Which DLL files have the system icons?

spapakons · Jul 2, 2021

Hello!

I recently installed Windows 11 in a virtual machine just to look at it and familiarize. I liked the new system icons, so I wanted to extract them using a utility such as Customizer God and be able to use it in Windows 10. I launched Customizer God but for some weird incompatibility reason loaded without displaying any application window, so it is useless. Compatibility mode to Windows 8 or whatever else made no difference. So I copied the known files, batmeter.dll, imageres.dll etc from Windows\System32 folder and tried to open them in Windows 10, only to get the message that "this file contains no icons"! Only pnidui.dll contained the Windows 10 familiar networking icons, so it is of no use, I have these already. All the other DLL files contain no icons! So does anyone knows which system files contain the system icons and how to extract or replace them? Thank you in advance.

Drybonz · Jul 2, 2021

imageres.dll

jbcarreon123 · Jul 2, 2021

Normally imageres.dll.mun file or shell32.dll.mun file.

abactuon · Jul 2, 2021

Win10:
%systemroot%\system32\imageres.dll
%systemroot%\system32\shell32.dll
%systemroot%\system32\pifmgr.dll
%systemroot%\explorer.exe
%systemroot%\system32\accessibilitycpl.dll
%systemroot%\system32\ddores.dll
%systemroot%\system32\moricons.dll
%systemroot%\system32\mmcndmgr.dll
%systemroot%\system32\netcenter.dll
%systemroot%system32netshell.dll
%systemroot%\system32\networkexplorer.dll
%systemroot%\system32\pnidui.dll
%systemroot%\system32\sensorscpl.dll
%systemroot%\system32\setupapi.dll
%systemroot%\system32\wmploc.dll
%systemroot%\system32\wpdshext.dll
%systemroot%\system32\compstui.dll
%systemroot%\system32\ieframe.dll
%systemroot%\system32\dmdskres.dll
%systemroot%\system32\dsuiext.dll
%systemroot%\system32\mstscax.dll
%systemroot%\system32\wiashext.dll
%systemroot%\system32\comres.dll
%systemroot%\system32\mstsc.exe

Win11 ?

IcoFX, 1.6.4 - Free

abactuon · Jul 3, 2021

spapakons said:
"this file contains no icons"

I use IcoFX.
If I open a dll as .dll - no icons(pic.1-2), you need to choose the type ico (pic.3-4)
Maybe.

+ %systemroot%\system32\imageres1.dll

spapakons · Jul 3, 2021

I tried to open imageres.dll, no icons. To double check I even tried to change the default icon of a shortcut with an icon from imageres.dll, there wasn't any. So the system icons in Windows 11 have to be in other files, not the usual DLL (batmeter.dll, imageres dll, stobject.dll etc)

Edwin · Jul 3, 2021

spapakons said:
I tried to open imageres.dll, no icons. To double check I even tried to change the default icon of a shortcut with an icon from imageres.dll, there wasn't any. So the system icons in Windows 11 have to be in other files, not the usual DLL (batmeter.dll, imageres dll, stobject.dll etc)

jbcarreon123 · Jul 4, 2021

Edwin said:
View attachment 1778

It redirects to the imageres.dll.mun file in the Resources folder.

jimbo45 · Jul 5, 2021

Hi there
@spapakons
@jbcarreon123

You can check manually -- bit of a pain but do-able.

Just create any desktop short cut .
In its properties go to change icon.

E.G Filezilla here as an example -- but any desktop short cut will do -->properties-->advanced
Browse to any program in the program dropdown you think has an ICON in it including dll's
Those that do will show a selectable list from which you can choose.

For those who want a basic ICON creator you can still google for the last ICOFX FREE version before they "went Pro" --i.e PAY. Version I.6.4 -- still works perfectly for typical stuff - no need to buy latest version. GOOGLE for it if you want to use it. Working fine on W11.

