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Windows Server Forum / Windows NT / Applications / May 2007Patch to Explorer Task Bar
Hi all, As you may (or may not) be aware - there was a glaring BUG in NT4.0 that restricted display of icons in the Taskbar to 16 colours only - which resulted in many looking DREADFUL. Thanks to help from the owner of the site 'BearWindows' and Dr. Hoiby, I am now able to offer a solution to this problem. Have a look at http://nt4ref.zcm.com.au/desktop.htm#taskbar for instructions to accomplish this. All the best, Calvin. Interesting. Using the hex editor you suggest on Explorer.exe v4.72.3612.1700 I only find 1 6A 01 6A 00 6A 01 string at hex address BC18. Where else would it be found? John > Hi all, > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Calvin. Hi John, > Interesting. Using the hex editor you suggest on Explorer.exe > v4.72.3612.1700 I only find 1 6A 01 6A 00 6A 01 string at hex address > BC18. Where else would it be found? Interesting indeed - the version I have here is V4.00.1381.0282, which is the state my machine was in after SP6a + SRP + hotfixes. (I have verified the Explorer.exe version number is the same on several other machines that have gone through a similar SP6a + SRP + hotfix regime) The Version number you quoted suggests you are using a copy of Explorer.exe added by the 'Active Desktop' update. I have NO idea how this 'patch' trick would work under these circumstances. It might be worth you having a talk to the guy at BearWindows ( http://www.geocities.com/bearwindows/ ) - he may be able to disassemble this version of Explorer for you, and work out what code needs to be altered. If you want to have a try of figuring it out yourself, he gives a detailed disassembly of the code sequences that need to be altered on http://www.geocities.com/bearwindows/winnt4.htm at 'problem 9' on that page. Your situation is exactly why I put the warning in step 4 of http://nt4ref.zcm.com.au/desktop.htm#taskbar - as you can imagine, patching code without really understanding what it is altering can be REAL dangerous ! Calvin. > Hi John, > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > patching code without really understanding what it is altering can be > REAL dangerous ! Thanks, Calvin. I have IE 5.5 on this box. That would be the reason for the much newer Explorer.exe on my machine. I will check the links you gave. Regards; John > Thanks, Calvin. I have IE 5.5 on this box. That would be the reason > for the much newer Explorer.exe on my machine. I will check the links > you gave. Hi John, EXACTLY why I get REALLY annoyed with Microsoft sometimes ! I presume you hadn't installed the 'Active Desktop' update, just installed IE 5.5 ?? Typical of Microsoft's arrogant approach - they reserve the right to stuff with files on your system that have NOTHING to do with the application you are installing - without even so much as a 'by your leave' !! Calvin. >> Thanks, Calvin. I have IE 5.5 on this box. That would be the reason >> for the much newer Explorer.exe on my machine. I will check the links [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > application you are installing - without even so much as a 'by your > leave' !! I have always said it and I will always say it, the decision to tie IE and Windows Explorer into a Gordian Knot was a huge mistake! John > Interesting. Using the hex editor you suggest on Explorer.exe > v4.72.3612.1700 I only find 1 6A 01 6A 00 6A 01 string at hex address > BC18. Where else would it be found? Hi John, Did you get in contact with the owner of Bear Windows ? Was he able to help you ? I was thinking it may be worth a try of patching your copy of Explorer.exe (only the single sequence of bytes) and see whether it works. Probably best if you did this on a machine with a parallel install of NT4 in place that you can boot to though - if Explorer.exe fails it could be a bit messy otherwise trying to 'back out' :-) Calvin. >> Interesting. Using the hex editor you suggest on Explorer.exe >> v4.72.3612.1700 I only find 1 6A 01 6A 00 6A 01 string at hex address [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > install of NT4 in place that you can boot to though - if Explorer.exe > fails it could be a bit messy otherwise trying to 'back out' :-) I haven't