sanctified Veteran Posted July 19, 2004 Veteran Share Posted July 19, 2004 This is an updated and reworded version of my w2k guide, this now applies to both w2k and xp The introductory guide to customization. First you need to collect your tools, Im going to recommend some of my favorite: Resourcehacker: Your resource hacker (or modifier), your best friend here, url: http://www.users.on.net/johnson/resourcehacker/ Toolbar control: With this tool you can change easily the toolbar background bitmap and the Internet zones properties, very cool, url: http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/down_app.html Jasmin 3D Color changer: The best color modifier available, url: http://jotenet.idealscience.com/temp.asp Color schemes for Jasmin 3D Color: http://f1.aaacafe.ne.jp/%7Epassage/ and http://www.skinnables.org/3dcc.php Tclock light: The best program when you need to modify your taskbar, url: http://homepage1.nifty.com/kazubon/tclocklight/index.html Longhorn systray clock: longhorn systeray clock, url: https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?&act=ST&f=34&t=157465 Replacer: Replaces your system files, url:http://www3.telus.net/_/replacer/ it helps you to replace your system files Windowblinds (This is optional for windows 2k systems): url: http://stardock.com Now, you have all the necessary and basic tools to start your modification (ALL FREEWARE) , so lets start: The first and the easiest part is to modify the files that control almost every piece of visual in the W2k box: explorer.exe located in x:\windows\ (x is your harddrive letter, also, take note that the windows dir can be winnt), shell32.dll located in x:\windows\system32\, and browseui.dll located in the same directory, copy these files into your reshack directory (COPY THEM, NOT CUT THEM). To modify the files you need resourcehacker, open the files with reshack and start to browse the folders list, you can modify the icons, the bitmaps, even the menus and the text. Once you finish your modding you need to save (IF YOU CHANGED AN SCRIPT THEN MAKE SURE THAT YOU PRESSED THE "COMPILE SCRIPT" BUTTON FIRST IN EVERY STRING), the program itself kindly make a copy of the original file first, if you screwed up the original. Now, you need to replace the files, for that I use "Replacer", here is an explanation of the app, copied from its website: Basically, Replacer works by using a combination of tools to successfully replace a protected system file, without disturbing the user. First, three files are extracted from the data file into a temporary folder: db.csv, Clear_WFP_Message.vbs, and zap.exe. The CSV file contains a list of replaceable system files, along with their paths and attributes. Clear_WFP_Message clears the Windows File Protection message that may pop up after replacing a file. Some anti-virus programs may incorrectly detect this as a malicious cript. Access to this file is not required, but it is recommended. After replacing, the script will continue to run for about 15 seconds, to ensure that it doesn't miss any late messages. Zap.exe, a tool from Microsoft, forcefully deletes the system file. This may leave temporary files on the root of the drive (named _@??.tmp), which will be automatically deleted after rebooting. Second, after the user inputs the files, a backup is created. It is stored in the same folder as the system file, with a "backup" extension (such as "notepad.backup"). Then, the replacement is copied to up to five directories which contain backups of the system file. Finally, the VBScript is executed to clear any messages, and the system file is replaced. If Replacer is closed properly (following the on-screen instructions), the temp folder that it uses will be automatically deleted. Otherwise, manually delete the folder called ".ReplacerTemp" in Replacer's folder. If you are experiencing constant errors, or are running Windows 2000, you may need to download the components package. In most cases, this is not required. Tested, but use at your own risk. There is a lot of tricks to modify your system files to a certain degree, so Im just going to post a couple of links that will help you to succed with this: http://wint.virtualplastic.net/ http://virtualplastic.net/ For system files locationes there a very good list here: http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/hacklist.html In there you can find what file do what in your system. Thats the end of the reshacker tutorial, lets go to the rest of the tools: Toolbar: Great tool by beaker (member of the virtualplastic.net crew), very easy to use, just select what do you want to modify, select your bitmap, click apply and restart the explorer. Jasmin 3D: very friendly, its like the default color manager in windows, but his allows you to change every little pixel in the colors, just open the app and start modding or simply open a Scheme file (.3dc). Tclock light: This have a lot of options, but is very easy to use, so this doesnt need a tutorial, just run it, then your clock change, right click on the clock and select tclock2 properties, have fun. Longhorn systray clock: An utility based on tclock light that haves the basic functionality of tclock light and also it lets you cutomize your clock to make it looks like the longhorn one (note, dont try to run this app with any tclock version) Windowblinds: a great system skinner, if you do some research you can find awesome minimalistic skins, like the ones made by essorant: http://www.essorant.com/ Here's an example of what you can do with a little work: Windows XP Windows 2000 (ss1, with windowblinds) Windows 2000 (ss2, just heavily modified) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam.sproul Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Nice guide, may give it a go when I have time later, try and change my old system. