Comments on: How to replace Explorer.exe in Windows 7?

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:08:11 +0000

OK wrap your heads around this one. Even after doing all this right. Win. 7 still won’t let me take ownership of the explorer.exe!!! THIS IS MADDNESS. Im so irritated. Please I need help. I have full control of everything. I can take ownership of none system files but not my system files. Explorer is not running while I’m doing this FYI. Anybody that can help, it would deeply appreciated.

By: sOliver

sOliver — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:38:49 +0000

rkidder, enter sfc.exe /scannow into an elevated command prompt (see our tutorials), that will restore your original explorer.exe. Then try replacing the explorer.exe again (manually!!)

By: rkidder13

rkidder13 — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:40:11 +0000

Hey I followed method 2 and I replaced the explorer.exe file with my new one and restarted my laptop..

When my laptop rebooted it let me enter my password but after the Welcome screen my Desktop is black…

I hit Ctrl+alt+delete and went to the task manager and ran explorer.exe and everything is back..

But every time i start i have to run explorer.exe

please help.

By: Deathangel

Deathangel — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:45:20 +0000

Umm i am trying to use this explorer that came in the world of warcraft theme to edit my start button but when i rename the other to explorer.exe_old adn put the new one in adn restart it don’t work pls help.

By: sOliver

sOliver — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 22:08:55 +0000

Bourne, are you looking for the original explorer.exe or any explorer.exe? If any, then you can download this nice explorer.exe with a skull:
http://windows7themes.net/free-ghost-recon-skull-desktop-theme.html

You can always restore the original explorer.exe via sfc.exe (search site)

By: Bourne

Bourne — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:35:52 +0000

Okay, im trying not to rage text you here.
Where can I download an explorer.exe file for windows 7 32-bit?
That is all I need.
ALL I need is the file. I am asking you this since this is the most prevalent site which comes up when i search for this file.
WHERE EXACTLY DO I DOWNLOAD IT?
Please……………

By: sOliver

sOliver — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:48:11 +0000

Mike, you should already have an explorer.exe, why else would you be here? Obviously, you need to download an explorer.exe somewhere.

If you don’t have an explorer.exe download one of the themes with a Start button, they have the file explorer.exe. Most themes on our site only include a explorer.exe for Windows 7 64-bit and a bitmap file for 32-bit users.

If you are on Windows 7 32-bit, please use a software called Start Button changer or use a Resource editor that you find on our site to modify the original explorer.exe after creating a backup.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:38:51 +0000

on this page it says “Rename your new explorer.exe to explorer2.exe and copy it into the Windows directory: C:\Windows\”
Where do I get the “new explorer.exe”file from? In other words where is the ffile used to replace the existing explorer.exe?

Thanks

By: sOliver

sOliver — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:13:52 +0000

I’ve updated this post and recommend everyone to simply download the registry hack at the top. This is by far the easiest way to replace system files.

If you think the hack is not safe, open the registry file in a notepad and you will see that is basically doing what I describe above:

- Taking owernship
- Granting permissions

By: César

César — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:18:56 +0000

Hi! I’ve replace my explorer.exe, and everything’s alright… but when I try to do something with elevate privileges in explorer (for example add some file into C:\Windows), User Control Accounts, ask me to do it as always, I press continue, but then it appears a new message, the says Editor Unknown, and I gotta press “ok” again, is there any way to avoid that last message?