How to Edit dll File to change Icons

**Computer_Freak** · 21-01-2009

Editing dll: Presentation

This article will show you how to change almost all the icons on the Windows XP without using third-party software like Microangelo or Axialis IconworkShop. To do this, changes will be applied to certain system files, and not without risk. The team therefore disclaims any liability in the event of mishandling with your hand, causing a deterioration in your system.

Introduction
Like any self-respecting customization, you want to change your work interface, and even in the smallest corners. To achieve uniformity of your theme, you've installed and used software that allows you to change the icons of your drives, directories and other XP menus. But this process has several disadvantages.

First, as previously indicated, you must install one or more software to change a maximum icon, the software is often paid. Then you're not immune from a serious crash requiring you to format, and if necessary to repeat all the changes, which often requires a lot of time!
Finally, none of these apps you can not change all the icons in all circumstances (some windows as "open", "save", "browse", etc ... keep the old icons).

To compensate for these shortcomings, there is a solution a bit less convenient, but more efficient editing and replacement dll icons they contain.

A few technical
For those who do not know, the *. dll (Dynamic Linked Library) are used to store other icons to have a file to exploit. As with any library, the elements (ie the icons) are identified by a number of indexes, which uses the code executed by your OS.
Thus, for example shell32.dll, if the code uses the icon of the files, it will point to "C: \ windows \ system32 \ shell32.dll, 4", or 4 is the index number of the icon files.

What we offer here is to edit the desired dll through a dedicated software, and replace the resource (an icon here) with another more to your liking. Once the replacement is, all that remains is to replace the original dll by dll changed in Windows, and your interface will be customized.

Preparations
To perform the manipulation, this is first that you will need:

- First, the editor dll. The best known of these is Resource Hacker (or ResHack).
Download Resource Hacker

- Then, the dll to change. To change a lot of icons in the interface, editing shell32.dll is sufficient, but not limited to oblige. In this case we will use this dll.

- A temporary directory in which you copy shell32.dll (you can find it in c: \ windows \ system32)

- For a little control, you should use an icon editor like Microangelo or Axialis Iconworkshop. You will see all the icons in the dll.

- Finally, they will obviously need new icons replacement.

**Computer_Freak** · 21-01-2009

Hot To Use Resource Hacker

You will see how to replace an icon in a dll with reshack. But above all, a small technical point on the structure icon files (. Ico) and the dll is required.

The. Ico
Ico file can be likened to a container. Indeed, the need to display the same icon in different formats (size and color depth) depending on the area of the interface, ico file includes several instances of the same image. The instances are defined by their size (16x16, 24x24, 48x48 pixels, etc ...) and the number of colors (16, 256, or 32bits + for alpha transparency).

When you open such an icon with a dedicated publisher to iconworkshop, the latter systematically all instances of size and color as a list. You are then free to modify the instance of your choice, without this n'impacte the remaining bodies. Beyond the size and color, each body is independent and may be of different picture.
Obviously, there is little interest in using a file ico whose bodies are completely different.

Note that in XP, is largely limited to instances in 16 million colors/32bits alpha that are used by the shell (including shortcuts, large icons, panel configuration, etc ...) but the icons in 16 and 256 Colors are still valid. Indeed, these formats does not a good rendering is used for small icons scattered here and in the interface and a visual presence is limited.

The DLL
Time to dynamic libraries, more commonly known Dll.
In addition to their function within the system that we do not develop, these files store therefore various graphics files as bmp, png, avi, ico, cur, etc. ... These resources can obviously be changed. The structure of a dll is always the same, regardless of the resource editor you use, the presentation of resources will be the same, namely as tree.

Generally, each type of resource has its own branch in the tree as a subdirectory named after the type of resource. Thus, you find very often a subdirectory bitmap, heart or AVI. When the icons, the structure may be slightly different.
As noted above, the icons include multiple instances. The Dll therefore incorporate a branch detailing all the files ico board but also a branch detailing a list of all instances of all files ico. This dual structure allows the system to easily identify the body to be used according to the area that will display the icon.
The branch dedicated to type icons complete "is called Icon Group and the branch dedicated to the type of bodies Icon.

