What happens if you rename explorer.exe in different versions of Windows?

Upon further inspection, the reason why Notepad didn't come up after logging on, after having replaced Explorer with Notepad in Windows Vista and later is because Notepad won't open if it's got a different name, or in a different location. If I replace Explorer with Command Prompt, Command Prompt will come up after logging on. https://youtu.be/HbWgwVgOuQ4

When I was a kid, I did unintentionally renamed loads of executives in the Windows directory into my home language, not understanding too much English, thinking doing so would help locating them better next time. Unfortunately there were no next time, and Windows 98 refused to boot past its splash screen. The concept of shortcut/link wasn't a thing in my tiny head, nor did that of file extension since Microsoft hid them at default. It was a bit confusing since there were 2 "explorer", and only the scp file (Windows Explorer Commands file, whose extension remains hidden regardless of Folder options, just like a shortcut) can be renamed. Modifying this scp file won't affect anything as confirmed by the 20-year-later me in the present in a VM, so it could be something else that led to the confusion of both the OS and my parents. That old horizontal case PC was then sold and replaced with a used Windows XP machine from my cousin, plus a pirated Windows 98 "Third Edition" as main. As of how I recovered the XP to display in the correct resolution on the old-school CRT box, that would be another story of discovery.

So this is my computer! -Sir, that's a notepad

I kinda already knew that, but it's still kinda impressive how windows 10/11 is still really similar to windows vista under the hood

The reason you could not rename explorer.exe in Windows 95 MS-DOS mode is, the new file name "explorer1.exe" was more than 8 characters long. I just tried it in Windows 98, it does not allow renaming to explorer1.exe, but it renames to explore1.exe (8 characters) without problems. Long file names were a new thing back then and the command line utilities did not support them.

"You must reinstall Windows", typical Microsoft solution.

Windows 3.0: Cries in the corner.

what if you replace Explorer.exe with previous Windows' Explorer.exes?

8:44 wow that unlocked memories, I remember you could do that if explorer.exe died

The reason you can't rename EXPLORER.EXE to EXPLORER1.EXE in MS-DOS mode because there's no long filename support. EXPLORER1 is 9 characters long so it gets truncated back to 8 characters, and the error is because you effectively entered REN EXPLORER.EXE EXPLORER.EXE with the same name twice. Try REN EXPLORER.EXE EXPLORE1.EXE Edit: Also the shell is controlled in SYSTEM.INI by SHELL=PROGMAN.EXE in Windows 3.x family or SHELL=EXPLORER.EXE for Windows 9x family, or in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell for Windows NT family. You can change them to point to any executable.

The ultimate minimalist desktop

i like how you can use windows kind of normally with just the notepad

I really like the selection of background music!

what I was really interested in is all the evolution of windowses. How they changed, it's all connected with change of hardware It was even more interesting than the video idea for me as I was doing such things in the past, playing with explorer, replacing sethc.exe (there was exploit, still working on win10) so i already knew what was gonna happens but you got me with that nostalgy from old windowses, names of programs with upper-case :) Thanks for video)

the w95 section scratches my brain so good every question I had you answered immediately like what if I rename this and open that, so satisfying

Nice, keep up the good work man 👍🏻

you can skip the slow login if you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and then select cancel from the Windows Security menu

8:16 thats a fallback error message from Windows 3.0

Very interesting and entertaining videos! subbed =D

I remember replacing explorer.exe with another app in Windows 7 and it was working correctly...