Hack XP's Start Button

I've gotten so many requests on how to change the Windows XP Start button, I'm going to teach you how to hack it to pieces manually.

Before you get started, you might want to print out this page for easy reference.

Change the Start text

1. First of all, make sure you download Resource Hacker. You'll need this puppy to edit resources inside your Windows shell.

2. Locate explorer.exe in your c:\Windows directory. Make a copy of the file in the same directory and rename it explorer.bak.

3. Now launch Resource Hacker. In the File menu, open explorer.exe. You'll now see a bunch of collapsed folders.

4. Expand the String Table folder and then find folder No. 37 (folder No. 38 if you're in Windows Classic mode).

5. Click on resource 1033 and locate the text that says "Start." This is your Start button, and now you've got control over what it says! Change the "Start" text to your text of choice. You don't have a character limit, but the text takes up valuable taskbar space, so don't make it too long.

6. Click on the button labeled Compile Script. This updates the settings for your Start button. But nothing will happen until you complete through step #20, so keep going!

Change your hover text

7. While you're here, why not also change the text that pops up when your mouse hovers over your Start button?

8. Right now it says "Click here to begin." Well, duh! We already know that's where to begin!

9. Open folder No. 34 and click on resource 1033.

10. Find the text that says "Click here to begin" and change it to something cooler. Might I suggest "Click here for a good time, baby."

11. Click on the Compile Script button to update this resource.

Customize your Start icon

12. For an added bonus, you can also change the Windows icon to the left of the text, too.

13. Collapse the String Table folder and expand the Bitmap folder at the top of your folder list.

14. Click on folder No. 143 and click on resource 1033. You should see that familiar Windows icon.

15. Go to the Action Menu and select "Replace bitmap." Select "Open file with new bitmap", and locate the replacement image on your machine. Note: The image must have a .bmp extension and a size of 25 pixels by 20 pixels. Then click the Replace button.

Here's the image I've been using instead of the Windows icon, in case you want to use it.

16. Now that you've made your changes, save the file in your Windows folder with another name, such as newstartbutton.exe. Don't name it Explorer.exe, because that file is already being used by your system. Close all open programs and restart your system.

17. Boot into Safe Mode With Command Prompt by pressing F8 on startup. Then choose Safe Mode in the command prompt.

18. Log on as administrator and enter your password.

19. When the command prompt comes up, make sure you're in the right directory by typing "cd c:\windows" (without the quotes).

20. Now type "copy c:\windows\newstartbutton.exe c:\windows\explorer.exe" (no quotes). Type "yes" (no quotes) to overwrite the existing file, then restart your system by typing "shutdown -r" (no quotes).

When Windows relaunches, you'll see your new Start button in all its glory!

Take care,
Sarah

Comments

[Rybo Flavin]

What pixel size does the replacement Start button BMP need to be?

When you view the default Start button BMP in Resource Hacker it shows all three colored bars stacked on top of eachother. How does Windows know to use this to cycle the Start button colors when you click on it?

[Yuki]

