Category: Tutorials

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Tools Tutorials

How to change Hard Disk Icon

hard drive icon changerHey guys! Today I will tell you that how can you change your hard drive icon with an ease.

The tool I will be using is Drive Icon changer by Redmondpie. It’s so simple to use.

Just select your drive from drop down menu, it will show all the available drives.

Then after selecting the drive, select the drive icon by clicking on that select icon which will open a browse windows.Select a standard .ico format file for you Hard disk.

Then just click on save! Done! You will notice the changed icon.You can revert back to original icon anytime by using this tool only!

 

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How to make icons for windows

Windows uses .ico format unlike mac which uses .icn

The .ico you will need for windows is joint icons means multiple size and depth icon images in one single file!

You must have noticed that .ico have multiple images in it and I will teach you how to do so.

Step 1.icon

First make anything inside photoshop and make sure the size of the image is 256×256 pixels and is transparent.

Now save it as anyname.png

Step 2.

Start the program any to icon(download link at the bottom of the post)

drop the png file to the white area just like i did, see in the picture.

Then click on next, follow the instruction which will ask you what size’s you want ,check them out, select destination and click on next!

Done!

You will see joint icon with multiple size’s at your destination folder.

 

 

 

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Change windows navigation buttons

In this tut, I will tell you that how can you change the forward and backward(navigation buttons) buttons on your windows PC.buttons

The file which we will edit is ExplorerFrame.dll which is located at:

C:\Windows\System32

So let’s start! Firstly make sure you made a backup of the file so that you can easily restore it buttons2back!

Now open it with any resource editor like Resource Hacker or

Restorator or any other but I will use restorator, it’s the best!

So open it with restorator and then navigate to BMP folder then export 577, 578, 579 & 581 bmp files.

577.bmp ->Normal
578.bmp ->Hover
579.bmp ->Not available(when you cant go forward or backward)
581.bmp ->Clicked

Now make your images using Photoshop, gimp or any other image editor.
Save all of them and then import them into the explorerframe.dll using the resource editor.

Done! just place your new explorerframe.dll back to C:\Windows\System32 and restart the explorer!explorerframe

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Tools Tutorials

Enable Dreamscene(video wallpapers) on windows 7

 

You would be knowing that you can easily unlock vista(some versions) and xp for video wallpapers but there’s a trick for windows 7 users.dreamsceneseven

There was a feature in few vista versions which allowed to use videos as desktop wallpaper

You can use the software called Dreamscene Seven.

With this you can use any .wmv or .mpeg format file as a desktop background.Its very easy to install and takes only few kbs of disc space. 🙂

After the program is downloaded, it is necessary to run the file with administrative privileges (right button click is the run as Administrator). Then you have to select the button Install DreamScene.
Now a new item “Set as Desktop Background” will appear in the Video File Context Menu, with the help of which it can be set as a desktop background.videowall

 

 

 

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Tutorials

How to change clock image in windows 7

Today I will tell you how to change the clock image which you see when you click time on you taskbar.clock_tut_1

We will edit the timedate.cpl file for this.

timedate.cpl is located at:

C:\Windows\System32

Firstly, make a backup of this file so that you can easily restore back.

Then open this file with help of resouce hacker or restorator or any other resource explorer program.I”ll use restorator, its the best.Then export the PNGFILE folder let’s say on desktop.

Now open he exported PNGFILE folder, you will se clock clock_tutimages.You can make new ones but make sure the size is correct like 5000.png is 130×130 pixel, 5008.png is 166x166pixel etc.Make sure you save the correct ones.

After you are done with making the clock images you can simple import them into you timedate.cpl file with help of restorator or resource hacker 🙂

After you are all done place it back in C:\windows\system32 and restart the explorer.

Done! Enjoy!

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Tutorials

Make your own Cursors Set: Photoshop & RW Cursor Editor


Hello readers, I bet you must have thought how to make nice cursors set for windows once in your lifetime 😛

Today I”ll tell you how to make your set easily.Full A-Z steps with pictures.

Step1: The Design

Open photoshop or any other editor like gimp etc.We will need 32×32 pixel image but will start with a bigger one so that we can make high details.

Lets start with a 200×200 pixel canvas(transparent).

Make a basic design, whatever you like. Have a look at my basic cursor design in Photoshop.

Step2: Animation

If you don’t want animated cursor then you can skip this step.

So to make the animation we need frames means more images, so what we will do is change the

position of different elements(which we want to animate) and save it separately.See the pictures attached, click on them for larger preview.