pursued it any farther at this time. I may try your suggestion and see if making the changes on the single string makes any differences. I should be able change it on a copy of Explorer and then just kill the regular Explorer and see if the modified version makes any difference. John Hi! I have installed the Windows Desktop Update from Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1. Now I use Explorer.exe with version 4.72.3612.1700. The string you must change are from 01 53 6A 01 6A 32 E8 to 01 53 6A 11 6A 32 E8 (01 to 11 on the middle). It looks much better with 256 colours than 16 :) > >> Interesting. Using the hex editor you suggest on Explorer.exe > >> v4.72.3612.1700 I only find 1 6A 01 6A 00 6A 01 string at hex address [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > John Is that on Windows NT 4.0 or on Windows 2000? I just tried that on my NT 4.0 box and after killing the regular Explorer and starting the hacked Explorer version I see no taskbar at all, the same as was happening when changing the sole 6A 01 6A 00 6A 01 string as explained by Calvin on his web page. The Explorer version on my NT box is the same as yours, 4.72.3612.1700 but my IE version is at 5.5. John > Hi! I have installed the Windows Desktop Update from Internet Explorer 6.0 > SP1. Now I use Explorer.exe with version 4.72.3612.1700. The string you must [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] >> >>John > Is that on Windows NT 4.0 or on Windows 2000? I just checked a Win2k box - the version of Explorer after SP4 + hotfixes is 5.0.3700.6690 > I just tried that on my NT 4.0 box and after killing the regular > Explorer and starting the hacked Explorer version I see no taskbar at > all, the same as was happening when changing the sole 6A 01 6A 00 6A 01 > string as explained by Calvin on his web page. The Explorer version on > my NT box is the same as yours, 4.72.3612.1700 but my IE version is at 5.5. I had a horrible feeling the trick wouldn't work on the Active Desktop version of Explorer. If you guys can nail down a working procedure for this version I will add it to NT4Ref. >> Hi! I have installed the Windows Desktop Update from Internet >> Explorer 6.0 SP1. Now I use Explorer.exe with version 4.72.3612.1700. >> The string you must change are from 01 53 6A 01 6A 32 E8 to 01 53 6A >> 11 6A 32 E8 (01 to 11 on the middle). It looks much better with 256 >> colours than 16 :) Interesting - obviously we are missing something here, with one machine having a successful patch, and another failing :-( Calvin. Sorry for my deficient information. I use Windows NT SP6a + Hotfix, Security Rollup Package etc., and for couple of days days ago I installed the WDU from IE6. Both Windows 95 and NT doesn't have WDU as standard, so I tried to install Windows Desktop Update from Internet Explorer 5.0 on an other machine with Windows 95B. Now have I Explorer.exe v4.72.3612.1700 on a Windows 95 machine with Internet Explorer 5.0. I replaced the string in the Explorer.exe and then I replaced itself from DOS and finally restarted the PC. The result is, the desktop looked exactly alike and worked ditto on Win95 IE5.0 and WinNT4 IE6.0. The source are http://www.msfn.org/board/lofiversion/index.php/t44731.html the replay at 11 december 2005. John John wrote: > Is that on Windows NT 4.0 or on Windows 2000? I just checked a Win2k box - the version of Explorer after SP4 + hotfixes is 5.0.3700.6690 > I just tried that on my NT 4.0 box and after killing the regular > Explorer and starting the hacked Explorer version I see no taskbar at > all, the same as was happening when changing the sole 6A 01 6A 00 6A 01 > string as explained by Calvin on his web page. The Explorer version on > my NT box is the same as yours, 4.72.3612.1700 but my IE version is at 5.5. I had a horrible feeling the trick wouldn't work on the Active Desktop version of Explorer. If you guys can nail down a working procedure for this version I will add it to NT4Ref. > David wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> 11 6A 32 E8 (01 to 11 on the middle). It looks much better with 256 >> colours than 16 :) > Interesting - obviously we are missing something here, with one machine > having a successful patch, and another failing :-( > > Calvin. |
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