UPDATE - New version available

If you are a Windows XP user and trying to make your XP look like Windows 7, then here is something interesting for you.

This tutorial will help you in changing the look of Windows XP System Properties dialog box and make it look like Windows 7 dialog box.

Following is a preview of what you are going to get in XP:

Prerequisites:

To modify System Properties dialog box, we'll need to edit "%windir%\System32\sysdm.cpl" file in Resource Hacker. If you are new to Resource Hacker, we'll advise you to go through following tutorial to learn about it:

All About Resource Hacker in a brief Tutorial

Once you become familiar with Resource Hacker, make sure you have run WFP Patcher in Windows. WFP Patcher disables WFP (Windows File Protection) service. WFP service protects editing of system files and you'll not be able to edit "sysdm.cpl" file until you disable it using WFP patcher. You can find it in our "Downloads" section.

If you don't want to disable WFP, you can save the modified file at some other location and then replace default sysdm.cpl file with your new modified one using Replacer. This tool can also be found in our "Downloads" section.

Getting Started:

1. First download following ZIP file:

Download Bitmaps

Mirror

Extract the ZIP file and you'll get 3 BMP files.

2. Now open "%windir%\System32\sysdm.cpl" file in Resource Hacker. (Here "%windir%\ represents "C:\Windows" directory if your Windows is installed in C: drive.)

3. Now we have to replace existing bitmap file with the downloaded one. To do this:

a. Goto Bitmap -> 1 -> 1033.
b. Click on Action -> Replace Bitmap....
c. Click on Open file with new bitmap... button.
d. Select the new downloaded 1.BMP file and click on Open button.
e. finally click on Replace button.

4. Now we have to add other 2 BMP files also. To do this:

a. Click on Action -> Add a new Resource ....
b. Click on Open file with a new resource... button.
c. select 5.BMP and click on Open button.
d. Give 5 in Resource Name and 1033 in Resource Language text boxes.
e. Finally click on Add Resource button.

5. Repeat the above steps for 6.BMP file. (Resource Name for 6.BMP will be 6 and Resource Language will be 1033).

6. Now goto Dialog -> 101 -> 1033 and replace existing code with the following code:

101 DIALOGEX 32, 10, 401, 227
STYLE DS_FIXEDSYS | DS_MODALFRAME | WS_POPUP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CAPTION
CAPTION "General"
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US
FONT 8, "MS SHELL DLG"
{
CONTROL 6, 0, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | SS_CENTERIMAGE | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 0, 0, 107, 227
CONTROL "Windows edition", 304, BUTTON, BS_GROUPBOX | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 110, 5, 290, 73
CONTROL "Windows 7 Ultimate", 0, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 130, 20, 162, 8
CONTROL "", 58, EDIT, ES_LEFT | ES_AUTOHSCROLL | ES_READONLY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 175, 174, 155, 8
CONTROL "System", 304, BUTTON, BS_GROUPBOX | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 110, 80, 290, 65
CONTROL 5, 62, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | SS_CENTERIMAGE | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 337, 166, 57, 29
CONTROL "", 63, "Link Window", 0x50000000, 185, 95, 100, 8
CONTROL "", 64, "Link Window", 0x50000000, 285, 95, 100, 8
CONTROL "", 65, "Link Window", 0x50000000, 185, 105, 100, 8
CONTROL "Windows activation", 304, BUTTON, BS_GROUPBOX | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 110, 147, 290, 65
CONTROL "Product ID:", 0, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 131, 174, 40, 9
CONTROL 1, 0, STATIC, SS_BITMAP | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 330, 13, 64, 59
CONTROL "Windows is activated.", 0, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 131, 162, 155, 10
CONTROL "Copyright © 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.", 0, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 130, 33, 197, 9
CONTROL "Processor:", 0, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 130, 95, 35, 8
CONTROL "Memory (RAM):", 0, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 130, 105, 52, 8
CONTROL "System type:", 0, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 130, 115, 45, 8
CONTROL "32-bit Operating System", 0, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 185, 115, 100, 8
}

7. Click on Compile Script button.

8. At last Save the file and close Resource Hacker.

9. That's it. Now you'll get Windows 7 look-a-like System Properties dialog box in XP.

PS: If you want a ready-made "sysdm.cpl" file, then you can download it using following link:

Download ready-made sysdm.cpl file for Windows XP

You'll need to replace existing sysdm.cpl file in your system with this downloaded one. That's all. Make sure to first take backup of original file.

This article was posted in Resource Hacker, Windows XP.

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