WinXShell - a portable shell and zero dependencies for boot.wim,winre.wim

Hey not on topic question
can x64dbg be used to hack explorer.exe to remove modules and handles to make it less resourceful ?

ty

Hey not on topic question
can x64dbg be used to hack explorer.exe to remove modules and handles to make it less resourceful ?

Technically It should be. But need lot of work and test to make sure no negative effects, and I  wonder how much resource can be reduce.
The explorer.exe self is only 50MB memory used.

maybe good to disable DWM.exe to get more resource.

Thanks for your quick feedback.

Mouse HitTest's technology needs be done by myself.  It is WinXShell's behavior,  you need not search it on internet.

I know how to implement it,  also the combine icons. It just needs much time to implement well which is I don't have now.

When you combines them,  you needs a list to show it,  or better the thumbnail Windows like Windows 7/10 does,  this features needs lots of codes. I have the design in my mind,  but no request to implement.  Yes,  for Windows PE,  the less features lead less size and less life time on it.

Interesting. I will wait for it, thanks

Hey not on topic question
can x64dbg be used to hack explorer.exe to remove modules and handles to make it less resourceful ?

ty

Offtopic:
Hi LiteOS, I run your w10 LTSB 2015 based version (most similar version to w8.1/w8 & w7) and added some tweaks to make it faster and minimal. Thanks for your work too. I also ported back the explorer.exe in your version so if you're asking this regarding to w10 explorer, I know how you can delete some things without break it and without having the Crital Error "Start menu and Cortana aren't working. We will try to fix it the next time you sign in."

I also know how to get a different explorer version running on W10 (I'm talking about functional ones for everyday use if somebody is interested..) , but for me the best would be to have WinXshell with thumbnails working..

hi lenug

...I know how you can delete some things without break it and without having the Crital Error "Start menu and Cortana aren't working.
I'm talking about functional ones for everyday use if somebody is interested..

I am interested 

Hey not on topic question
can x64dbg be used to hack explorer.exe to remove modules and handles to make it less resourceful ?

Technically It should be. But need lot of work and test to make sure no negative effects, and I  wonder how much resource can be reduce.
The explorer.exe self is only 50MB memory used.

maybe good to disable DWM.exe to get more resource.

explorer.exe have 2k-2.3k handles, urs explorer or win7 explorer
have around 700handles

also modules, there are so much  modules that even their services has been disabled its still working via explorer.exe

@lenug

I also know how to get a different explorer version running on W10 (I'm talking about functional ones for everyday use if somebody is interested..) , but for me the best would be to have WinXshell with thumbnails working..

thats would be nice to know

even taking explorer from win8.1 to win10 would make this much better

I am interested 

@lenug

I also know how to get a different explorer version running on W10 (I'm talking about functional ones for everyday use if somebody is interested..) , but for me the best would be to have WinXshell with thumbnails working..

thats would be nice to know

even taking explorer from win8.1 to win10 would make this much better

Ok. Older versions of explorer.exe tried on Windows 10 after research :

Vista SP0 explorer.exe x86 version tried: 6.0.6002.18005

Requirements: Set W8 compatibility mode.
Fully working (taskbar + tray icons + right click on combined items working)
Only not working: (probably need more research) desktop icons

Most interesting one for me: Windows 7 BETA explorer.exe x86 6.1.6469.1 with SUPERBAR.
Requirements:
- Set W8 compatibility mode.
- (Optional) Copy en-US folder from the .iso and put explorer.exe.mui and shell32.dll.mui inside.
- Save this as a .reg file or create dword CanHasSuperbar to enable W7 beta taskbar (first W7,W8,W10 taskbar but W7 beta version so no metro in it):

How to enable Superbar on this explorer:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband]
"CanHasSuperbar"=dword:00000001

You will also need dui70.dll file version 6.1.6469.1 in the same folder of the explorer.exe, so put both on an folder in c:\superbar for example. Get it from System32 folder in the iso.



