Sys Tray Icons

[Paul Komski]

Apart from 3rd-party utilities, does anyone know a way of changing the icons for DUN and LAN that show in the System Tray. It would be nice to be able to distinguish between them without "hovering".

This is WinXP - but its always been the same in other OSes.

[Whyzman]

Hey Paul, I didn't look this over very closely...is this worth looking at:

http://www.codeproject.com/shell/trayicons.asp

[Whyzman]

Many things to wade through:

http://www.codeguru.com/shell/systemtray.shtml

In my humble "non programmer" thought process...it appears that if you've a substitute icon.gif matching the size requirements, you can "simply" change the registry to call up yours rather than the default...

It would seem that one wouldn't need a specific program to do this...just know where in the registry to hack a new one in...

But here's a program:

http://www.downlinx.com/proghtml/337/33706.htm

[Paul Komski]

Can see you have been a busy wyz-kid.

The program might have some merit - but I'm still not sure it would do it with the systray icons, although it would allow much customization of the desktop itself; and no time to experiment just now, but I will bookmark it.

Most of the programming stuff relates to how to manipulate and create icons for applications that a designer has created - rather than manipulating the ones that MS has used within its own applications. Alternatively to replace the normal system tray with a customised one.

These system icons are usually stored in a dll somewhere. If you go to change the icon for a shortcut, for example, you will usually see a visual display of the defaults for that application. These are stored in its dll. They are however referenced, programatically, with a number; a number which is not transparently exposed. So one can only either select the picture itself or browse to where an actual icon (.ico) file is stored.

The dun/lan default icon is unusual in that it is animated, which adds an extra layer of complexity that I have only just thought about.

To avoid using 3rd-party stuff, I had hoped there just might be a registry entry that one could "tweak" - having setup one's own customised icon first. Thinking about it more (and particularly in light of the animation) I think one might have to actually hack into the networking connection program itself. Unless M$ had actually provided a series of different options to choose from itself.

It would just have been nice if there was an EASY way to have the dun and the lan icons obviously different from one another.

Thanks for the effort. :)

[Whyzman]

I think what you want is "readily" accessible using the proper parameters in Google...

http://codeguru.earthweb.com/shell/animtray.shtml

What I've been researching is what has come up with these parameters and it sure seems what you want has gotta be there.

In the Advanced Google search under "exact words" I put in system tray icons. Then under the "all the words" changing default.

[Whyzman]

Continuing to look...

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];149276

I also found a program that is shareware...that can be adjusted to search for icons through all files, including .dlls

However, I d/led the trial version which will only pull 19 without upgrading to the payfor version. It shows where the icons are located...

Just found this which looks promising and explains some potential problems with System Restore activated...see the Exchange XP area:

http://www.virtualplastic.net/html/art_hack.html

This one might be worth a look:

http://www.users.on.net/johnson/resourcehacker/

[Whyzman]

I guess I was messing for too long...had to begin another post...:p

Really useful for locating that icon you want to replace is, as kendo pointed out, SmartView. Fast scanner of whole directories!

SmartView: http://www.smartcode.com/products/view/view.htm