All the images have to be saved separately in .PNG format for easy make a new folder and place all the image files there.

 

Step3: Using RW Cursor Editor to make cursors

Start the application, then drag your 1st cursor image onto the application which will open a new

workspace.Then at the bottom you will see cursors frames, there you will find a + option click on that if you want another frame(for animation only).Clicking on + sign will add a new blank frame.Select blank frame then on the right side you will find a dialogue Layers.Inside that you will find option to import layer,click on that a new import window will open then from that windows select the 2nd cursor image file.

Similar you can add as many frames. Here you can see I have made 3 Cursor images see the differences in all 3 images , this will cause the animation.So because of 3 images i will have 3 layers .After you are all done on the top toolbar you will find an option to create cursor, click on that which will open another workspace , from that new workspace will open then goto file–>Save as–> anyname and save as type: Animated Cursor.

See below attached image for more references.

Done! Similarly you can create whole cursor pack.

Download RW Cursor Editor Here:

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Tutorials

Font Installer Script: Easily install fonts with your setups

I am writing this post to teach you how can you install fonts with your setups.Here i”ll teach you to write a font installer script so that you can use it to run with other setups.
I have been using this font installer script in each of my theme setup.You can see that fonts install with the setups of my themes, you dont have to manually install them. Here’s the small tutorial to do so:

Step 1:

Open notepad and paste the following code:

set winsh = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
set winenv = winsh.Environment("Process")
windir = winenv("WINDIR")

Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace("C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Alienware Evolution\Fonts")
Set objFolderItem = objFolder.ParseName("autobahn_stencil.ttf")
objFolderItem.InvokeVerb("Install")

Now have a look at the code above,in 5th line where I have placed C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Alienware Evolution\Fonts you have to type the font folder path.Like for example my Font file was located in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Alienware Evolution\Fonts but you can type any other location like C:\ or C:\Windows etc.

Now the 6th line contains the name of the font file.You can see I will be installing  autobahn_stencil.ttf using this script.You can type any font name instead but make sure the font is located in the folder which you have typed in line 5.

Step 2:

Now if you want to install multiple fonts then you can simple copy the code  and paste again & again, make sure you change the folder and font name.

Here’s the code:

Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace("C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Alienware Evolution\Fonts")
Set objFolderItem = objFolder.ParseName("autobahn_stencil.ttf")
objFolderItem.InvokeVerb("Install")

Step 3:

Now save it as anyname.vbs and make sure save as type is All Files(*.*)

Step 4:

Test the script by double clicking on anyname.vbs

Step 5: How to implement it in a installer?

That’s a big question that how to use it with the installer?Simple it is , if you want to use it with Winrar SFX installer then what you can do is decide the location of font  files ie after extraction where they will be copied.Then add that location to above code.Pack the script and the font files together with winrar sfx and in the option of SFX , you will find run after Extraction option.Type your .vbs file name there like anyname.vbs

Done!

Step 6: (Optional Skip step 5 instead)

What i do is instead of Winrar SFX i use a software Smart Install Maker.It’s very user friendly software and i have been building my theme’s setups using that software , in the next post i”ll teach you how to make setups with that.

Feel free to leave a reply here if you cant understand steps! I’ll try to explain you.

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Tutorials

Change Windows 7 Boot Animation: Windows 7 Boot Updater

Windows 7 Boot Updater is a  program that makes it easy to update the Windows 7 boot animation and text.

Features

 

  • Modifies the boot animation, colors, text, and background
  • Modifies the resume from hibernation screen as well
  • Will create the animation from 105 BMP, PNG, GIF, or TIFF images or use a single (non-animated) image
  • Does not require any other applications.

  • Designed to be idiot-proof by having numerous checks
  • Automatically backs-up the modified files
  • Does not require test-signing or no-integrity-checks to be enabled
  • Works for all versions of Windows 7: any language, any edition, 32-bit or 64-bit, RTM or SP1
  • Available in English, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, French, Dutch, Hungarian, Hebrew, and Vietnamese.
  • Works even if your setup has the hidden “System Reserved” partition
  • Can be run as a GUI, command-line program, or installer/uninstaller

 

The Animation

If you choose to change the animation you will have to make an animation! The animation is:

  • 105 frames (if there are less frames the last frame will be repeated as necessary)
  • Each frame is 200x200px (resized if necessary)
  • 15 frames / sec
  • First 4 seconds play once then the last 3 seconds play in a loop

The program loads a folder containing all the frames as PNGs, GIFs, BMPs, TIFs, or JPEGs images. The files will be played in alphabetical order. If you are numbering them, use the same number of digits for all numbers (e.g. 001, 002, …, 103, 105). For ‘historical’ reasons, the animation can also be a folder containing a single BMP named “activity.bmp” that is 200x21000px.