First of all, I confirmed this tweak is valid for Windows XP with SP2 insatlled.I would like to comment about the shape of the start button icon.There are some examples of customized start button icon in the web; they all are rectangular in shape. But you notice that Windows default flag icon is not such a shape and it "blends" to the start button.This blending is produced by an "alpha channel" in the default bitmap image. To see it, open the bitmap in the explorer.exe with ResHacker, choose "Action -> Save(S) [Bitmap : 143 : 10xx]...", and save it as .bmp file. Then you can open it with an image processing program such as Photoshop and see the alpha channel in the channel palette. You can not see it by simple copy and paste from ResHacker to Photoshop.Alpha channel is a grayscale image hidden in the file that indicates the "opaqueness" of the entire image. White means complete opaque, black means transparent and gray indicates semi-transparent with its darkness.You can create your own image with an alpha channel like the original. Don't forget to check the "Include alpha channel" checkbox in save dialog of Photoshop. Save your own, replace it with original bitmap in explore.exe and you can have your beautifully "blended", custom shaped start button icon.The size of default icon is 25 pixels in width and 20 pixels in height for "Luna" theme (ID=143), but you may notice a complete black (transparent) region of 5 pixels width at the rightmost of the image. Apparently, this region is intended to make a space between the icon and the following text. So if you make an icon with no margin (or no alpha channel), the icon sticks to the text. This is not beautiful, of course. So the default size of Luna theme icon can be explained as 20 * 20 pixels with 5 pixels space. Curiously, the default icon for "Classic" theme (ID=176) is 16 * 16 pixels, without any space. Luna theme can be space-consuming. This is probably for considering generalization of wide-screen. The size of icon is not restricted to 25 * 20, so you can create smaller icon instead.By the way, I think it is dangerous to overwrite explorer.exe without testing. You can test it by Ctrl-Alt-Delete, quit explorer.exe, run your own such as C:\WINDOWS\explorer2.exe as a new task, and see it.You can rename explorer.exe while it is running. So you can easily rename explorer.exe in simple safe mode with explorer. Command prompt is not necessary. Safe mode is necessary to bypass system file protection. Go to C:\WINDOWS in safe mode, rename explorer.exe to explorer_orig.exe , rename your explorer2.exe to explorer.exe and restart the PC.

[Elric]

Yes Yuki, the start button IS based around a rectangular shape, but that has to do with the fact that this is the default frame size applied by windows, and this is something I have not yet figured out how to change....am trying to unravel all the scripting that sits within msstyles to solve that amongst other issues. By going with an oval shape it still fits within the frame and still also makes room for the text and bitmap to fit :) By the way, the same applies to the bottons. One thing you can do I discovered is whilst you cannot make the buttons LARGER without figuring out how to adjust the frame size, by using a program such as Resbuild, you can make the buttons smaller so long as the masking colour (see above for alpha channels) fills in the blanks, keeping the over-all png size the same.

Have also, by the way, figure out how to alter the shellstyles file, which has made it possible to have fun with the explorer bar (side panel). Here is a link to see where I am up to so far :)

http://bfarber.com/uploads/post-35-1096081245.jpg

Cheers - Elric

[me]

you guys are so fucking lame..... is this all you can do with your free time? ............ maybe if mommy figured out you were playing with her computer she would ground you and save her pc.....

[me]

UUUUUUUU.....Sarah is cute..... can you post a picture of your tight pussy so I can masturbate all over my keyboard??? pleeeease....... ok... maybe one of your ass just showing the pussy underneath...., and maybe you could have something like a champagne bottle stuck up your ass too......would you sit on my face??? i like eating ass as well as pussy before I pound the living shit out of it.... literally!!!

[Cupid Sharky]

Hi Sarah How R u? Hope great i was doing the start button thing and there was a litlle pron i am the only person who uses my PC but i do not know the Admin Password because i have forgotten it and now i am useing a diferent account wich is not an admin account So plz plz plz!;) if u could let me know how to find the password or ....? so thanku for ur time Cupid Sharky

[Nick]

Rybo Flavin, you are amazing, ive been looking everywhere for how to do that. Thanks dude

[Lindburgh]

Administrator Password Change

When you as the Administrator have forgotten you Password ( Which happens )Panic not you can change it, or should we say re-set it as follows :-

You need to have the Icons displayed on the desktop and not hidden

Therefore Right click on the desktop choose Arrange Icons scroll to display Icons

Or you can go :-Start > My ComputerNext Right click on My Computer choose > Manage from the drop down menuScroll to Local Users and Groups > UsersRight click on Administrator entrySelect :-Choose You New Password











Note the warning. Lindburgh has changed it, and no adverse effects



I have written a CD with 201 tips on similar to the one above

[iftikhar]

http://www.geocities.com/dilsay_pak/aliiftikhar/shazia.html

[GHW]

IF START BUTTON RENAMING DIDN'T WORK WITH SP2:

After countless trial and error attempts to rename the Start button in WindowsXP SP2 using Sarah's hack, I discovered the following:

1. If the new name has less than five characters, you must fill the extra position(s) with spaces in order to have a total of AT LEAST 5 characters. Example: when I tried to change "Start" to "Menu" (4 characters), it didn't work, but when I used " Menu" (note the extra space before the M), it worked.