For each resource belonging to a branch of type, a subdirectory with the name of the resource exists (often a number), containing a line itself named in 1036 for the language.

Last thing about the resources of type icon, when you run and displayed as a resource reshack Icon type group (see the 2nd screen just above), you can see it in the right pane all instances of icon while viewing a resource in the industry icon will show that the designated authority.

Using Reshack
Taking the issue to speak now. Start reshack and open your copy of shell32 from your working directory.

As indicated above, you will see the presence of tree resources in the left pane, the right is empty. The same right pane does show that money whenever you click on a line of 1036 left pane.
Pull down the branch Icon group on the resource of your choice (for example, the number 5 for the icon files) and click on 1036. So you see on the right shows all the bodies contained in the icon No. 5, and details of the size and number of colors. News Ordinal name corresponding to the names of different subdirectories instance branch constituting Icon Icon Resource Group 5.

Here's how to replace the resource 5:

Right click on the line 1036 of 5
Click Replace resource ...
In the new window, click Open file with new icon ...
Select the icon of replacement from your reply. Working
Click Replace

Your icon has been automatically changed in reshack, you can see it in the right pane.
It only remains for you to save your dll by clicking the File menu and then Save. Reshack as always, open the dll is duplicated during the backup to maintain a home in case of problems. Think carefully to keep the copy.

One last little thing on the forums:
If your icon contains less replacement body that replaced the icon, you'll find that the content of the branch Icon has been updated during replacement. Knowing that a directory Icon is one instance, the total number of rep. Icon to be reduced by as much as there are fewer instance icon in your replacement.

Information: You can perform the replacement in reshack as many times as you want before saving via the File menu.

Small verification
If you wish, you can control your dll amended with Axialis iconworkshop or Microangelo. Indeed, these two publishers are able to open the dll file and display all the icons they contain.
The content of shell32 of origin and an shell32 changed icons Gorilla:

**Computer_Freak** · 21-01-2009

The replacement file

Final stage, the replacement of the files in use by one or the one you just modified.

Replacement by hand
Method until you have to replace one or two files, but it becomes a nightmare when you have 30 files to replace.

First thing you must know that XP has a system of verification of system files that works in real time. Similarly, as a dll shell32 is systematically being used by your system which will prevent you (at first) to do some manipulation whatsoever on the file.

For the problem of the verification system of system files

- Either you do the manipulations that will follow in normal mode, and in this case a warning window will bother you. It will be necessary in this case reject the proposal to restore Windows files that have been modified and confirm behind.

- Or you can operate in safe mode. Simply press F8 at startup to boot mode.

Then, to replace itself, here's how:

Open the folder containing your replacement dll file and copy it into memory (Ctrl + C)
Then open the system folder containing the original file, usually c: \ windows \ system32 \
Change the name of the original file by pressing F2 and rename it with the. Bak
Copy your modified file that is stored in the same directory (ctrl + v)

We must now remove the duplicate file used by System Restore in the following directories:
c: \ windows \ system32 \ dllcache
c: \ windows \ ServicePackFiles \ i386

And copy your dll changed with ctrl + v for example.

Why also replace the files in these directories? simply because if windows is trying to restore the file restart after identifying than system32 is changed, it will use one copy in one of these two directories complementary. Thus, having also amended backups, even if the file is restored, the version used for the restoration that will be amended by you.

Obviously, changes are visible only when your computer restarts.

Information: It is possible that some icons have not changed even after restarting. In this case, the icon cache, a kind of memory buffer that you are playing tricks. For example, use Icon Tools to rebuild the icon cache, change your icons appear.

Download IconTools

Using a script replacement
The modification of system files that have made a lot of imitators in the community customiseurs, some members have set up automatic scripts to overcome all these manipulations and not be disturbed by the file protection systems XP.

You can use ReplaceIt dedicated to replace "live" file systems by simply dragging and dropping.
To use it, do the following:

Unzip the script in a temporary directory
Rep.bat run for replaceit or replacer.cmd to Replace
Catch the edited file to replace and drag it to the script window and click OK
Then follow the remaining instructions of the script
Finally, restart your machine.