Today 'TSK' files can they be manipulated? - General Topics

Today screen files appear to have the extension .TSK can you please tell me which folder/file these are stored in and can any file be made into a TSK type file? If so how does one go about it? Also I am not sure how you find these files and/or how can you change the extension of them.
Also what is the difference between the today screen and wallpaper
Also the explorer option only appears to search the 'My Documents' folder does anyone know of a good equivalent tool either as freeware or for purchase.
Thanks in advance John.

Hi
The "theme" files (*.tsk) are stored in \windows\ directory.
TSK consists of such things as:
color scheme for Start menu, bottom bar and application windows.
background picture (today screen background)
start menu style / picture etc
TSK files can be created by various tools (including some outdated one from microsoft)
The option "use this picture as background" lets you override default background (by TSK) with the one you provide.

Thanks but I think its because you can't see the extension, plus as I mentioned the search facilities are crap. You can't search on '*.TSK' for example. I think that is why i asked for an example of a good replacement.
What is the difference between the today screen and Wallpaper. Also are you aware of what tools can create them?
Thanks again John.

Hi again.
You should use your PC to access system files on your PDA.
That gives you faster browsing, file extension view and many more.
Mobile file explorer and PDA functionality in general are designed to be simple for task-oriented working.
Enough of romantic crap
Don't mix "today screen" with "theme" and "wallpaper".
Today screen is a PDA equivalent of PC Windows's desktop.
Theme (in TSK files) is a... well... graphical theme for today screen.
Wallpaper is a picture that's behind anything else on today screen.
Most themes have wallpapers in them. But you can change wallpapers manually (choose bitmap files from memory or use the theme's default wallpaper)
Isn't that simple ?
I don't know any good software to create themes.
In case of making wallpaper...
Just make a bitmap in some standard format (BMP JPG GIF) with resolution that matches your device's display (320x240 in most cases).
You can do that even with windows paintbrush
Have fun.

cetuner is a good way to make themes actually on the pocket pc, which is relatively rare. Most is pc based. But it's not quite as complete as some pc based softare, mainly in manipulating the wallpaper. But i don't use wallpaper, so no issue to me.
Microsoft's free theme maker is a perfectly good place to start. Move on when you reach its limitations.
V

Related

Edit Tornado Home Screen Items?

Anyone know how to edit which items are displayed in the Tornado home screen. For example, if I pick the scheme I like but want to remove Calendar, how might I do that? Can't seem to see how on the Smartphone edition, but it's trivial on all the others. br
Take a look in \Application Data\Home\ folder, you'll find some XML files. These are desktop theme & item definition files.
If you're familiar with XML, it'll be a piece of cake to make your own one, and put it in the same folder. Then you'll be able to select yours in Settings -> Home Screen.
If you have no idea what XML is, I think there must be some Home Screen editor software on the web that can be your help.

Shortcut: using png or jpg as icon?

Hi,
Lots of posts on how to use different icons within the EXE or another DLL with a shortcut but is it possible to use an icon image which is a PNG or JPG file?
If so, how to do it?
Regards,
Geoff
Not 'easily' possible if you were to talking about having the icons on the 'Start -> Programs' section.
There is a way of getting a BMP into a DLL, which could be a bit complicated. Discussed on one of the thread regarding using WM6 icons on WM5.
no
but you can use tools like irfanview on the pc to comvert the
jpg and just about everyother image format into a icon file
as far as i noticed (i didn't study it though) you cannot use .ico for shortcut icon, or am i wrong?
anyway, i use microangelo to create my own .dll with icons, then i prepare shortcuts like this:
40#"\program files\WM5torage\WM5torage.exe"-a-q?\Program files\icons.dll,2
where the part after "?" shows a specific icon, in this case icon number 2 in icons.dll. it is quite easy and neat. I also have an application called RViewer, it lets you browse for icons in library/exe file right on your pda, helps a lot.
Thanks for the assistance.
Yes, you are right, windows .ico files can't be used in WM6 shortcuts. In fact, the WM6 default image viewer cannot display a windows .ico file.
Guess I will have to use the DLL approach.
Thanks again.
Geoff.

Icons for folders? (and possible discovery)

