Icons - Change Using Resource Hacker

   Information

A few days ago I faced a question http://www.sevenforums.com/customization/72719-how-do-i-change-icons-using-restorator.html . I provided the suggestion there; latter thought if there is a tutorial, it may help many guys asking the question.

   Note

Tools required :
1. Resource Hacker : Now supports 64 bit system and .png files. Download it from : Download New Updated “Resource Hacker 3.5.2 Beta” with 64-bit and PNG File Support - Tweaking with Vishal

2. IcoFX : A free application that can be used to get a ready reference of the system icons. Download it from IcoFX - The Free Icon Editor - Download

Download and install the above mentioned programs.


Now it starts :

Suppose we are changing the default games icon with this one

Though almost all of the system is changeable in this process, it is just an example

1. Go to C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll and take a copy if it in a secured place (i.e. take a backup of it)

2. Now Take Ownership of the imageres.dll

3. Open IcoFX. Click on Tools > Resource Editor.

4. In the resource editor window , click on the folder icon. The Open Resources window will appear.

5. In the open resources window, give the filename "imageres.dll" and click open.

6. So in the resource editor window, The games icon no is #14

We are to moderate it using Resource Hacker. Now we may close IcoFX.

7. Open Resource Hacker. Click on File > Open . It will automatically open in System 32.

8. In the incoming box, give the file name "imageres.dll" and click "open".

9. Now, Click on the "+" sign in front of "Icon Group"

10. You will look the Icon group tree expands, and an item "*1033" there. Click on "*1033" and see the games icon revealed in the right side pane of the window.

11. Now right click on "*1033" and click on "replace resource"

12. In the upcoming box, click on "Open the file with new icon" and browse for it.

13. Now, first click on "Select new icon" and then click on "replace"

Repeat upto step 13 for the icons you want to change at a time, and when all of your icons are replaced, go to step 14.
14. We are almost done. We successfully modified the imageres.dll file. Now it is to save it. Cilck on File > Save as, give the filename "imageres,dll". Save it on your desktop.

15. Go again to C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll. Rename it to inageresOLD.dll or something. Now copy the modified imageres.dll in that location. The last thing is to restart ... either you may restart your computer, or you may restart explorer.exe using task manager.

16. After restart, Click on start menu and place your pointer on the games link. you will get it

I agree with you that the process is lengthy and labourous But it is the free of cost way to change all the system icons.

Enjoy yourself. And again,dont forget to backup your original imageres.dll before starting the process

Related Tutorials

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• How to Change Windows 7 Default Folder Icons using Resource Hacker

 

[scoopeeedoo]

Thanks Arc! Nice tuto!!!

Very interesting dll to customize, but what a huge work to do it all!!!

 

[Arc]

Thanks Arc! Nice tuto!!!

Very interesting dll to customize, but what a huge work to do it all!!!

You are welcome , pal!
Really time consuming ! But you know, it is the only way to get access over all your system icons without reducing your pocket ! Many paid programs are there who either doesnot allow to change all it icons (like tuneup) or doesnot provides flexibility (like stardock iconpackager). But yah... you may mention restorator !

When you provided the 64 bit reshacker link , I planned for it. So again we are mutually thanking each other

 

[Muneem]

Nice very tuts!
ThNnx Yew bro

 

[CarlTR6]

Nice tutorial; even I can understand it. Thanks.

 

[Arc]

Nice very tuts!
ThNnx Yew bro

I am glad that you liked it

Nice tutorial; even I can understand it. Thanks.

Hi Carl ! At least I know that there is no enough reason to underrate you in such a manner Though its my pleasure that you approved it. It's important to me.

 

[iseeuu]

Very well done Arc, nice job!

 

[Arc]

Very well done Arc, nice job!

I value your words, Robert

 

[Everlong]

Thanks for this tutorial. Was exactly what I needed

 

[Arc]

Thanks for this tutorial. Was exactly what I needed

Feeling nice that it may fulfill some of your needs. Most welcome for your comment.

 

[vierasniper]

im trying to restore the original imageres.dll file but it wont let me. can you help me out?

 

[neeraj]

hey!! ARC well done man....


you helped many people including me..!!
keep it up buddy

 

[Arc]

im trying to restore the original imageres.dll file but it wont let me. can you help me out?

I think you have a backup of the original imageres.dll, and what is the problem now? If you have restored the original file but the original icons is not all back, give it a bit time, use the icons, then it would be ok.

But if you cannot pot the original in the system 32 folder, it is due to the logic that a same file name cannot be there more than once in a root. So first change the name of the existing (modified) imageres.dll to imageresMOD.dll or something, and then put the original file there, and restart

 

[Arc]

hey!! ARC well done man....


you helped many people including me..!!
keep it up buddy

Thanks a lot, Neeraj pal

 

[vierasniper]

im trying to restore the original imageres.dll file but it wont let me. can you help me out?

I think you have a backup of the original imageres.dll, and what is the problem now? If you have restored the original file but the original icons is not all back, give it a bit time, use the icons, then it would be ok.

But if you cannot pot the original in the system 32 folder, it is due to the logic that a same file name cannot be there more than once in a root. So first change the name of the existing (modified) imageres.dll to imageresMOD.dll or something, and then put the original file there, and restart

I'd hate to be a bother, but after i change the name of the moded one, it wont let me but the original one in. do i have to "own it" and if i do how do i know its "mine"? i have this function that lets me take ownership by right clicking on a file and the clicking the option "Take Ownership" will that do it?

 

[Capt.Jack Sparrow]

Good Work Arc !!

 

[Arc]

Good Work Arc !!

Thanks, Captain !

 

[kevin21388]

Changing Icon

Hey, I was looking in another post and it mentioned shell32.dll. I have tried to also change the icons in this one, but when I do, it says that explorer.exe has encountered an error. By changing the imageres.dll files, it changed some of the icons, but not all of them. What is going on with it?

 

[Arc]

Hey, I was looking in another post and it mentioned shell32.dll. I have tried to also change the icons in this one, but when I do, it says that explorer.exe has encountered an error. By changing the imageres.dll files, it changed some of the icons, but not all of them. What is going on with it?

Hi Kevin, Welcome, pal!
You are right, that imageres.dll doesnot contain all the icons, there are more locations where icons are stored, like explorer.exe and shell 32.dll.

From the screenshot, you may see that the icons contained in explorer.exe are not generally used, so nobody does not want to change them generally. Then comes the question of icons in shell32.dll. Most of the icons (other tahn a few xp style icons) are included in imageres.dll. Hence I dont recommend to change those files. But, it is always better to have a system image backup before taking ownership of system files or customizing them.

 

[Diko]

Hi Arc, I am having troubles with STEP 13. It will not let me add all Icon versions (those different sizes).