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#47 Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Thanks for your hard work, We really appriciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmove Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Yay good tutorial Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biorK Posted July 19, 2004 Share Posted July 19, 2004 Nice tutorial (Y) Gonna try this next time I reformat (which is soon :p ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.K.R. Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Thanks "[sanctified]". Saving this guide into my computer right now for later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g3nu1n3 Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 Very Nice tutorial .. covers lots of bases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primie.uk Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Can i ask which themes/etc you have used in this http://www.timdorr.com/saintdark/2k1.jpg to get it looking so god damn awsome, i'd like to know thanks :). /Primie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primie.uk Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 Is this thread dead now..? /Primie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Allen Veteran Posted July 27, 2004 Veteran Share Posted July 27, 2004 Great list [sanctified] As a customizer myself, this is quite an extensive list. Excellent work (Y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusuf M. Veteran Posted July 28, 2004 Veteran Share Posted July 28, 2004 Lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanctified Veteran Posted July 29, 2004 Author Veteran Share Posted July 29, 2004 Can i ask which themes/etc you have used in this http://www.timdorr.com/saintdark/2k1.jpg to get it looking so god damn awsome, i'd like to know thanks :)./Primie to be honest I dont remember the name of the theme, but its on the essorant website at the end of my post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoult01 Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 Stick in something about the UXtheme.dll so we dont have people asking every 2 minutes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golazo Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 nice tutorial thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kainashi Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 great tutorial, [sanctified]. even though i already know how to do all this, i'm sure A LOT of people will appreciate this. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
54622_1437839486 Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 in 2k1 and 2k2, how did u get the taskbar to look like that? its looks mighty awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightCrawler Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 This Shellstyle tutorial is a must have too....... http://de.geocities.com/webfactorx/shellstyle/index.html NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelsinho Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 simply fantastic :yes: :yes: :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieyin222 Posted October 24, 2004 Share Posted October 24, 2004 I'm really diggin' your XP setup. How exactly did you make it look so cool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erbol Posted October 28, 2004 Share Posted October 28, 2004 Thank you for nice guide. Please tell me which file and which resource should be hacked in order to change windows explorer toolbar icons in windows 2000. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gecko4 Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 I've reshacked explorer.exe, logonui.exe, ntoskernel.exe, shell32.dll and some others without any trouble, but when it comes to reshacking luna.msstyles, WinXP will not accept it unless I have styleXP installed. I've patched UXTheme.dll and I assumed that my modified luna would be acceptable, but after uninstalling stylexp, my Luna still wasn't acceptable, even after changing anything that said Microsoft in it. Any help please? I'd rather not have styleXPservice taking up memory. Cheers. /edit: by the way, my desktop looks like this after using ResHack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvizible Posted December 18, 2004 Share Posted December 18, 2004 hmmm, sanctified, could u plz give a full guide on how to make windows xp look like ur screenshot? I REALLY LIKE UR LOOK! i got lotsa stuff done to my xp, but i need to know how to edit the run dialog (i know its thru reshacker, but i dunno how to edit the one that comes with windows) and also which theme you are using and how you make your explorer so minimalistic! (oh ye, and what icon set ur using. i use smoothmetal + novola, but im bored of the eye candy tbh) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimy Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 nice guide, gonna go visit some stuff soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddcrap Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 Very nice guide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal_termite Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 For everyone asking, he made his desktop look like that by reshacking explorer.exe. There are guides on how to do this along with other xp hacks on www.virtualplastic.net which he provided. I'd like to know where I can find that desktop wallpaper sanctified used. Wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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