Changing icons without changing resources in files

[Petr]

So Miko,

I tried to find out where to change icons to achieve the same effect as with modified explorer.exe and shell32.exe.

The following icons were modified: Recycle bin (empty, full), My computer, Desktop, Network Neighborhood.

Recycle bin:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Icons

"31"="xxx.dll,number" (empty)

"32"="xxx.dll,number" (full)

But also in

HKCR\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon

"empty"="xxx.dll,number"

"full"="xxx.dll,number"

And also in

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon

"@"="xxx.dll,number"

"empty"="xxx.dll,number"

"full"="xxx.dll,number"

Do you know the difference betwenn the first and second example? The third sems to be clear, it means the modification for the current user only.

My computer:

HKCR\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\Default Icon

"@"="xxx.dll,number"

Desktop:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Icons

"34"="xxx.dll,number"

Network Neighborhood:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Icons

"17"="xxx.dll,number"

and

HKCR\CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\Default Icon

"@"="xxx.dll,number"

If I want to display the right icons in Quck launch bar, it is necessary to edit:

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Item_name.scf

Still don't know how to change the right bottom "My Computer" icon in Control panels and similar folders.

I've searched the registry and ther are many references to icons in explorer.exe and shell32.dll, maybe the reason why Gape choosed the way of changing resoures was too high complexity of register and scf file changes. It seems to be impossible to do it on non-fresh installed Windows.

Regards,

Petr

[miko]

this might be stating the obvious but you can change the mycomp, mydoc, network and recycle bin icons from Display Properties>Effects

i change almost all mine through the registry now, the only annoying one (for me) is "Folder Options" on the start menu which is the same icon as "Windows Explorer" and is contained in EXPLORER.EXE, yes it is easier in some ways to get them to all to change at once by hacking shell32.dll & explorer (i originally used to use this method, but there are alot of icons in shell32.dll and it's a pain to do them all at once) plus you can't really distribute your work.

Desktop Architect v2.11

is a handy tool (don't let it run at startup, and remove the non-working Display Properties extension dadesk.dll)

there are others but this oldie is a goodie.

i'll look at the affected registry entrys when i get come back and edit this post,

i want to nail this down myself as i want to export the icon set i've been working on a long time.

i'd prefer it to be a simple .reg file and an .icl (icon library)

right now i have to go for dinner....

miko

PS i think the CLSID ones are the defaults used when the ones in "Shell Icons" have been changed (think Plus! pack themes etc) you need the defaults to be able to return it to normal.

i know how to change the "My Computer" icon in the bottom you speak of, it's one of the "internet zone icons" and has a differerent location in the registry (its related to ie)

back soon...

[Petr]

this might be stating the obvious but you can change the mycomp, mydoc, network and recycle bin icons from Display Properties>Effects

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, when I wrote about the HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\ keys, they were discovered by changing the icons in Display Properties>Effects and searching the registry for updated items.

If we want to find an alternative to patching the files, we have to find the right registry patch that will be working in every configuration.

I don't know if Gape will like this way, but I think these registry changes could be added to W2kcolor.inf file.

Petr

[Petr]

this might be stating the obvious but you can change the mycomp, mydoc, network i know how to change the "My Computer" icon in the bottom you speak of, it's one of the "internet zone icons" and has a differerent location in the registry (its related to ie)

back soon...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It seems I have discovered the place:

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0

"Icon"="explorer.exe#0100"

I was confused by the fact that Tweak UI "Rebuild Icons" does not work for this icon and it is necessary to reboot zto se the effect.

Do you know the difference between syntax "explorer.exe#0100" and "Icon"="explorer.exe,0" ?

And what does mean negative numbers, like "Icon"="explorer.exe,-103"?

Petr

[miko]

i was just going to post that

and no, i don't know the meaning of the negative numbers.

(although i suspect they might wrap around the number of icons in a file, if you know what i mean)

despite the fact that the default is #0100

the syntax seems to follow #0000 for the 1st icon but #0002 for the 2nd and so on

paths are also valid, so for example having this in the "Icon" key

C:\Program Files\PLUS!\SP\test.icl#0003

will show the third icon in the test.icl

this tool will enble you to change the zone icons (amongst other things)

"Toolbar Control" - http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/down_app.html

so you could probably sus it out with a scan of the registry before and after like you did before,

once you've decided where your going to site the .icl and setup the icons (perhaps using the above tool),

all we really need are the correct exported registry entries right ?

to rebuild the icon cache, sometimes, tweakUI doesn't hack it,

in fact i've been told theres a bug in it and it can corrupt the icon cache,

although i don't know if that's correct.

personlly i tend to use the "Rebuild" option in "Change Icon" from http://home.nordnet.fr/~pmdevigne/ more

(nice little program that)

or i just delete the icon cache and log on and off to have it rebuilt.

PS. please read this -

http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/icn_reg.html

whats next ?

B)

[MDGx]

Good tool, also free(ware):

ActivIcons v3.33 32-bit for Windows 9x/NT4/2000/ME/XP replaces default

system folders/items/shortcuts icons, animated/static mouse cursors, Start

button graphic/text, MS IE/OE spinning logos, startup/shutdown logos,

increases/rebuilds Shell icon cache, removes shortcut arrow overlays, allows

animated icons on Desktop, makes Desktop icon labels transparent,

saves/restores Desktop icons layout etc, highly customizable:

http://www.cursorarts.com/ca_aifw.html

Direct download [2.6 MB, freeware]:

http://www.funet.fi/pub/simtelnet/win95/icon/actic333.exe

Windows 95/OSR1/OSR2/NT4 require MS IE 4/5/6 with Active Desktop (View As Web

Page) enabled:

http://www.mdgx.com/toy.htm#IEX

[eidenk]

And what does mean negative numbers, like "Icon"="explorer.exe,-103"?

They seem to be label or index only. I don't know exactly but there are some weird things for sure : For example the icon for the History folder is extracted from SHDOCVW.DLL and bears the label -20785 or -20780. This file contains many icons (31) but only 6 are accessible through the standard icon dialog box. The History folder icon can only be changed through the registry anyway :

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}]
@="History"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}\InProcServer32]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM\\SHDOCVW.DLL"
"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM\\SHDOCVW.DLL,-20780"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=dword:a0000004

But I haven't managed to figure out how to change the icons of the History virtual subfolders. Apparently the icon used there is SHDOCVW.DLL,-20783 but I havent found a reference to it in the registry. It may be that this one is hardcoded.