START button color change

[Bill Chatfield]

I am running Windows XP SP1 - I am using the silver color for my DISPLAY
PROPERTIES - APPEARANCE and would like to make the START button on the
TASKBAR the same color. I don't like the green.

Is this possible without using any additional software? I have been able to
change the text on the START button by editing the registry and am wondering
if same is possible for color.

TIA

Bill Chatfield

 

[John E. Carty]

I am running Windows XP SP1 - I am using the silver color for my DISPLAY
PROPERTIES - APPEARANCE and would like to make the START button on the
TASKBAR the same color. I don't like the green.

Is this possible without using any additional software? I have been able to
change the text on the START button by editing the registry and am wondering
if same is possible for color.

TIA

Bill Chatfield

The only way I think you can accomplish this would be to hack the
explorer.exe file, at your own risk of course

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Natively, you cannot change the start button color.
Green means "go" or "start".

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User

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


| I am running Windows XP SP1 - I am using the silver color for my DISPLAY
| PROPERTIES - APPEARANCE and would like to make the START button on the
| TASKBAR the same color. I don't like the green.
|
| Is this possible without using any additional software? I have been able to
| change the text on the START button by editing the registry and am wondering
| if same is possible for color.
|
| TIA
|
| Bill Chatfield

 

[Bill Chatfield]

The only way I think you can accomplish this would be to hack the
explorer.exe file, at your own risk of course


John + Carey,

I used a reg hacker (I believe it was RES HACKER) program to change the
Start button text to my name - 9 letters - works fine. I need to know what
to change to get the button a different color. Somewhere something makes it
green, I want to make it silver.

I understand green stands for go or START - but I like to think outside the
box and have silver stand for START - at least they both start with "S" <G>.

Bill Chatfield

 

[T.C.]

You'd have to use a third party utility. Windows XP itself doesn't give
that option. Search Google with the keywords: change start button color.

 

[John E. Carty]

The only way I think you can accomplish this would be to hack the
explorer.exe file, at your own risk of course


John + Carey,

I used a reg hacker (I believe it was RES HACKER) program to change the
Start button text to my name - 9 letters - works fine. I need to know what
to change to get the button a different color. Somewhere something makes it
green, I want to make it silver.

I understand green stands for go or START - but I like to think outside the
box and have silver stand for START - at least they both start with "S"

Bill Chatfield

C:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes\Luna\luna.msstyles

Using Resource Hacker you need to locate the original bitmap in
luna.msstyles:
Bitmap/BLUE_STARTBUTTON_BMP (this is the pretty green one) and then you can
modify the color to your liking

 

[Bill Chatfield]

John,

I found the bitmap using Resources Hacker - right where you said it was. I
copied it to Photo Draw - I believe I can fool with the color in Photo
Draw - then I will have to locate the original bitmap file and replace it
with the one I changed - this may be doable.

Thank you for your time - now I have a mission - life is good <G>

Bill Chatfield

The only way I think you can accomplish this would be to hack the
explorer.exe file, at your own risk of course


John + Carey,

I used a reg hacker (I believe it was RES HACKER) program to change the
Start button text to my name - 9 letters - works fine. I need to know what
to change to get the button a different color. Somewhere something makes it
green, I want to make it silver.

I understand green stands for go or START - but I like to think outside the
box and have silver stand for START - at least they both start with "S"

Bill Chatfield

C:\WINDOWS\Resources\Themes\Luna\luna.msstyles

Using Resource Hacker you need to locate the original bitmap in
luna.msstyles:
Bitmap/BLUE_STARTBUTTON_BMP (this is the pretty green one) and then you can
modify the color to your liking

 

[Bill Chatfield]

T.C.

Thanks for the reply. I was trying to avoid adding another 'program' to my
machine. I tried the search and came up with 3rd party utilities as you
mentioned. I will try to change the color of the original bitmap used.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Bill Chatfield

You'd have to use a third party utility. Windows XP itself doesn't give
that option. Search Google with the keywords: change start button color.

 

[John E. Carty]

You're quite welcome. You may want to even try making your own from scratch
by using the default as a pattern for size, etc.
Hey, it will still look better then that 'ugly' one ;-)

 

[Bill Chatfield]

John,

I can change the colors - BUT - cannot find a way to replace the original
with mine. I find the original using Resources Hacker and can do nothing
with it. I don't know where the actual bitmap file is that is used - the
mission continues<G>

Thanks again for your time

Bill Chatfield


You're quite welcome. You may want to even try making your own from scratch
by using the default as a pattern for size, etc.
Hey, it will still look better then that 'ugly' one ;-)

 

[John E. Carty]

Bill,

In Resource Hacker you should be able under the Action menu to save the
bitmap (third menu item down in version 3.4.0.79) with the name
BLUE_STARTBUTTON_BMP. The once you have made your modifications go again
under the Action menu and select Replace Bitmap. At the top select the
button which says "Open file with new bitmap..." and select your modified
version. Let me know how you make out with this one.

John

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

But that still doesn't explain why Microsoft things we should
click a button labeled "Start" when we want to shut down the PC. ;-}

Bruce Chambers

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