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StardustStart - WIN11 Start Menu Customization Patch

Overview

StardustStart is not just another Windows 11 start menu customization tool; it's your ticket to a personalized and animated start button experience. Wave goodbye to the mundane default start button and say hello to a world of animated possibilities!

Preview Image

About

Ever felt like your start button was missing a bit of flair? This is the program for you!

But seriously, The logos are precompiled into the binary, but fear not – if you're feeling creative, venture into the section on compiling animations and unleash your imagination.

Supported Versions

This tool has bravely faced the challenges of Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2, but it's a rebel and should work on any version of Windows 11.

Installation

Currently, installation is global for all users on the computer and requires administrative privileges.

Manual Installation

For a scripted deployment, manually perform the following steps:

Install

  1. Place LogoDLl.dll in a globally accessible directory (e.g., C:\Windows\System32).
  2. In Command Prompt, run regsvr32.exe LogoDLl.dll.

Uninstall

  1. In Command Prompt, run regsvr32.exe /u LogoDLl.dll.
  2. Restart explorer.exe.
  3. Delete the DLL, and feel the power coursing through your veins.

Compiling

This tool was crafted with love using Visual Studio 2022. Open the project, compile, and feel the warmth of code enveloping you like a cozy blanket.

How Does it Work?

Registration

The tool is not just a DLL; it's a VIP pass to the explorer club. It gets registered as an Icon Overlay, making it the star of the show for all users.

For the behind-the-scenes drama of the registration process, check out dllmain.cpp. Spoiler: it's epic.

Patching

In the world of Windows 11, Explorer has a new best friend named WinUI 3. But, like any friendship, it comes with its quirks – a security sandbox. To bring this new tech into the Explorer party, they introduced XAML Islands. It's like gate-crashing the party but with style.

We use InitializeXamlDiagnosticsEx to start a debug session with Explorer, then parse XAML tree to find the StartButton element. We replace it with our compiled animation, like magic. To find the right element, we used UWPSpy.

Animation

In short, the animation uses an element of class AnimatedVisualPlayer. To create a custom animation, we turn to the wizards at Lottie and sprinkle in some magic from LottieGen. Voila! WinRT/C++ animation is served.

To create your animation:

  1. Get creative with After Effects, Figma, or any software supporting the Lottie format.
  2. Run LottieGen -Language Cppwinrt -InputFile <your_animation.json>.
  3. Add your animations to the LogoDll directory.
  4. Go to logo.hpp and replace icon.Source(winrt::make<AnimatedVisuals::implementation::Trex>()); with your animation. Because who needs a T-Rex when you have your creation?
  5. Compile and prepare for the magic to unfold.
  6. ???
  7. Profit – and maybe a standing ovation.

Credits

WinLogo

This code and README were inspired by this repo. We salute you, pioneers of logo customization!

TranslucentTB

This code borrows a few tricks from TranslucentTB. Sharing is caring!

Windhawk

This code is like a mixtape, featuring elements from Windhawk mods, specifically this mode. Thanks for the inspiration!