Edit Your Start Menu

From TheBestCaseScenario

[edit] WARNING

Modifying your system files can cause problems if not preformed correctly. Failure to follow all precautions beforehand will result in you screaming and pulling your hair out!

ALWAYS BACKUP your entire system or at least the files your changing.

I can not and don't accept any damage to your system as a result of this tutorial. You preform this at your own risk.

[edit] Intro

Always wanted to change the word "Start" to suit you, maybe your computer name, your screen name maybe? Well heres how:

Ok, now onto work.

[edit] What you will need

• A touch of creativity
• Windows 2000, XP or 2003
• Resource hacker

[edit] Step 1

To start create yourself a work directory, i use c:\Mod\Start, once you have made this directory copy explorer.exe located within your windows directory to your work directory, make a second copy and rename this to explorer.exe.bak

This is where most of windows gets its shell information from, Be careful or you can render the explorer shell unusable.

[edit] Step 2

using resource hacker open your copy of explorer located in c:\Mod\Start\explorer.exe, once open notice the tree on the left, locate String Table and click the little +, then locate string 37 then within that you should find string 1033, Click this and on the right you should now see the same as the image below.

Highlight the work Start, yes you guessed it, thats your start menu, change this to what ever you want, note there isn't a limit on the length of your start menu text.

[edit] Step 3

Once you have changed it, Click Compile Script at the top, save your new explorer as Explorer_new.exe" within your work directory.

To load your new shell you need to shut explorer and replace it with your new explorer, to do this i have written a batch script for you,

Copy and paste the text below into notepad and save as a .BAT file in your work directory:

@echo off

cls

echo This will apply the Start menu MOD

echo

echo You do need to click cancel to windows file protection,

echo then Yes to The second File Protection popup.

Pause

copy c:\windows\Explorer.exe C:\windows\explorer_Backup.exe /y

copy Explorer_NEW.exe C:\windows\system32\dllcache\explorer.exe /y

copy Explorer_NEW.exe c:\windows\explorer.exe /y

copy Explorer_NEW.exe C:\windows\system32\dllcache\explorer.exe /y

copy Explorer_NEW.exe c:\windows\explorer.exe /y

c:\windows\explorer.exe

exit

[edit] Final Step

Load Task Manager and locate explorer.exe under the Processes tab, right click and select end process tree.

You will now notice your start menu, task bar and desktop have all vanished, thats normal, don't worry.

select File-->New task and type CMD once command prompt has turned up type

cd \

cd Mod

cd Start Or where ever your work directory is

apply_START.bat Or what ever you named it

[edit] The finished result

if it has worked you should see something like this: