Changing the Start Button Icon

dom_mitchell1 · Dec 16, 2008

I've seen a lot of people asking how folks have changed the Windows logo to the HTC one and so on. I am one of those people!

There's a thread over in the Diamond Forum here, http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=437307, that discusses altering the taskbar icons.

I've had a read of that but it doesn't appear to discuss the start button. I've currently got a cab installed that gave me coloured icons on the taskbar but also the 3d MS Office style start button. I like the icons but not that start button.

Is there anyway someone could provide an idiot/noob style guide for altering that icon. I'd love to have the Vista start button on my HD (attached image) but have no idea how to go about it aside from I think it has something to with .dll files.

Can anyone explain this? Anyone? I know there would be a lot of people grateful for it! I've Googled and used the search but just cannot seem to find anything!

I've attached a mock-up of my ideal; I've got the coloured icons, just the start button to go!

sk806 · Dec 16, 2008

I think....

the explanation is to edit the shellres.192.dll file here:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=2791169&postcount=3

using the process here?

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=2791165&postcount=1

No?

EDIT: I am going to try myself this evening with your very nice icon...will let you know how it goes, if you don't beat me to it!

tkalli · Dec 16, 2008

I believe you can do it with Wisbar.
Wisbar is not free.
http://www.lakeridgesoftware.com/

frostywrath · Dec 17, 2008

sk806 said:
the explanation is to edit the shellres.192.dll file here:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=2791169&postcount=3

using the process here?

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=2791165&postcount=1

No?

EDIT: I am going to try myself this evening with your very nice icon...will let you know how it goes, if you don't beat me to it!

you had a chance at it yet? did it work?

Prof. Yaffle · Dec 17, 2008

...........

Prof. Yaffle · Dec 17, 2008

This is the thread I used to alter the Windows logo to a HTC logo among other things in this thread. It's dead easy,

1) Unsign the file using Unsigner linked to in the thread further up (on page 2 of the Unsigner thread there's a .bat file that I found gave a better idea of whether it had worked or not).
2) Open the file in Reshacker and go to Icon on the left hand side and click it to expand it. Go to number 292, click it and it will expand to show 1033. Click 1033 and it should be the start menu icon. Right click on 1033 and select Replace Resource. Select Open File With New Icon and find your new (resized) icon. Double click it and it will show a preview of new and old. Click Replace in the bottom right corner.
3) Save the newly modified file.
4) Sign the modified file using Ssigner linked to in the thread above. CHECK THE TEXT FILE IT CREATES TO MAKE SURE IT SIGNED OK. Don't forget this bit as it will mean a hard reset if you do (as I learnt).
5) If you've not installed SDKCert.cab some time in the past. download it from here, copy it to the phone and install it.
6) Copy the file to the Windows directory on the phone using Resco Explorer or Total Commander.
7) Reboot the phone.

guap · Dec 17, 2008

how did you copy shellres.192.dll? it says "Acces denied" even with resco. No chance to renaming also

Prof. Yaffle · Dec 17, 2008

To get the file in the first place you need a program called ROM Extractor on the phone to get the file from ROM. There are also different varients of the ROM for different locales. There's a description in the link above.

guap · Dec 17, 2008

thanks for your efforts but seems a little complicated

TotalCommander did the trick, resco seems to have some security check problems

anyway, unsigner doesn't work so i'm stuck

Prof. Yaffle · Dec 17, 2008

guap said:
anyway, unsigner doesn't work so i'm stuck

Try the .bat file in the second page of the Unsigner thread. Copy Unsigner, the .bat file and the file you want to unlock to the same directory and double click the .bat file. Also, because the file is from ROM make sure it's not marked as Read Only when you get it to your PC before unsigning it. If it's from ROM they're usually Read Only for a start.

sk806 · Dec 17, 2008

frostywrath said:
you had a chance at it yet? did it work?

Not yet. Just got back from work. I need a different job...

I will try tomorrow. I have been meaning to give this s shot for a while now, and the icon you posted is what I have been looking for.

guap · Dec 17, 2008

the bat only automize the process... It doesn't work anyway as it still use UnSigner

unclesomebody · Dec 17, 2008

Do you have the cab to change the other icons? I had a quick look on the diamond thread but couldn't find the exact ones you have! Thanks.

Prof. Yaffle · Dec 17, 2008

guap said:
the bat only automize the process... It doesn't work anyway as it still use UnSigner

True, but when I tried Unsigner on it's own it didn't give any feedback as to what it was doing (or if it did I missed it) so I changed 150+ icons only to find it hadn't been unsigned and therefore couldn't be resigned. At least with the batch file I can check it's been properly unsigned before making changes.

Does it give you any error messages when you try Unsigner?

unclesomebody said:
Do you have the cab to change the other icons? I had a quick look on the diamond thread but couldn't find the exact ones you have! Thanks.

Do you mean me or someone else?

guap · Dec 17, 2008

Prof. Yaffle said:
Does it give you any error messages when you try Unsigner?

that's the point: no errors from unsigner, but resourcehacker can't open my file (not valid bla bla bla)

Prof. Yaffle · Dec 17, 2008

In which case I'd say the file hasn't copied across properly from the phone. Reshacker should be able to open the file and allow editing even if it's still signed. I'd try ROM Extractor to copy the file from ROM to elsewhere on the phone and then copy that across to the PC.

dom_mitchell1 · Dec 17, 2008

unclesomebody said:
Do you have the cab to change the other icons? I had a quick look on the diamond thread but couldn't find the exact ones you have! Thanks.

Do you mean this cab?

http://cid-b6b1a627fbae21e5.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/Colored Top Bar.cab

Don't forget you'll need to install this first:

http://cid-b6b1a627fbae21e5.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/1SdkCerts.cab

Hope this helps.

guap · Dec 17, 2008

Prof. Yaffle said:
In which case I'd say the file hasn't copied across properly from the phone. Reshacker should be able to open the file and allow editing even if it's still signed. I'd try ROM Extractor to copy the file from ROM to elsewhere on the phone and then copy that across to the PC.

uhm seems reasonable

but I don't want to extract all my whole rom for a stupid dll... I extracted with total commander, isn't supposed to work this way?

Prof. Yaffle · Dec 17, 2008

Nope, certain ROM files can't be copied using normal file copy programs. I've found that they try and copy, then say the "File already exists, do you wish to replace?" and then whatever you select you're left with a 0k file with nothing in it. The ROM extractor doesn't copy the whole ROM. When you launch it you get a list of all the ROM files. Double click the one you want to extract, give it a location (\ usually for the root directory of the phone) and a name and click Extract.

guap · Dec 17, 2008

Ok, I will try. But how to replace when modified? If I can't even read it, how will I replace it?

Changing the Start Button Icon

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