Have you ever wondered to know how to customize the start menu button in Windows 7? Are you bored of seeing the same old start menu button that is there from the time of Vista? Well, it is possible to spice up your copy of Windows 7 by giving a new look to the start menu button.
In this post, I will show you how to do that in an easy to follow step-by-step manner.
Tools that you need:
- Resource Hacker
- Custom Start Menu icons (images). It mush be of the size 54×162 with a .bmp extension. which looks something as follows:
As shown in the above image, it must be in the following order:
1st Image: When the button is not in use.
2nd Image: When the mouse pointer is over the button.
3rd Image: When the button is clicked.
I have created a few customized buttons which are ready to use. You can download them from the following link:
Once you have all those resources ready, you can start the customization process as follows:
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Take the ownership of the file “explorer.exe” which is located in the Windows Folder (Most likely in C:\Windows).
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Open the Resource Hacker Tool.
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Go to File menu and click on Open. Now load the file “explorer.exe” into the Resource Hacker.
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Expand Bitmap branch in the left pane.
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Now expand 6801 option, right-click on 1033 and select Replace Resource option.
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A new window appears. Click on Open file with new bitmap button.
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Navigate to the customized (.bmp) image, open it and click on Replace button.
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Repeat steps 4 to 7 above for the options 6805 and 6809 as well.
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Now click on Save option (File->Save). Resource Hacker will automatically create a backup file called explorer_original.exe so that you can restore it in the future if needed.
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Log Off and Log On to see the changes in effect.
The following images shows a preview of how your start menu would look like, before and after the customization process is done.
Default Start Menu Button:
Customized Start Menu Button:
UPDATE:
The above method shows you the manual way to customize the start menu button in Windows 7. Alternatively, there is a nice tool out there using which it is possible to accomplish the same job without the need to manually edit the files and follow a long list of procedures. The tool is called Windows 7 Start Button Changer. You can download it from the following link:
I hope you enjoy this trick. Pass your comments and share your experience.
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Downloaded and installed Take Ownership but when I right click at explorer.exe I don’t see the Take Ownership button.
cant we write something there?
it cannot save, it says cannot rename original file
@ iss
Goto C:/windows/ and rename the explorer_original.exe file to something else or just delete it. Then you will be able to save the changes.
can it work for win7?
@ shaurya
It is for WIn 7 only lol!
explore.exe is not deleted it requires the trustedhandler
Hello Could you please tell me currently what you are doing ? B-Tech ?
Thank you
It says cannot RENAME original file.
@ ankit
copy the explorer_original.exe to someother location and delete the one in the Windows folder. Rename doesn’t work but deletion will…
Thanxxx sir
It works…..
Sir
I want skull photo as my start button.
Could you help me by adding some skull photos in start menu buttons download link?
i love hacking very much.
i cant see for this image in Resource Hacker !!
why ?
i free your image and use in Libraries\Pictures but it’s not work !!!
please help me pleas pleas pleas plea ple pl p …
you are doing a nice job here.
Does it Works on other versions of windows 😐 ?
@ Fane
This works only for Win 7. It might also work on Vista (but I haven’t tested). For Win Xp there is a different way to edit the start menu button which is discussed at Renaming Win XP Start Menu
I could’t save the file it shows”Cannot rename original file.saving cancel”
hey can’t see ‘bitmap’ on the left pane of resource hacker when i load the explorer.exe file… wat to do please help me…
hey when i load explorer.exe in resource hacker it is not showing any options on left pane……………….
I jus used Windows 7 Start Button Changer v 2.6 . Worked pretty well for me …(Win 7)
I just had to download some orb’s(The button pictures) and select them !!
Link: Windows 7 Start Button Changer v 2.6
try it if u’d like to ..!!
so easy…..
i have tested before you posted..
but useful for others…
thanks
can you share me some e-books.
i don’t have money…….
plz
help..
Is it possible in 64 bit edition of win7
@ Ankur
Yes, it is possible but for this, you need to use a 64-bit version of Resource hacker.
I TRYIED TO COPY IT TO OTHER PLACE BUT I AM NOT ABLE TO DELETE THE ORIGINAL ONE …..PLZ HELP ME….
i want to know the simplest way of creating a windows xp live cd
biggest problem i found was that even as the admin you need to change the permissions to full control or you cant re-write over anything in the file. after that its a breeze. just remember you can be the owner and admin but if your permissions arnt at full control you can only read and execute. hope this solves some of your guys probs
To all who have the “can’t rewrite”/whatever similar problems:
The take ownership thing doesn’t work. You have to “Properties>Security>Advanced>Owner>Edit>(select your user)>OK>OK>Edit>(select your user)>(check full control)>Apply>Yes>OK>Yes” and that should do it. Then, use “Save As…” save to your desktop as explorer.exe, rename the one in “Windows” to explorer_orig.exe (or something), and move the one on your desktop into the Windows folder. Then log off/on, and you will see your new icon. I like it 🙂
Take ownership before renaming or deleting any Microsoft file .
From properties you can change it to own that file.try
I am actually trying to find out how to change the start menu itself, can anybody tell me how to do this in Windows 7?
When I clicked file and to save it showed “cannot rename original file. Saving cancelled” What can I do? Please help.
in customizing start button article when we click save the option system cannot rename original file comes
please tell solution
Your specified version is not available on link site for win7 ,64 bit and the second option is also not working there i can’t save the star.bmp, what should i do.
Hope my query will be entertained.
Thanks & Regards
Atiq
Sir, the image is not changing