2. In addition, I discovered that you must rename "Start" in BOTH String Table 37 AND 38, regardless of whether you use the XP or Classic interface. In other words, when I made the change only in 37, it didn't work, but when I changed both 37 and 38, it worked. This is in addition to the info in item 1. above.

Apparently SP1 is not so demanding: with SP1 you can have less than 5 characters for the new name, and need to change EITHER 37 OR 38 depending on which interface you use.

Thought I would pass this along for the benefit of those who have been frustrated in getting this hack to work in SP2.

[ThatCreepyHobo]

i think i found a way to fix the sp2 problem.start it up like you normally would(no toolbar) and go on the ctrl+alt+delete menu and try to run a program and go browsing back to the c:\windows part where the explorer is located then switch the names of explorer and the explorer.bak(the original explorer)so windows will use the original you copied instead of the altered one.

[Arthur]

I tried the start hack with a hex editor. It works on my dad's account in xp home and at school before I change my theme. When I log in at home, the button still says start, even when it says what I want it to in my dads file on the same computer. I do, however, have a customized theme applied to my account. I suspect this to be the culprut, since it works at school until I apply my theme each time I log in. If this is the absolute cause, is there any way around the problem.Thanks in advance - Arthur A.Send as soon as possible to my email: smarta_94@hotmail.com

[Kousik]

Hi,I found a nice straightforward way to disable the green colour of the start button in Windows XP.Just right click on My Computer icon-> Manage->ServicesAndApplications->Services->Themes. Double click on Themes and in the General tab, there is a "startup type" set it to automatic (if not already set) and then stop the service. Voila ! the green color is gone.Ciao,Kousik.

[oyvind]

okei. i've done it before, even with sp2 installed, but now i won't work. i know windows tries to replace explorer.exe with the explorer.exe from system32/dllcache, so i've deleted the explorer in dllcache, but then it appears in /WINDOWS/ again, and vice verca. it tricks me! i use reshack and shutdown explorer to do this.

[as]

get me a program to rename start botton

[tails41]

i see you on screen savers everyday.you are a hot babe.and you like computers too,yeeeeees.

[Locutus]

GRR! I've been looking over and over the web... In the TechTV vault and everything... I was watching TechTV back before the G4 take over and one of you guys showed a simple program dedicated to ONLY changing the color of the start button. I believe it was a freefile. It had three slider buttons for RGB to change the color... I've looked EVERYWHERE for it! But to no avail. If anyone knows where I can find this file PLEASE let me know!

[srinivas]

ThANK U FOR THIS INFORMATION

[Will]

Hey sarah it works great!! thanks for the info!!

[eleventeen]

deadly

[Adam]

I have changed my start button many times, but since I installed sp2 on XP I cannot modify it anymore. If anyone knows how to change the start button with SP2 installed on XP please e-mail me.

[Mike]

Thank You So Much

[root]

why should u have to hack your system to change its theme ffs people run linux or summat worth having!

[psuedojunk]

some of my file names on xp pro come up with green writing. Does anyone know why this is ? please.

[BenListening]

This has to be my most favorite thing I ever learned on the old TechTV.I did this this hack when I first saw Sara do it on TechTV...and that button STAYED hacked.Mine says my favorite cartoony word from the Angry Beavers, "spoot".So you have to "hit the Spoot button" to do anything on my machine.

Thanks Sara, you have brought much joy to my life!

