Change the background in Window 7 Media Center


If you're bored of Windows default WMC background, there is a way of changing it!



This tip is surprisingly easy to pull-off too!!

1. First up you'll need to take ownership of ehres.dll located @ A:\Windows\ehome.

2. Make a copy of ehres.dll on the desktop and name it ehres BACKUP.dll

3. Download restorator 2007, run the program and use it to open ehres.dll (A:\Windows\ehome)


4. Once you have ehres.dll open in the left hand pane, navigate to; RCData\COMMON.ANIMATED.BACKGROUND.PNG



5. Right click on COMMON.ANIMATED.BACKGROUND.PNG and go to extract...>extract as "COMMON.ANIMATED.BACKGROUND.PNG"





6. Save the .png to the desktop and name it common.animated.background.png


7. Right click again but this time go to Assign...>Assign To...



Choose your preferred background (must be .png) any resolution is OK.


8. Save ehres.dlland close restorator.

Create a new folder on the desktop named WMC Backup, put the ehres BACKUP.dll and common.animated.background.png into it, store it somewhere safe!

Open up WMC to see your new background.

great how-to

Very nice! Thanks!

i downloaded restorator and i changeed my wmc background but when saved it than restorator showed a error that it cann't create ehres.dill file . please help me

Take particular note to step 1 of this tutorial, if you have already performed step 1 successfully, you probably need to turn UAC OFF. Reboot and try again.

Great tutorial, love your work, but I've come across a problem. I open the Ehres file fine, I change the background fine. But when I open my media center the background is still the default. Help.

Thanks

Hi Playitdead090.

If you followed the above tutorial exactly the there should be no issues.

The only thing i can think of is that you haven't renamed to modified file correctly and Windows is still using the default ehres.dll.

If you send me a link to the image you want to use i will change it and upload a copy of ehres.dll for you to try.

u r Genius Admin

I wasn't able to figure this out on my own.. guess it's just 'cause I don't speak the language. I checked out these guys at Selectsourcemedia and they were able to customize EVERYTHING from button styles to backgrounds and everything in between