Where can I modify the Windows Aero properties?

[Codfish]

Is there anyway I can modify the Windows Aero theme properties?
I want to make myself a custom Windows Aero theme, but I don't know where to find the actual folder or file that contains all of the coding.

I've tried searching for files in the start bar with the key phrase Aero, UI, even glass but I can't find anything.

I know I will have to backup all of my files and stuff, and I will.

Thanks,

 

[grouchpunk08]

the files that contain aero - windows 7-windows-resources-themes-aero

 

[Codfish]

the files that contain aero - windows 7-windows-resources-themes-aero

Is it possible to modify that?

 

[grouchpunk08]

im not sure, I know people have used a program called reshacker to modify explorer.exe, so that might let you modify the aero files. I'm not exactly sure tho.

 

[Generator]

Is it possible to modify that?

Yep, 'C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\aero.msstyles' is just a .dll file named different. ResHacker will let you open the file and then you can extract the images to a folder. you can then open them in your favourite graphics editor and import your files back inside the file afterwards.

you will have to turn aero off first and switch to a basic style to save it though.

 

[Codfish]

Yep, 'C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\aero.msstyles' is just a .dll file named different. ResHacker will let you open the file and then you can extract the images to a folder. you can then open them in your favourite graphics editor and import your files back inside the file afterwards.

you will have to turn aero off first and switch to a basic style to save it though.

Is it possible to take out ALL of the Aero features and just make everything look like actual glass, or even clear ice?
I don't want to modify the pictures, I want to modify the design of stuff like the start bar, opened windows, etc.

 

[Generator]

Is it possible to take out ALL of the Aero features and just make everything look like actual glass, or even clear ice?
I don't want to modify the pictures, I want to modify the design of stuff like the start bar, opened windows, etc.

You cant alter the actual shape of stuff as such, just the actual look of it. Maybe you could do some transparency tricks on the corners of windows and Start-menu but you'll have to experiment to find out.

(Keep back-ups of the folder too if you are going to mess!)

 

[Codfish]

You cant alter the actual shape of stuff as such, just the actual look of it. Maybe you could do some transparency tricks on the corners of windows and Start-menu but you'll have to experiment to find out.

(Keep back-ups of the folder too if you are going to mess!)

I've tried reducing all of the transparency, but it still gives me some kind of start bar-ish feel to it.
I want it actually to be GONE, like the whole start bar appearance.

What program should I use to read the .dll files? The ResHack thing gives me hexadecimal values like
"0003F8E8 FD 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF ý•••ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ" and I don't even KNOW what a BC_MAP is or anything of the sort.

Sorry, I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to this .dll stuff.

 

[Generator]

Look in the 'Images' folder not the BC_MAP one. I dont use ResHacker myself so I cant say exactly how to extract them but try right-clicking and going to 'Export' or something along them lines.

 

[Codfish]

Look in the 'Images' folder not the BC_MAP one. I dont use ResHacker myself so I cant say exactly how to extract them but try right-clicking and going to 'Export' or something along them lines.

If I were to modify it and want to try it, would I just rename the old file to themeui.old and then put my new one in there?

 

[Generator]

you could do it that way, yes..

Switch theme's first though in windows and turn aero off.

Sorry, almost forgot to mention, you'll have to install this first: UxStyle - no more patching.
It's the equivelant to patching a couple of files to enable altered styles to work.

 

[Codfish]

you could do it that way, yes..

Switch theme's first though in windows and turn aero off.

Sorry, almost forgot to mention, you'll have to install this first: UxStyle - no more patching.
It's the equivelant to patching a couple of files to enable altered styles to work.

It's so confusing!
I just stopped trying but I still kept ResHack.

Do you use anyother application?

 

[Generator]

Yeah, I use 'Restorator 2007' but it ain't free. ResHacker oddly dosn't work quite right on my setup but everyone else seems to use it with no problems.

 

[garbanzo]

using a resource editor (reshacker/resource tuner/restorator/etc) is probably the most difficult way to edit a visual style. unless you've been doing this for years, you'll never figure out what pieces go where, and how to edit them. there is a lot more to .msstyles files than just pictures to edit, and without knowing how element placement works, things probably won't work the way you want them to work.

there is just one dedicated app for editing visual styles for win7 right now, and it's not free:

Ave's Vista Style Builder

but even with this, it will take you a week of messing around before you start to figure out what's going on. seriously, it's not an easy task.

just warning you

 

[michaeljeshurun]

My first post here. I found this thread in a search for "remove windows 7 user picture" but I've followed sevenforums off and on for months since I started with 7 RC. I used Reshack to change a lot of stuff in XP years ago, and off and on since in several programs. I modified my explore.exe to set dimensions for my start menu that fit me better than the defaults, and some text in them too, that couldn't be done with the softwares that came out later. Now I'm running into the problem Generator mentioned where ResHacker isn't working quite right.

Generator, you still following this post? You said, "...aero.msstyles' is just a .dll file named different. ..." My reshacker is up to date I think, but the home page is a dead link now. Anyway, it wouldn't open the file at all. Usually you get a "wrong file tye message" but I got a blank. I tried with aero peek of and on a different theme too, although I think that would only matter when it came to saving time. I'm all patched too. I went to another freebie, XN Resource Editor, and it did open the .msstyles file normally, but the images folder is showing the entries as binaries, and they look right. I tried saving it as a .dll, but didn't get anywhere that way either. Are you sure it should be working like a .dll or has any images? It might only be hiding the links to the images. I know you said you're experience with Reshack is brief and you're using Restorator. I just wanted to let people know what I'm finding.

I should probably give up and consider garbanzo's suggestion, Ave's Vista Style Builder, which I'd run into before, but I'm not paying for the two tiny modifications I want to make for quite awhile. I've seen a forum with the exact modification (sorry, on another comp, maybe here in sevenforums) location in Ave's to shut the user picture off.

I also found a thread somewhere (here again?) that you can just delete the user picture frames in explorer.exe and solve your problems, but I'm terrified to do it. I'll probably work up the guts in a day or two if nobody's got any ideas.

I'll be indebted if anyone helps before I risk a reinstall. Either way things turn out, thanks all for the thread.