[Shell Patcher] Super Turbo Tango Patcher 6000

[MrFuji]

^Yep, laptop, indeed.

While charging I get a plug next to the battery - but I'll keep an eye on that; still haven't seen the low and critical status :)

I guess most users that actually use the battery icon have a laptop, so the generic image should be fine, at least it is with me.

[Robbie Khan Reviews]

Trying the new version out now many thanks man!

[Reb.]

How i would love a 64bit version.. Hows it going regarding that, vert?

[vertigosity]

How i would love a 64bit version.. Hows it going regarding that, vert?

Yeah, it's about time that gets a faq-like entry.

Information on 64-bit support:

• Doesn't exist. At least not right now.
  
• There aren't any commandline scriptable resource hacking tool that supports 64-bit binaries. Sure, there's a few graphical tools, but they're not scriptable, and several of them are commercial software.
  
• Not a whole lot I can do about it; I'm not into the kind of low-level binary executable disassembly voodoo it would take to make one.
  
• http://www.msfn.org/board/official-ize64-topic-t105086.html is probably the thread for you to watch, if you're interested in that.
  

[Reb.]

http://jardasmid.deviantart.com/art/Resour...ta-x64-78022625

no?

[Knife Party]

im now on vista and cant wait for the development of the tango patcher, i loved it on xp

[vertigosity]

http://jardasmid.deviantart.com/art/Resour...ta-x64-78022625

no?

Sweet mother of f***. I'm so playing with that when I get home... time to download a 64-bit image and play with that for a few rearms. It sounds like it only runs on 64-bit systems, though, so I'd have to either maintain two sets of scripts, or build something to translate between formats (probably not a bad idea anyways), but that sort of thing is totally my domain. Edited February 26, 2008 by vertigosity

[ViperAFK]

Sweet mother of f***. I'm so playing with that when I get home... time to download a 64-bit image and play with that for a few rearms. It sounds like it only runs on 64-bit systems, though, so I'd have to either maintain two sets of scripts, or build something to translate between formats (probably not a bad idea anyways), but that sort of thing is totally my domain.

Cool, I hope there is a 64 bit version in the future, although I know you can make no promises now. :)

[vertigosity]

Re jardasmid's resource patching tool:

Unless I'm missing something (possible!), it won't work directly, but it is d***ed close to being what is needed. It doesn't seem to support the icongroup resource type (it's some kind of weird index amalgamation that ties together the singular icon resources, which are what actually store the image data, but might not always line up 1:1 between a system file and a donor .ico)... but it seems to be close enough to be worth pestering the author about.

[MrFuji]

^Nice for those x64'ers!

But don't think I haven't noticed the changed windows flag in your sig...

I count that one as a first new resource ;)

[vertigosity]

Eh, it is, but at the same time it kinda isn't, since I will probably have to be seriously using X64 before I start working on it. VMware doesn't seem to want to run it in a VM on 32-bit Vista, so I have to use it as my main OS, even to just test stuff on it in a VM.

Mini-review of my experience with 64-bit WinVI:

It's a mixed bag - there's not really a direct point in it for me.

(0) My total memory addressing space comes in under 4GB

(0) Literally every program I run has a little *32 by it in Task Manager

(-) I'd have to give up using Tango, at least until I got the patcher working.

(0) I don't really have any 16-bit apps that weren't better run in DOSbox anyways, so it doesn't lose any points there.

(0) I'm really impressed at the number of 32-bit programs that rely on drivers and/or shell extensions to operate that "just work."

(0) Something just bugs me about having two versions of most system files sitting around, one for 32-bit, and one for 64-bit... I know why they did it the way they did, but I would have preferred having lots of shims and thunkers instead.

(-) Lots of little UI customization programs I like need specific 64-bit versions, which aren't out yet (if ever)

(+) On the other, hand, 64-bit does seem to work around a strange hardware bug that I've been experiencing in 32-bit WinVI, so I might switch anyways, just so I can use a secondary HD...

[MrFuji]

So that would make it (-1) for 64-bit in total...

You could of course install Vista x64 on a small, separate partition... Hm, ok, I wouldn't do that either...

But what about Virtual PC 2007? It worked quite well when I used it, although I have no idea if it would run 64-bit Vista (product site however says it runs 64-bit).

But anyway - I don't use WinVi64, so I don't really mind ;)

edit: Forget about Virtual PC - it wasn't all that clearly formulated. The release notes say:

* supports 64-bit host operating systems (but not 64-bit guest OSes)

Edited February 29, 2008 by MrFuji

[Insanor]

I hope it goes well for 64-bit Vista, i'm using the Tango Patcher on my 32-bit XP and it looks great. :D

[vertigosity]

Eh, it is, but at the same time it kinda isn't, since I will probably have to be seriously using X64 before I start working on it. VMware doesn't seem to want to run it in a VM on 32-bit Vista, so I have to use it as my main OS, even to just test stuff on it in a VM.

Yeah, I don't know WTF I was doing, it was complaining about not having VT support; it's working fine now with 32-bit host and 64-bit guest.

[omganinja]

Yeah, I don't know WTF I was doing, it was complaining about not having VT support; it's working fine now with 32-bit host and 64-bit guest.

WTF? You got a 64bit guest in a 32bit host? That shouldn't work. :s

[vertigosity]

WTF? You got a 64bit guest in a 32bit host? That shouldn't work. :s

That's what I thought as well, but maybe having Lagrange/VT/Pacifica/AMD-V/etc support lets the CPU divide itself more perfectly?

[Rebdomine]

Hi.

What is up, regarding the 64bit Tango patcher, vertigosity? Im looking extremely much forward to use it.

[vertigosity]

Hi.

What is up, regarding the 64bit Tango patcher, vertigosity? Im looking extremely much forward to use it.

I keep the first post updated with information about that.

[Rebdomine]

Okay, great.

[vertigosity]

From the "meh" files, icons in dialog boxes (error / warning / question / info) are stuck as Vista stock... they're located in user32.dll, as they were in XP, but if you replace it with a modified version, Vista goes into activation failure panic mode. I just LOVE playing with The OS That Knows Better.

8.03 with some minor updates sometime this weekend, unless my internet connection keeps acting up (which seems likely...), in which case it'll come out Monday when I go to work.

[vertigosity]

It's been a busy month for me outside of Tango-land, but perseverance has brought 8.03 to see the light of day. It's not overwhelmingly impressive, but it is a quantum leap from the previous version. Also, although I know I'll regret it as soon as I've posted this, 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.

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
  

As usual, download link in first post.

Some caveats: 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.

[MrFuji]

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.

Now that scares me a bit. 8.02 worked just fine, what's 8.03 doing differently?

[vertigosity]

Now that scares me a bit. 8.02 worked just fine, what's 8.03 doing differently?

Nothing - I've heard a few reports, looked through to see if anything in the Vize code was translating paths, and just now decided to say it.

[Rebdomine]

im still so very excited about 64bit.. i kinda got use to the default icons but tango would really add some extra

[MrFuji]

Nothing - I've heard a few reports, looked through to see if anything in the Vize code was translating paths, and just now decided to say it.

Alright! Installing!

edit: Aaand, works!

Edited April 1, 2008 by MrFuji