Is it possible to make icons for our folders in the apps menu?
I opened the Office Mobile folder and there was a .ink file with the office icon. I moved it to another folder (named Utilities) and this folder now had the office folder icon. Any hint of how this could be used?
well, windows mobile has a special folder design, no?
Good job on the discovery.
You could probably create custom folders for apps.
It is really very simple.
It's not ink its lnk, a shortcut file. If you manage to open it in text editor you will see a simple text string pointing to a dll, exe or ico file.
WM looks for a shortcut named 'icon.lnk' in folders and if it finds it will assign the folder the icon shortcut is pointing to.
You can look to windows\start menu\programs\games for an example of such file.
Also make sure it has the 'hidden' attribute or you will see it when opening the folder from start menu.
So it was lnk with an "L"? When I opened the file with word, it was pointing to a DLL file and it didn't open quite well with Word.
Thanks for the highlight, I'll try making icons
I might post them later.
I'm having more trouble to find free glossy folder icons than anything else...
Alright, I tried once, failed. Trying again and again!
Yes thats Lnk with "L" as in lamp (sorry, habit picked up from phone customer support)
Do not use Word or any other fancy editor as they do not handle plain text files well and may shove some garbage in there when you save the file.
Use notepad or even dos edit command.
levenum said:
Yes thats Lnk with "L" as in lamp (sorry, habit picked up from phone customer support)
Do not use Word or any other fancy editor as they do not handle plain text files well and may shove some garbage in there when you save the file.
Use notepad or even dos edit command.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I'll try that, thanks!
EDIT: I found a thread on brighthand that says only DLL files can be used as a source. Then if I'm not mistaken you must specify the code line where the icon is situated. The best solution would be to make a really small app with an icon then use this icon.
I'd try it right now but some piece of **** called ActiveSync refuses to work for a random reason.
EDIT 2: Activesync fixed, now working with a ressource editor and some DLLs to get it all working
Simply copy the .lnk to your desktop (PC). use notepad to editi t.
1. open notepad
2. open file xyz.lnk ....simple.
Alright, here's my progress:
-Downloaded a copy of shellres.dll, the location of the existing icons (because you can't take it from the phone)
-Using Ressource Hacker, I changed the icons (in Icons Group) for iPhone icons (other free icons aren't nice)
-Now I copy the edited shellres.dll to the Windows folder (didn't work elsewhere)
-I make a copy of a icon.lnk file in every folder I want to see the icons of and edit the ressource number to match the one in the DLL.
Here's a standard icon.lnk file: 1#SHELLRES.dll,-8216
Translated to: 1#[location of the dll],-[ressource number]
And edited to: 1#iconpack.dll,-8210
Screenshots coming soon.
Now the only problem is that the whole process is not automated. I don't know much about programing so I can't make a program that makes .lnk that points to the right icon.
There you go! What do you guys think?
BTW it only shows up in 256 colors, which is bad considering how nice the icons were...
EDIT: The whole thing is 1.4 freaking MB in size, so I gotta find icons that come in 32x32 instead of full packs including vista icons. Each icon was 80kb in size...
Try GIMP. It's free (open source) and it can edit icons. I didn't check if it can manage the different images that are packed in a single ico file but its worth a try.
I have gimp but I suck at using it. Anyway those icons are perfect for me but don't hesitate to ask for help to install your own.

How to change Folder views in WM OS

I've really made an effort to search the net for my answer and have had no luck. Whenever I open a folder and have files in them (text, etc), the default view is icons. I want to change the view to "list" just as in the reg WinXP OS. Total Commander and other like programs do this but when I open the regular Program folder or one of my own through Start Menu, the folder opens with Icons and text. Thanx.
Dr. Diode
"I started out with nothing and I still have most of it"
Certain folders have seperate views, just make sure when you see the view you don't want, you change it. Also, be sure to close (X) out properly to save the setting.

Changing icons in EXE will not work with Ressource Hacker

Hello community,
my first post and it's so tricky.
I will change the Icons of an EXE. I searched the Devs and with mister Google but I don't find another way exept the tool "Ressource Hacker". I can see the icons in Ressource Hacker, but there are two Icons (32x32 and 16x16) inside the file. If I change one type of icon, the other one will be lost. When I go to the folder "Icon Group" in Ressource Hacker, there is an icon within two icons. Like in a TIF-graphic with 2 or more pages inside. I can see that in the graphic viewer "IrfanVIEW". Doing a TIF with the icons and rename it to "*.ICO" will not appear in Ressource Hacker. Do I save the patched EXE-file, I can see the changed icon on the pocket PC. But when I copy the file from the SD-Card back to the Program-Folder, the old/original icon comes back.
Must I create an icon-file within two icons (32x32 and 16x16)? If this is correct, how can I do this? If not, what suggestion do you have for me?
do you mind posting the images and .exe that you are trying to change? I should be able to help
YUP!!!
or you can try the PEexplorer... but, does the exe is signed?
@bilborian: Thanks for your help, but there are too much EXEs. I will change my design to a neon design and all programs in the program launcher should be neons.
@ + QUE PPC: Oh, the PEexplorer ist just a little bit too expensive for that little project (129$ for private user). And what do you mean with signed EXEs?
But now, I got it. After a softreset can I see (not all) the new icons.
This works not with all EXEs, some of them have more than one icon inside, because they have different icon matrixes (for example 16x16, 32x32, etc.). I have a problem to select the right matrix for my Trinity (32x32), so I can not see all new icon in my edited EXEs. How can I indicate the right matrix to change a 32x32 icon?

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