Customized explorer.exe not working

[Mint]

On a system with XP Home Edition

I have a customized program, explorer2.exe that shows Go instead of
start.

(It gives me room for one more window.)

It worked fine on XP Pro.

I did the register change that was required and renamed all old
instances of explorer.exe to exp.exe.

It works fine as an admin and "F8" mode.

It won't work as a limited user.

Thanks,
Andy

 

[Peter Foldes]

Mint

Did you contact the programs owner at his site or did you email the person asking
him\her why it has this issue??

--
Peter
Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

 

[Tim Meddick]

It may sound too simple but, check that the file "explore2.exe" has the
correct security permissions to enable the "User's" group to Read / Execute
this program.

If the "User's" group is absent from the security permissions (because you
copied it directly from a folder on an Admin-level account), then limited
users would not be able to access it.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Mint]

It may sound too simple but, check that the file "explore2.exe" has the
correct security permissions to enable the "User's" group to Read / Execute
this program.

If the "User's" group is absent from the security permissions (because you
copied it directly from a folder on an Admin-level account),  then limited
users would not be able to access it.

==

Cheers,    Tim Meddick,    Peckham, London.    

I will check.

It is a modified explorer.exe in which Start is replaced by Go.
It gives a little more space on the Taskbar.

Worked great on XP Pro.

Andy

 

[Mint]

It may sound too simple but, check that the file "explore2.exe" has the
correct security permissions to enable the "User's" group to Read / Execute
this program.

If the "User's" group is absent from the security permissions (because you
copied it directly from a folder on an Admin-level account),  then limited
users would not be able to access it.

==

Cheers,    Tim Meddick,    Peckham, London.    

Tim,

It wasn't a permission issue.

Trying to think of what to try next.

There are no copies of explorer.exe on my hard drive, unless there are
some
in a cab file.

Explorer2.exe is in memory and the program does have GO in place
of Start in the String Table part of the executable.

I saw some references to explorer.exe in a few registry entries with
MUI in them.

I MAY, backup my registry, delete those references and see what
happens.

Andy

 

[Tim Meddick]

Don't suppose you remember where you downloaded from, do you ?

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

It may sound too simple but, check that the file "explore2.exe" has the
correct security permissions to enable the "User's" group to Read /
Execute
this program.

If the "User's" group is absent from the security permissions (because
you
copied it directly from a folder on an Admin-level account), then limited
users would not be able to access it.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

I will check.

It is a modified explorer.exe in which Start is replaced by Go.
It gives a little more space on the Taskbar.

Worked great on XP Pro.

Andy

 

[Tim Meddick]

Registry entries under subkeys named "MUI" are always just the "last
opened" lists, like the one belonging to MS Paint or Explorer's "Run" box -
enabling them to store the last few files they opened as a list.

Changing or deleting them will not have any impact on anything (except
clearing some "last opened" lists).

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

It may sound too simple but, check that the file "explore2.exe" has the
correct security permissions to enable the "User's" group to Read /
Execute
this program.

If the "User's" group is absent from the security permissions (because
you
copied it directly from a folder on an Admin-level account), then limited
users would not be able to access it.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Tim,

It wasn't a permission issue.

Trying to think of what to try next.

There are no copies of explorer.exe on my hard drive, unless there are
some
in a cab file.

Explorer2.exe is in memory and the program does have GO in place
of Start in the String Table part of the executable.

I saw some references to explorer.exe in a few registry entries with
MUI in them.

I MAY, backup my registry, delete those references and see what
happens.

Andy

 

[Tim Meddick]

The only registry entry that really matters (for choosing the Window's
shell) is this one ;

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"Shell"="C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe"

Now, obviously, you have to set this registry sub-key and "Shell" value,
under the [HKEY_CURRENT_USER] but while the current user is the limited
user that you want to specify a different shell for.

No use changing it while the current user is the admin-level account that
you say it works okay with.

But change it while logged on as the other user account.

