Changing Start Menu Color

[numbobo]

Hi,

I would like to change the BG-Color of my startmenu to a light grey.
The result should look some thing like this:

I allready spend over 2 hours looking for a solution, if i was just to stupid to find a way im sorry, but i really could not find any way to change that.

 

[Ivo]

You have to edit the images in the aero.msstyles file. I think the start menu images are around index 800. They should look something like this: http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/images/tutorial/main_slices.png

Of course you need to patch your system DLLs to allow running modified themes. I'm personally using Vista Glazz 2.0 (VistaGlazz | CodeGazer), but there are others out there.

 

[numbobo]

I did patch Windows 7 with UniversalThemePatcher, i hope that this is correct.


But, i'm not really into editing and creating .dll files.
To make it clear: I have no clue about .dll files (
Well i know what there about and whats in it and also how to see what's inside, but then again i dont know how to put new files inside or how to edit the files inside.

The only thing i'm "good" at (i can do) is making my own .ico files and startorbs but that's it.


//edit

So if you can give me the help i would be nice telling me how to edit that file =)

 

[Ivo]

1) Run Resource Hacker, open the msstyles file and locate the image you want to change.
2) Then export it as a PNG file.
3) Then edit the PNG file with Photoshop (or other image editor that respects transparency).
4) Go back to Resource Hacker and replace the image with the edited version.

Ask here if you have troubles with any of these steps.

 

[numbobo]

Now i installed Resource Hacker, opend the msstyles file and started searching for the image.

I looked at every image from 760 - 900 and i did find some images that look like borders but none where i see the menu background.
Am I doing something wrong again?



btw. Thank you for your help =)

 

[Anthony]

Which Visual Style are you trying to change? Aero? Or one you have downloaded?

 

[Ivo]

Look at images 778, 781, 782 and 785. I'm not sure which one exactly is used in your case. Color the insides of each one in a different color - red, green, blue, yellow, to see which one Windows uses.

 

[numbobo]

A style I downloaded.

@Ivo thx i'll try that right away =)http://www.sevenforums.com/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=553150

 

[Targa85]

i think you people that know how to do this is very very cheap with information about it,

i've been searching diffrenst forums for 3 day's and this is all i got


Looks kind of crappy in my eye, not the color i want either, i want to learn how to do it right before i start making it the way i want it

when i edit the all programs tab i looose aero affect. this is killing my brain, if i compare to others and other images i find i am edeting the right ones (brain exploding)

i cant understand why the would remove this setting that were sooooo quick and easy in xp i went from xp to Windows 7. this is the kind of thing that makes me want to change op, thinking of going back to the good old easy tweaking xp...

As you can see i am in neeed of help with this

so now on to my next question, does any one have the correct image numbers for:
Start Menu backgrounds (installed programs,search field/result and all programs)
Explorer background/fields
Mouse Over/marked/inactive.

Remember has to be a Windows 7 version 6.1 7600 build

if some kind soul has these image numbers i can finish, these are the last thing's i need to change.
then i am done.

i will be posting theme,icons and my aero.msstyles file here when i am done, along with a nice tutorial, so the next one after me doesn't have to spend 3-4 days figuring out what to do?


\\Targa

 

[Greg S]

i think you people that know how to do this is very very cheap with information about it,

i've been searching diffrenst forums for 3 day's and this is all i got


Looks kind of crappy in my eye, not the color i want either, i want to learn how to do it right before i start making it the way i want it

when i edit the all programs tab i looose aero affect. this is killing my brain, if i compare to others and other images i find i am edeting the right ones (brain exploding)

i cant understand why the would remove this setting that were sooooo quick and easy in xp i went from xp to Windows 7. this is the kind of thing that makes me want to change op, thinking of going back to the good old easy tweaking xp...

As you can see i am in neeed of help with this

so now on to my next question, does any one have the correct image numbers for:
Start Menu backgrounds (installed programs,search field/result and all programs)
Explorer background/fields
Mouse Over/marked/inactive.

Remember has to be a Windows 7 version 6.1 7600 build

if some kind soul has these image numbers i can finish, these are the last thing's i need to change.
then i am done.

i will be posting theme,icons and my aero.msstyles file here when i am done, along with a nice tutorial, so the next one after me doesn't have to spend 3-4 days figuring out what to do?


\\Targa

Try here as well, #15 Windows 7 Theme & Resource Mods
Also, the all programs and search results are not going to work well. You can edit the images but it also uses color which if you do edit will also bork some other element within Windows GUI such as the left pane in Registry Editor. I have Win 7 style builder and it's the same with it.

 

[roxasvalor]

I need help. I cant even get aero theme to open in reshacker and i dont know much beyond what i have read in the forums. if anyone could help me to figure this out it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dick Jagger]

I would like to change the background color of the start menu as well, but not other window backgrounds. This one by tonev looks good, but is there another method to change only this area and not the entire theme?

 

[billynomates]

I need help. I cant even get aero theme to open in reshacker and i dont know much beyond what i have read in the forums. if anyone could help me to figure this out it would be greatly appreciated.

If you mean aero.theme, it's not the file to open, it's basically a text file. Open one with notepad to see what I mean. It's the aero.msstyles file you need to open and edit.

 

[n2gc]

I didn't understand how to load the only black theme above to get it's effects,
but did load it, clicked personalization and chose what was shown. I ended
up with an old XP UI that allowed me to change the colors in many different
windows including start menu, etc. Now the background is black with yellow
lettering, etc.

My eyes are so weak anymore that bright colors [backgrounds] almost
blind me, so it has helped me a LOT. I wouldn't have been able to do
this without the help of Windows 7 Forums once again ! What a great
site with so many helpful Admin's, Mod's, and Members !

Thanks so much !
n2gc.