Replacing the Folder Icon Group 4 in XP shell32.dll

[castman]

About Thumbs Database Viewer and My Post

What's the use since there's no editing of these files =P ?

I discovered that it contains the folder thumbnal inside, thanks!

However when I apply the following tweak:

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer] 
"ThumbnailSize"=dword:00000100 
"ThumbnailQuality"=dword:0000064 

The folder thumnail (not the file thumbnails) looks horrible, doesn't matter if I delete Thumbs.db.
It just makes an Explorer issue more clear.

I discovered that the Folder Thumnail is a Folder Icon by quickly changing the icon size through Styler ToolBar.

And also the Icon Group ID: 4 (through IconExtract).

But I couldn't change the Icon Group with Resource Hacker for some reason (I tryed using GIMP that didn't work).

It messes up the Ordinal Names and doesn't recognize the dimensions. And trying to replace a single Icon is even worse.

I will maybe try using these icon editors available in the database. Or maybe someone who already solved this issue, could tell me?

[castman]

I discovered while I was testing Resource Hacker, Styler ToolBar and the application developed to change icons in XP: IconTweaker. That Windows XP only supports icons up to 128x128.

What a shame!

However, does anyone ever tested AlienGUIse to see if is as good as Window Blinds and what features does it enable?

[garbanzo]

is the folder icon you're talking about the big ugly yellow one that XP shows mini thumbnails against? it's definitely possible to change that, i did it a few months ago with no problems. i backded up shell32.dll, extracted the icon, edited it, reshacked it into the backup, then used Replacer to swap the DLLs.

however i'm using Directory Opus which allows for dynamic thumbnail resizing, so it ignores that change and actually uses a PNG version of the icon which hides inside the EXE. i tried reshacking that one, and the app's built-in integrity checker decided i had cracked the program so it wouldn't work properly. so i'm also stuck with ugly yellow icons...

as for AlienGUIse i've never heard of it. but a quick look says it's powered by My Colors from Stardock, which means it's basically the same stuff as Windowblinds, but it also looks like you're limited to a small selection of AlienWare-based themes.

i've used quite a few different icon and skinning tools, and only things i've seen that will change that folder icon are shell packs and brico packs that reshack images all over your system to a set theme. the installer that comes with such packs just uses Replacer to drop reshacked files into your system.

it sounds like you're also interested in making certain icons bigger - which ones?

[castman]

Thanks for answering my question

Actually I was looking how to place the same feature that I heard that is available in Windows Vista (I actually never tested a Windows Vista).

The feature of changing the Icon size in Folder Icons mode by holding Ctrl and scrolling the mouse wheel (like Internet Explorer).

I know that this icon I specified can be replaced, but my pretension was to change it, in order to fix the ugly visualization when I apply the tweak I specified.

I tested in a Virtual Machine to avoid scrambling things in shell32.dll, using the tweak and IconTweaker, but didn't work.

I already applied a cool look to my host machine replacing the uxtheme.dll. My computer is already very beautiful, but I was interested in applying a bigger resolution to my screen than 1024x768. The only option I have with Windows XP, using the same aspect ratio is 1280x960. The main problem of using this resolution is the shellstyle.dll plus some aspects of .msstyles part, that has to be changed the font sizes or either avoid it using Windows Classic Folders.

One more thing I wanted to change and it seems to be easier in Windows Vista. I wanted to add a link to one of my folders, to the right side of Start Menu main menu. I wanted to add My Videos link since I am a music video lover.

[garbanzo]

well then i'm afraid i can't be more helpful. i use Directory Opus as my file manager which allows thumbnail resizing, and i use Emerge Desktop as my shell so I have neither a desktop nor a start menu

why would changing your screen resolution effect the shellstyle that came with the visual style you're using? anyway that side panel just gets in the way, you don't need it

[castman]

I changed the Thumbnail size to just 128x128 which seems to work fine. Even office documents fit the entire area.

I also could assign a 256x256 value to the Shell Icon Size registry string value and it at least disproved the impossibility (with some icons missing).

I know that the only option to avoid using third party software is reshacking lots of contents.

To just fix the resolution issue, I have to reshack 3 text files at least. The windows advanced appearance options is poor.

Oh Man .

[castman]

I reshacked the three text files, INI from msstyles; UIFILE1 and UIFILE2 from shellstyle.dll.

However, the system dialogs still have small fonts. Does anyone know what is left to reshack?

Thanks!

[garbanzo]

i believe those fonts are controlled by the msstyles ini file. but i have a copy of Style Builder which i use that to edit my Visual Style, so i'm not sure what elements you need to look for...

[castman]

Sorry for my late response.

What's happening here is that I reshacked both files, however the system font for dialog boxes (like Folder Options Dialog) still have small sizes (I reshacked CPWEBVIEW.CSS too with no result).

What I did after browsing and finding the solution in the internet, was changing the font DPI size at Advanced Video Properties.

However this setting doesn't work with all visual styles. My favorite visual style has the user picture misplaced.

Then after reading your last post, I decided to temporaly host the visual style I am using (a vista like).

I want a big resolution since I have a powered graphics card.

Link
http://www.webfilehost.com/?mode=viewupload&id=8315121

[freewareupdater101]

Ahhah! why not use a 3rd party application that will do what you want?
sometimes tweaking registry might give you other errors.
just a thought.

[castman]

Ah! I forgot to say that I already discovered how to change this behavior (bad alignment at 120 dpi).

I had to change DefaultPaneSize and ContentMargins of the graphics then I could place everything the way I liked. I did a tutorial at my site that I only going to publish when I translate.

And About the Vista Transformation Pack, he uses the same program I already have to give the power to resize the icons but only up to 128 (using Styler Toolbar).

(I still need to learn to read those damn changelogs)

I think people should e-mail Styler Toolbar creator to include an HotKey for manipulating of this function .

[castman]

I found that is possible to do that thing better than Styler ToolBar with you use the AutoHotKey compiler.

I may develop this thing someday. Professional programming languages could do this, however AutoHotKey seems to be more simple.