(But then I don't fully understand what you mean by "won't work as limited
user" - does that mean it just starts as boring old Explorer.exe or that
you get error messages?)


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

It may sound too simple but, check that the file "explore2.exe" has the
correct security permissions to enable the "User's" group to Read /
Execute
this program.

If the "User's" group is absent from the security permissions (because
you
copied it directly from a folder on an Admin-level account), then limited
users would not be able to access it.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Tim,

It wasn't a permission issue.

Trying to think of what to try next.

There are no copies of explorer.exe on my hard drive, unless there are
some
in a cab file.

Explorer2.exe is in memory and the program does have GO in place
of Start in the String Table part of the executable.

I saw some references to explorer.exe in a few registry entries with
MUI in them.

I MAY, backup my registry, delete those references and see what
happens.

Andy

 

[Mint]

The only registry entry that really matters (for choosing the Window's
shell) is this one ;

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"Shell"="C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe"

Now, obviously, you have to set this registry sub-key and "Shell" value,
under the [HKEY_CURRENT_USER] but while the current user is the limited
user that you want to specify a different shell for.

No use changing it while the current user is the admin-level account that
you say it works okay with.

But change it while logged on as the other user account.

(But then I don't fully understand what you mean by "won't work as limited
user" - does that mean it just starts as boring old Explorer.exe or that
you get error messages?)

==

Cheers,    Tim Meddick,    Peckham, London.    

It may sound too simple but, check that the file "explore2.exe" has the
correct security permissions to enable the "User's" group to Read /
Execute
this program.

If the "User's" group is absent from the security permissions (because
you
copied it directly from a folder on an Admin-level account), then limited
users would not be able to access it.

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Tim,

It wasn't a permission issue.

Trying to think of what to try next.

There are no copies of explorer.exe on my hard drive, unless there are
some
in a cab file.

Explorer2.exe is in memory and the program does have GO in place
of Start in the String Table part of the executable.

I saw some references to explorer.exe in a few registry entries with
MUI in them.

I MAY, backup my registry, delete those references and see what
happens.

Andy

I found a way for my customized explorer2.exe to work, but to be
honest, the method
seems "retarded" to me.

1. I log onto my Limited User account.

2. I kill explorer2.exe using Task Manager (re-assigned in registry to
be the shell.)

3. I restart that SAME copy of explorer2.exe and it now shows GO
instead of Start in the "Green Start Box."

What I find funny, is that I removed the "Windows flag" icon from the
Start Box by deleting it's resource in the executable file.

Same with the identical version in the dllcache directory.

So, how is the flag magically reappearing??



Andy

 

[Tim Meddick]

Have you heard of Windows File Protection (WFP) ?

What it mans is that, by default (unless you turn it off) Windows is
constantly monitoring it's system files (dll's. exe's, vxd's, drv's, ocx's,
sys, etc., ) and if any are changed or deleted - immediately replaces it
with it's copy from :

C:\WINDOWS\dllcache

(and if, in turn, any are altered or deleted in the [dllcache] folder -
they too are replaced straight away, with backup copies - usually from the
ServicePackCache )

You can test it out!! (first, backup a copy of explorer.exe or any in the
system32 directory)

Just delete Explorer.exe from the Windows folder (or any dll file from
system32) and watch as it magically re-appears!!!

This means that any modifications you make to files (say, with Resource
Hacker), will be effectively erased momentarily....

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

The only registry entry that really matters (for choosing the Window's
shell) is this one ;

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"Shell"="C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe"

Now, obviously, you have to set this registry sub-key and "Shell" value,
under the [HKEY_CURRENT_USER] but while the current user is the limited
user that you want to specify a different shell for.

No use changing it while the current user is the admin-level account that
you say it works okay with.

But change it while logged on as the other user account.

(But then I don't fully understand what you mean by "won't work as
limited
user" - does that mean it just starts as boring old Explorer.exe or that
you get error messages?)

