Renaming your start button

[ThePentiumGuy]

Heheh. This is so leet. First check out the screenshot. "stop!" instead of "start."

 

I'm doing this just for fun anyways (you might wonder what's the point :)).

Get a hex editor, I used hex workshop (these instructions are for hex workshop anyways). Run it, open explorer.exe (windows folder). First of all, hit Save As... Explorer2.exe (just for the sake of having a backup).

 

Now, this part's a little tricky. If you're new to hex editing, then don't worry. See the numbers to the left side? Those represent your offsets. The text for "start" should lie in between the following offsets:

 

<LI>Windows 98

Offset: 0x00028D6E - 0x00028D76 <LI>Windows NT4

Offset: 0x00028BEE - 0x00028BF6 <LI>Windows ME

Offset: 0x00033DDE - 0x00033DE6 <LI>Windows 2000

Offset: 0x0003860E - 0x00038616 <LI>Windows XP (Enhanced Start Menu)

Offset: 0x000412B6 - 0x000412BE <LI>Windows XP (Classic Start Menu)

Offset: 0x0004158A - 0x00041592 <LI>Windows XP SP1 (Enhanced Start Menu)

Offset: 0x0004208E - 0x00042096 <LI>Windows XP SP1 (Classic Start Menu)

Offset: 0x0004259A - 0x000425A2 <Taken from http://www.tweakxp.com/tweak1847.aspx>

 

Hit control + g and type in the first offset number (you don't need the 0x). And look around for a word called 'start' (it should be written as "s.t.a.r.t"), it should be nearby.

 

However that method didn't work for me. On my computer (XP Home, Sp2), "start" lied before this text:

There was an internal error and one of the windows you were using has been closed.".

 

So hit control + F,

Find what:

Type: Text String

Find What: There was an

 

Options:

Either

 

 

Now it should take you to that error. And just before it you should see:

 

. .h.i.d.d.e.n. .i.c.o.n.s.............s.t.a.r.t.R.T.h.e.r.e. .w.a.s. .a.n. .i.n.t.e.r.n.a.l. .e.r.r.o.r. .a.n.d. .o.n.e. .o.f. .t.h.e. .w.i.n.d.o.w.s. .y.o.u. .w.e.r.e. .u.s.i.n.g. .h.a.s. .b.e.e.n

 

Now, replace the letters (replace, you can't have more and you can't have less than 5 characters) 's.t.a.r.t.' with (this is what I did) 's.t.o.p.!'.

 

Now hit save (making sure you're saving to Explorer2.exe, windows folder)

 

------------

If you still can't find "start", hit control + F and find the string "'start", making sure it's case sensitive (beucase there are a lot of "Start"s). You'll have to scroll through a list of 20 start's (you have to hit F3 to go to the next string). However these "Fake" 'start's will be something like.

"Starting task... <something>"....etc

 

So just look for the word start hanging around on its own.

-------------

 

Now, we need to test if this works.

Close all programs.

Control + Alt + Delete

Right click Explorer.Exe, End Process Tree

File, New Task | Run. "Explorer2.exe"

 

If you see the word "stop!" (or whatever you used) then it works. If you ever want to revert back, End Process Tree explorer2.exe and start explorer.exe. So it's not a permanent change you're making if you do it this way.

 

Now, if you're sure that it works (click the start menu...etc making sure that there are no bugs), and you want this to be 'default', then:

 

[quote=http://www.tweakxp.com/tweak1847.aspx\

open up regedit (Start | run | Regedit), you are looking for this key:

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]

 

search for the value named Shell and make it equal to explorer1.exe.

 

And, (yay) you've renamed your start button, permanently (You can rename it whenever you want).

This article was based off of:

http://www.tweakxp.com/tweak1847.aspx

 

-The Pentium Guy

untitled.bmp

Edited January 6, 2005 by ThePentiumGuy

[ThePentiumGuy]

It seems that a total of 0 (zero) people found this interesting/useful. Go figure ;).

 

Edit: This works on home edition. I haven't tested it on pro yet.

Edited January 7, 2005 by ThePentiumGuy

[EFileTahi-A]

It seems that a total of 0 (zero) people found this interesting/useful. Go figure ;).

 

ROTFL!!! Well m8, at least you made me laugh like a mad!!!

 

There was a time I use to hack "Saved games" with my hex editor back on early 90's on my Amiga 1200. It was just to bloody funny to rename the space stations names on Frontier (Elite II) and dock on my local streets names...

 

But you know, I might have some fun to do that with windows start button and other other things in windows ;)

[ThePentiumGuy]

It's amazing what you can do with the registry, hex editors, and stuff like that.

I found a hack to rename the recycle bin, and rename the title bar of internet explorer (Mine is "Internet exploder provided by Macrohard Doors").

 

-TPG

[alp0001]

Did it a while ago as I was annoyed with seeing Start all the time (whole thread is here).

 

Oops, forgot you have to login that site to see it. Here ya go, same pic:

[ThePentiumGuy]

Awesome. Your desktop is quite messy :p. I sort of removed all the icons from my desktop (except for the recycle bin, which i don't htink you can remove).

 

-The Pentium Guy

[alp0001]

Hehe, I know where to find my stuff in a snap. That pic is an old view, my desktop is MUCH worse now. ;)

 

[edit]I changed my mouse as well since it also was boring me. :) [/edit]

[ThePentiumGuy]

Well, I clean out my desktop every like 3 months or so. And I gotta admit, EVERY SPACE is filled before I clean it out. So yeah. I was being a hypocrite earlier :p. My code is messy for gods sake (See other thread in random thoughs). I'm a disorganized person but .... if i take the time to organize stuff..... then......................................................

 

it will be come disorganized soon anyways ;).

But currently it's organized. .... I just threw everything into a folder called Junk adn put it in my docs.

 

-TPG

[ThePentiumGuy]

Try www.themexp.org to change:

-Windows styling

-Boot up screen (ex: Change "Windows XP Professional Edition... <loading>" to "Windwos XP Pirated Edition")

-Login screen

-.. and more

 

you'll need a program like StyleXP to apply the changes. It changes everything natively so you don't have to worry about overuse of memory (in fact my system performacne hasn't been affected at all).

 

-TPG

[IngisKahn]

Heh, my start button is in Japanese now.

BTW, you can get rid of the recycle bin with TweekUI

[Derek Stone]

I almost attempted this once, but then I realized there are a million better things to be doing. ;)

[coldfusion244]

You can also do it through code...

[thenerd]

Now, what I want to know is how to change the little windows icon on the start bar. THAT would be cool.

[ThePentiumGuy]

www.themexp.org.

Edit: Whoops, I already mentioned that.

[mtaulbee]

Pretty cool, I just renamed my start button to mikes