

All right,I know now that you have to provide your own files to use this software.

But I just want to ask if I used the shell files from Windows Explorer from my Windows Vista computer,would I then get the Windows Vista Explorer and start menu? Andrea Borman.

Community Regular

KRazpopov

Posted
Posted

All right,I know now that you have to provide your own files to use this software.

But I just want to ask if I used the shell files from Windows Explorer from my Windows Vista computer,would I then get the Windows Vista Explorer and start menu? Andrea Borman.

The only way to find out is to try. I doubt it would work, but it just might.

Just don't ask about the XP shell resources working with this.

Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

All right,I know now that you have to provide your own files to use this software.

But I just want to ask if I used the shell files from Windows Explorer from my Windows Vista computer,would I then get the Windows Vista Explorer and start menu? Andrea Borman.

I doubt it would work, this program is designed to run with the Windows 7 explorer.

Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

The only way to find out is to try. I doubt it would work, but it just might.

Just don't ask about the XP shell resources working with this.

I was just going to do that actually. Ask if it would give you the Windows XP Explorer and start menu.If you put the Windows XP shell files in the software instead. But this software is a bit of a joke anyway. Andrea Borman.

Community Regular

Auroka

Posted
Posted

I was just going to do that actually. Ask if it would give you the Windows XP Explorer and start menu.If you put the Windows XP shell files in the software instead. But this software is a bit of a joke anyway. Andrea Borman.

Excuse me?

Tihiy's program does exactly what it was designed to do - replace the Windows 8 explorer with the Windows 7 explorer.

Just because you can't use it probably or have a problem with it doesn't mean it's a joke.

You can't blame him for it not working if you use the Windows XP or Vista explorer because that isn't what it was designed to use.

Grand Master

Detection

Posted
Posted

Oh this software is a joke. The OP should write on the introduction of the software-

"This software disables the Metro theme. But sorry folks.

You have to provide your own files."

So who is going to take it seriously? Andrea Borman.

Learn to read, that is exactly what the OP has written on his post.

You can't get annoyed with other people for your own lack of ability.

Community Regular

Auroka

Posted
Posted (edited)

Oh this software is a joke. The OP should write on the introduction of the software-

"This software disables the Metro theme. But sorry folks.

You have to provide your own files."

So who is going to take it seriously? Andrea Borman.

<snipped> He clearly states the files required:

Installation: grab c:\windows\explorer.exe and c:\windows\en-us\explorer.exe.mui from windows 7 system or installation CD (with 7-zip). It must be 32-bit version (if it's 64-bit, grab files from SysWOW64 dir). You can use Windows 7 files from same language build or en-US build.

It's been said a MILLION times in this thread:

The files are not included because Microsoft owns them.

What don't you understand?

Edited by Calum
Grand Master

Eric Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Andrea: If the shell files were included in the distribution it would be against the rules to discuss or link to it on Neowin. We do not allow links or discussion of materials that are distributed by those other than their copyright holders.

You have multiple Windows 7 machines. Just get them from one of your other computers.

Grand Master

Detection

Posted
Posted
There is no such thing as Windows CEMENT. There is no such Windows. Andrea Borman.

Yes there is

windows_cement_hires.png

I suppose you have never heard of Windows RG either ?

http://www.deanliou.com/WinRG/WinRG2.htm

  • Obi-Wan Kenobi, Brandon H and Matthew_Thepc
  • Like 3
Experienced

wahoospa

Posted
Posted

Well I tested this so called software out on my other netbook. And when I extracted the zip file to the desktop and ran it. All I got was a command prompt Window saying" cannot find Explorer exe." And nothing happened. It did not disable the Metro theme and the Metro theme is still there and my computer is still working.

But just now when I had a look again at Tihiy's instructions he says-

So that's it. Tihiy did not put the shell files from Windows 7 in his patcher. The software is just a command prompt and you have to find the right shell files in Windows 7 and copy it into the patcher exe.

But tell me who is going to do that? And how many people are going to know exactly what files to copy? And also we are talking about going into shell files on Windows 7, that are most probably hidden files anyway.

