uxtheme.dll .. new auto patcher problems

[phaTrx7]

Ok .. I have 2 OS's .. Windows XP Pro (SP1) and Windows Server 2003.

I download the **uxtheme.dll autopatcher* meant for Windows XP (pre-SP1), Windows XP Sp1, and Windows Server 2003... When I ran & install'd the auto-patcher on Win2003 everything ran smoothly and worked flawlessly. I then decided to try it on XP .. this is my first time using uxtheme resource hack, always used "StyleXP" before. Anyway... after I ran & install'd the auto-patcher on XP, the "sfc" windows didnt pop up like on Win2003 (and yes it's enabled on my XP). I firgured maybe it acted differently on XP and reboot anyway, extract'd my visual styles to my resources/themes folder, then went to try and apply them... nothing show'd up. I then ran the auto-patcher again .. it said it was alrdy install'd and would I like to re-install my original uxtheme.dll .. so I figured yeah, then I can just re-install it and try it again .. I was prompt'd to reboot, I clicked "ok" and start'd to reboot .. an "error window" then appear'd and was color'd blue & green .. but you could'nt read any text that was written in it, or any text that was on the two buttons you had to choose from to finish reboot'n .. I clicked the furthest righthand button and Windows did nothing, so I then click'd the lefthand button and the reboot process finish'd.

Upon start up .. I saw chkdsk run (why I don't know .. did'nt type any commands for it to run). I then saw it modifying or deleting some files, one of which was "uxtheme.dll" .. when Windows start'd up .. it was stuck @ the "welcome" screen for about 1 minute, then it switched to the desktop, but no icons/taskbar was visible .. I then said "o boy, somethings screw'd up" .. I click'd "ctrl/alt/del" and open'd the task manager .. I look'd in my processes and noticed explorer.exe was NOT running, I went to "file/new task" and tried starting "explorer.exe" manually .. recieved the error "explorer.exe could not be started because uxtheme.dll was missing, try re-installing the application"....

From there I decided to open up "new task" again... typed "cmd.exe" and then typed "sfc /scannow" .. I figured surely this would fix it since when the uxtheme.dll resource hack is applied that "sfc" will start anyway because I system file was modified... well, sfc ran and finish'd .. tried start'n explorer again, same error, figured maybe I need to reboot, reboot'd... still nothing!

I then insert'd my XP disc and was going to go into the "recovery console" and try and repair XP .. once there I type "chkdsk /r" (to check and repair errors) .. it ran and said it found 2 errors and repair'd them. I was like **woohoo, that fixed it** ... WRONG! Still the same error, tried a few other things threw recovery console .. but they didnt work either, plus I'm not sure exactly what all the command for recovery console are .. and decided I would just try and extract the file *uxtheme.dll* from the XP disc and copy it to my C:/Windows/System32 folder .. I tried it from the recovery console, but it would'nt except the commands there (maybe you can't do it from there) .. restart'd Windows again, let my half-a** desktop load and open'd the task manager again, then went to "file/new task" again and type'd "cmd.exe" .. tried to extract the file again from the disc, kept giving me "syntax error" msg's .. dunno if I was typing the path wrong or what (I'm sure the commands were correct)...

Then I went to file again and ran another new task .. which was "msconfig.exe" .. I then decided to "expand/extract" a file that way .. unfortunately the "restore from" path was'nt being except'd .. I was typing D:/i386 .. (by cdrom was D: and i386 is the location of the xp system files). I was getting super annoy'd ... I finally tried one last thing before I was gonna say screw it and reformat .. I remember'd that I had a backup of the original "uxtheme.dll" on a floppydisk .. I insert'd the floppy while stile in the msconfig utility and change'd the "restore from" location to "A:/uxtheme.dll" .. it successfully copied the file into my System32 folder .. went to "new task" again and typed "explorer.exe" .. it start'd!!! I was sooooooooooo friggin happy @ that point!

