Start Menu Button - Change

How to Change the Start Menu Button in Windows 7​

   Information

This will show you how to change the Start Menu button orb in Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit.

   Warning

REMEMBER TO BACK UP EXPLORER.EXE!

Here's How:

For custom made start buttons, and further information, please visit this thread: http://www.sevenforums.com/customization/2002-custom-themes-icons-start-buttons-92.html

   Information

The explorer.exe you want to edit is:

C:\Windows\explorer.exe

and not C:\Windows\SysWOW64\explorer.exe (for those running x64)

And for those who use the larger DPI's i.e 125% , 150% you need to change:

6806 - 66 x 198
6807 - 81 x 243
6808 - 106 x 318

NOTE: The start orb replacement always HAS to look like this:
1 orb: Orb when not in use (when not clicked or mouseover'ed)
2 orb: mouseover
3 orb: When start orb is clicked

1. Download Restorator (Shareware) (Restorator 2007 Resource Editor - Restorator - Bome Software)

2. Take ownership of the whole Windows folder (see these links for more info: Take Ownership of file - Vista Forums and http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1911-take-ownership-shortcut.html)

3. Open explorer.exe with restorator



4. Go to the folder called "Bitmap"

5. Replace 6801.bmp, 6805.bmp, and 6809.bmp (as seen on the picture, you will need to right click and click assign, and then click assign to, then select your file.)



6. Go to "file" and Save as explorer.exe on your desktop

7. Go to the windows folder and rename explorer.exe to explorer.exe.bak and then copy-paste the new explorer, Kill the process in task manager and start it again.
Now you have a new start button!

Please comment, if you have something to say

Related Tutorials

---

• Download a Shortcut that Opens the Start Menu in Windows
• How to Create Custom Start Orb Image
• How to Create a New Rectangular Windows 7 Start Menu Button

 

[stereo]

Can i make the START button a bit smaller ? Not only to change it,just smaller...
Is that possible ?

 

[tannim]

Can i make the START button a bit smaller ? Not only to change it,just smaller...
Is that possible ?

Make it as tiny as you like. I made my start button tutorial because the button stuck out over the top of the task bar and annoyed me when use small icons was turned on.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/95974-start-button-create-rectangular-start-button.html you can make your own rectangular (or orb) with freeware easily. Just shrink it below 28 pixels high to keep it inside the task bar.

 

[CreepinJesus]

I tried this trick earlier and now explorer.exe always asks for permission to do stuff. For example, I tried editing the security of a system file, and I got the "exploer.exe wants to modify system settings...etc etc.. Yes or No" - it's the UAC prompt, basically.

How do I set the patched explorer.exe to 'full trust'?

 

[nikkykitty]

help please

How can I back up the explorer.exe?

 

[ZaLiTH]

How can I back up the explorer.exe?

Why don't you rather just use option 1 in the tutorial...? It automatically creates a backup of Explorer, and if you need to it can restore the backup as well.

 

[wfsommer]

Start Button Change Problem

I had a BSOD and after restarting the Win7 Start button changed to a rectangular button with the 'word' Start in it.

The rest of the Start menu window also changed to one I've never seen before.

Maybe connected to it, all my Desktop folders do Not show they have content.

Any ideas as to what was changed?

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Ace6807]

Awesome! Thank you!

 

[Ace6807]

How can I back up the explorer.exe?

I just copied explorer.exe onto my USB flash Drive just in case... I renamed it explorer.exe.bak in the windows folder and didn't have any problem changing it back and rebooting it.

 

[ZaLiTH]

some body cant creat this into orb start with size appropriate with taskbar use small icon

​

I'm only on Windows XP here at work, my Windows 7 PC is at home, so I can't test it at the moment... But try this one, it should fit pretty well on a small taskbar. The BMP file you'll need is in the ZIP file.

 

[songthandnd]

ok .thank you

 

[Ephraim613]

The new Win7 SP1 borks the changes made and put it to default orb

 

[ZaLiTH]

The new Win7 SP1 borks the changes made and put it to default orb

Well... The 'explorer.exe' file would be one file replaced during the update, so it would remove any custom start orbs. Just apply the orb again as normal and all will be well.

Just a note, but if you have a backup 'explorer.exe' (most customizing applications make a backup automatically), you might want to delete the backup so it can create a backup of the SP1 'explorer.exe' file. Otherwise if you try restore that backup, you'll go back to the old exe from before the service pack.

 

[Steve V]

My recent items only shows items from my C drive, not the network that I am generally on during the day. Can setting be changed to all recent items. I just switched from XP and thoses items were always picked up. Thanks.

 

[koala321]

Hello,

Has anyone an idea on how to customize the start button of the classic theme on Windows 7?

Thanks!

 

[ZaLiTH]

Hello,

Has anyone an idea on how to customize the start button of the classic theme on Windows 7?

Thanks!

To be honest, if someone is using the classic theme in Windows 7, I wouldn't think having a custom start button is really high on their list of priorities...

But anyway, in XP, Vista and 7, the 'start button' is all done through resources in 'explorer.exe' (XP was image and text, Vista and 7 are image only), so using Resource Hacker you can edit each of these resources.

I'm at work at the moment though (running XP at work, 7 at home), only heading home in about 2 hours. If you haven't figured it out by then I'll do some digging and see what I can find.

 

[koala321]

Thanks for the answer ZaLiTH.
I allready used Resource Hacker for exploring the resources in explorer.exe, but I can not find any element that can be linked with the outlook of the classic start button.

 

[ZaLiTH]

Thanks for the answer ZaLiTH.
I allready used Resource Hacker for exploring the resources in explorer.exe, but I can not find any element that can be linked with the outlook of the classic start button.

Yeah, I just double checked now.. The location in explorer.exe where XP stored it (either '143' or '134' in the 'bitmap' folder) doesn't seem to exist in 7. I don't think it can be changed without running a theme service such as Window Blinds..

 

[andyvrc]

nice tutorial.,.

i wanna to do it =))

 

[Britton30]

Sadly when I used a Dreamscape it obliterated the titles of my desktop icons. The start orb changer needs some work, I kept getting errors about non compatibility.

 

[derekimo]

Sadly when I used a Dreamscape it obliterated the titles of my desktop icons. The start orb changer needs some work, I kept getting errors about non compatibility.

I don't know about the dreamscape. Are you using the start button changer as admin?