Shocked?
Thats really a shocking thing. I was also shocked when I used it. A really really awesome software. The simplest one and very easiest to use.
Ooo! I forgot to tell you its name. Thats
"Resource Hacker".
Lets have a look on "
Resource Hacker" and how we use it.
Resource Hacker™
Overview:
Resource Hacker™ has been designed to be the complete resource editing
tool: compiling, viewing, decompiling and recompiling resources for both
32bit and 64bit Windows executables. Resource Hacker™ can open any type
of Windows executable (*.exe; *.dll; *.scr; *.mui etc) so that
individual resources can be added modified or deleted within these
files. Resource Hacker™ can create and compile resource script files
(*.rc), and edit resource files (*.res) too.
Compiling:
Compiling can be initiated either by passing a resource script file as a
parameter on the the command line (see below), or by using Resource
Hacker's text editor.
Supported compiler directives include: #DEFINE, #UNDEF, #IF, #ELIF, #ELSE, #IFDEF, #IFNDEF, #INCLUDE, and #PRAGMA.
The #INCLUDE, #IF, and #IFDEF directives can all be nested to multiple levels.
Strings within resource statements are defined between double-quote (")
characters. These strings can also contain typical 'C' style backslashed
'escaped' characters — \t , \n , \\ , \" , and \000 .. \377 (octal). A
double-quote within a string can be 'escaped' by preceding it with
either a backslash or with another double-quote character.
Script comments are preceded either by double forward-slashes (//) or by a semi-colon (;).
Filenames in within resource statements can only be parsed as strings,
so they MUST be enclosed within double-quote characters otherwise
compile errors will be raised.
A complete list of Resource-Definition Statements can be found
here.
Viewing Resources:
Once a file has been opened, most resources will be displayed as either an image (or group of images) or as decompiled text:
However, some resource types will be displayed in both its compiled form
(eg dialog or popup menu) and in its decompiled text format.
Some resource types can only be displayed as a dump of raw byte data:
Using the internal editor to modify text-based resources:
Dialog, menu, string-table, message-table, accelerators and Borland form
resources can all be easily edited and recompiled using the internal
resource editor.
Dialog controls can be visually resized and/or moved, with any changes
being reflected in the resource script automatically. Conversion between
screen pixels and dialog units is done automatically. Select a control
by clicking it in the displayed dialog. Alternatively, the Tab or
Shift-Tab keys can be used to select next or prior controls
respectively. The selected control will show resizing handles. To move a
control without resizing, once the control has been selected, click and
drag it to its new location. The arrow keys can also be used to move a
control once it has been selected. A control can be resized by clicking
and dragging one of its resizing handles. Alternatively, the arrow keys
combined with the shift key can be used to resize a control.
The Dialog Editor can be opened from the popup menu which is displayed
by right-clicking the preview dialog. The Control Editor can be opened
from the same menu once a control has been selected.
New controls can also be added. The Control Editor supports almost all
of Microsoft’s standard and common control classes. User defined custom
classes can also be added to the predefined list of classes by carefully
editing the “Dialog.def” text file which can be found in the same
folder as Resource Hacker™. Toolbar buttons enable selection of the most
commonly used controls. The top-left corner of the control to be added
will default to the point at which the dialog was originally
right-clicked.
Replacing Images:
If the resource item to be replaced is an icon, cursor, or bitmap, the
source can be an *.ico, *.cur or *.bmp file respectively or selected
from a *.res or another *.exe file. Select Action|Replace Icon (Cursor
or Bitmap) from the menu.
Command Line Scripting:
All the functionality of Resource Hacker™ can be accessed from the
command line (apart from viewing resources) without having to open the
Resource Hacker™ GUI.
Command line scripting can remove the drudgery entailed with repeating Resource Hacker™ tasks.
Command line syntax has 2 forms:
- Single commands: ResourceHacker.exe command command_parameters
- Multiple commands: ResourceHacker.exe -script multi_command_file (note that -script is very different to the -compile command, see below)
Single Commands:
command and command_parameters:
| -compile |
resource_script.rc |
| -add |
ExeFile, SaveAsFile, ResourceFile, ResourceMask |
| -addskip |
ExeFile, SaveAsFile, ResourceFile, ResourceMask |
| -addoverwrite |
ExeFile, SaveAsFile, ResourceFile, ResourceMask |
| -modify |
ExeFile, SaveAsFile, ResourceFile, ResourceMask |
| -extract |
ExeFile, ResourceFile, ResourceMask |
| -delete |
ExeFile, SaveAsFile, ResourceMask |
Notes:
Each command parameter must be separated by a comma, but no comma is expected before the first parameter.
