Restore or Replace Network Connection Popup (systray)

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by dummekuehe, Jul 27, 2012.

  1. dummekuehe

    dummekuehe MDL Senior Member

    Jan 11, 2009
    496
    112
    10
    So, except maybe for the flight mode the new metro popup or rather sidebar really sucks.
    It lacks lots of information and links to configure network connections.

    Has anybody been looking into restoring this function to the way it was in windows 7?
    I know that I'm going to miss this because when I use Server 2008 I miss it all the time.
    This was one of the best improvements if you compare Vista to Win7 (except for maybe the stability).
    I'm still hoping that they forgot to "rip out" the code for this little popup and that some dll hacking can restore it.

    Also, maybe one of you guys knows of a program that can replace the crappy metro thing and works more like the windows 7 popup.

    Thanks in advance guys.
     
  2. dummekuehe

    dummekuehe MDL Senior Member

    Jan 11, 2009
    496
    112
    10
    anybody? :(
     
  3. Tihiy

    Tihiy MDL Junior Member

    Jul 20, 2012
    79
    355
    0
    No idea if it will work, but you can try find Win8 DP and then replace pnidui.dll, van.dll and netshell.dll in windows\system32 with files from there (and don't forget corresponding .mui files)
    Win7 ones won't work!
     
  4. plnet

    plnet MDL Novice

    Jul 26, 2012
    19
    1
    0
    #4 plnet, Aug 1, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2012
    What will it give? Win8 DP already had new style network sidebar. But so it happens I've got DP in the Windows.old folder, so I'll give it a try now :)

    edit: DP has van.dll and van8.dll, so a choice between "normal" and Win8-style file I guess :)
    also there's no pnidui.dll in RP

    edit2: no, guys. Replacing the files made no change whatsoever, even the icons in the sidebar stayed the same (and they used to be different in the DP).
     
  5. plnet

    plnet MDL Novice

    Jul 26, 2012
    19
    1
    0
    right-click the icon in the taskbar and you get to the old good Network Centre ;)

    P.S. Sorry for doublepost, I expected that auto-merge is enabled at this forum... and looks like it's not.
     
  6. dummekuehe

    dummekuehe MDL Senior Member

    Jan 11, 2009
    496
    112
    10
    thanks for testing it. shame it didn't work :(
    did you try netshell.dll too?
     
  7. plnet

    plnet MDL Novice

    Jul 26, 2012
    19
    1
    0
    Yep, I've placed all three files and did a reboot. Not a single thing changed. But: I've a 64 bit system but replaced the files in System32 as advised by товарищ Tihiy. Maybe I should have done it in SysWow64 and not System32?
     
  8. dummekuehe

    dummekuehe MDL Senior Member

    Jan 11, 2009
    496
    112
    10
    the 64bit files are in the system32 folder
    syswow64 is where the 32bit files are stored
    i know its confusing

    i wish Rafael Rivera from withinwindows or the guy from istartedsomething would have a look at this
    they'd probably figure it out in a few minutes :(