Looks like this build stayed activated with modified logos for both the System Properties and About Windows. I'd really like to know how you pulled that off. That's pretty cool. I've tried numerous times myself but it always breaks the activation.
I'm not aware of any activation methods that check for file integrity? I know VirtualBox does though.
VirtualBox only checks file integrity on the Host OS, not Guest. Unless they recently changed this, but I'm not aware of that.
Did you mean the Guest OS? I'm not sure why VB would care about file integrity on the Host OS as it could potentially be a totally different OS and hardware platform even.
No, VB checks the Host OS for file integrity. Somewhere around version 4.x they made the change, so at the time I used a few patched files on an OS (probably UxTheme files) and what will happen is it will refuse to run any VM's. But if your Host is unpatched, it will allow you to install the craziest mods in the VM, it doesn't seem to care about that. There appears no way to disable that behavior. People just started accepting it and it become cemented, but to be honest I have not tested if this is still the case with v6.1.x of VB but I would think it stays the same. Other weird thing about it, it will function fine on a lite OS. For example last night I installed a Lite version of the most recent Last7 I made (on my main PC) which has 40,000 files removed from it but VB doesn't seem to care about that. Go figure! It's called "file hardening".
I think it might be applied by the iPack icon and theme tool from VirtualCustoms, I was going to make some ssWPI apz options of it, but I need to upgrade all the iPacks to be using the latest version so it will uninstall the previous applied one before applying a 2nd one, problem is it is no longer silent as the uninstaller asks if you would rather restore icons or leave them as is... I decided I didn't want modded icons in my releases anyway as it took me a good 20 seconds to figure out where my "This PC" was on a crowded desktop and I don't have time for that Let me know if you really want me to add the iPacks, I could make them run at ssWPI's 99th order (last) and it wont matter if it's silent.
The problem I'm having is the activation for the guest OS's are breaking (inside the VM). But only when I try to change the logo's inside "basebrd.dll" or "shellbrd.dll". Then System Property says "Windows is not activated." If it makes any difference I use KMSpico for activation -- an older version, I know; but it still works great. I also use the latest Resource Hacker. CustomizerGod is pretty convenient. It can modify the resources in place (without copying temporary files back and forth). I haven't tried iPack / VirtualCustoms. I'll give it a whirl and see what's up.
https://virtualcustoms.net/showthre...ion-for-Windows-10?highlight=ipack+collection I have this collection of them. https://www.deviantart.com/mr-blade/art/iPack-Builder-v2-2-Tool-for-icon-customization-473088895 v2.2 is the latest version of the packer/repacker.
System Properties is done by creating a new shellbrd.dll using Resource Hacker (edit Bitmap and #1100, 2100, and 3100). I make sure my image (upper right) is no more than 200x200 pixels. I create the image as a PNG file, then use Photoshop to make the background transparent, then save it as a 32bit BMP. Winver is accomplished in the same way by editing the basebrd.dll file (edit Bitmap and #123,1123, and 2123). basebrd is a little more forgiving and has a LOT more options as far as size of the image. Doesnt have to be transparent either, unlike shellbrd. These are located in C:\Windows\Branding I copy both files to desktop then I edit them. MUST take ownership of the files (shellbrd.dll & basebrd.dll in the c:\windows\branding) then delete (or rename for backups) the files, then copy new files to correct folders. For the "Wheres My Coffee" logo (middle right), I just use Win7 OEM Editor and place what I want in there.
Yes, that's exactly what I do with Resource Hacker on both basebrd.dll & shellbrd.dll. Unfortunately, as soon as I replace the .bmp's in shellbrd.dll, I get "Windows is not activated" and later (a lot later) the "Not Activated" watermark shows up on the desktop. Very puzzling. It's not important but I thought it'd be pretty slick for a Windows "re-imagined" project I've been working on.
Freezer, can you activate after your replace the .dll's? Or is the system activated and then you replace the .dll's? Also make sure you replace the current versions of the .dll's, in case updates produced newer ones but you replace them with older ones from original MS images, etc.
Yes, I've tried activation before and after the replacements. But as you pointed out, it might be a version issue. I didn't check or verify that. So what I'm going to do is start over with a complete new install and work from there.
Yeah I know for certain you use the wrong uxtheme files and you get a lovely black screen after the logon screen, I left old patched .dlls in the overlay for my AwakenOS first public release, but I took it down and reposted a fixed one.
