Solved Custom Image for Windows Borders, Taskbar, and Start Menu? 7 Ult. x64

[ultranothing]

Hey good lookin'!

What I'm trying to do is set up my girlfriend's new laptop with a custom Super Mario Theme. I've got all new icons, wallpapers, start menu, custom sounds, cursors, etc.

Now in the Personalize menu, under "Window color and appearance," I can change only the color.

Which is rather sub-par. What I'd like to do is...well, let me just show you:

Right now, my taskbar is just a semi-transparent red color. What I'd like is for it to look like this:

And have the start-menu and the icons overlay it.

For the Windows borders, I'd like to do something along the lines of the red with white polka-dots (think "Mario Mushroom,") and for the Start Menu, well...If I can figure out how to actually DO this, I can worry about the aesthetics later.

I'm working with a program right now called "resourcer," by Anolis, which allows me to open the aero.msstyles.mui file, export the .png files for editing, and then import them back into the MUI. Unfortunately, I'm not sure which specific .png files within the MUI I need to work with (there are many). It's also been noted on this and other forums that the specific .png files differ based upon which build of Win 7 is installed (mine, for the record, is version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601.)

Previous to that, I tried a program called Taskbar Color Effects by Lee Whittington, which seems like it would have met my needs, but for the fact that selecting a color or image from within the software produced no change to the environment (read: it didn't work.)

If I can avoid it, I'd like to make these alterations stand-alone (IE, without a process running in the background to maintain the appearance - like WindowBlinds, etc.)

So is this thing do-able? Let's DO IT!

 

[Bongo]

You need to edit the aero.msstyles not the aero.msstyles.mui
1st use a copy of the Aero theme to make a custom theme look at post #38 here http://www.sevenforums.com/customization/135985-start-menu-color-change-4.html#post1358071 it will show how to start a new theme.

The taskbar # are
Aero
Bottom #845 #1028
Right #847 #1031
Top #848 #1029
Left #846 #1030


Basic
Bottom #841 #1010
Right #843 #1013
Top #844 #1011
Left #842 #1012

Show Desktop Button
#1107
Vertical #1108


You will need to do 1 of these 2 ways of Enabling custom themes for it to work.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34579-enabling-custom-themes-windows-7-a.html
Or
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/28377-theme-how-apply-custom-themes.html?filter

Jerry

 

[ultranothing]

Hey, thanks Bongo. I'll get right on it, and let everyone know how it turned out!

 

[Bongo]

Hint: you can make the images bigger if needed.
Jerry

 

[ultranothing]

Hey...Strange thing happened here...

It seems that after performing the steps from post #38 in that thread, I no longer have Aero?

It's stuck on Windows classic, and I've tried everything to get Aero back. Do you know how this may have happened?

 

[Bongo]

Did you use copy's or did you change the default aero?
Jerry

 

[ultranothing]

Yeah...I'd forgotten to copy the files first. Now we're all set, and I'm ready to edit the images (via Resourcer.)

Here's the thing, though. You said I could make the images bigger; did you mean because some of the files you've pointed to are so small?

Aero:

Bottom #845 #1028

Right #847 #1031

Top #848 #1029

Left #846 #1030

Basic:

Bottom #841 #1010

Right #843 #1013

Top #844 #1011

Left #842 #1012

Show Desktop Button

#1107

Vertical #1108

Whew, that took a while. Anyway, I don't know how to actually edit these images.

I've been doing some experimentation in Resourcer, but I must be doing something wrong. I can export the images to .png files (as evidenced above), but whenever I've tried to "replace" the images (such as with the Mario grass image), it doesn't seem to actually replace the image within the aero.msstyles cabinet (or archive, or whatever it is.)

I've even tried running Resourcer as an administrator, but it just won't replace the images.

So, three questions arise:

1. What is the method by which I edit these files so that I can achieve the look I'm aiming for?

2. How do I get Resourcer to replace the stock images with my custom images?

3. Should I even be using Resourcer? Is there a better option?

I'll keep messing around with it in the meantime. Hope I don't screw anything up!

Edit: It seems I've found the .png image for the taskbar, #900-1033:

Of course, I can't edit or replace it. HELP!

 

[ultranothing]

Yeah...no...I've tried Resourcer, Restorator, and ResHack, and neither of these programs will allow me to replace any current image with a .png image...

ACK!

 

[Bongo]

Here's the thing, though. You said I could make the images bigger; did you mean because some of the files you've pointed to are so small?

Yes
As an example the bottom image #845 is 1x3 pixels and I oversized it to 48x25 pixels now you can use that one image for the whole taskbar you just need to rotated for the right, left, top

Aero can have some transparency basic needs to be solid colored.

Whew, that took a while. Anyway, I don't know how to actually edit these images.

Any kind of image editor like Paint, Gimp, Photoshop.

I've been doing some experimentation in Resourcer, but I must be doing something wrong

I have never got that to work for me either.

Should I even be using Resourcer? Is there a better option?