[Somebody You Don't Know]

I have win xp pro sp2 and it took me a few days but i think i may have found a some what simple solution. i modified explorer.exe with Resource Hacker and then i saved it then i ran internet explorer hit ALT+CTRL+DEL went to processes ended explorer.exe then went to applications and selected internet explorer clicked switch to went to the address bar in internet explorer and typed in the address (on my computer) where i saved my modified explorer.exe and right clicked it (or you can just hit CTRL+C) went down to copy then i went back up to the address bar and typed in "C:\Windows\" (replace "C:\Windows\" with your win installation directory) then right clicked an empty space and clicked paste then i gave explorer.exe (or if you named your modified explorer "explorer.exe" click ok to replace it) a different name then i renamed my modified explorer.exe "explorer.exe" i hope that works for you :)

Have fun!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :):)

[Jackson]

Thank you again whoever you really are

[Iain]

A little bit extra for you Sarah, (See dll cache.)

For XP Professional.

If you ever want to get rid of the "Click here to Start" message on the start button.

Make a copy of explorer.exe and then open it with ResHacker.

Edit explorer.exe with ResHacker editing out the line "Click here to start". Click to compile the script. Put one copy in the hidden dll cache to overwrite the explorer.exe in there so that Windows File Protection stays working.

Then stop the explorer.exe process in task manager and put a second copy of the modified file, still on your pasteboard, in to overwrite it. Restart the explorer.exe process on the new file and that's it.

If it won't overwrite, rename the modified explorer.exe file explorer1.exe, paste it in next to the explorer.exe file, and start the explorer1.exe process in task manager, ignoring all warning messages.

Then overwrite the original explorer.exe file with the modified explorer.exe file when you have removed the 1 from the modified file.

Now stop the explorer1.exe process and start the modified explorer.exe process.

Re-boot back to the desktop. Hover the mouse pointer over the start button.

Blissful!

[Iain]

Had to add a bit to that. My memory let me down.

A bit extra for you Sarah, (See dll cache.)

For XP Professional.

If you ever want to get rid of the "Click here to Start" message on the start button.

Make a copy of explorer.exe and then open it with ResHacker.

Edit explorer.exe with ResHacker editing out the line "Click here to start". Click to compile the script.Change both instances of "Start" to - XP - and compile the script.

Remove the line, "Shows a list of programs on your start menu." again, compile the script.

Put one copy in the hidden C:\Windows\System32\dll cache to overwrite the explorer.exe in there, so that Windows File Protection stays working.

Rename the modified file to explorer1.exe, then stop the explorer.exe process in task manager and put the explorer1.exe file into the Windows directory. Press F5 so you can find it next to the original explorer.exe.

Now start the explorer1.exe process ignoring all warning notices.

Rename the original explorer.exe to explorer2.exe.

Stop the explorer1.exe process and start the explorer2.exe process. Ignore all warnings.

NOW... rename the explorer1.exe file to explorer.exe so that it will be recognised properly by the system.

Stop the explorer2.exe process and start the new, modified, explorer.exe process.

Re-boot back to the desktop. Hover the mouse pointer over the start button. No hover text!

My Start Button now reads XP instead of Start, there is no "Click here to start" and no "Shows a list of programs on your start menu." hover text and the modified file is protected by Windows File Protection, as the explorer.exe in the dll cache has the same modifications as the one in use.

You can now move the original explorer.exe file which you renamed to explorer2.exe to a storage folder and rename it back to explorer.exe. You might want to put a readme.txt file in the same folder to remind you that it is the original, and you could also keep a copy of the modified file somewhere safe with a readme.txt file to remind you what changes have been made.

Also go back to C:\Windows\ and make sure that you only have the explorer.exe file and delete the explorer2.exe file.

