List of Resource Hacker Tutorials to Customize Windows Look-n-Feel

If you are a Windows customization lover and if you are a long time reader of this blog, you must be aware of the best Windows customization tool “Resource Hacker“. Resource Hacker is a free software for Windows which allows you to view and modify system files such as dll, exe, cpl, etc to change and customize Windows UI and functionality.

You can read following exclusive tutorial to learn more about this awesome tool:

[Review] All About Resource Hacker, The Ultimate Windows Customization Tool

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Almost all tutorials which include customizing Windows look-n-feel, require editing system files with the help of Resource Hacker, so Resource Hacker is a must have tool for all Windows customization users.

We have posted several Resource Hacker tutorials in past but there are many people who are new to this blog or who have not read some of these tutorials. That’s why today in this ultimate tutorial, we are going to list some of our best and exclusive Resource Hacker tutorials which will help you in tweaking and customizing Windows UI.

So without wasting time lets start the tutorial:

1. Enabling Hidden Secret “Debug” Menu in Built-in Microsoft Games in Windows

AskVG is the one and only website posting about this hidden secret trick for Windows. A few months back we posted a series of tutorials which helped you in revealing a secret “Debug” menu in all built-in Microsoft games such as Solitaire, FreeCell, Minesweeper, Chess, etc. This debug menu can be used to cheat in these games. You can instant win, enable autoplay feature, etc with the help of this hidden menu.

Secret_Minesweeper_Debug_Menu.png

Check out following exclusive tutorial to learn more about it:

Revealing Hidden Secret “Debug” Menu to Cheat in Built-in Microsoft Games in Windows Vista and 7

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2. Customizing Login Screen in Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7

Login Screen (also known as Welcome Screen or Logon) is one of the widely customized components of Windows OS. Microsoft keeps changing appearance of login screen in each version of Windows and we keep customizing its appearance according to our requirements with the help of Resource Hacker tool.

Custom_Login_Background_in_Win_7.png

Long time back we posted a tutorial which allows you to change text entries such as welcome, type your password, etc which are shown on login screen. You can change these text entries and replace them with your desired text using Resource Hacker.

How to Change or Customize Windows XP and Windows 7 Login Screen Text Entries?

You can also check out following tutorials which allow you to remove unwanted items from login screen such as shut down button, branding logo, ease of access button, etc:

How to Remove Shut Down Button from Windows Vista and 7 Login Screens?

How to Remove “Branding Logo” and “Ease of Access” Button from Windows Vista and 7 Login Screens?

Also check out following ultimate tutorial to tweak and customize Windows 7 login screen:

Ultimate Collection of Guides and Freeware to Tweak and Customize Windows 7 Login Screen

3. Customizing Command Bar in Windows Explorer

Command Bar (also known as Folder Band) is an advanced form of classic toolbar present in Windows Explorer. Command Bar was introduced by Microsoft in Windows Vista and the same Command Bar was also present in Windows 7. But Command Bar was not very customizable. Microsoft didn’t provide any built-in option to add or remove buttons from Command Bar or to show/hide Command Bar in Windows Explorer.

We have posted a few tutorials in past to tweak and customize Command Bar appearance in Windows Explorer. With the help of these tutorials you can add new buttons, remove existing buttons, rename button labels, change button positions and also you can hide the whole Command Bar in Windows Explorer.

Windows_7_Explorer_Commandbar.png

Check out following exclusive tutorial to learn more:

Ultimate Tutorial to Tweak and Customize “Command Bar” in Windows 7 Explorer

4. Customizing Details Pane in Windows Explorer

Details Pane (also known as Shellstyle or Common Tasks) shows details about the selected item in Windows Explorer. Its an advanced form of common tasks section present in Windows XP Explorer.

Following tutorials will help you in customizing Details Pane appearance such as moving it to top or enabling a secret animation in Details Pane:

Expand_Animation_Windows_Explorer_Details_Pane.gif

How to Move / Show “Details Pane” at Top in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer?