Yes I use http://vistastylebuilder.com/windows7.htmlonly about $22.50 US it's a very good program once you start using it you will love it.

It seems I've found the .png image for the taskbar, #900-1033:

That image has nothing to do with the taskbar that is an overlay for Windows Explorer libraries is an example.


The striped image on the taskbar is the steam image 971 with Windows Style Builder editing it is very easy.
Jerry

 

[ultranothing]

Okay...heheh...I'm not trying to be led by the hand here, but within Windows Style Builder (WSB), could you tell me what the best way to find the particular image I'm looking for is?

Like, say I'm looking for Steam image 971...where is it located within the menu tree? I've tried the search function for both "Steam" and "971" and nothing showed.

It seems there are many more folders and files within WSB than found in Resourcer, et al.

EDIT: I clicked the arrow to the right of the search bar and selected "Values," and then searched for "IMAGE" and a list of what appears to be all of the IMAGE#'s (in order, no less!) have appeared before me!

Good god, man...could we be getting close to victory? I want to click that "solved" button so bad!

EDIT AGAIN!: A search for Image#971 turns up ZERO results. I thought I was just searching incorrectly, but a search of IMAGE#'s that I'd already seen did in fact produce search results.

The crazy thing is, that I have IMAGE#970 and IMAGE#972, but not #971. Lucky me?

And also, the list isn't actually in order. I thought it was when I fast-scrolled down the list, but it jumps around a bit and is only generally in order.

I'm going to try and edit another image you'd listed earlier and see what happens. I'd cross my fingers if I didn't need to type!

 

[Bongo]

Here is a link to some maps of locations Login it will show you where things are.
The steam image 971 has been separated into different sections now.


Hint: after you save the theme a lot of the image numbers will change that is something Windows style builder does the reason it does that is for example on the taskbar the default Aero theme shares some images Windows style builder separates those images and adds new numbers.

You can ask all the questions you would like and I will try to answer them.
Jerry

 

[ultranothing]

Okay, so I've decided to start small and change the buttons for the show/hide task icon.

I loaded the default icons: TrayNotifyHoriz:Button

The default was:

And here is the new one I created (The Mario Question Mark Coin Cube):

In Photoshop, I created a new transparent image, created a new transparent layer (at 80% opacity), and pasted the new buttons in.

I saved this file as a .PNG and imported it back into my msstyles container.

It seems to have replaced the file alright, but when it asks me if I'd like to "use this visual style now," I select "Use this visual style now," and it gives me an error:

"The visual style could not be applied. You may have added or edited a property incorrectly."

I'm working within the Windows Classic theme to avoid any chance of a file usage conflict.

I noticed that in W7SB, in the button properties, it said that this image should contain three distinct image files:

IMAGEFILE1:FILENAME | IMAGE#1218
IMAGEFILE2:FILENAME | IMAGE#1219
IMAGEFILE3:FILENAME | IMAGE#1220

Maybe I have to create a layer for each separate icon? And name them each "IMAGE#XXXX"? and then save the .PNG for import?

Or...something?

Please advise!

EDIT: NOPE! That didn't work. I feel like I'm so close to getting this right!

 

[Bongo]

Using your image I got it to work.


what DPI settings are you using on your computer you may need to edit all three dpi images.


That error happens sometimes what you can do is test first and if it looks okay then save it you do not want to use it right now when you go to edit it again you will have trouble. When ever you have used a theme before you can edit it and can you need to switch to a different theme then log off and then log on and then you can work on theme you were working on (never try to edit a theme that you are currently using)
Jerry

 

[ultranothing]

Okay, yes! I've got it to work. The only problem is that it only works with the original aero theme, and not the copied "test" (or in my case, "Mario7") theme.

I've followed the instructions for copying and creating the new theme to a T, so what could be causing the error?

 

[Bongo]

Did you put your Mario7 theme in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes after editing it?
Jerry

 

[ultranothing]

Yep, the Mario7 folder and the Mario7.theme file are in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\

I've attached them here in a RAR. Do you think you could check it out and tell me where I'm going wrong?

Do you think perhaps I need to return ownership of the folder and files to "TrustedInstaller"? I'm just throwing things out there. I really can't understand what's keeping the theme from testing/installing...

 

[Bongo]

I am getting a error to try a new aero.msstyles and rename it put your images in and use the test button.
Jerry

 

[Bongo]

Here is a .msstyles with your images
Jerry

 

[ultranothing]

Yes, my man! We've got it! I was scared at first about the images' sizes, trying to keep the modified versions smaller, but they'd test as totally blurred, or zoomed in, or just ...wrong...

So, I decided to try just blowing them up to the same size as I saw the originals on-screen, and whaddaya know? Success!

The only problem I see now is having to create new graphics for behind the start orb and clock and having them line up.

Right now, I'm playing with opacity settings. Do you have a suggestion for what opacity level the layer should be, so that when I move the slider in windows settings, it can be either fully transparent or fully opaque?

 

[Bongo]

That slider will not have much of an effect unless you use a lot of transparency.
Jerry