[Shell Patcher] Super Turbo Tango Patcher 6000

[vertigosity]

Note: Due to other things going on in my life (work, cars, video games, hanging out with friends, etc), work on this project has essentially ceased.

The Tango shell patcher is designed to make integrating icons from the Tango project and its descendants a fairly simple process. It works by modifying your current system files, and inserting the modified versions back into the system; at it's heart, it is simply a tool for batched, automated resource hacking and system file replacement. This version is intended for use on Windows Vista.

Notes:

• It supports (in theory) all languages and editions of 32-bit Windows Vista and Server 2008; 64-bit versions are NOT supported, nor will be anytime soon (the tools to make it happen just don't exist).
  • I'm almost positive that this will break horribly on non-English setups, and certain dual-boot scenarios. If you don't have a standard c:\windows setup, you may need to perform a search-and-replace on the paths hardcoded in FileList.xml. I really have no idea how XPero's handling this in Vize, I guess I need to either look into it or write some code myself. Don't uncomment the line in FileList.xml for user32.dll unless you're feeling brave and are comfortable talking to the activation support machines/people – but please, let me know what happens if you do / I'm not buying you a new license if it gets you on a WGA blacklist. If you are editing FileList.xml, remember to start notepad with admin credentials, or you won't be able to save your changes.
    

  [*]I know I'll regret it as soon as I've posted this, but I'm ready for people to start posting their skinning requests so I can prioritize and make the most efficient impact with what little time I do have free for the patcher these days.

Current Release: 8.03 (2008/04/01)

Highlights from my SVN log:

• Remove the "identifier" overlays from the battery meter
  
• At least the beginnings of Tangoization on iexplore, wimp, wab, hh, msi, cleanmgr, games also in gnome-games, and a few miscellaneous things that were in 2600
  
• Add branding images for each Vista+Srv2k8 edition
  
• Classic start button bitmap (Srv2k8 OOB default)
  
• Tweaks to folder icons, and add an icon for the home folder
  
• Miscellaneous fixes to the installer and patcher
  

• Download (DeviantART)
  

Information on 64-bit support (Last updated 2008/07/07):

• I've got CFF Explorer working as a reshack wrapper.
  
• Which means... reasonably simple-to-implement 64-bit support... finally! I've been a 64-bit Vista user myself now, for a few months, so that pleases User #0, too.
  
• So I've got a test build up to play with.
  
• Resources and file-list are identical to the 8.03 release - I haven't added extra entries for ProgFiles (x86) or SysWOW64.
  
• It's not ready for mass use, just because it requires more testing.
  
• Anything that goes wrong, I disavow all knowledge ;)
  
• http://rapidshare.com/files/128270709/Tiiz...SVNr54.exe.html
  

Future plans (Last updated 2008/07/07):

• I'm just hacking away at it, converting scripts from STTP 2600 where applicable, converting resources, and tweaking the stuff I made bespoke to STTP 6000(+1)
  
• I haven't done a whole lot in the past few months, but now that I've got 64-bit support sussed out, it's time to start digging through the piles of resources again.
  

Edited October 25, 2008 by vertigosity

[ViperAFK]

I get an error opening it with winrar, have downloaded it using opera and ie. "error unexpected end of archive"

[vertigosity]

Bah. Acknowledged and re-uploading. Try it again in 30 minutes :/

Edit: One more episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer later, reuploaded.

Edited July 8, 2007 by vertigosity

[MrFuji]

^Hey, nice :)

It works, half at least... I had to manually make me owner of the modded files and give me the rights to overwrite them.

Even an elevated command prompt couldn't do it, don't know why. Maybe it's just my vista install but strange behaviour nonetheless. The vertical folders are great!

[vertigosity]

I think that counts as not working, as far as I'm concerned, since the script should be setting ownership and permissions for itself. What'd you have to do to take ownership of everything, and did you do it from the GUI or the command line?

[MrFuji]

Well, basically I edited the rights via the file properties (Security tab --> Advanced --> Owner tab --> make me owner; Security tab --> Edit --> give me full access).

From what I could see in the batch script, the patcher HAD changed permissions but still couldn't overwrite the file...

[SHADOW-XIII]

great to see Vista Patcher, unfortunately I cannot/don't want to test it right now (because I do not have backup of my Win and no CD either - laptop OEM X_x)

but I'm looking forward to see it expanding, maybe proper instalator in future.

[DigitalE]

Nice! I'm probably going to be purchasing Object Desktop pretty soon, now I can fully (well, almost) Tango-ize Vista :D

Thanks for all the hard work, Vert.

[Denis W. Veteran]

^Hey, nice :)

It works, half at least... I had to manually make me owner of the modded files and give me the rights to overwrite them.

Even an elevated command prompt couldn't do it, don't know why. Maybe it's just my vista install but strange behaviour nonetheless. The vertical folders are great!

Did you try running the script while Vista is in safe mode?

[vertigosity]

Well, basically I edited the rights via the file properties (Security tab --> Advanced --> Owner tab --> make me owner; Security tab --> Edit --> give me full access).

From what I could see in the batch script, the patcher HAD changed permissions but still couldn't overwrite the file...

hmm. Are the commands the patcher is using for ownership-taking dumping any negative output?

To test that seperate of the patcher, replace %1 with something nonessential and not already yours (say, %windir%\system32\notepad.exe), and execute the code block in a command prompt (elevated, of course):

takeown /f "%1"
 echo y|cacls "%1" /g everyone:f

...and then see if you can manipulate your target file in explorer (rename, delete, etc). If you can't, we'll have to work out some way to compare the your ACLs against your ACLs after pushing buttons, and the ACLs of an install that the patcher's working on, but it's late, so I'm not going to think up a nice repeatable test procedure ATM.