[Tao]

for people having trouble with the "\" at command prompt.

this might be an issue if you use the standard US 101 keyboard and specify to use other english i.e. English [UK]. you'll not be able to type the "\" at command prompt when in safe mode with command prompt.

solution is to exit command prompt and go to task mananger. ( Ctrl + Alt + Del )

goto File>new task>browse. from there you can cut and paste and remname whatever you need to do.

cheers,Tao

[Mathias]

Hi all, i´ve tried the tweak to change the start button text, i´ve the same problem as some of you, first: the search button doesn´t work any longer, second: in the right lower corner it is impossible to make the unused icons to hide, the taskbar is fixed with a upright bar. not very fine. I´m running xp on sp2. I´m lookin for a solution for that, and also to change the startmenu colour, i noticed also that the numbers in the reshacker (you mentioned it always as 1033) are on my system always 1031, seems to be a attribute of sp2, and I think becaus of this there are these errors. Does anyone know a solution ?????? i wont use style xp or other progs, i also can´t find the start word in a hex-editor as it´s shown in other descriptions.Thanks a lotexcuse my english, I´m german

[Johnny]

Hello,

I don't know if someone has posted this yet (I got lazy and quit reading all the posts), but to those of you who are having trouble modifying explorer.exe here is a trick you might try. In the c:\windows\system32\restore folder there is a file called "filelist.xml". Remove the read only attribute. Open this file with Notepad and add this line to the very first section "%windir%explorer.exe" (without the quotes). Add the REC tags on either side like the other lines too. This will tell windows to exclude explorer.exe from its list of protected files. Save the file and then continue with your mods, should make things alot easier.

Have fun!!

[Richard]

guys.... there's a program to do all this for you, you can change everything you want, also colors... it is called mysb located on http://www.sayesoft.com.au/mySB/.It's a trial but the only limitation is you can't edit start buttons.. ENJOY!!

[troy barlow]

thats cool sarah, very cool

[Mathias]

Thats a cool prog, does anybody have a crack for it, to make own start button without being licensed?

[Shane]

ok this is diffierent i have an easyier way go to

http://www.overclockersclub.com/guides/xpstartbutton.php

[x]

This is the stupidest "tip" ever. Don't risk screwing up critical Windows files, and don't deal with system file protection. It's idiotic. It's not necessary. Use a safe, effective application that can change the Start button safely, while Explorer is running. Something like the freeware TClock Light (http://homepage1.nifty.com/kazubon/tclock/index.html). This can change the text, the font, the icon, make it flat, make it go away, and so on. Editing Windows files is moronic.

[Nate]

This worked awesome! Is there a way to change it so that it only does it for one user though?

[RMBar]

I tried the hack & screwed up my computer. I've got XP -Home SP2. I'm running Spyware Blaster. I followed Sarah's instructions and edited explorer.exe. I saved it to my desktop. When I restarted my computer (to copy the modified explorer.exe file into the windows directory, the computer somehow lost track of my installed devices. If I go to device manager, I see an empty box. No sound card, no printer, etc.

My system restore (although enabled to the max size) did not include any points prior to the hack.

Can anyone suggest a fix?

[Mohan]

I wantto rename the "START" Button on taskbar Plz Give some steps to rename

[Justin Grams]

Very easy, worked just fine. Thanks

[sarah ghanbari]

hi my name is sarah and a really stupid person stole ma password so can u send it back to me ma old pass is zahroo92@hotmail.com ma new is zahroo93@hotmail.com thanx alot

[Patrick]

I tried to change to start button but I could not find "String Table folder and then find folder No. 37 (folder No. 38 if you're in Windows Classic mode)." The string table starts with 288. Where are these two folders. I am using ver 1.2.0.1. Am I using the wrong ver.