Anyway ... has anyone had a simular experience with this happening, or some other errors close to this? I was suggest'd from a person @ MSFN that I probably download'd the wrong "uxtheme.dll", that there was one meant for just Win2003 ... So I went and double check'd the webpage and file location I download from, which was here: http://www.MSFN.org/modules.php?modid=2&ac...tion=show&id=89 .. I got tis link from the "How to convert 2003 to a workstation" .. he told me the uxtheme.dll link'd from there was for 2003 only .. but it says plain as day **Supports Windows XP build 2600, XP build 2600 w/ SP1 build 1106, & WinServer 2003 build 3790** ... So it was'nt the wrong file, or if it was, it's mislabeled and needs to be correct'd. I've since then download'd the "xBetas auto-patcher" and another one from "Windows X" (the one from Windows X has same file name as one from link above .. 1 kb difference in size tho, so assume they are different in someway) WindowsX one says it works on all the above OS's to tho....

Anyone have any ideas on what I should do? I have'nt tried to install the patch again cause I'm a little weary of it now ... considered I spent 1 & 1/2 hrs tryin to fix my XP OS .. I do know what to do now to fix it and still have a back'd up copy of the original uxtheme.dll on a floppy and a jumpdrive. But with my luck I would probably receive a totally different error this time and boom!

I'm open to some suggestions tho....

[phaTrx7]

Welp .. just want'd to let you guys no I tried it again and it work'd this time .. exact same patch too, weird?

Patch must have a bug in it that needs to be work'd out or something, cause the installation went exactly the same .. but this time when I reboot'd the themes were there.

Just glad it works!

[BigDaddy]

Whats this UXTHEME.DLL file that everyone keeps talking about?

I would really like to enhance Windows GUI but the default one just sucks so I still use the Win2k stille! Any ideas?

[XPerties]

Whats this UXTHEME.DLL file  that everyone keeps talking about?

I would really like to enhance Windows GUI but the default one just sucks so I still use the Win2k stille! Any ideas?

http://www.MSFN.org/modules.php?modid=2&ac...tion=show&id=89

[vorte[x]]

The autopatchers amongst the internet search for a pre-determined group of bytes - This is unsafe and not guaranteed to be 100% successful. Instead, you should grab a copy of the DLL modified (correctly) @ http://vReality.net

Edited June 14, 2004 by vorte[x]

[Ihmemies]

,Jun 13 2004, 06:30 PM] The autopatchers amongst the internet search for a pre-determined group of bytes - This is unsafe and not guaranteed to be 100% successful. Instead, you should grab a copy of the DLL modified (correctly) @ http://vReality.net

Of course... but I don't know how to replace the original uxtheme.dll with the patched one.

I'm using SP2.

[Wasim]

,Jun 13 2004, 06:30 PM] The autopatchers amongst the internet search for a pre-determined group of bytes - This is unsafe and not guaranteed to be 100% successful. Instead, you should grab a copy of the DLL modified (correctly) @ http://vReality.net

Of course... but I don't know how to replace the original uxtheme.dll with the patched one.

I'm using SP2.

search in the forums and you will find out how to replace it using a program called replacer.

Yeah and welcome to the forum

[Ihmemies]

search in the forums and you will find out how to replace it using a program called replacer.

Yeah and welcome to the forum

I downloaded replacer 2.51 from http://www3.telus.net/_/replacer

Extracted, ran replacer.cmd, dragged the uxtheme (http://vortex2050.dyndns.org:8080/repository/Patches/Uxtheme/Windows%20XP/SP2/6.0.2900.2180_EN.rar), pressed enter, then quitted and rebooted.

Nothing happened. Appearance tab in display properties still doesn't show the themes which still worked with sp1...

BTW, why the zip says "6.0.2900.2180" while ver in command prompt says only 5.1.2600..?

[prathapml]

First, you have to extract the "6.0.2900.2180_EN.rar" using winRAR.

The RAR file's name says the build version (which is 2180), running "ver" from CMD gives you only the general overall version of windows (which is 5.1.2600).

Hoping this helps.....

[Ihmemies]

First, you have to extract the "6.0.2900.2180_EN.rar" using winRAR.

Of course I extracted it, but replace still didn't work. Finally someone else suggested (on another forum) using the recovery console to replace the file. I booted off from winxp cd, started rc and copied the file over. It worked and windows started right with the correct theme

Next thing is to fix the tcp/ip connection limit... when I start up mirc it loads channels much slower than before. And after that slipstream sp2 to install cd with patched uxtheme and tcpip.sys...