Replacing the Windows XP Start Button Background
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In the third and final part of my "Hacking the Windows XP Start Button" series I show you how to change the background graphic. Once again, I won’t be using any third party themes or add-ons. Are you ready to have some fun? Let’s get started.
Once again, I would advise printing out this article. The steps you’re going to take will require a reboot and you don’t want to get caught in the middle without instructions.
As with the first two articles, you’re going to need Resource Hacker and the component pack I’ve put together for this article. You can download the pack by clicking the Download Source button below.
You may optionally need a third tool as well—a hex editor. Hex editors are used to edit the code inside of binary files. There are several freeware utilities available including XVI32, HexEdit, and Cygnus Free Edition. I’ll be using XVI32.
Don’t forget the rule of thumb: any time we edit, change, or replace a system file, you should always create a backup before hand. If you have System Restore enabled you should also create a Restore Point prior to beginning.
Enough chatter, let’s get started. First things first; we’re going to find the current start button graphic. You’ll need Resource Hacker for this. Throughout this article, I’m going to assume that everyone is using the default Luna theme. If not, just replace the word Luna with whatever theme you’re using. For instance, if I say to navigate to the Luna folder, just navigate to your theme’s folder instead.
Now that we’ve gotten the technicalities out of the way, let’s go grab a local copy of the start button’s background for editing. Go ahead and start Resource Hacker and I’ll meet you on the next page.
Next: Locating the start button background. >>
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