Transparency (in PNGs and GIFs) is supported (except when a message is behind the animation).

It you want no animation, set the static image as a single pixel image that is transparent.

Videos and animations, such as GIF, AVI and MPEG files, can be converted into a sequence of PNGs using ffmpeg. I have made a utility to make this very simple: video2png.

You can make the animation with any picture-editing software, but the following are recommended:

  • Jasc Animation Shop (free), to export the animation:
    • Choose “Edit -> Select All”
    • Choose “File -> Save Frames As…”
    • Change “Save as type” to “Portable Network Graphics (*.png)”
    • Click “Save”
  • Corel Jasc Animation Shop
  • Adobe Flash, to export the animation:
    • Choose “File -> Export -> Export Movie…”
    • Change “Save as type” to “PNG Sequence (*.png)”
    • Click “Save”
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe Premiere, to export the animation:
    • Choose “File -> Export -> Media…”
    • Change “Format” to “PNG”
    • On the “Video” tab, set width and height to 200, aspect ratio to “Square Pixels (1.0)”, and check “Export as sequence”
    • Click “Export”
  • Adobe Photoshop, to export the animation:
    • Choose “File -> Export -> Render Video…”
    • Select “Image Sequence” and choose “PNG”
    • Click “Render”

 

How to Use:

Start the application, the main interface of Windows 7 Boot Updater allows to modify the boot screen (Booting tab) and the resume from hibernation screen (Resuming tab). Each tab allows to modify the boot screen text, background color, animation (static image or animation), etc.
Text for “© Microsoft Corporation” and “Starting Windows” can be modified under the Message 1 and Message 2 tabs.
When you finish your customization, click Apply.

 

Download Link>>

Command Line Version>>

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Tutorials

Fix Broken or Corrupt icons on Windows

 

Annoyed with broken, corrupt icons on your windows PC?  Here’s a short tutorial on how to solve the problem.

Step 1. Close and save anything that you are working on. This will close explorer.
Step 2. Open the Start Menu, then open Notepad.
Step 3. In Notepad, Copy and Paste code below exactly as is and then save as anyname.bat & Make sure Save As Type is All Files(*.*)

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
set iconcache=%localappdata%\IconCache.db
del “%iconcache%” /A
set thumbcache=C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\*.db*
del “%thumbcache%” /A
start C:\Windows\explorer.exe

Step 4. Now Run the .bat file you saved.Make sure you run as Administrator.

Step 5. The Icon Cache & Thumb Cache have been deleted now and icons have been fixed!

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Tutorials

How to Change Logon Screen on Windows 7

Logon screen’s can be changed very easily on your windows 7 PC.

Logon’s make your system look cool plus many theme’s come’s with a matching logon screen.

So here’s a short tutorial on how to change it on windows 7:

1.Enabling Custom Backgrounds

This feature is disabled by default, so you’ll have to enable it from the Registry Editor. You can also use the Group Policy Editor if you have a Professional version of Windows – scroll down a bit for the Group Policy Editor method.

Launch the Registry Editor by typing regedit into the search box in the Start menu and pressing Enter.

In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background

You’ll see a DWORD value named OEMBackground. If you don’t see it, right-click in the right pane, point to the New submenu and create a new DWORD value with this name.

Double-click the OEMBackground value and set its value to 1.

 

2.Locating backgrounds folder

Open Windows Explorer and go to the following path:

C:\Windows\System32\oobe

If you found a folder named Info and inside it backgrounds,  this step ends for you.If you can’t find then create a new folder Info in oobe and inside Info folder create another folder named backgrounds.

 

3.Setting the desired image as Logon

Rename your desired wallpaper as backgroundDefault.jpg and place it inside the folder backgrounds (images must be less than 245KB in size).

Done! Enjoy the logon , to check it out press Win+L.

 

 

Third-party software

If you are uncomfortable with manually tinkering with the registry — or simply have better things to be doing with your time —

we understand. Various third-party applications can change Windows 7’s default logon wallpaper, but our

personal favorite is Logon Editor by Vincent Bethmann.

 

The software is ridiculously easy to use, doesn’t require installation, and it even has built-in tools to automatically resize and recompress your images while leaving the original file untouched. This also lets you quickly change your logon wallpaper back to the Windows 7 default.

Download Logon Editor>>