Whew. Apparently it was a version issue after all. I'm going to let it sit over-night to see if it sticks. But so far it looks promising! Thanks everyone for helping me track this down.
A partial win as it turns out. Eventually the activation breaks after an indeterminate period. I'm pretty certain now that it is KMSpico that's doing it. So I uninstalled KMSpico and the OS has remained rebranded and activated for almost a week now. KMSpico probably doesn't need uninstalled; I think just disabling "Service KMSELDI" would be sufficient. In case activation needs to be re-done for whatever reason.
Do you use Malicious Software Removal Tool or Defender or something? I guess it's possible that some sort of file modification makes KMSpico not work because it depends on it, but if so that would be interesting news as I've never heard of that before.
No I was just studying how KMSpico and other methods used to activate Windows. When I changed the branding the various activations would report an unrecognized product ID and a check with Windows activation under System Properties shows "Windows is not activated". Then much later the Desktop watermark will appear. At the very least, uninstalling KMSpico seems to be rather harmless. It appears that once activated, the OS maintains it.
No that is not how KMS servers work, every 180 days your PC must go online to reaffirm the activation, meaning you need KMS pico to re-run at least once every 180 days or run it manually if you make a change to the system hardware OR even software (branding in your case). your PC will de-activate if you stop the scheduled task after 180 days you will get your watermark back. If you make sure to run KMSPico after you re-brand the .dll's and or OEM information then it should stick and work as expected.
Good to know. Thanks, I did not know that. Unfortunately, that's been the problem. Running KMSpico -- or any other activation method -- after re-branding actually deactivates Windows. I get an unrecognized product ID error and it/they de-activates Windows. The only thing I've found that works is to restore the original dll's, enable the KMSpico service to activate, then disable KMSpico service, and finally rebrand back. But it sounds like if I schedule such a process every 179 days...
Thought I'd give an update for anyone curious about my progress on this project, tentatively called "Last9-WinBlue"... I was already really close to a release date for this before; but the recent Site Migration Migraine Fiasco had set me back about a week's worth of progress on this. I'm still running tests but so far it looks to be fairly complete. ______________________ In the tradition of LastOS, this is completely unattended -- after selecting the install drive, of course -- by heavily utilizing our accumulated techniques and tools to apply tweaks, automatically install apps, pre-sort the Startmenu (to "LastOS"-style), and so forth. To illustrate, it starts here: And completes here: As you can see, it'll be "really useful" straight out of the tin. Since most desktops and laptops will come with at least two USB ports, it'll be released in two parts: A basic, "vanilla" Last9 without any apps -- outside those used to achieve the "Window 9" look, of course This .iso can be burned to a DVD or use Rufus to create a USB install media to either a flash-drive or an SD-card. A "Plus!" pack with the apps to be auto-installed to further enhance the build. This .iso can be burned separately on another optical disk -- they should fit on a CD, actually -- or copied to a flash drive or SD-card. Optionally, the Plus-pack apps can be copied/burned to the install media too. Just merge the "ssAppsInstalls" folder from the Plus-pack into the Install one. This will be especially easy if Rufus was used to create the install media. Combined they will all fit onto a single DVD (or a 4 GB flash-drive or SD-card). So, if present, wherever they are located, the following ssApps or ppApps will automatically install -- any version, any edition (free or Pro). If desired, ppApps can also be optionally located in a "ppAppsInstalls" folder. Note that there are more apps listed in the auto-install list than those actually on the Plus pack disk/iso. This is so that any favorite apps can be added or substituted on the second disk/iso. For example, with Browsers or Office Suites. Because of that, this list is considered a work in progress. 7+ Taskbar Tweaker Always Mouse Wheel * Beyond Compare Bulk Rename Utility CCleaner FileSearchEX * Folder Options X * HashCheck Shell Extension LastOS Settings Tool * Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Microsoft Broadband Networking Utility Microsoft Games for Windows 8+ * Notepad2-mod TeraCopy Unlocker * Virtual CloneDrive Winaero Tweaker 7-Zip Active@ Disk Image AIMP Defraggler Direct Folders Foxit Reader PDF-XChange Viewer GIMP K-Lite Mega CodeC Partition Wizard Nero Burning ROM PDFCreator Recuva Speccy WinRAR Mouse Cursor Themes Chrome Firefox PaleMoon Opera Opera GX Microsoft Office LibreOffice OpenOffice SoftMaker Office Advanced Renamer Ashampoo Office WPS Office * Located on the install iso