I hate it when companies who offer Freeware suddenly go "All Pro" - especially if the basic free version does what I suspect here about 90% of users for this type of thing want. - I can understand need for Pro quality software as well with loads of extra features which a studio etc might want - but basic home users !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

abactuon · Jul 6, 2021

_IconsExtract - Extract icon/cursor stored in EXE, DLL, OCX, CPL files
Copyright (c) 2003 - 2010 Nir Sofer, but works on Win10
Loads all icons in c:\windows\system32\*.dll

jimbo45 · Jul 6, 2021

abactuon said:
_IconsExtract - Extract icon/cursor stored in EXE, DLL, OCX, CPL files
Copyright (c) 2003 - 2010 Nir Sofer, but works on Win10
Loads all icons in c:\windows\system32\*.dll

View attachment 2096

Good info --better than the manual way --

Cheers
jimbo

davidvkimball · Jul 7, 2021

This is helpful, thanks. I managed to find an unused 3D Objects folder icon and OneDrive folder icon!

fafhrd · Jul 10, 2021

You need to look in fonts also: Ever since Windows 95, Microsoft Windows has used fonts as a low level resource to build the interface, instead of separate image files or embedded icons in executable files or dynamic link libraries. It all began with Marlett TTF:

More recently in Windows 8 the SegoeUI font family has been used has been used for various elements of Windows 8 and in Windows 10 screen elements come from Segoe MDL2 Assets and Hololens MDL2 Assets, which may be stacked, colorized and animated, see the Windows document here:

Segoe MDL2 Assets icons - Windows apps

This article lists and provides usage guidance for the glyphs that come with the Segoe MDL2 Assets font.

docs.microsoft.com

abactuon · Jul 28, 2021

"Latest Windows 10 builds are using *.MUN files for storing resources, which are located in C:\Windows\SystemResources\*.mun -- that said, for the file C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll correct resource file path would be C:\Windows\SystemResources\shell32.dll.mun and you should be able to extract it the same way with 7-Zip."

PS E:\Temp> 7z x C:\Windows\SystemResources\shell32.dll.mun -oE:\Temp\_shell32

E:\Temp\_shell32\.rsrc\ICON

or IcoFX

JTB3 · Dec 9, 2021

abactuon said:
"Latest Windows 10 builds are using *.MUN files for storing resources, which are located in C:\Windows\SystemResources\*.mun -- that said, for the file C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll correct resource file path would be C:\Windows\SystemResources\shell32.dll.mun and you should be able to extract it the same way with 7-Zip."

PS E:\Temp> 7z x C:\Windows\SystemResources\shell32.dll.mun -oE:\Temp\_shell32
E:\Temp\_shell32\.rsrc\ICON

or IcoFX...

View attachment 4266

Perfect info! Much appreciated!
Both of these classic resources files can be accessed perfectly now from Both Windows 10 and 11
• C:\Windows\SystemResources\shell32.dll.mun
• C:\Windows\SystemResources\imageres.dll.mun

Thanks! -JT

Slavic · Dec 9, 2021

abactuon said:
_IconsExtract - Extract icon/cursor stored in EXE, DLL, OCX, CPL files
Copyright (c) 2003 - 2010 Nir Sofer, but works on Win10
Loads all icons in c:\windows\system32\*.dll

Yes, IconsExtract is a very good utility, I use it when need to find a rare icon, which does not present in imageres, or browse all existing icons to find the best metaphor. When the source file is located, it's easy to choose a particular icon in a standard icon selection UI (which, unfortunately, is very old and apparently hasn't been updated since Windows 95).

spapakons · Dec 9, 2021

Thank you for your help. I will try to open the respective .MUN files. A bit of advice here: do not mess with shell32.dll or you will not be able to load Windows 10/11 again! You will have to restore the original file in order to load Windows again!

A Guy · Dec 9, 2021

Always copy the original file to another directory and work on the copy. If replacing a file, rename the original .old or something similar before moving the modified copy to that directory

A Guy

spapakons · Feb 10, 2022

Hello!

I was able to change most default system icons by copying the file C:\Windows\SystemResources\imageres.dll.mun to another location, replace the icons with Customizer God and then restart in Command Prompt in order to replace the original file with the modified file. When restarting again in normal mode all folder icons (and many others) where those of Windows 8.1 Success! I could also replace the icon for USB safe removal by opening the file C:\Windows\System32\Stobject.dll.

Please tell me where the rest taskbar icons are, like the network icons. Thanks

Berton · Mar 11, 2022

Something that may help:

save icons in a dll file at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

One of the pages is:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/icons-and-saving-them-to-the-system32urldll-file/e6b98b30-4b66-4436-9473-dd592204dd3b

Which DLL files have the system icons?

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