Manually Replacing system files/dll's.

Creator · 7th September 2010

Hi,

I would like to show You, my dear friends, how to replace system dll's (shell32.dll, explorerframe.dll, imageres.dll, etc) in the safest way possible!
I know there are app's/tools that can do this, but I would like to teach you how to do it manually, without any third party software!!
System protection is most important. Take note that replacing and accidental erasure of dll's, will cause your system to not work properly. So if we try to replace, or delete these dll's we will always see info that we don't have permissions to do that! How to change this?

BEFORE YOU CONTINUE PLEASE CREATE A NEW SYSTEM RESTORE POINT!!

1. First we must take "ownership" of the dll's in our system. We can do this manually: Windows 7 Take Ownership & Grant Permissions to Access Files & Folder

Or use a registry hack to add "take ownership" to our right click context menu: Add "Take Ownership" to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Win 7 or Vista - How-To Geek
I highly recommend this option!!

BTW. If You have installed Sunrise Seven in Your system, just mark up "add take ownership" like on this screen:

Attachment 14106

Once we have the "take ownership" option in our right click menu, we can start replacing dll's!

2. IMPORTANT: You must make sure that You have the same dll's as Your system architecture, so if You run x64 system, then the dll's must also be for x64 system, if You are not a 100% sure, don't continue, find or prepare a new one, if the architecture of Your dll's are not the same as your system architecture Your system will crash!!

Prepare Your custom dll's on your desktop.
Reboot Your system and run it in safe mode (mostly F8 on "post/boot screen" depending on Your PC/MOBO producer!)
Hit F8 and choose "safe mode", wait until Your system loads.

3. Now navigate to System Partition-> Windows Folder-> System32 Folder-> locate dll's to replace

3a.Right click on original dll and use option "take ownership" (You will see CMD window for second)

3b.Now change name of original dll to, for example , "shell32.dllbak or old"

3c.Copy from desktop Your custom dll and paste it into your System32 folder, Your supposed to see two files: original dll with bak/old extension and the custom one, for example, shell32.dll (If this is the case everything is going well!!)

IMPORTANT INFO FOR X64 SYSTEM USERS:
Please do the same steps in Your SYSWOW64 folder!!

4. Reboot Your system and enjoy your custom effect!

IMPORTANT:
If for some reason your system will not run after dll replacing, do not panic, reboot Your system again, hit F8, choose option "Repair Computer" and run SYSTEM RESTORE, 99% of the time Your system will recover without problems. Check Your files and try to replace once again or use other custom dll's.

Hope this will help You

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**CreativX Ads** · 7th September 2010

**Joneriel Bambe** · 20th February 2012

thank you

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**CreativX Ads** · 20th February 2012

**MikeLoeven** · 17th April 2012

Honestly i always found it was easier to replace these files offline using something like bartpe or other pre boot environment. when doing things this way you can also rename the origional dll's to .bak that way if something does go wrong it is much easier to just boot to the cd and put them back

also if i am feeling exceedingly lazy i just yank my hard drive and plug it into another computer as an external

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