The resource compiler and newer icons

[Laurence Jackson]

Having got fed up with seeing "old DIB in NAME.ICO; pass it through SDKPAINT" errors when trying to compile newer icons into a resource file, I went looking for an updated RC.EXE and RCDLL.DLL. I found it at MSDN:

Microsoft (R) Windows (R) Resource Compiler Version 6.1.6723.1 (June 10, 2008)

at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=53f9cbb4-b4af-4cf2-bfe5-260cfb90f7c3&DisplayLang=en

(WindowsSDK2008_KB949408.exe)

But it wasn't easy. It is made available as a self-installing update to the SDK for Windows Server 2008. The update promptly refuses to run if the full SDK is not already installed. Fortunately, I have 7-Zip which can extract from such self-installers. I found two files inside named:

RC_Exe.D7F246AC_4DDC_486A_B013_87BFB55AD93C
RcDll_Dll.D7F246AC_4DDC_486A_B013_87BFB55AD93C

Extracted and renamed to rc.exe and rcdll.dll and copied to my PB directory, everything is fine in PBEdit or on the command line. No more icon errors, PBRES converts the resultant *.RES files to *.PBR normally, and the icons work in the application.

It shouldn't be this difficult. Couldn't PB get an updated resource compiler from MS to ship with their compilers? Although there's no charge for this software, I don't think it's legal for me to post these files anywhere (but if you want to PM me...).

By the way, passing the problem icons through SDKPAINT (if you have it) doesn't help - the error is false and caused by a change in the header of NEW icons.

[Cliff Nichols]

But it wasn't easy. It is made available as a self-installing update to the SDK for Windows Server 2008. The update promptly refuses to run if the full SDK is not already installed. Fortunately, I have 7-Zip which can extract from such self-installers.

Couldn't PB get an updated resource compiler from MS to ship with their compilers?

Hmmmm...I don't know about the rest of everyone else here, but why make it hard to include a resource??? When the current version shipped typically allows you to easily embed resources regardless of the compiler version?????

For me, what drew me to PB was the ability to satisfy the masses (from the die-hard "Will never give up my ole' 95 machine" to the "Hey whats the latest and greatest 'Wizz-Bang' technology")

[Dale Yarker]

I think was Laurence is saying, is that MS has changed something in .ico file format and the resource compiler that comes with PB can't deal with it.

?????????????????????????? maybe ???????

[Laurence Jackson]

Exactly that Dale. I have been looking for icons available on the internet and started running into this problem a lot with the more sophisticated multi-format icons.

[Barry Erick]

While an old tip, the current version shipped still does not include the later RC.exe or rcdll.dll files that handle the newer (getting old now) Icons.

It is still hard to find in that KB, and WinZip can't. I had to download 7-zip to get them. Still, it was hard to find. I finally found them in

Download Folder (Masters is mine)
WindowsSDK2008_KB949408\WindowsSDK2008_KB949408\PCW_CAB_Win32a64

There are two in here, and I took the ones mentioned in the original message.

Thanks. The Old DIB message is finally gone.

[Edwin Knoppert]

I have mentioned this to PB.
The newer RC.EXE is a vital part since newer apps should prepare icons the XP/VISTA/W7 way nowadays.
That is ico files having PNG image data on board.

Fixing this using other methods like changing your icons to images for example serves no purpose.
Windows wants to read your main icon(s) for showing it in the Shell.

[jcfuller]

I just started using Jeremy Gordons gorc: http://www.godevtool.com/
I'm not sure about icons ??
So far no problems.

James

[Mr. Kevin Diggins]

Pelles C IDE includes a decent icon editor, among other things.

http://smorgasbordet.com/pellesc/index.htm

Free for personal and commercial work.