[Graham Duffy]

Can you tell me please how to remove or disable the start menu button

thank you

Graham

[thuan]

what i must to do when lost registry.thanks.ps :minh thuan

[Joey]

i need some help. when i was trying to change my (old hacked toolbar) with a new one it said... the file cannot be copied onto itself. can anyone help me

[jay]

i had tried your start menu hack, and all was well until i started my system back up, and gave me several errors, i finally tracked it down to the problem was Service Pack 2 on XP Home Edition. the SP2 did not like the system changes...to bad, it was a great piece of work you had done, i just wish it worked out for me."Windows Explorer had encountered a problem and needed to close" was the messege, and because of the modified shell, i had to ctrl alt del just to get in, everytime, maybe i did something wrong, but i did try it several times, hmmmm ty.

[Brian]

Thanks to the great guides on your site I have managed to hack Windows XP on my laptop and customize just about everything on it. I am now addicted to messing around with most files in the system32 folder with Resource Hacker. Just one thing bugging me silly though, where is the file with the bitmap for the About windows. I mean like when you open paint or notepad and click on About you get a window with version information headed by a Microsoft logo / bitmap. I have looked everywhere for it but can't find it. Any pointers ? Looked all over the web and in forums but I haven't found a thing.

Thank you again for help hacking XP to bits and I hope you have a great 2006.

[Brian]

It's OK no help required. Found what I was looking for. I have put a list below of the windows file and what you can edit in it.I am using XP Home SP2.

msgina.dll - small logon/off windowpassword on resume window(screensaver password option)

shell32.dll - small logon/off windowwizard windowsabout window(the one I wanted to change)

As these are protected system files WFP always replaces tweaked files with originals and even with it disabled you can't move your custom dll's into the S32 folder from the command line or safe mode etc. However with WFP disabled I have been able to get it to work by editing the files directly in the S32 folder with resource hacker then saving them. This creates a backup of the old dll file there but on next start up your custom dll will work. The cool thing is with WFP turned off you don't have to do this in safe mode.

Happy Hacking

[Presto]

-Regarding the explorer hack:Double click your "new" explorer2.exe file and see that a normal explorer windows pops up (aka IT WORKS) before you overwrite explorer.exe. This way you can test it BEFORE you do the switch and avoid problems.

-Regarding the XP Start Button Color Hacks:Although using third party theme programs reportedly does the trick, there is a way to do it simply by patching a single Windows XP .dll file before copying and modifying the luna theme. REMEMBER: You're going to get a second "WindowsXP" choice not only on the themes tab, but on the APPEARANCE TAB as WELL. This is where I think people are getting hung up - they change the WindowsXP choice in the THEMES tab but not in the APPEARANCE tab.

Go here and follow the instructions closely:

http://users.rowan.edu/~marzig76/images/color.html

Then you simply create a copy of the luna theme and call it something else, and of course, use ResHacker to import your new 'nice color' button in the file whateveryoucalledit.msstyles in the new whateveryoucalledit themes directory.

-Tips for making the new button bitmap:The process in the link I posted above requires you to modify the original greenbutton bitmap manually. To ensure the new button works properly you should only edit the GREEN portions of the original. An easy way to do this:

1.Export Ghastly Green button from ResHacker to your desktop. Call it original.bmp2.Open original.bmp with Microsoft Photo Manager or any program that allows easy modification of a .bmp with hue/saturation/color controls. This permits you to change the color of the button without changing the shading or shape of the buttons.3.Get your button(s) looking pretty and save the file to your desktop as new.bmp.4.Open new.bmp in paint5.Open original.bmp in 'another' paint6.In new.bmp change the picture width to 250 (using the 'attributes' command)7.Cut and past the contents of original.bmp right next to the contents of new.bmp8.This automatically imported the colors from original.bmp into your new.bmp file. You need to make new.bmp have the SAME pink pixels as the original. Not sure why, but it needs to be the exact color. Zooming to 'large size' will save you much aggravation.9.When done, blow away the green buttons using 'cut'.10.Restore the original .bmp size to 99x99 in the attributes again.11.Save the new.bmp

Lotta work just change that hideous button hey? Bah. It's worth it. Mine's blue.

Hope this helped to clarify things.

Cheers,

Presto