HOWTO: Edit Resources in Executables with Visual C++

ID: Q139030

The information in this article applies to:
  • The Resource Editor, included with:
    • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 4.0, 5.0, 6.0

SUMMARY

Windows NT provides APIs that allow you to modify resources in an executable or DLL. When the resource is opened, Developer Studio checks to ensure that it can write to the file. If not, you will be warned.

Windows 95 does not support the APIs necessary to do this. When the resource is loaded, the following warning appears:

Microsoft Developer Studio cannot save the modified resources back to this executable. The executable may be in use, or this version of Windows may not support updating resources in executables.
In Visual C++, version 4.0, the executable can not be modified. Beginning with Visual C++, version 5.0, the resources within the executable can be modified and saved. To modify resources within Visual C++, version 5.0 or later, use the following steps:
  1. On the File menu, click Open.


  2. Locate an executable or Dll containing resources.


  3. In the Open dialog, select Resources in the Open As list.


  4. Click OK.


  5. The resources for the selected binary file should appear.


At this point, the resources can be modified as they would from the ResourceView in a Visual C++ project. Saving the binary file makes those changes permanent.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbResourceEd kbVC kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600 kbGrpDSTools
Version : WINNT:4.0,5.0
Platform : NT WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: September 16, 1999
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