List of Windows Vista System Files to be Hacked Using Resource Hacker

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In this tutorial, we'll tell you about various system files in Windows Vista, which can be hacked using Resource Hacker to change the look of Windows Vista dialog boxes, menus, login screen, boot screen and many other things. So here we start the tutorial:

Approx. all Windows Vista system icons -> %windir%\System32\imageres.dll

Login Screen Background -> %windir%\System32\imageres.dll

Startup Windows ORB animation images -> %windir%\System32\authui.dll

Startup Windows ORB Sound -> %windir%\System32\imageres.dll

Shutdown/ lock, etc. buttons in Startmenu -> %windir%\Explorer.exe -> Bitmap -> 7051 - 7056

Windows Version Image in About Windows dialog box -> %windir%\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll

Windows Version Image in Login Screen bottom -> %windir%\Branding\Basebrd\basebrd.dll

Classic Start button flag and Classic Start menu left side image -> %windir%\Branding\Shellbrd\shellbrd.dll

Control Panel Left Sidebar Bottom Image -> %windir%\System32\Shell32.dll -> Bitmap -> 632

Back & Forward, Search, Stop, Refresh buttons in Windows Explorer -> %windir%\System32\browseui.dll

Back & Forward, Search, Stop, Refresh, Progress animation, tabs, tab close, etc. buttons in Internet Explorer -> %windir%\System32\ieframe.dll

Welcome Center Images -> %windir%\System32\oobefldr.dll

Boot Screen background image in "No GUI boot" condition -> %windir%\System32\en-US\Winload.exe.mui

Windows Media Player Resources -> %windir%\System32\wmploc.dll

Above are the new system files/locations in Windows Vista which were not present in earlier versions, like XP. But if you want to change look of various dialog boxes like RUN, Progress, System Properties, Startmenu and Taskbar Properties, etc. Then you'll have to edit the same system files which you used to edit in Windows XP. The difference is, now those files don't contain the resources but their .MUI files do.

So if you want to edit RUN dialog box which was present in "%windir%\System32\Shell32.dll" file in XP, is now present in "%windir%\System32\en-US\Shell32.dll.mui" file in Windows Vista.

So in following list, we'll tell you where all those files are present in Windows Vista:

All those files are present in any of following 2 locations:

%windir%\en-US\
%windir%\System32\en-US\

To know about those various system files containing dialog boxes, menus, etc. resources, please visit following link:

List of Files to be hacked using Resource Hacker

List of Resource Locations to be Hacked Using Resource Hacker

All those file names and resource locations are same in XP and Vista.

Other similar articles that may interest you:

This article was posted by VG in following section: Resource Hacker, Windows Vista.

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ravikanth

u can take ownership of a system file with the "takeown" command in vista it is very handy
tool no need to edit the registry........
but after taking ownrship u have to go to that file right click it and choose proprts and in that security, edit read write modify permissions for ur account.........thats it
but its a time consuming if u want to edit multiple files however u can use the wildcard "*" option for the takeown command............
Kanishk

it is still not working man..!
John Marshall

What have I done wrong?

CONTROL "#150", 12287, "SysAnimate32", ACS_TRANSPARENT | ACS_AUTOPLAY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 58, 107, 60, 60
This doesn't seem to work!
John
VG

Remove "#150" and then check again:

CONTROL "", 12287, "SysAnimate32", ACS_TRANSPARENT | ACS_AUTOPLAY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 58, 107, 60, 60
John Marshall

Thanks Vishal,
How do I use the avi that I put into the file if it is 150? John
John Marshall

Of course, and as always, remember that the last 4 digits in that line represent the location of my AVI, and they will change as you adjust your AVI's location. Also, again, the "#151" is the title of MY AVI, change that to YOUR title. So, if you've titled your AVI 180, it will be "#180" .
John Marshall

Of course, and as always, remember that the last 4 digits in that line represent the location of my AVI, and they will change as you adjust your AVI's location. Also, again, the "#151" is the title of MY AVI, change that to YOUR title. So, if you've titled your AVI 180, it will be "#180" .
John Marshall

Should the png file itself for the orb be 300X300 pixels of the background for the screen? John
Could someone please help me? John
Kunal

Hey man. I'm trying to hack imageres.dll. It won't let me save because it says it cannot create the file. There is no _original. The WFP switcher doesn't seem to work with Vista...what shouild I do?
VG

^^ Take ownership of the file. Then save the file at some other location. At last rename default file to some other name like "imageres_bak.dll" and copy new modified file to the same folder. restart your system and Windows will start using the new file.