Paths should be included with filenames.
Filenames containing spaces should be enclosed within double quotes.
The ResourceMask enables a command to be performed on either single or
multiple resource items. It takes the form ResType,ResName,ResLang. (If
ResType is a predefined type, then either its number or identifier can
be used —e.g. the ResourceMask dialog,128,0 is identical to 5,128,0.)
Any or all of the ResourceMask items can be omitted —e.g. dialog,,
indicates that all dialogs are to be applied to the command irrespective
of name or language, and ,,1049 indicates that all resources with
Russian (1049) as the languageID will be applied to the command. An
empty ResourceMask ,, indicates that the command will be applied to
every resource irrespective of type, name or language.
When adding or modifying items, the ResourceFile can be a RES file for
any item type, a BMP file for BITMAP types, a CUR file for CURSORGROUP
types, an ICO file for ICONGROUP types, and any file type for RCDATA and
user defined resource types.
When adding and modifying resources from files other than RES files
then both ResType and ResName must be specified in the ResourceMask. If
ResLang is omitted then the command applies to the first language item
with matching type and name, otherwise, if no matching item exists then
language neutral (0) is assumed.
When extracting resources, and more than one item is implied by the
ResourceMask, then the specified ResourceFile must be either a RES file
or an RC file. When binary image resources are extracted to RC files,
each image is also created as a separate binary (ICO, CUR, BMP, GIF,
BIN) file. See the example below.
ICON and CURSOR resources cannot be manipulated directly but are added,
deleted, modified and extracted by using their respective ICONGROUP or
CURSORGROUP. ICON and CURSOR can still be used but Resource Hacker™ will
assume ICONGROUP or CURSORGROUP was intended.
All actions or errors are logged to “ResourceHacker.log”.
NB: If a script does not produce the desired results then check the log!
Examples: (File paths have been omitted for clarity)
To compile a resource script (from *.rc to *.res)
ResourceHacker.exe -compile my_resources.rc
To add or update dialog name:maindlg lang:0 in MyProg.exe from UpdDlg.res
ResourceHacker.exe -addoverwrite MyProg.exe, MyProgNew.exe, UpdDlg.res, dialog,maindlg,0
To add or update bitmap name:128 in MyProg.exe from NewImage.bmp
ResourceHacker.exe -addoverwrite MyProg.exe, MyProgNew.exe, NewImage.bmp , bitmap,128,
To add or update all bitmaps in MyProg.exe from Images.res
ResourceHacker.exe -addoverwrite MyProg.exe, MyProgNew.exe, Images.res, bitmap,,
To add a “user-defined” binary resource (README,1,0) to MyProg.exe from ReadMe.html
ResourceHacker.exe -addoverwrite MyProg.exe, MyProgNew.exe, ReadMe.html, readme,1,0
To add all items in Images.res to MyProg.exe (but fail if any item already exists)
ResourceHacker.exe -add MyProg.exe, MyProgNew.exe, Images.res ,,,
To add all items in Images.res to MyProg.exe (skipping any existing items)
ResourceHacker.exe -addskip MyProg.exe, MyProgNew.exe, Images.res ,,,
To modify all items in MyProg.exe with the items in Images.res
(ignoring any items in Images.res which do not exist in MyProg.exe)
ResourceHacker.exe -modify MyProg.exe, MyProgNew.exe, Images.res , , ,
To extract all icons from MyProg.exe to MyProgIcons.rc (creating MyProgIcons.rc, Icon_1.ico, Icon_2.ico , Icon_3.ico etc...)
ResourceHacker.exe -extract MyProg.exe, MyProgIcons.rc, icongroup,,
To delete GIF name:128 from MyProg.exe
ResourceHacker.exe -delete MyProg.exe, MyProgNew.exe, gif,128,
Multiple Commands:
syntax: ResourceHacker.exe -script ScriptFile
ScriptFile is a text file with the following layout:
//comments are preceded by double slashes
[FILENAMES]
Exe=
SaveAs=
Log=
[COMMANDS]
-add ResourceSrc, ResourceMask
-addskip ResourceSrc, ResourceMask
-addoverwrite ResourceSrc, ResourceMask
-addoverwrite ResourceSrc, ResourceMask
-modify ResourceSrc, ResourceMask
-extract ResourceTgt, ResourceMask
-delete ResourceMask
If Log is omitted then the default log —ResourceHacker.log— will be used.
NB: If a script does not produce the desired results then check the log!
Examples:
rh_script_myprog_rus.txt -
//This script deletes all Language Neutral (0)
//string-table, menu and dialog resource items
//in MyProg.exe before replacing them
//with Russian (1049) items...