The answer is not many people. So I think we should forget about this software. And just stick to Classic Shell,Start Menu 7 or Vi Start. Or another start menu software. True,they don't disable the Metro theme. What they do is give you a start button and Windows 7 start menu on top of the Metro theme.

But as I said before,once you've got one of these software's installed,most of them boot straight to the desktop now. Skipping the Metro start screen. So if you have Classic Shell or another start menu software installed,you don't know that the Metro theme is there.

As the Windows 7 start menu in Classic Shell,Start Menu 7 or other start menu program you installed. It takes over all of the start menu functions and does exactly what the real Windows 7 and Windows XP start menu does.So you don't have to deal with the Metro start menu. Andrea Borman.

You got the command prompt because you did what I did at first. You must make the sub directory named \en-Us\ and put explorer.exe.mui in that folder. If you just put all the files in the C:\explorer7 folder this will happen.

Grand Master

TAZMINATOR

Posted
Posted

Andrea, you need to leave your system files alone and you don't understand how it works... Because you can NOT read the first post that OP stated. You are not one of the advanced users who can manage the patches, tweaks, etc. If you think you are an advanced user, then you shouldn't have a problem patching/tweaking the files instead of coming to here and complain to the developer/modder about the problem you have.

Lastly, Andrea, if you bought a computer for internet surfing/chatting, then you don't need to tweak/patch your system files since you can NOT understand how it works. Go back to chatting/surfing which you are normally doing. Leave this topic alone and let the users download and try it out.

--

Anyway, OP, good job. Looking forward to the new updates...

--

This thread is hilarious... Seems that Andera doesn't get it.

  • KRazpopov and f0rk_b0mb
  • Like 2
Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

Oh this software is a joke. The OP should write on the introduction of the software-

"This software disables the Metro theme. But sorry folks.

You have to provide your own files."

So who is going to take it seriously? Andrea Borman.

Windows 7 explorer.exe for Windows 8

Long story short, i made a wrapper to Windows 7 explorer.exe to run on Windows 8. You can try it now in order to have native Windows 7 desktop experience.

post-265656-0-17951900-1342191658_thumb.

You need to have Windows 8 Release Preview 32-bit installed. Most likely won't work for other builds.

Installation: grab c:\windows\explorer.exe and c:\windows\en-us\explorer.exe.mui from windows 7 system or installation CD (with 7-zip). It must be 32-bit version (if it's 64-bit, grab files from SysWOW64 dir). You can use Windows 7 files from same language build or en-US build.

How could it possibly be any clearer than that? Please don't keep derailing this thread. And no there isn't a chance in hell it will work with XP's files.

Neowinian

substrance

Posted
Posted

Wow, Tihiy this is beyond awesome, please continue your work on this.

I really, really hate Metro but i love some under-the-hood changes in Win8, so this really made me happy!

Looks like i joined here two years ago but this is the first thing that made me post a comment.

Enthusiast

syncore

Posted
Posted

Funny how so many people always have to chime in with their two cents about this "defeating the purpose of Win8, blah blah" rather than just appreciating the technical skill and utility of this workaround. As with everything else I see online, so many people criticize, yet so few people actually produce anything of value. Great work, OP.

  • Raa and Jose_49
  • Like 2
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Grand Theft Auto VI pricing revealed alongside Ultimate Edition and pre-loading details

      By dipsylalapo · Posted

      Hmm wonder if I can share/resell the 'physical' edition like I can now.
    • Movavi Video Editor Plus 26.18.0

      By Copernic · Posted

      Movavi Video Editor Plus 26.18.0 by Razvan Serea With Movavi Video Editor Plus, you can either enhance your video files with two or three simple steps, or turn them into something completely new. Create your own movies using multiple filters, transitions, and special effects: show multiple videos on one screen with the Picture in picture effect or change the background with the Chroma Key effect, imitate the camera zoom or make your video look like an old-style movie. Adjust video parameters such as brightness, contrast and colors. Stabilize shaky footage, improve video quality and remove defects. Create video presentations, tutorials or educational videos: add titles and record your own narration to create a video with voiceover. Import video from any source: TV-tuner, webcam, camcorder, or VHS. Drop multiple media files onto a timeline and let your imagination do the rest! Features at a glance: Video and audio editing on a timeline Edit, enhance videos Add background music Apply titles and effects Image quality improvement Hollywood-worthy effects High-grade titles and fades Digitize VHS tapes, record video from TV tuners Stabilize any shaky sections Support for a wide range of formats Prepare your videos for uploading to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or any other website New in Movavi Video Editor 2026: 30+ fresh subtitle styles. Upgrade your automatic captions with new designs. Customize your text in the Styles tab with a single click. Optional advanced settings are also available in the dedicated Design tab. Subtitles in English – instantly! Translate auto-subtitles into English with a click – no dictionaries or online services needed. Once translated, configure and fine-tune the subtitles using the standard editing tools. 40+ adjustable effects. Enhance your videos in a click with new realistic effects – from dust particles and light leaks to retro-style and VHS. Every effect is fully customizable – so it will fit any clip perfectly and bring an extra spark to your edits. Ultra-fast playback. Show more in less time with video speed control of up to 100x. Perfect for epic time-lapses, long process recaps, or whenever you want to add some extra energy to your content. Magnetic zones are marked with dots, and the 1x value is indicated by a vertical line. Silence removal – in a click. Cut out unwanted pauses automatically or fine-tune the pause length and volume threshold yourself. Skip the tedious cleanup and make your videos more dynamic. Fast effect copying. Effortlessly duplicate any effect from one video to another: click Clip effects in the dropdown menu and proceed to copy or paste. Movavi Video Editor Plus 26.18.0 changes: This version includes small improvements for better editing. Download: Movavi Video Editor Plus 26.18.0 | 2.7 MB (Shareware) View: Movavi Video Editor Plus Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • JBL BAR 800 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar is an amazing deal today

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      JBL BAR 800 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar is an amazing deal today by Sayan Sen This Amazon Prime Day 2026 sales so far we have had a couple of nice deals related to sound and audio. First we have the Sennheiser HD 600 at its lowest ever price of just $225. Next we also have the Beats Studio Pro at its lowest price ever at just $150. However perhaps you prefer your gear to sound great on a larger scale, like throughout the room. In that case an all-in-one soundbar system can help and currently JBL's BAR 800 is a great deal for sure as it's up for grabs at just $600 (purchase link under the specs table down below). One thing that should be appreciated a lot about these JBL soundbars is their spec sheet and the frequency response data it provides. The firm is honest about it as JBL confirms the subwoofer is able to go down to 35 Hz at -6dB or F6. This means it should be covering 40Hz and up very well, where most of the bass lies. You miss out on a lot of sub-bass but that is to be expected given the price point and the subwoofer driver size. Speaking of which, it is a 10-inch driver and promises a max output power of 300 watts at 1% THD (total harmonic distortion). JBL also claims the system will provide you with a "True Dolby Atmos" experience. The surround speakers are wireless and battery-powered which means setting them up should be really convenient. The technical specs of the JBL BAR 800 are given in the table below: Specification Value Channel Configuration 5.1.2-channel soundbar system Dolby Atmos Yes, with 2 up-firing drivers Total System Power Output 720 W Soundbar Power Output 340 W Surround Speaker Power Output 2 × 40 W Subwoofer Power Output 300 W Soundbar Drivers 3 × 46×90 mm racetrack drivers, 3 × 20 mm tweeters, 2 × 70 mm up-firing full-range drivers Surround Speaker Drivers 1 × 46×90 mm racetrack driver (each speaker) Subwoofer Driver 10-inch (260 mm) wireless subwoofer Frequency Response 35 Hz – 20 kHz (-6 dB) Audio Inputs Optical, Bluetooth, Chromecast built-in, AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music (MRM), USB* HDMI Inputs 1 HDMI video input HDMI Output 1 HDMI eARC output HDCP Version 2.3 HDR Pass-Through HDR10, Dolby Vision Bluetooth Version 5.0 Wi-Fi Version 6, 6E Streaming Services Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay, Alexa MRM Get it at the link below: JBL Bar 800-5.1.2-Channel Dolby Atmos soundbar with Detachable Surround Speakers (Black): $599.85 (Sold and Shipped by Amazon US with Prime) Prime subscription can be cancelled within three business days. Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.100.1, fixes a bug that made remapped keys misbehave