XP SP3 x86 explorer.exe 6.0.2900.5634

Requirements: Set WXP SP3 compatibility mode.
 But click on combined items aren't fully working for me. Probably because some reg keys are missing.

It doesn't matter if you are running windows x86 or x64 w10, you must run the x86 version of the explorer.exe files I mentioned. x64 versions won't work, at least for me. Also make sure to set compatibility modes and adjust requirements if you want to get them working.

For desktop icons not showing, you can run WinXshell without taskbar or analyze the list of accessed CLSIDs on registry when Vista explorer.exe it's launched. You can also see registry keys & dlls accessed using a Nirsoft Monitoring tool recording the explorer.exe launch.

I also tried to:
-Analyze explorer.exe with PE Explorer using Tools -> Disassembler because I want to tweak taskbar combined items icons in 6469 version.
- Tried to run w7 beta ver 6519 and w7 beta ver 6956 explorer.exe without luck.
- Tried to run unlockProtectedFeatures.exe in 6519 and 6956..
___________________________
If you don't want to run a different explorer.exe version:

Now, removing metro from w10 explorer + list of CLSIDs accessed in launching the desktop
 + Modules loaded + explorer.exe dependencies (read first and second comment from: _ttp://reboot.pro/topic/21178-add-explorer-to-winpe-10/ )

Long story short: Backup registry and download and play with these:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/c6q94xf3r3ggfs6/ExplorerTaskbar.zip
http://www.mediafire.com/download/uj70c58f21vskq9/ExplorerBasic.zip


I downloaded both .reg (ExplorerTaskBar-HKCU + ExplorerTaskBar-HKLM) and .bat (ExplorerTaskBar-HKLM-CLSIDs) files and after that I get w10 explorer.exe running in a w10 version with ALL metro apps removed and start menu and cortana removed too. First attempt will give you the critical error start menu and cortana aren't working.. after some minutes using the explorer.

Slow way to fix the Critical error: Search for "start menu troubleshooter" (startmenu.diagcab) on the spider. You can also search for Appdiagnostic10.diagcab. Of course with this you will fix the metro app database and startmenu metro app as I know. And you will have taskbar working after you deleted all apps previously. But you want ALL apps deleted, so don't do this.

Fast way to fix Critical error: rename windows.immersiveshell.serviceprovider.dll to anything else in windows folder.
Basically you will lost metro apps layer, show desktop button functionality on taskbar, wifi networks list when you click wifi icon, start menu & task view with thumbnails.

You can also run this as a .bat file with admin rights:
ren c:\windows\system32\windows.immersiveshell.serviceprovider.dll windows.immersiveshell.serviceproviderDISABLED.dll
taskkill /im explorer.exe /f
start explorer.exe
pause

Note: I combine this with StartIsBack.

- Fix for show desktop taskbar button: You can get back show desktop functionality with "show desktop" application for XP.
- Fix for battery icon: get old style battery popup (classic not metro). Save this as a .reg
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell]
"UseWin32BatteryFlyout"=dword:00000001

- Fix for clock/calendar: get classic calendar popup. Save this as a .reg
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell]
"UseWin32TrayClockExperience"=dword:00000001

- Fix for classic volume popup
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\MTCUVC]
"EnableMtcUvc"=dword:00000000


- No fix for wifi icon, I use PENetwork instead. You can hide it if you want.
- Fix for taskbar context menus (Minimize, Maximize, Close, Pin, Unpin items..): Use 7taskbartweaker and activate First option: Right click -> Standard Windows Menu
- Fix for startmenu, I use StartisBack but you can choose between lot of options including ClassicShell / now Open Shell.


All methods & options commented here were tried successfully on w10 x64 RTM 10.0.10240.18063 -LTSB 2015- (most similar version to windows 8.1/8/7 and fastest w10 version in my opinion) KB4471323
I also tried some of these on  w10 versions 1809 and 1903.

