How to swap out explorer.exe on restart

[crabdance]

Hello everyone. I have a customized explorer.exe that is current with all the Microsoft upadates. But when I do an update, it switches back to the older explorer.exe and I lose my customized graphics. I'm trying to make a command file that will swap out the explorer.exe in the Windows directory with mine, but it's not working. Does anyone know how I can do that?

ANY help is appreciated...

[Psych0t1c]

Hello everyone. I have a customized explorer.exe that is current with all the Microsoft upadates. But when I do an update, it switches back to the older explorer.exe and I lose my customized graphics. I'm trying to make a command file that will swap out the explorer.exe in the Windows directory with mine, but it's not working. Does anyone know how I can do that?

ANY help is appreciated...

Take ownership of the one in windows, rename it to explorer.bak and move yours inside the folder. Kill explorer and re-run it.

[crabdance]

Hello everyone. I have a customized explorer.exe that is current with all the Microsoft upadates. But when I do an update, it switches back to the older explorer.exe and I lose my customized graphics. I'm trying to make a command file that will swap out the explorer.exe in the Windows directory with mine, but it's not working. Does anyone know how I can do that?

ANY help is appreciated...


Take ownership of the one in windows, rename it to explorer.bak and move yours inside the folder. Kill explorer and re-run it.

That's what I've already tried to do... here is the contents of my batch file. Maybe that will help.

taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe"
takeown /f "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer.exe"
cacls %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer.exe /Grant Administrators:F < yes.txt
RENAME "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer.exe" "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer1.exe"
COPY "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\windows\install\explorer.exe" "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer.exe"


Thanks for the quick response. I've been working on this for a while

33680

[Mr GRiM]

Hello everyone. I have a customized explorer.exe that is current with all the Microsoft upadates. But when I do an update, it switches back to the older explorer.exe and I lose my customized graphics. I'm trying to make a command file that will swap out the explorer.exe in the Windows directory with mine, but it's not working. Does anyone know how I can do that?

ANY help is appreciated...

Take ownership of the one in windows, rename it to explorer.bak and move yours inside the folder. Kill explorer and re-run it.

That's what I've already tried to do... here is the contents of my batch file. Maybe that will help.

taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe"
takeown /f "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer.exe"
cacls %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer.exe /Grant Administrators:F < yes.txt
RENAME "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer.exe" "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer1.exe"
COPY "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\windows\install\explorer.exe" "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\explorer.exe"


Thanks for the quick response. I've been working on this for a while

This method works for me every time if you want to try it viewtopic.php?f=61&t=438 (http://virtualcustoms.net/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=438)

[crabdance]

This method works for me every time if you want to try it viewtopic.php?f=61&t=438 (http://virtualcustoms.net/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=438)

Thanks for the link. I have no problem doing it manually but what I'm doing is a Windows 7 mod. At the end of the install, I upgrade the system with critical updates. These updates are what changes my orb and explorer icon.

I have inserted a "runonce" entry into the registry that will run a command file after the installation is complete and has rebooted. This command file is "supposed" to swap out the explorer.exe installed by the critical updates with mine, then reboot again. However, I can't get it to work in a command file yet.

I have searched the Internet for a while and haven't found anything yet. I you or anyone else come up with something... PLEASE let me know.

Thank you.

[Mr GRiM]

This method works for me every time if you want to try it viewtopic.php?f=61&t=438 (http://virtualcustoms.net/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=438)

Thanks for the link. I have no problem doing it manually but what I'm doing is a Windows 7 mod. At the end of the install, I upgrade the system with critical updates. These updates are what changes my orb and explorer icon.

I have inserted a "runonce" entry into the registry that will run a command file after the installation is complete and has rebooted. This command file is "supposed" to swap out the explorer.exe installed by the critical updates with mine, then reboot again. However, I can't get it to work in a command file yet.

I have searched the Internet for a while and haven't found anything yet. I you or anyone else come up with something... PLEASE let me know.

Thank you.

The other alternative would be to make your mod with all the updates already integrated and that way you can avoid this problem, there are some guides on how to do this that were posted on Newage OS but the site has been down for a while for maintenance but I do have a copy of that guide and have followed the steps to do it myself and it works very well.

29727

[crabdance]

The other alternative would be to make your mod with all the updates already integrated and that way you can avoid this problem, there are some guides on how to do this that were posted on Newage OS but the site has been down for a while for maintenance but I do have a copy of that guide and have followed the steps to do it myself and it works very well.

Thanks! I'm looking into this right now. I could save me a lot of grief... plus cut down on the install time the user has to sit through.

[crabdance]

The other alternative would be to make your mod with all the updates already integrated and that way you can avoid this problem, there are some guides on how to do this that were posted on Newage OS but the site has been down for a while for maintenance but I do have a copy of that guide and have followed the steps to do it myself and it works very well.

Thanks for putting that idea in my head. I checked out the tools that I am using to make the system and sure enough, between both of the tools I was able to do it. The first tool, "Windows 7 Toolkit", has the ability to convert MSU file to CAB files. The second program I use, "Je Jin's Dism Tool", has the ability to add the the files (or "updates") to the image. I tested it and it worked perfectly first time out of the box. Now I have saved myself (and the user) two reboots, plus I haven't lost my start orb and windows explorer icon.

Thanks for the help.

Have another question though. I want 2 desktop gadgets to be on the desktop when the install is complete and so far I can't find anything on the net about that. Do you have any ideas? I was told that Vista's version used an INI file and you could use that to put a gadget on the desktop, but Windows 7 doesn't use the INI.

Any help would be appreciated. And thanks again to Mr. Grim.