How to add new icons to system32.dll

[wellmoon]

Kinda two questions in one...

Firstly, I know system32.dll is a repository for all of the standard windows folder icons, and I have a program which lets you open the DLL and view/extract the various ICO files but I want to know if its possible to add new ICO files to the system32.dll file? It can't be done in the app I have (it says as much in an alert when you open the dll!) Ideally I'd like to add some of my own icons to this file, but alternatively I can make my own icons.dll files if someone can assist with the below question

I did try making my own icon dll, myicons.dll and placing it into the C:\Windows\system32 folder but when I try to choose an icon from my DLL using the choose icon option in the properties -> customize tab after right-clicking the folder I want to change the icon for, it doesn't list any of the icons I put into my DLL. I notice when choosing icons from the system32.dll, it comes up in the browse box address bar as something like /%systemroot%/\system32.dll but when I choose myicons.dll it says C:\windows\system32\myicons.dll

How come system32.dll gets the systemroot prefix even though both files are in the same folder? Is it like a CLASSPATH variable or similar?

I know you can choose new icons using the registry or ini files but I'm trying to setup one file that I can add to the system32 folder after a clean install and have all of my own icons available...

 

[ASG0856]

Not a good idea to start messing with windows system files. These are version controlled bt microsoft, and you could possibly 'break' your system if you mess. I remember the problems users had under Windows 3.n, where several programs from differnet companies would be supplied with different versions of the same windows dll file. It used to cause crashes ('windows exception error' I think) all over the place.

Yes, '/%systemroot%/' is the path variable for the Windows System directories. Because you created your own dll, it may not be registered in the Registry. You could try Regsrv32 Yourdll.dll from the run menu, but don't be surprised if it doesn't work.

Why put the icons in a dll fileat all? If you can create them as .ico files, why not just store them in an Icon folder. I do that for my 'Favourites' icons to stop Norton or XP deleting them when I do a disk clean up.

 

[wellmoon]

I'll try the Regsrv32 thing as instructed and post the result... I'm just trying to tidy things up a little and make things easier so that instead of having a while bunch of ICO files and just use the one dll, besides anyone can move files around, I guess I just want to do it the technical way

 

[wellmoon]

regsvr didn't work, said my dll wasn;t executable and no helper thing was found for the filetype