Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 26

Thread: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    144

    How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    Can anyone tell me if you know a way to change the Vista start button's icon?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mumbai
    Posts
    824

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    1,736
    Changing Windows Vista Start Button Tutorial

    You all need those programs:

    - Photoshop CS2 or CS3
    - Alpha Icon Converter (free)
    - Restorator 2007 (free for what we need it for)
    - Ressource Hacker (free)


    1. Ok So first, you will need to find the image you want to modify ( in this case it will be the start button )
    which is IMAGE_872 and is located in the aero.msstyles (located in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero)

    http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...Capture1-1.png

    http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o.../Capture-9.png

    - Open Restorator 2007 (Trial)
    - Open the aero.msstyles file from C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero
    - Go into IMAGE folder on the left in the explorer and click on file 872.

    http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...Capture2-1.png

    - Right mouse click on the 872 file and select extract/extract as 872.png.

    http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/Capture3.png

    File dimensions are 138x60 px.

    Why 3 orbs?
    Explanation is simple in this order,

    - Top one is the normal orb
    - Middle is the hovered orb (mouse over effect)
    - Bottom is the pressed orb (when clicked)


    It will be your choice in this case to how you will design your new start button



    2. Photoshop (a)

    - Open Photoshop and make a new image with the size of 60x138.
    - Draw you new start button remembering that it can be easier if you divide
    your picture in 3 for different colors etc
    - Save your new start button creation as .png and make sure you hva an empty/transparent background



    3. Converting png to bitmap

    - Open Alpha Icon Converter
    - Simply make sure its set to .bmp
    - Drag your new start button on it
    - Done! you should now have your new start button in .bmp



    So if you have it right, you should have 3 files by now

    - original 872.png
    - new872.png
    - new872.bmp


    4. Photoshop (b)

    - Open the saved bitmap and png file in photoshop (new 872.bmp + original 872.png)
    - Select the png, copy & paste it over on the bitmap and make sure you move the png in the good position
    - Select all using the Rectangular Marquee Tool
    - Press "ctrl + right mouse click and choose "background"
    - Press "Delete or Del"
    - Used the Paint Bucket tool to make the whole background black (see picture)
    - Save it as .bmp and overwrite your new872.bmp file with it.


    5. Converting bmp to png

    - Open Alpha Icon Converter
    - Simply make sure its set to .png (default)
    - Drag the bitmap file you just saved on it
    - Done!

    you should now have your new start button "872.png"

    Now you need to make sure that you have taken ownership and have full control over the aero.msstyles file
    If not, now is the time to do it.

    6. Change the aero theme to a windows classic theme
    or windows theme but make sure you are not using the original aero
    or basic theme.


    7. Open Reshacker

    - Open the IMAGE folder on the left in the explorer
    - Select file 872
    - Right mouse click and choose "replace ressource"
    - Browse for your new start button .png and fill in the 3 other parametres
    like shown in the picture below ( Use capital letters for IMAGE)
    - Go to Save your file and "Save As" replace the aero.msstyle with it

    http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/Capture4.png



    Thats it you are done!

    Reshack and Alpha Image are attached!

    I hope the tutorial is easy enough for most of you?

    source: thehobbylounge.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    2,291
    if you want you can get windowblinds and theme it there (from what i heard, saw, used <trial) its pretty easy, but if you want to go free, you can always do the uxtheme patch, and make your own themes! (don't ask me, i don't know how )

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    281
    Well thats quite a lot of information on just a windows Vista start button.
    Is this also applicable in same or some other way for windows Xp?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    1

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    I have done all that was stated above, but I get a black box around my start button icon. How do I fix the transparency?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    1

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    doesnt work for me. reshack wont let me change areo and i tried to save my own .Theme and .msstyle.Theme and it says theyre not valid themes!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    1,738

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    There is a lot of security in Windows Vista and Windows 7, Run Reshack in Administrator mode. Then change the file permission which you need to edit. Always take a back-up of the file you are editing, so that you don't mess your whole Operating system if something goes wrong. Reshack needs to be run as Administrator.
    Pay To Developers, Not To RapidShare...!

    http://forums.techarena.in/guides-tutorials/1135890.htm

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    4

    question Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    My user account is a Administrator, but there is no specific user named Administrator. Is this the same? If it is, it's not working. If it isn't, how do I get to the Administrator login? I got everything done except the last step:
    "Go to Save your file and "Save As" replace the aero.msstyle with it"

    Please help

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    4

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    I think I found how how, haven't tried it yet:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olk8L...layer_embedded

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    4

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    Ok, before you can change the permissions, you need to do this:

    Right click aero.msstyles, select Properties, on the Security tab, click Advanced, then select the Owner tab, click on Edit, give yourself permission, select yourself (maybe "Administrators" will work as well) and Apply. Maybe then you can change the permissions.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    3

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    i just need this simple thing which u all dont understand i have downloded ORB ICONS from websites i just want to replace this to my installed theme ORB Icon...and what u r telling me how can make a ORB ICON.....i want simple mathod just like copy and paste is there any way ???

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    4

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    Quote Originally Posted by muhammadnazim12 View Post
    i just need this simple thing which u all dont understand i have downloded ORB ICONS from websites i just want to replace this to my installed theme ORB Icon...and what u r telling me how can make a ORB ICON.....i want simple mathod just like copy and paste is there any way ???
    Lose the 'tude man LoL

    It's what finally made it possible for me to finish this up. After I ran the first step, I just had to replace the 872 image in the msstyles file. There is no "copy and paste" method...windows would never make anything that easy LoL
    Last edited by abhishek; 25-02-2009 at 07:36 AM. Reason: link removed

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    2

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    Hi guys, I'm having trouble with this as well.

    I've done all the steps including taking ownership of the aero.msstyles file and giving my self full permissions. I have replaced the file with the one containing my .bmp file, but it won't load the theme. As a matter of fact, I can't get it to load even the backed up copy of Aero.

    Is there another step to get it to read the theme? Aero doesn't show up in the list of themes when I click my "personalize" then "Themes" dialog.

    Can anyone help?

    Thanks in advance!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    2

    Re: How to change Windows Vista start button icon?

    bump

    Can anyone help?

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Change The Text On XP Start Button
    By Rohit Kasle (RK) in forum Tips & Tweaks
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 09-02-2010, 05:50 PM
  2. How to change the start button in Windows 7
    By Santosh24 in forum Customize Desktop
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 22-12-2009, 10:07 AM
  3. WINDOWS VISTA 64Bit Start Button
    By luch65 in forum Operating Systems
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 19-08-2009, 06:51 PM
  4. Change Windows Xp start up Button
    By Clemens in forum Customize Desktop
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 29-01-2009, 10:38 AM
  5. How to change the action of Windows Vista Stop button ?
    By EricTheRed in forum Tips & Tweaks
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 16-01-2009, 08:59 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Page generated in 1,711,665,304.05319 seconds with 17 queries