      By Ivan Jenic · Posted

      Microsoft releases PowerToys v0.100.1, fixes a bug that made remapped keys misbehave by Ivan Jenic Microsoft just released PowerToys v0.100.1, a patch update that addresses several stability and behavior issues found in v0.100.0. The v0.100.0 patch was a significant update for PowerToys, as it introduced all sorts of new features and additions, such as a rebuilt Shortcut Guide, a Command Palette Extension Gallery, webcam overlay support in ZoomIt, and more. However, the v0.100.0 version also introduced some bugs and stability issues. And now, Microsoft is addressing these issues in the new patch. The most impactful fix in this release perhaps is in Keyboard Manager, where remapped modifier keys were being delivered as system-key events, causing unexpected behavior in apps. The clearest example of this was Alt-to-Backspace remaps, deleting whole words instead of a single character. So, if you thought there was an issue with your keyboard, Microsoft just confirmed that it was PowerToys. Beyond the Keyboard Manager fix, v0.100.1 also addresses several other issues. It fixes a bug with Power Display that was preventing monitors from waking from standby correctly. Additionally, the new update patches Quick Access crashes on launch, and resolves a Shortcut Guide crash that occurred when switching between sidebar sections. Here’s the full changelog: Color Picker Fixed a bug where the main Color Picker window could appear inside the zoomed-in picker view Command Palette Fixed Run history initialization in AOT builds Fixed a bug where the Performance Monitor dock item could show ??? after restart Fixed the Hibernate command using the Sleep icon Limited the "pin to dock" dialog to displays where the dock is enabled Keyboard Manager Fixed modifier keys remapped to non-modifier keys being delivered as system-key events, which caused unexpected behavior in apps such as Alt-to-Backspace deleting whole words Power Display Fixed a bug where selecting On in the monitor power-state control did not wake a monitor from standby Fixed built-in display detection and brightness control on dual-GPU laptops where the internal panel is driven by the discrete GPU PowerToys Run Fixed VS Code Workspaces discovery after VS Code moved recently opened workspace data to shared storage Quick Access Fixed Quick Access flyout crashes caused by unhandled XAML exceptions during launch or page navigation Shortcut Guide Fixed a crash when navigating between Shortcut Guide sidebar sections Fixed number-key rendering in shortcut manifests and added a Postman shortcut manifest Updated bundled shortcut manifests to use the literal number-key token so number keys render correctly across apps ZoomIt Fixed a race condition in audio initialization for ZoomIt video recording You can download PowerToys v0.100.1 from the official GitHub releases page.
    • OBS Studio 32.2.0 Beta 2

