Problem customizing colors in appearance display properties

[Gail]

Hi,

For some reason, I am unable to use 3 digits for R, G, and B boxes in
customising colors in appearance tab under display properties. It only lets
me enter 2 numbers? I have never had this problem before. Even if there are
3 numbers listed in R box, when I click on the box and enter the numbers I
want, it stops at 2 numbers.

Has anyone seen this problem before or know how to fix it?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[Twayne]

Hi,

For some reason, I am unable to use 3 digits for R, G, and B boxes in
customising colors in appearance tab under display properties. It
only lets me enter 2 numbers? I have never had this problem before.
Even if there are 3 numbers listed in R box, when I click on the box
and enter the numbers I want, it stops at 2 numbers.

Has anyone seen this problem before or know how to fix it?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Look more closely at the instructions for entering that data.

 

[Gail]

Huh!?

Have been doing this for along time with no problem. Don't know why it
would suddenly change. Your answer was not helpful at all, but thanks for
replying.

 

[ju.c]

Cause: Fonts sizes and display settings are not working properly with
COMDLG32.DLL.

Solution: Modify COMDLG32.DLL to increase the input box size.


Instructions:

1. Download 'Resource Hacker' and install it:
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/

2. In the Run box type, (1 line)
xcopy C:\WINDOWS\system32\COMDLG32.DLL
C:\WINDOWS\system32\COMDLG32.DLL.bak

3. Run 'Resource Hacker' and open:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\COMDLG32.DLL

4. Expand "Dialog"

5. Expand "CHOOSECOLOR"

6. Click on "1033"

7. Change the "18" to "20" (..., 18, 12...)=(..., 20, 12...)
CONTROL "Hu&e:", 723, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE |
WS_GROUP, 194, 126, 20, 9
CONTROL "", 703, EDIT, ES_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER |
WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 216, 124, 18, 12
CONTROL "&Sat:", 724, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE |
WS_GROUP, 194, 140, 20, 9
CONTROL "", 704, EDIT, ES_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER |
WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 216, 138, 18, 12
CONTROL "&Lum:", 725, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE |
WS_GROUP, 194, 154, 20, 9
CONTROL "", 705, EDIT, ES_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER |
WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 216, 152, 18, 12
CONTROL "&Red:", 726, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE |
WS_GROUP, 243, 126, 24, 9
CONTROL "", 706, EDIT, ES_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER |
WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 269, 124, 18, 12
CONTROL "&Green:", 727, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE |
WS_GROUP, 243, 140, 24, 9
CONTROL "", 707, EDIT, ES_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER |
WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 269, 138, 18, 12
CONTROL "Bl&ue:", 728, STATIC, SS_RIGHT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE |
WS_GROUP, 243, 154, 24, 9
CONTROL "", 708, EDIT, ES_LEFT | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER |
WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 269, 152, 18, 12
(If your numbers are different just increase your number that's in the
same place as 18 above by 2)

8. Click on 'Compile Script' at top

9. Select from the menu 'File>Save As ...' and save to 'C:\COMDLG32.DLL'

10 Now you need to swap the file with the one in system32, but you can
only do so when Windows isn't running, so...

11. Get MoveOnBoot 1.95 268 KB
Info:
http://windowsutility.blogspot.com/2008/05/move-on-boot-software.html
Download:
http://www.aplusfreeware.com/categories/LFWV/files/moveonb.zip

12. Install, run, select 'C:\COMDLG32.DLL' to move at next boot to
'C:\WINDOWS\system32\' overwriting the old.

13. Restart and test it out!


ju.c

 

[Gail]

First of all, THANK YOU for such detailed and precise instructions. I don't
know what I am doing wrong, but it is not saving the changes I made.

I opened comdlg32.dll in C:\Windows\System32 in Resource Hacker, made the
changes from 18 to 20, clicked on Compile Script", then File, Save As. I
named it C:\COMDLG32.DLL and exited Resource Hacker. I checked in C: and it
was saved there as a Common Dialogs Dll. I then opened MoveOnBoot and filled
out source file as C:\COMDLG32.DLL to destination location
C:\Windows\System32\COMDLG32.DLL. And I said yes to replace with.
Then when trying to change colors in display properties didn't work, I
opened comdlg32.dll again in Resource Hacker and it was still listed as 18
instead of 20 in all the categories. I tried it a couple of more times with
the same result.

Do you have any idea what I am doing wrong to make it not save or replace
Thanks for your help.

Gail

 

[ju.c]

OK, I know why.

MoveOnBoot is not copying the file before it is loaded by Windows on
start-up so when it is being copied the copy fails because it's in use
already. Bugger!

I copy system files like the comdlg32.dll one with a WinPE CD, like
"Ultimate Boot CD" and the like.

What do you have? Nothing? I'll try to find a good iso image for you to
download and burn so you can boot from the CD and copy the file that
way. You know what an iso image is?


ju.c

 

[ju.c]

Try CopySharp. I just did and it worked!


CopySharp 336 KB
"CopySharp is a GUI tool for copying open/inprocess/locked files."

Info:
http://www.amitchaudhary.com/

Download:
http://www.amitchaudhary.com/CopySharp.zip

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

HoboCopy 474 KB
"You pass it a source directory and a destination directory, and it
makes a recursive copy using VSS."

Info:
http://www.pluralsight.com/community/blogs/craig/archive/2006/09/20/38362.aspx

Download:
http://internap.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/wangdera/HoboCopy-1.0.0.0-XP-32bit-Release.zip


ju.c

 

[ju.c]

Also, save a copy of your modified comdlg32.dll in case you need to
replace it again. And make a copy in "C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\".

I keep two backups,
COMDLG32.DLL_SP3_Original.bak
COMDLG32.DLL_SP3_Modified.bak


ju.c