Program to automatically replace explorer.exe, explorerframe, etc

By laq3
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

 Share

Recommended Posts

Enthusiast

laq3

Posted
Posted

In many visual styles, system files have to be replaced. This is a tedious process: you have to take ownership of the file (which in itself is lots of clicking), rename it, and then replace the file.

It gets even messier if you use more than 1 visual style that requires replacing, if you want to do a backup of each theme's own files. Not only that, but you have to repeat this process a couple of times (for shell32.dll, explorerframe, etc).

Does anyone have an idea of automating this process? I could write a batch file, but if there's another solution (free, preferably) out there, can someone point it out?

Thanks in advance!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Experienced

Panda X

Posted
Posted

In many visual styles, system files have to be replaced. This is a tedious process: you have to take ownership of the file (which in itself is lots of clicking), rename it, and then replace the file.

It gets even messier if you use more than 1 visual style that requires replacing, if you want to do a backup of each theme's own files. Not only that, but you have to repeat this process a couple of times (for shell32.dll, explorerframe, etc).

Does anyone have an idea of automating this process? I could write a batch file, but if there's another solution (free, preferably) out there, can someone point it out?

Thanks in advance!

If you want to use a batch you can use this as a template.

@echo off

echo "Taking ownership of the UXTheme libraries..."

echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\uxtheme.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\themeui.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\shsvcs.dll"

echo "Setting permissions UXTheme libraries..."

echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\uxtheme.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\themeui.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\shsvcs.dll" /grant Administrators:F

echo "Deleting old backed up UXTheme libraries..."

echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\uxtheme.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\themeui.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\shsvcs.dll.old"

echo "Backing up old UXTheme libraries..."

echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\uxtheme.dll" "uxtheme.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\themeui.dll" "themeui.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\shsvcs.dll" "shsvcs.dll.old"

echo "Copying new UXTheme libraries..."

echo y | copy "X:\Backups\UXTheme\uxtheme.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\UXTheme\themeui.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\UXTheme\shsvcs.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"

echo "Taking ownership of system files..."

echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\Explorer.exe"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\en-US\explorer.exe.mui"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\authui.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\browseui.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\gameux.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\ieframe.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\wmploc.DLL"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\browseui.dll.mui"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\shell32.dll.mui"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\browseui.dll"
echo y | takeown /f "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\shell32.dll"

echo "Setting permissions to system files..."

echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\Explorer.exe" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\en-US\explorer.exe.mui" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\authui.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\browseui.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\gameux.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\ieframe.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\wmploc.DLL" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\browseui.dll.mui" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\shell32.dll.mui" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\browseui.dll" /grant Administrators:F
echo y | icacls "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\shell32.dll" /grant Administrators:F

echo "Deleting all OLD files..."

echo y | del "C:\Windows\Explorer.exe.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\en-US\explorer.exe.mui.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\authui.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\browseui.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\gameux.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\ieframe.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\wmploc.DLl.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\browseui.dll.mui.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\shell32.dll.mui.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\browseui.dll.old"
echo y | del "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\shell32.dll.old"

echo "Backing up the original system files..."

echo y | ren "C:\Windows\explorer.exe" "explorer.exe.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll" "basebrd.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\en-US\explorer.exe.mui" "explorer.exe.mui.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\authui.dll" "authui.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\browseui.dll" "browseui.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\gameux.dll" "gameux.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\ieframe.dll" "ieframe.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll" "imageres.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll" "shell32.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\wmploc.DLL" "wmploc.DLL.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\browseui.dll.mui" "browseui.dll.mui.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\shell32.dll.mui" "shell32.dll.mui.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\browseui.dll" "browseui.dll.old"
echo y | ren "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\shell32.dll" "shell32.dll.old"

echo "Copying modified system files..."

echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\Explorer.exe" "C:\Windows\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll" "C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\en-US\explorer.exe.mui" "C:\Windows\en-US\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\authui.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\browseui.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\gameux.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\ieframe.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\imageres.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\shell32.dll" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\wmploc.DLL" "C:\Windows\System32\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\en-US\browseui.dll.mui" "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\System32\en-US\shell32.dll.mui" "C:\Windows\System32\en-US\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\SysWOW64\browseui.dll" "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\"
echo y | copy "X:\Backups\Windows\SysWOW64\shell32.dll" "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.