      By Copernic · Posted

      OBS Studio 32.2.0 Beta 2 by Razvan Serea OBS Studio is software designed for capturing, compositing, encoding, recording, and streaming video content, efficiently. It is the re-write of the widely used Open Broadcaster Software, to allow even more features and multi-platform support. OBS Studio supports multiple sources, including media files, games, web pages, application windows, webcams, your desktop, microphone and more. OBS Studio Features: High performance real time video/audio capturing and mixing, with unlimited scenes you can switch between seamlessly via custom transitions. Live streaming to Twitch, YouTube, Periscope, Mixer, GoodGame, DailyMotion, Hitbox, VK and any other RTMP server Filters for video sources such as image masking, color correction, chroma/color keying, and more. x264, H.264 and AAC for your live streams and video recordings Intel Quick Sync Video (QSV) and NVIDIA NVENC support Intuitive audio mixer with per-source filters such as noise gate, noise suppression, and gain. Take full control with VST plugin support. GPU-based game capture for high performance game streaming Unlimited number of scenes and sources Number of different and customizable transitions for when you switch between scenes Hotkeys for almost any action such as start or stop your stream or recording, push-to-talk, fast mute of any audio source, show or hide any video source, switch between scenes,and much more Live preview of any changes on your scenes and sources using Studio Mode before pushing them to your stream where your viewers will see those changes DirectShow capture device support (webcams, capture cards, etc) Powerful and easy to use configuration options. Add new Sources, duplicate existing ones, and adjust their properties effortlessly. Streamlined Settings panel for quickly configuring your broadcasts and recordings. Switch between different profiles with ease. Light and dark themes available to fit your environment. …and many other features. For free. At all. OBS Studio 32.2.0 Beta 2 changelog: Beta 2 Changes Fixed a CI deployment issue. There are no application changes since Beta 1. 32.2 New Features Replaced add source dropdown with new dialog [Warchamp7] Improved FPS selector UX [jcm93] Added missing file support for filters [exeldro] Added ability for plugins to set custom icons for new source types [cg2121] Included .webp files when adding a directory to Image Slide Show source [TarunCore] Added copy paste functions to frontend API [exeldro] Added filter to compose SDR into HDR [jpark37] Added delete as a hotkey to delete sources on macOS [PatTheMav] Added dynamic bitrate support to multitrack video [lexano-ivs] 32.2 Changes Forced Intel-based installations to update to Apple Silicon version on macOS [PatTheMav] This change means that OBS Studio versions built for Intel-based Macs but running on Apple Silicon Macs will automatically update to OBS Studio built for Apple Silicon Macs. If an installation was using third-party plugins, those plugins will no longer load until replaced with Apple Silicon versions. Fixed audio mixer state getting out of sync when changing settings via websockets or plugins [Warchamp7] Added theming for checked QToolButtons [glikely] Improved OpenGL performance slightly on low-end machines [kkartaltepe] Set minimum size for color source to 1 pixel [exeldro] Added minimum width to spinboxes [Warchamp7] Disallowed overwriting the crash handler [sebastian-s-beckmann] Applied process mitigation policies for Windows [notr1ch] Adjusted description of multitrack video [jhnbwrs] Changed new capture devices to use fallback frame rate by default [PatTheMav] Improved DLL loading behavior on Windows [notr1ch] Limited multitrack video config to Custom service [PatTheMav] 32.2 Bug Fixes Fixed OAuth and dock state save corruption [PatTheMav] Fixed group bounds not resizing when removing items [howellrl] Fixed canvas mixes not being restored after video reset [dsaedtler] Fixed some erroneous crashes during shutdown [Warchamp7] Fixed display capture sometimes capturing black after a duplicator failure [ThrowTop] Fixed color of controls dock output buttons in System theme [shiina424] Fixed virtual camera reset failures [stephematician] Fixed potential crash when user discards changes in the settings window [suogesi] Fixed incorrect return value in virtualcam filter [xtfo] Fixed source toolbar buttons not working after dragging a source into a group [Warchamp7] Fixed properties hint icon spacing [Warchamp7] Fixed potential crash when a video device reconnects on macOS [jcm93] Fixed an issue where PipeWire could fail on NVIDIA GPUs [hoshinolina] Fixed obs_canvas_get_video_info returning incorrect framerate [dsaedtler] 32.2 Deprecations Deprecated obs_properties_add_button [sebastian-s-beckmann] Download: OBS Studio 32.2.0 Beta 2 | Portable | ARM64 | ~200.0 MB (Open Source) View: OBS Studio Homepage | Other Operating Systems | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Year In
      OHI Accounting earned a badge
      One Year In
    • First Post
      Almohandis earned a badge
      First Post
    • Rookie
      DaviKar went up a rank
      Rookie
    • Dedicated
      HidekoYamamoto94 earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • One Month Later
      timbobit earned a badge
      One Month Later

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      474
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      172
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      122
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      81
    5. 5
      Xenon
      72
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!