Tutorial - Modifying and Branding the Server Application

[photoman]

Once you’ve got PcHelpWare up and running, you might want to modify it by branding it with your company logo or perhaps changing the layout of the controls.

This tutorial just covers changes to the actual controls on the server application. Modifying the background image to include something like your company logo can be done using a photo application like PhotoFiltre (http://www.photofiltre-studio.com/).

To enable you to edit the EXE file, you will need something that can view and modify executable files. One such utility is Resource Hacker (http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/). This tutorial is based on the operation of Resource Hacker.

Once you’ve downloaded and extracted Resource Hacker, start it by double clicking on ResHacker.exe. Now follow the steps below to creating your own branded server executable.

1. Go to File, Open…
2. In the Open dialog displayed, navigate to the create_server folder in the PcHelpWare folder structure.



3. Within the create_server folder, double click on the PcHelpware.exe.



4. This will display the tree structure for the application.



5. Expand the Dialog section in full.
6. Click on 2067. This will display both the code and the actual dialog.



7. The position and size of both the text fields and buttons can be changed using the control handles.



8. Another option is to change the text in the main window. Depending on what your background image looks like, you could feasibly end up with a screen like this…



9. Once you’re happy with the layout, click on the Compile Script at the top of the screen.
10. Save the file and quit out of Resource Hacker (a backup copy is created in the create_server folder called PcHelpware_original.exe).
11. Start the PcHelpware viewer and create the server application.
12. Test the newly create server application to ensure that the fields and buttons are exactly where you want them.
13. If they’re not to your liking, simply edit the PcHelpware.exe file again, and make some more changes. Recompile and test again.
14. Once you’re happy with your custom server, make it available to your users.

[nerim]

Hello PCHW Fans,

I tried some of the branding stuff that is written here, but i couldn`t find a solution how to set the size of the window.
I want a sweet little Window that looks like this:


Just without ID .. only the logo and a neat "Connect" button which i can use for the [DIRECT] setting.

It its shown like this on the Webpage, but there are no tags in helpdesk for size (height/width), etc.

Anybody already did this or know how to do this?

Thanks, Max

[photoman]

Max - If you want to do this for PCHW, you need to do the following:

1. Download PcHelpWare_rel10_SCgui.zip from http://www.uvnc.com/pchelpware/download ... _SCgui.zip
2. Extract the enter.bmp from the zip file. I cropped the outer size a bit more and then filled outside the black border with yellow.
3. I have saved a copy here
4. You then need to use something like Resource Hacker to edit the PcHelpWare.exe file.
5. You then to edit the very top line to something like this - 136 DIALOG 0, 0, 140, 130
6. You can then select the two input fields and delete them.
7. I tried removing the Quit button and compiled it, but I can't quit it now, even with Task Manager, so I changed the text on the Quit button to X and resized it to suit.
8. Change the size and position of the Connect button.
9. Compile and Save.

You should end up with this:

[nerim]

Thanks for the help!

Still i am a bit stuck in this, i tried following:

1. created the server for my needs, went into /server/ and tried to modify PcHelpware_server.exe (330kb) with reshack - error within the program "This file has a non-standard resource layout... it has probably been compressed with an "EXE compressor".

2. edited PcHelpWare.exe within this directory, as you said. but how can i put them together again and tell it to take dialog 153 instead of 101?
Only compiling this 73 kb app does not combine it to the server ...

3. i tried to edit PcHelpWare_sc.exe from rel10_SCgui, saved and create.bat > its still using wrong dialog 101 when showing.
then i tried to remove dialog 101 and renamed 153 to 101 > create.bat > its looking nice now (alltough no transparent where the yellow is, but not the main problem now), but it does not work -> clicking on X or Connect is not working
can only kill it per task manager

4. i went back to step 2, took background.bmp, enter.bmp, logo.bmp, icon1.bmp, helpdesk.txt and the edited PcHelpWare.exe , zipped it and sent it through the online-compiler for rel1.0 > file that came out is still in standard layout/design. this file is again not ediable (compressed exe)

Any suggestions?

[redge]

edited PcHelpWare.exe , zipped it and sent it through the online-compiler for rel1.0 > file that came out is still in standard layout/design. this file is again not ediable (compressed exe)

sorry, but the online compiler is for SC only not intented for PcHelpWare
the pchelpware use only offline compiler via create.bat

[photoman]

2. edited PcHelpWare.exe within this directory, as you said. but how can i put them together again and tell it to take dialog 153 instead of 101?
Only compiling this 73 kb app does not combine it to the server ...

