Windows 7 start orb chage

Hikeman · 09 Jul 2011

Hey guys! I have a question!
I would really like to change my Windows 7 Start orb, and when i do it as I understand it is modifying my Explorer.exe, which is causing some problems.
and the problem is:
Some programs which were installed before modifying Explorer.exe starting to loose their icons!!! And I can not fix it anyhow!! Unless I reinstall that program. It is ok to do that, as soon as it's a little program like Skype or Ccleaner but the thing is that sometimes it happening with programs like Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Office and I need to reinstall entire program to fix that problem. And it's not happening just with 1 or 2 programs, but with a lot of them.
So can you pleas tell me how to avoid this, but in a same time to be able to change my start orb ???
Thanks

Anak · 09 Jul 2011

Hi! Hikeman welcome to 7F :)

Have you seen this tutorial? How to Create Custom Start Orb Image

A Guy · 09 Jul 2011

This may help you restore the icons

Default File Type Associations - Restore

To easily change your Start Orb, I personally use this

https://www.sevenforums.com/customiza...start-orb.html

A Guy

Arc · 10 Jul 2011

Yes, dont modify explorer.exe. Just use Windows 7 Start Orb Changer: Ultimate Tool To Change Your Start Orb .

EDIT : Your problem looks highly interesting to me . Coz apparently these icons dont have a direct relation with explorer. Can you please tell me how did you modify the explorer.exe ? It may help me to learn a new thing .

Hikeman · 10 Jul 2011

Hey

Ok Arc !!! Here are the tools I used before to modify my explorer.exe to change my Start orb:
Windows 7 Start Orb Changer v3 | Theme Bin | Free Download
and
StartOrbz v3.1.a by ~Blizo on deviantART
I can not which one exactly I used and i cause the problem, but i was using both of them, until I realize that this is what is causing my problem, and the problem is that I am not only loosing file types associations, but the original icon of the software is missing from .exe file, for example, once it happened with Mozilla Firefox and I the icon of the firefox.exe was missing and as i mentioned it is not happening only with on or two programs, but with a lot of them, like with Microsoft Word or with Eset Smart Security and so on.....
So hey Arc!! this Windows 7 Start Orb Changer, what you suggested is it absolutely safe to use, are you using this by yourself?

Thanks

Hikeman · 10 Jul 2011

thanks mate !!!

Anak · 10 Jul 2011

Hikeman, if A Guy, and Arc recommend anything you can be assured that it is safe to use!

But, there are so many different permutations to the way machines are set up the user still has to be careful, especially when using a program for the first time!

Always have a current back-up of your machine in case of problems!

Arc · 10 Jul 2011

Hikeman,

Both of the programs are well known, and both the creators are the members of this board . I have used both of them, and they worked flawlessly .

The programs for which the icons are missing are third party program with a common nature .... they all store their exe icons in the installer folder (C:\Windows\Installer) ; which location is separate from that of explorer.exe . Yes, I also faced such a problem one time, and came to know which kills the stuff in installer folder. It in not a start button changer, but a Junk/registry cleaner . Programs like Tuneup Utilities find the installer folder as junk, and delete all the items stored in it . Apparently we find it performing great; wiping out so much free space for me ; but what it is killing are some useful stuff. They fail to discriminate properly between useful and useless.

The easiest way to get the icons back is to reinstall the programs over the existing installations (of course there are harder ways to do it ; using resource hacker) . And the way to not not having the problem once again ? Simple.... use CCleaner for tune up activities .

Hikeman · 12 Jul 2011

Hey Arc

I used the tool you suggested me "Windows 7 Start Orb Changer" seams things went ok!all programs has their icons, the I opened the place in Control Panel, "you know, where you uninstall programs" and there are some programs which doesn't have icons! I am not sure if it was before as well "before, changing my start orb", but just in cas I made a screen shoot and will attache it to this post, pleas take a look at it.

Thank you very much for your support

A Guy · 12 Jul 2011

That isn't unusual, see mine. Objectdock we both have, no icon in Programs.

A Guy