Open MUI File

MUI File Utilities

Developers can use MUI file infrastructure to create localized applications for Windows operating system. MUI infrastructure allows separating resources from executables and translating them into multiple languages. It also allows installing languages on demand and switching languages on the fly.

MUIRCT utility

MUIRCT utility splits executable file into an LN file (Win32 PE executable file with language-neutral resources) and localizable resource file. MUIRCT is part of Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows OS.

Below is a command which splits the main binary based on rc_config file (file which specifies resources location in the executable).

Muirct -q rc_config [-c checksum_file [-b LangID]] [-x LangID] [-g LangId] [-f] [-m] [-v level] source_file [output_LN_file] [output_MUI_file]

Here you specify output_LN_file file name where executable file will be written and output_MUI_file where localized resources will be stored. To match MUI file with LN file checksum is used. This checksum is typically calculated based on minor and major version of PE file and the file name. You can specify a checksum_file which will be used to calculate the checksum. Checksum_file needs to be PE file with localizable resources.

RC Compiler Utility

RC compiler is a Microsoft utility which allows to build resource definition script RC files into RES resource files. RC compiler can compile from a single set of source code both LN and language specific MUI files.

RC compiler command line typically looks like:

rc [-h|-?] -fm mui_res_name [-q rc_config_file_name] [-g langid] [-g1 ] [-g2 version]

Here mui_res_name specifies output RES file where localized resources will be stored. Rc_config_file_name contains RC script for both neutral and localized resources. When RC compiler utility is run on the input RC file the language specific RES file will be generated.

For more information about MUI utilities and file formats refer to the following articles:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/intl/mui-resource-management

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/intl/resource-utilities

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/menurc/using-rc-the-rc-command-line-