[FILENAMES]
Exe= MyProg.exe
SaveAs= MyProg_Rus.exe
Log= MyProg_Rus.log
[COMMANDS]
-delete MENU,,0
-delete DIALOG,,0
-delete STRINGTABLE,,0
-add MyProg_Rus.res, MENU,,1049
-add MyProg_Rus.res, DIALOG,,1049
-add MyProg_Rus.res, STRINGTABLE,,1049
rh_script_myprog_upd_images.txt -
//This script updates 2 bitmaps and an
//icon in MyProg.exe ...
[FILENAMES]
Exe= MyProg.exe
SaveAs= MyProg_Updated.exe
[COMMANDS]
-addoverwrite Bitmap128.bmp, BITMAP,128,
-addoverwrite Bitmap129.bmp, BITMAP,129,0
-addoverwrite MainIcon.ico, ICONGROUP,MAINICON,0
rh_script_myprog_upd_all.txt -
//This script replaces all resources
//in MyProg.exe with all the resources
//in MyProgNew.res
[FILENAMES]
Exe= MyProg.exe
SaveAs= MyProg_Updated.exe
[COMMANDS]
-delete ,,, //delete all resources before...
-add MyProgNew.res ,,, //adding all the new resources
Licence to Use - Terms and Conditions:
This Resource HackerTM software is released as freeware provided that you agree to the following terms and conditions:
- This software is not to be distributed via any website domain or any
other media without the prior written approval of the copyright owner.
- This software is not to be used in any way to illegally modify software.
DISCLAIMER: A user of this Resource HackerTM
software acknowledges that he or she is receiving this software on an
"as is" basis and the user is not relying on the accuracy or
functionality of the software for any purpose. The user further
acknowledges that any use of this software will be at the user's own
risk and the copyright owner accepts no responsibility whatsoever
arising from the use or application of the software. |
| The above licence terms constitute "copyright management
information" within the meaning of Section 1202 of Title 17 of the
United States Code and must not be altered or removed from the licensed
works. Their alteration or removal from the licensed works, and the
distribution of licensed works without all the above licence terms in an
unaltered way, may contravene Section 1202 and give rise civil and/or
criminal consequences. |
Executable Packers:
| Some executable files are "packed" or
"compressed" using compression algorithms after they have been
compiled. While this reduces the size of these files, it also makes it
more difficult to view and modify resources. While it's possilbe to
reverse any compression and still view and modify resources, I've
decided not to do that on the assumption that that would be
disrespecting the intentions of the file authors. When a "compressed"
executable is opened with Resource HackerTM only the types and names of resource will be visible. |
Acknowledgements:
| I'd like to especially thank Michael Maltsev for his enormously helpful and extensive feedback during beta testing of this latest version of Resource Hacker.
|
Video Tutorials:
| Tutorial 1: Modify a manifest resource to fix blurred text when scaling for high resolution displays (4.5Mb AVI file).
|
Changes:
- 4.2.5
- Bugfix: Adding a resource to a file without any resources was broken
- New: Can now change a text resource's format (unicode, UTF-8, ANSI)
- Bugfix: Some Delphi forms were not being decompiled or recompiled correctly
- Bugfix: An occasional PNG image was not being displayed
- Bugfix: Shrinking the main window very small caused a divide-by-zero error
- 4.2.4
- Bugfix: Error when compiling ansi encoded *.rc files
- Bugfix: RCDATA resources not displayed in their optimal format
- Bugfix: Error when trying to display 'compressed' resources
- Bugfix: 'Compressed' files can no longer be modified and saved
- 4.2.3
- Bugfix: Significant bug in the recompiler
- Bugfix: Minor bug displaying animated cursors
- 4.2.2
- Bugfix: Some monochrome images weren't being displayed
- Bugfix: Removed extraneous button in "Import Resources" dialog
- Bugfix: Manifest resources were being converted to UCS-2 format.
- Modified: Increased font sizes in all dialogs
- 4.2.1
- Bugfix: Some Delphi forms were not being decompiled
- Bugfix: Hiding the toolbar disabled hide/show dialogs/menus menuitem.
- Bugfix: Some images were not being displayed
- 4.2.0 (from ver 4.0)
- Numerous bug fixes to compiler
- Numerous cosmetic changes to GUI.
- Now easy to create resources from scratch
- Now easy to compile *.rc script file from both the commandline and the GUI
- Added script templates for new resources
- Added search feature
Direct Download Links:
Page Source:
Courtesy www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/
Software Developer and Provider:
Angus Johnson