All the information posted here can be found on Internet.

Regards

## WinXShell RC4.3 (2020.04.04)
 WinXShell_rc4.3.7z (2538.28 kB - downloaded 88 times.)




这是一个主要更新。添加和改善了以下内容:

* 改进 编译选项设置 “随机基址”和“数据执行保护(DEP)”。
* 新增 开始菜单项目，新增【网络连接】项目。
* 新增 UI_WIFI 新增 PPPoE拨号按钮，有拨号连接时显示。
* 新增 UI_WIFI，UI_Volume支持 -notrayicon 参数，不创建托盘图标。
* 改进 直接接管系统 声音，网络 托盘图标，点击调用 UI_Volume 和 UI_WIFI 组件。
  * 原生状态指示图标
  * 支持图标右键菜单
  * 菜单支持全部语言
* 改善 lua_helper 函数库，WinXShell.lua 仅保留用户自定义函数和接口。
* 新增 wxs-ui:xxx, wxs-open:xxx 短命令协议接口。
  例如: wxs-ui:wifi, wxs-open:system, wxs-open:networkconnections,
        wxs-open:devices, wxs-open:printers
* 改善 控制面板中点击【连接到网络】，将打开 UI_WIFI 连接界面。
* 改善 ADSL拨号连接，将打开 UI_WIFI 连接界面。(正常系统下有效，PE下无效)
* 修复 我的电脑右键【属性】菜单没有菜单热键问题。
* 修复 点击控制面板无限弹出资源管理器问题。
* 改善 我的电脑右键【属性】默认显示系统属性界面。
* 新增 浅色主题支持。
  * 任务栏           添加浅色主题
  * 声音,WIFI,日历   添加浅色主题
* 改善 个性化设定界面，增加更多颜色相关设定选项。
* 改善 声音设定界面滑块移动流畅度提高，提示音不再阻塞。* 改善 WIFI连接界面，增加滚动条。
* 修复 信息通知栏无法显示的问题。

Hi
I need some replacement for RocketDock for x64 WinPE and found this GUI.
It's pretty nice an more than I need. I put like 2 Days into this and have 2 problems that might to be solved.

1) In Startmenu the Top entry says "(Empty)" how can I hide or fix that?
2) Creating shortcuts with PEStartup have all a blank Item - how to fix that?

I'm using a bare Win10 1809 x64 (en-us) boot.wim with minor handmade customizations.
No tools are implemented.

I'm starting WinXShell over startnet.cmd

Edit: About no Icons on Shortcuts on the Desktop. It works with exe files (with Icon) but not like with scripts and a defined Icons or like with an Exe (w/o Icon) I assign an Icon to.
(Where is it Edit Button?)

Hi KNARZ

(Where is it Edit Button?)

You can edit your posts after the 10th one

regards APT

Ah good to know :)

2) BTW the Icons appear if I use link to a real ICO file. But the scaling of the icons (128x128) in the GUI are not good. :/

Hi
I need some replacement for RocketDock for x64 WinPE and found this GUI.
It's pretty nice an more than I need. I put like 2 Days into this and have 2 problems that might to be solved.

1) In Startmenu the Top entry says "(Empty)" how can I hide or fix that?
2) Creating shortcuts with PEStartup have all a blank Item - how to fix that?

I'm using a bare Win10 1809 x64 (en-us) boot.wim with minor handmade customizations.
No tools are implemented.

I'm starting WinXShell over startnet.cmd

Hi,  good to know it works for you.

1).
Put shortcuts in X:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu,  it will show on the top of Start Menu.

so far,  there is no option for hiding it. If you need one,  I can add a option.

I recommended you to use Classic Shell Menu for the Start Menu,  that OSS has more customization options,  skins.

2).  maybe you need some registry key for that.

if you open a notepad,  and browse file,  can there show the right icons? 

