Windows 7 explorer for Windows 8

By Tihiy
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

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Tihiy

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Posted

Windows 7 explorer.exe for Windows 8

Long story short, i made a wrapper to Windows 7 explorer.exe to run on Windows 8. You can try it now in order to have native Windows 7 desktop experience.

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You need to have Windows 8 Release Preview 32-bit installed. Most likely won't work for other builds.

Installation: grab c:\windows\explorer.exe and c:\windows\en-us\explorer.exe.mui from windows 7 system or installation CD (with 7-zip). It must be 32-bit version (if it's 64-bit, grab files from SysWOW64 dir). You can use Windows 7 files from same language build or en-US build.

Extract them to directory like "c:\explorer7". Extact attached archive to that directory too. It should look like this:

C:\explorer7\explorer.exe

C:\explorer7\en-US\explorer.exe.mui

C:\explorer7\patchex7.exe

C:\explorer7\wrp32.dll

Launch patchex7.exe. It will patch windows 7 explorer.exe. Then choose "7" to set it as default shell in registry, terminate current explorer.exe and log you off.

After log-on you should see Windows 7 desktop.

To uninstall, launch patchex7.exe again, choose "8" to reset shell to default explorer.exe in registry.

Download: patchex7-b0.zip

PLEASE READ:

THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS" AND I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING

Issues

- Start menu pin list and MFU list doesn't work. Instead, Start menu always shows "All programs" list.

- Trying to pin app to start menu by drag&drop will pin it to taskbar instead.

- Choosing "Pin to Start" menu item will add item to Start menu All programs list.

No Metro:

- Metro programs won't run.

- Autoplay popups won't show.

- "You have new program to handle this stuff" popups won't show. You need to use Default programs to change associations.

- Network icon popups don't show since Metro UI isn't started. You can't manage Wi-Fi networks. Use third-party program for that.

- "Choose default program to open this file type" is still Metro UI and works.

No new explorer goodies:

- No language input indicator. Use third-party program for that.

- No multi-monitor taskbars. Maybe more multimon issues.

Beta0 issues:

- Customize dialog for tray icons don't work. "Customize system icons" works though (Clock->Properties).

- Alt-tab switcher is legacy one (you can replace alttab.dll/.mui in system32 to windows 7 ones to get it to work).

- Start menu all programs sometimes don't show.

- Some debug messages are going in background.

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1091045-windows-7-explorer-for-windows-8/
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Grand Master

Detection

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Dunno, seems like nobody cares. Run it in VM if you're scared.

Don't worry about the haters here, Metro has become some peoples god it seems, post it around the net a bit, it will become popular, there are plenty of Metro haters out there ;)

Try MDL forums, you should get some good reviews from there

http://forums.mydigitallife.info

Contributor

Tihiy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Have you tried exporting the explorer.exe from an earlier build of Windows 8 that still had it?
You mean using DP instead of Win7? That could be nice idea, if explorer from there is more functional (i don't recall).
You're going to limit yourself to a 32 bit OS?
There will be 64-bit version ofc... It's the earliest public beta. I just need to acquire full MSVC instead of express.
Grand Master

FunkyMike

Posted
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You mean using DP instead of Win7? That could be nice idea, if explorer from there is more functional (i don't recall).

Yup, I think it was the DP or maybe even a build that leaked afterwards?!

I honestly haven't tried Windows 8 yet since it is so close to release. I want to approach it with a "clear" perspective, if thats even possible seeing as how I am in a Start button thread :) .

Good job btw!

Grand Master

Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

If a 64 bit version becomes available this will interest me.

Also, have you tried hacking the Windows 8 explorer exe to make it boot to desktop without removing all the other goodies like the ribbon?

Grand Master

firey

Posted
Posted

Nice job man, if you continue with this and make it 64bit, and work out some of the kinks, this alone may be my reason to go to 8. I hate metro, I hate the start screen, I hate the dropping of eye-candy. This will fix most of it.

Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

No,don't whatever you do try this app it is not safe to do this. And it could stop Windows from working.

You cannot disable the Metro theme in Windows 8 CP or in Windows RP safely and still have Windows work.

If you want the Windows 7 Windows Explorer use Ribbon Disabler from Winaero,which is proven to be safe,here-http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.20

Or Classic Shell here-http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Which gives you both the start button and Windows 7 start menu and boots straight to the desktop.

And many other start menu software now does the same thing. It is a safer option than hacking your system. Andrea Borman.

Grand Master

Brandon H Supervisor

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  • Supervisor
Posted

No,don't whatever you do try this app it is not safe to do this. And it could stop Windows from working.

You cannot disable the Metro theme in Windows 8 CP or in Windows RP safely and still have Windows work.

If you want the Windows 7 Windows Explorer use Ribbon Disabler from Winaero,which is proven to be safe,here-http://winaero.com/c...comment.news.20

Or Classic Shell here-http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Which gives you both the start button and Windows 7 start menu and boots straight to the desktop.

And many other start menu software now does the same thing. It is a safer option than hacking your system. Andrea Borman.

for once I actually agree with you Andrea
  • Guth, Matthew_Thepc and Ice_Blue
  • Like 3
Grand Master

Shaun N.

Posted
Posted
Yeah, I'd be EXTREMELY careful using this.. Also, kinda defies the point of having Windows 8 tbh.

No it doesn't the start menu is not the only reason to go to Windows 8, For me its the only reason not to move to it.

  • Raa and +InsaneNutter
  • Like 2
Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

Well Tihiy,I have read your posts on MSFN forums here-http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/157302-windows-7-explorer-for-windows-8/

And some people over there say your patch works. But some people here on Neowin Forums say it has caused side effects,like not being able to manage networks,notification and loss of other features. So this still cannot be deemed safe to use.

Where did you find this software anyway Tihiy? Andrea Borman.

Rising Star

Andrea Borman

Posted
Posted

In Windows 8 Developers Preview you could disable the Metro theme with a registry edit and it was safe to do so. But you cannot in Windows 8 Consumer Preview or in Windows 8 Release Preview.

So forget this registry or system hack. And I also read about another app that claimed to disable the Metro theme that was from a Chinese website.

That was posted on a thread on Eight Forums here-http://www.eightforums.com/customization/7157-metro-disabler.html

But that was not without side effects either.

So if you want the start button and Windows start menu use Classic Shell like I do. See my picture of my start menu on Windows 8 RP. Or use another start menu software as these are all safe to use on Windows 8. As well as on windows Vista and Windows 7. And some like Vi Start and Start Menu 7 can be used on Windows XP and earlier versions of Windows,Windows 2000,98 and 95. To get the Windows 7 start menu.

And classic shell and the other start menu software has now been updated. And the new version now boots straight to the desktop.Skipping the Metro start screen. Andrea Borman.

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Grand Master

Nashy

Posted
Posted

All these "trustworthy" programs had to start at a Beta didn't they? Give the bloke a chance. This is the perfect time to be testing these sorts of releases, before the OS is actually released.

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