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

It may sound too simple but, check that the file "explore2.exe" has the
correct security permissions to enable the "User's" group to Read /
Execute
this program.

If the "User's" group is absent from the security permissions (because
you
copied it directly from a folder on an Admin-level account), then
limited
users would not be able to access it.

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

Tim,

It wasn't a permission issue.

Trying to think of what to try next.

There are no copies of explorer.exe on my hard drive, unless there are
some
in a cab file.

Explorer2.exe is in memory and the program does have GO in place
of Start in the String Table part of the executable.

I saw some references to explorer.exe in a few registry entries with
MUI in them.

I MAY, backup my registry, delete those references and see what
happens.

Andy

I found a way for my customized explorer2.exe to work, but to be
honest, the method
seems "retarded" to me.

1. I log onto my Limited User account.

2. I kill explorer2.exe using Task Manager (re-assigned in registry to
be the shell.)

3. I restart that SAME copy of explorer2.exe and it now shows GO
instead of Start in the "Green Start Box."

What I find funny, is that I removed the "Windows flag" icon from the
Start Box by deleting it's resource in the executable file.

Same with the identical version in the dllcache directory.

So, how is the flag magically reappearing??



Andy

 

[Mint]

Have you heard of Windows File Protection (WFP) ?

What it mans is that, by default (unless you turn it off) Windows is
constantly monitoring it's system files (dll's. exe's, vxd's, drv's, ocx's,
sys, etc., ) and if any are changed or deleted - immediately replaces it
with it's copy from :

C:\WINDOWS\dllcache

(and if, in turn, any are altered or deleted in the [dllcache] folder -
they too are replaced straight away, with backup copies - usually from the
ServicePackCache )

You can test it out!! (first, backup a copy of explorer.exe or any in the
system32 directory)

Just delete Explorer.exe from the Windows folder (or any dll file from
system32) and watch as it magically re-appears!!!

This means that any modifications you make to files (say, with Resource
Hacker), will be effectively erased momentarily....

==

Cheers,    Tim Meddick,    Peckham, London.    

The only registry entry that really matters (for choosing the Window's
shell) is this one ;

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"Shell"="C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe"

Now, obviously, you have to set this registry sub-key and "Shell" value,
under the [HKEY_CURRENT_USER] but while the current user is the limited
user that you want to specify a different shell for.

No use changing it while the current user is the admin-level account that
you say it works okay with.

But change it while logged on as the other user account.

(But then I don't fully understand what you mean by "won't work as
limited
user" - does that mean it just starts as boring old Explorer.exe or that
you get error messages?)

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

"Mint" <[email protected]> wrote in message

It wasn't a permission issue.

Trying to think of what to try next.

There are no copies of explorer.exe on my hard drive, unless there are
some
in a cab file.

Explorer2.exe is in memory and the program does have GO in place
of Start in the String Table part of the executable.

I saw some references to explorer.exe in a few registry entries with
MUI in them.

I MAY, backup my registry, delete those references and see what
happens.

Andy

I found a way for my  customized explorer2.exe to work, but to be
honest, the method
seems "retarded" to me.

1. I log onto my Limited User account.

2. I kill explorer2.exe using Task Manager (re-assigned in registry to
be the shell.)

3. I restart that SAME copy of explorer2.exe and it now shows GO
instead of Start in the "Green Start Box."

What I find funny, is that I removed the "Windows flag" icon from the
Start Box by deleting it's resource in the executable file.

Same with the identical version in the dllcache directory.

So, how is the flag magically reappearing??



Andy

That isn't the case, at least for the Home Edition.

There is no ServicePackCache directory.

My modified explorer.exe files are quite intact in all the directories
that they reside in.

(Just for your information, under Safe Mode, about 90% of the files on
the hard drive can be deleted.)

I checked ALL the cab files on my hard drive, and none contain
explorer.exe.

It must be a case of "Lucky Charms."

Outta here,
Andy





No