Thanks for your reply :)

The Issue with the Icons stays the same if I use the open dialog from notepad. It's also an empty Icon.
I use PEStartup with the Icon link to like X:\windows\regedit.exe -> blank (white) Icon
If I use he exe itself as a shortcut with empty Icon entry (in PEStartup) it works.

Thanks for the hint with "Start Menu" folder. I copied the desktop Icons to the location and it works.
But the resulting Icons aren't great. But i can try to use different multi-icons with different resolutions.

I would request a few features:

Possibility to Hide:
Startmenu: Programs
Startmenu: "Start Menu" Folder / "(Empty)" - or may just hide it automatically if empty?

Startmenu: Posibility to may scale it by a floating number?! like 1.0 = current.. 2.5 like 2.5x as Big?! (Using it as Dock replacement)

WinXShell: Ability to hide ShortCut arrow (Desktop)
WinXShell: Better Icon handling (anything other than 32px isn't great) using Big Icons on desktop and playing with Ctrl+Mouse isn't working the way as expected.

What I want to achieve is a replacement for RocketDock where I have Buttons (currently Desktop Shortcuts or now in the "Start Menu" (with empty Desktop Icons [using: viewflags]) where I can run may very custom actions in WinPE x64 environment. It's all self made / custom. If you think there are better alternatives to achieve something like RocketDock in x64... please let me know.

Don't get it the wrong way, I'm very thankfull for the option that WinXShell exist. :)

Ah thanks for the hint (again) to OpenShell.
I now customized winxshell and OpenShell (all custom actions) to get a simple menu within the starmenu.

Thanks for your reply :)

Possibility to Hide:
Startmenu: Programs
Startmenu: "Start Menu" Folder / "(Empty)" - or may just hide it automatically if empty?

Startmenu: Posibility to may scale it by a floating number?! like 1.0 = current.. 2.5 like 2.5x as Big?! (Using it as Dock replacement)

WinXShell: Ability to hide ShortCut arrow (Desktop)
WinXShell: Better Icon handling (anything other than 32px isn't great) using Big Icons on desktop and playing with Ctrl+Mouse isn't working the way as expected.

• Startmenu: Programs
• Startmenu: "Start Menu" Folder / "(Empty)" - or may just hide it automatically if empty?

I can add new options for hiding them.

• WinXShell: Ability to hide ShortCut arrow (Desktop)

It is same as normal Windows.

rem // Shortcuts with 'shortcut' name and transparent icon
if "x%opt[tweak.shortcut.noarrow]%"=="xtrue" (
    call X2X
    reg add "HKLM\Tmp_Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons" /v 29 /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d "%%SystemRoot%%\system32\transparent.ico" /f
)

• WinXShell: Better Icon handling (anything other than 32px isn't great) using Big Icons on desktop and playing with Ctrl+Mouse isn't working the way as expected.

Right Click on the Desktop background, you can set the icon size.

And there is a setting in WinXShell.jcfg

Code: [Select]

"JS_DESKTOP" {
     "iconsize":32,
     ...
}

you can change it to be 48 or 96 or others.

Thanks for adding the option in the future :)

About transparent shortcut, I wasn't sure if this would work so I didn't bother (as i have limited time) to try it. Thanks for the Info!

I was using the Icon size in the config file (I was playing with different values) but the resolution (with several mutiicons in different variantions (including 16,32,48,96,128 [in mixed combinations]) of the "right" size on the desktop isn working great. The size of the icon gets bigger but the resultion (the look) isn't scaled. And Icons only work as Ico file not from like an exe (exe,0) if i try to use something like a script (cmd) with an icon of an exe or dll. But anyway this is solved with OpenShell for me now. Changing it to 48,96 (64 was intended) or to 60 or anything didn't help.
And while some exploring your shell with ctrl + mouse wheel for scaling it's getting messed up. - Nothing worth fixing as unusal case but this may explains a little more that something is off with icon scaling or resolving the right resolution.