[MrFuji]

^The first part succesfully made me owner of mspaint.exe :D

However, the second part didn't work:

C:\Windows\system32>echo y|cacls "%windir%\system32\mspaint.exe" /g everyone:f
Zuordnungen von Kontennamen und Sicherheitskennungen wurden nicht durchgef?hrt.

(which roughly translates to "Nope, didn't work" :pinch:: )

I already found out that this doesn't occur if I change the group parameter to something non-existant. Then the "are you sure" prompt appears how it should (but this doesn't change the rights either).

But well, I'm for a week in venice now so I can't try out further things... but next week I will, of course!

[vertigosity]

Hmmm... a little bit of googling finds this German Technet article which some more creative googling matches up with it's English counterpart. Just a hunch, but I bet your "everyone" object isn't called that, but a German translation - when you (or anybody else having this sort of trouble on non-English Windows) get back, try replacing "everyone" with "%username%", since I suspect that environment variable does always have the same name, and it'll always return a valid user on the system since it's the username of the person running the command.

[XPero]

The way you're doing it will only work for English users (if it works at all). PM me for details. I will start working soon in something big for Vista and I know all the issues you are having right now :)

[cpl183]

everyone is called "jeder" in german vista, but it didn't patch anything for me. I also tried it with %username%, but that didn't change anything. is there any kind of log that would be helpful if i post it? the cmd prompt is way to fast for me to see anything whats going on while patching, so i can't tell where the fault is.

[vertigosity]

Actually, there's a "pause" I rem'med out at the end of hack-o-matic that'll freeze output before it reboots and forgot to uncomment.

[gigapixels Veteran]

I'm definitely watching this thread :)

Nice work vert

[Inplode]

very nice ill be watching this as well !

[cpl183]

i removed the rem and replaced everyone with %username%, and here is what i get: (see attachement)

"erfolgreich" means succesfull, "Sind Sie sicher" is are you sure, "Zugriff verweigert" is acces denied and "Dateiname existiert bereits, oder die Datei konnte nicht gefunden werden" means filename already exists or the file could not be found.

i dont know if you still need the log or if XPero can offer you the solution (which i hope so :D ), but i'll post it anyway :)

when i look at this

Doit: Creating uninstaller for basebrd.dll.
Backup: Creating restore info for basebrd.dll.
		1 Datei(en) kopiert.
Backup: basebrd.dll copied.
Doit: Prepare basebrd.dll.
Preparing basebrd.dll.
Prepare: Reshacking basebrd.dll
		1 Datei(en) kopiert.
Das System kann die angegebene Datei nicht finden. (the system could not find the file)
		1 Datei(en) verschoben.
Doit: Implant basebrd.dll.
Surgically implanting NewFiles\2_basebrd.dll.
Swapping C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll for the NewFiles one.

ERFOLGREICH: Der Benutzer "C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll" ist jetzt de
r Besitzer der Datei (oder des Ordners) "cpl-PC\cpl".
Sind Sie sicher (J/N)?Zugriff verweigert - C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.d
ll
		1 Datei(en) kopiert.
Zugriff verweigert
Dateiname existiert bereits, oder die Datei
konnte nicht gefunden werden.

it seems like the script is making the file itself the owner of the file. (?)

hack_o_matic_log.txt

[Angel Blue01]

It looks nice!

I hope you and XPero can get a nice installer for it soon.

[XPero]

I will start the "Vize" project very soon. It is the XPize for Vista. I've successfully patched Vista system files, so the only thing I need is time to develop it! :) I will not use XPize Installer System, I will be rewriting everything using C#, except the Reshacker thing (I'm waiting for a cool C# library from a guy at TheCodeProject).

@Vertigosity:

Do not hesitate in contacting me for help.

Cheers

[vertigosity]

I will start the "Vize" project very soon. It is the XPize for Vista. I've successfully patched Vista system files, so the only thing I need is time to develop it! :) I will not use XPize Installer System, I will be rewriting everything using C#, except the Reshacker thing (I'm waiting for a cool C# library from a guy at TheCodeProject).

@Vertigosity:

Do not hesitate in contacting me for help.

Cheers

Now THAT sounds shiny, especially the bit about not using Reshacker, since that's pretty much a massive licensing violation (at least for me, since I've never tracked down the author and beat specific permission out of him). How much of that are you planning on sharing? I've been exploring using PowerShell or Python (I'd kinda like everything to be in an interpreted language, since I've declared user-editable patch targets to be a necessary feature for me and mine, but it's pretty obvious NT batch script is a bit limited) for program logic, but they'd still be calling reshack, so I'd love to get my hands on something like your C# library, doubly so if it supports Win64.

[XPero]

For now I'm not thinking in sharing, but I can share privately ;)

Also, that C# library is not mine, it is being developed by a guy at TheCodeProject and I don't know when it will be released :(. I'm thinking on starting the project with reshacker but I don't have the time for it. We shall see :)

[anonymous_user]

The patcher works fine vertigosity and of the icons at are replaced, they look awesome

The sideways folders will take time to adjust to though.

[Angel Blue01]

Also, that C# library is not mine, it is being developed by a guy at TheCodeProject and I don't know when it will be released :(. I'm thinking on starting the project with reshacker but I don't have the time for it. We shall see :)

Wonderful! :D

I hope you get something for Vista x64 too

[lordtinuviel]

any newz?