Enable Hidden Secret Animation in Details Pane of Windows Vista and 7 Explorer

5. Customizing System Properties Window

System Properties window helps you in finding useful details about your computer system such as amount of installed RAM, processor information, installed Windows version, etc. We have posted several tutorials to customize System Properties window look such as removing unwanted items from it or replacing existing logos and images with your own images.

Remove_Learn_More_Online_Link_System_Properties.png

Check out following tutorials to learn more:

6. For Windows XP Users

We are posting about Resource Hacker tricks when Windows XP was the latest operating system released by Microsoft so you’ll find many Resource Hacker tutorials which are only applicable for Windows XP.

Exploring_Modified_Windows_XP_De-1.jpg

If you are still using Windows XP, you should definitely check out following exclusive Resource Hacker tutorials to customize Windows XP UI:

That’s all for now. If you face any problem while using Resource Hacker, check out following articles:

Feel free to share your feedback and suggestions about this exclusive tutorial…

Published in: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. @Faann

    You can download this image here:

    img202.imageshack.us/img202/4496/imageenp.jpg

  2. I have always loved your resource hacker tips and this article is a bonus for us. Thanks VG. 🙂

  3. hello VG. I am looking for your tutorial on customizing the windows 7 eplorer toolbar, specifically manually removing/adding commands such as burn, cut, copy, paste… etc. thru regedit.
    I have done it before and im pretty sure i learned it from here. I havent had luck searching for it though. Could you direct me to it please if it still exists? Thank you.

  4. Can you tell me how to change the higlight color when I click/hover over files?

    I really want to change it, but have no idea how 🙂

  5. Hi there VG…..I would like thanks u for all the TUTs you have published..it definitely changed my perspective of windows and made my life so much easier and productive…truly unparalled Microsoft MVP
    would u please help me out….i am using Uxstyle(more stable than UXtheme) for applying 3rd party themes in Windows 8.1 …I have used ONE(Old New Explorer) for disabling the ribbon and others stuff compensated only by ur TUT regarding editing explorer command-bar….but I would like to disable more stuff such as but cannot find which one is for which….so is there any msdn library reference page for all the commands and the command name that appears in windows commandbar(i knew many of them are easy to spot but others arent) . Would u belive it i just found one and its created by none other than our all time favorite Nirsofer.

    Regarding another matter..i quite like the windows 8 file explorer ribbon(UIRibbon.dll) but want to make the ribbon black….from deviantart i found after a lot of digging a black UIRibbon.dll……but sadly i cannot replace it as its version is 6.2.xxxxxxx but my version 6.3.xxxx(windows 8.1 rtm) how can i replace such system resources? is it possible by renaming the file version in Resource Hacker(RH)? or do i have to have export all resources and use a text diff software(WinMerge) and then study those difference…..search in msdn library and then make appropriate change? I have uploaded this two UIRibbon.dll files if u have the time&energy in indefinite future could u have a look at it? drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B9Ml-5cNv27gcEtUYURjc0huM0k&usp=sharing
    Thanks in Advance 🙂

  6. Hello! I Was Wondering If There was A Way To Add Extra Control Panel Applications In Windows 7 Ultimate Or Windows 10 Pro. I Have Read a Few Websites That Say Changing Certain Registry Files Will Add The Extra Control Panel Applications. But I Was Told By Microsoft And My Computer support company That It Is Impossible To Do So Because The Computer Manufacturer Adds Them Into Their Computers. That Is Why I See Other Friends’ Computers With The Same Operating Systems Having extra Control Panel Applications Than I Do. Is There Any Way At All To Add Control Panel applications In windows 7 Ultimate Or Windows 10 Pro? Any Help Would Be Greatly Appreciated! Thank You!

  7. I need to disable the File Open Right Mouse Button comments Copy/Paste/Delete/Rename. Is there to do this using Resource Hacker? Thanks.

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