The PcHelpWare.exe that you need to edit is the one in the create_server folder.

[techdoc]

I was able to modify most of the server icons, tags etc. the only thing I can't seem to get to is the popup that can be seen when the server side user sees when placing the mouse pointer on top of the icon on the taskbar (lower right corner of the desktop)

Anyone knows how to modify that popup since at this time it says PcHelpware and after all the modifications image and icon replacing I went through it makes no sense to not be able to edit that tiny little bugger I would appreciate a tip on this matter.. thanks in advance

in case my question is too confusing and does not make sense I'll ask it again in a different way

Basically I changed the PcHelpware server so that I may assist my clients remotely showing at the same time my corp logos and names (to look as much a pro as the next guy.) But, I can't put this remote tech support tool in to use if I can't get rid of that popup that appears when one places the mouse over the server icon (when it is in use ..... the viewer is properly set up and the server is properly connected)

thanks again

[photoman]

techdoc - I know exactly what you're referring to.

However, I've come to a halt on PCHW as the powers that be have decided that we can't use it, unless we get some sort of prior approval from the users. Basically, they want us to send out some sort of disclaimer that we can't be blamed for anything that happens to their computer, just because we remote in.

I answered a similar question in another posting about changing the file info on the generated exe, but it's only my opinion. I was happy just to have the look and feel of our organisation. I didn't mind the references to PCHW.

BTW If anyone has a agreement/disclaimer that they use, I'd love to see the wording.

[techdoc]

Thanks for the reply

I was afraid that was the reason and after decompiling and going through countless resource tuner, hackers, etc.. etc.. I came to that conclusion.

The only good news in this is that the only way the client would be able to view the popup is to place the pointer on top of it and if they are already connected one would try and avoid bringing the pointer towards the icon

As far as the disclaimer I did not think much about, but now that you mentioned I will proceed in putting something in place and if so I'll forward you the wordings thanks again.

Laterz..

[blondgirl]

I was able to modify most of the server icons, tags etc. the only thing I can't seem to get to is the popup that can be seen when the server side user sees when placing the mouse pointer on top of the icon on the taskbar (lower right corner of the desktop)

Anyone knows how to modify that popup since at this time it says PcHelpware and after all the modifications image and icon replacing I went through it makes no sense to not be able to edit that tiny little bugger I would appreciate a tip on this matter.. thanks in advance

in case my question is too confusing and does not make sense I'll ask it again in a different way

Basically I changed the PcHelpware server so that I may assist my clients remotely showing at the same time my corp logos and names (to look as much a pro as the next guy.) But, I can't put this remote tech support tool in to use if I can't get rid of that popup that appears when one places the mouse over the server icon (when it is in use ..... the viewer is properly set up and the server is properly connected)

thanks again

I know this is a OLD post but just hoping you are still on this forum.

Did you find a way to do this?

Or can anyone tell me how?

Many thanks

blondie

[YY]

I was able to modify most of the server icons, tags etc. the only thing I can't seem to get to is the popup that can be seen when the server side user sees when placing the mouse pointer on top of the icon on the taskbar (lower right corner of the desktop)

Anyone knows how to modify that popup since at this time it says PcHelpware and after all the modifications image and icon replacing I went through it makes no sense to not be able to edit that tiny little bugger

Or can anyone tell me how?

Please reference this thread:
[topic=10073]change Ballon tip "PcHelpWare" of systray icon[/topic]

[blondgirl]

I was able to modify most of the server icons, tags etc. the only thing I can't seem to get to is the popup that can be seen when the server side user sees when placing the mouse pointer on top of the icon on the taskbar (lower right corner of the desktop)

Anyone knows how to modify that popup since at this time it says PcHelpware and after all the modifications image and icon replacing I went through it makes no sense to not be able to edit that tiny little bugger

Or can anyone tell me how?

Please reference this thread:
[topic=10073]change Ballon tip "PcHelpWare" of systray icon[/topic]

Many thanks for the link

BUT which 1SCDLL.dll is it as I have 3 of them.

Also which hex editor did you use.

Thank you

blondie

[YY]

I mean the latest patched version of the "ISCDLL.dll", which is available at the PcHelpware Download Page, under the package named:
1SCVDLL.dll and 1SCDLL.dll patch for PCHelpware Release 1.0 - Zip archive

For the hex editor, anyone should be able to do the job. The one I used is HexEdit 1.03