How to Guide: Change "Run" and other shell32 icons


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There have been a lot of people asking how to change the run icon and such in XP, and I haven't seen a "how to" posted on it so far. I've seen a lot of people say "Use Resource Hacker" - but when I replaced the resource, it never worked. Anyway, here it is... I hope it helps someone.

By the way... thanks for all of the great icons, guys. :) Now that I know how to change over everything, I'll have to add some more icons to the start menu.

  • First, of course, you have to download Resource Hacker
  • Make a backup of c:Windowssystem32shell32.dll
  • Open c:Windowssystem32shell32.dll in Resource Hacker
  • Find the icon you wish to change - I suggest going to View > Expand Tree. Then you can scroll down to "Icon Group" and cycle through the icons until you find the group you wish to replace. For example, the "Run" icon group is resource 25, the "Help" resource is 24.
  • Right click on the resource you wish to change and delete it - i.e. "Delete [icon Group : 25]"
  • Now click on Action > Add a new resource....
  • Browse to the file you wish to use for the new icon group. Name it as the same one you just deleted. If you deleted group 25, name it group 25. Ignore the "1033" that wsa listed before. When you recreate it, it will be "0" but that's okay.
  • Save the file somewhere such as "c:myshell32.dll"
  • Make a MS DOS boot disk - (insert blank floppy to A:, right click, format, Create MS Dos System Disk.
  • Reboot with floppy in drive
  • go to c:Windowssystem32 and type: del shell32.dll
  • type: copy c:myshel~1.dll c:windownsystem32
  • type: rename myshel~1.dll shell32.dll
  • Reboot, and there you are!

run.jpg

it's a bit easier if you just delete and back-up the shell32.dll file in the C:WINDOWSsystem32dllcache folder then the file protection will come up and just say; cancel on the first dialog and yes on the second one.

and their is one flaw in the shell32.dll hack for folder icons... The My Pictures Folder doesn't work... in order to hack this icon you have to go to Mydocs.dll in the system32 directory and edit that one.

"DJ Krush - Danger of Love (Featuring Zap Mama)"

The slightly easier way to change the "Run" icon is to go into your Registry to this point:-

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}DefaultIcon

Double-click the word (Default) in the right side and type the full address of your own icon.

This is the place to change the "Search" icon:-

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{2559a1f0-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}DefaultIcon

And this is "Help and Support":-

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}DefaultIcon

And this is "My Network Places"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}DefaultIcon

And this is "My Computer"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}DefaultIcon

And this is "Printers and Faxes"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}DefaultIcon

And this is "Administrative Tools"

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTCLSID{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-0C5020524153}DefaultIcon

To change drive names and icons, open up the registry and go here:-

HKLM / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Explorer / DriveIcons

Then make new Keys for each drive you want to alter.

If you want to alter drive C:, make a Key called

C

make a new Key on C and call it either

DefaultIcon

or

DefaultLabel

depending on what you want to change. With DefaultIcon highlighted double-click (Default) and enter the full address of the icon you want to use. With DefaultLabel highlighted double-click (Default) and add the new name for the drive (If you have XP on C: why not call it WindowsXP)

  Quote
Originally posted by Taxidriver

Hi Dartigan !

THANKS, it works here

;)

Can someone post a list where I can find

all the icons to cange at shell32.dll ???

1.) hardrive

2.) search-button

3.) ...

4.) ...

Thanks in advance !

greetz !

search on google for Desktop Architect.

If you look at this picture I have changed a number of icons.

This program is free and allows you to change a lot of things. Including lots of the windows icons.

customized_icons.jpg

  Quote
Originally posted by samo123_uk

search on google for Desktop Architect.

If you look at this picture I have changed a number of icons.

This program is free and allows you to change a lot of things. Including lots of the windows icons.

Yup... i'm with Samo on this one. Desktop Architect is great. I use it to change alot of my icons. Definitely worth the download. :)

  Quote
Originally posted by Keldyn

Yup... i'm with Samo on this one. Desktop Architect is great. I use it to change alot of my icons. Definitely worth the download. :)

plus you can save them as theme files so you can have a theme with all mac osx icons and a theme with all winxp icons , for example .

Which is a lot better than editing the shell32.dll don't ya think ?

:D

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