--- name: "wrestool" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "icoutils" version: "0.32.3-4" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/wrestool" --- # wrestool(1) extract resources from Microsoft Windows(R) binaries ## NAME wrestool - extract resources from Microsoft Windows(R) binaries ## SYNOPSIS **wrestool** \[*OPTIONS*\]... \[*FILE*\]... ## DESCRIPTION This manual page documents briefly the **wrestool** command. This manual page was written for the Debian GNU distribution because the original program does not have a manual page. Wrestool reads 16- or 32-bit Microsoft Windows(R) binaries and lists or extracts the resources they contain. Some resources require processing before they can be written to files; wrestool is able to do this with icon and cursor resources. Filters, specified as command line options, control what resources to extract. ## OPTIONS These programs follow the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (\`-'). - **-x, --extract** Extract resources. (By default, resources will be extracted to standard out if --output was not specified.) - **-l, --list** Output list of resources (default). - **-t, --type=\[+\|-\]ID** Resource type identifier of affected resources. If preceded with a dash (\`\`-''), id must be numeric; if preceded with a plus sign (\`\`+''), id must be a string. The type ID may also be the name of a resource type. (If this is the case, a leading dash or plus sign may not be included.) A list of resource types can be found in the \`\`Resource Types'' section. - **-n, --name=\[+\|-\]ID** Resource name identifier of affected resources. Like the --type option, a leading dash or plus sign controls the datatype of the id. - **-L, --language=\[+\|-\]ID** Resource language identifier. Has no effect when processing 16-bit libraries. - **-a, --all** Perform operation on all resource (default). - **-o, --output=PATH** Where to place extracted resources. If \`\`PATH'' does not refer to an existing directory, and does not end with a slash (\`\`/''), all output will be written to the file \`\`PATH''. (This means that if you extract multiple resources, PATH will contain the last resource only.) - **-R, --raw** Do not parse resource contents - extract raw data. (This option will probably be replaced with --format=raw in future version of icoutils.) - **-v, --verbose** Explain what is being done. The verbose option may be specified more than once, like \`\`-vv'', to make wrestool even more verbose. - **--help** Display a help message and exit. - **--version** Output version information and exit. ## RESOURCE TYPES The wrestool program recognizes the resource types listed below. The ids of these resources are always numeric and not strings. - **cursor (1)** A single cursor bitmap image. Read as part of group\_cursor resources. - **bitmap (2)** A bitmap image. - **icon (3)** A single icon bitmap image. Read as part of group\_icon resources. This resource is similar to cursor resources; cursors contain four additional bytes of hotspot coordinates. - **menu (4)** Resources for menus (in popup and menubars). Currently wrestool does not support this resource type. - **dialog (5)** Definitions (widgets with locations) for dialog boxes. Currently wrestool does not support this resource type. - **string (6)** The string table resource, containing a number of unicode strings. Currently wrestool does not support this resource type. - **fontdir (7)** The font directory, containing information on a number of font resources (8). Non-TTF font (.FON) files are actually libraries with resources in them. Currently wrestool does not support this resource type. - **font (8)** A single font - the contents of a .FNT file. Read as part of fontdir resources. Currently wrestool does not support this resource type. - **accelerator (9)** Keyboard accelerator tables. Currently wrestool does not support this resource type. - **rcdata (10)** Arbitrary resource data, user-defined. There are no restrictions to the format of these resources. - **messagelist (11)** Not supported. - **group\_cursor (12)** A set of cursors. With a few modifications (and with cursor resources), this resource can be extracted as a .CUR file. - **group\_icon (14)** A set of icons. With a few modifications (and with icons resources), this resource can be extracted as a .ICO file. - **version (16)** Version information, stored as binary data. Could be extracted without modifications, but the data is of probably little use. Currently wrestool does not support this resource type. - **dlginclude (17)** Not supported. - **plugplay (19)** Not supported. - **vxd (20)** Not supported. - **anicursor (21)** Animated cursors. Currently wrestool does not support animated cursor or icons, nor does icotool. - **aniicon (22)** Animated icons. I have only seen these in Windows(R) 3.x. Currently wrestool does not support animated cursor or icons, nor does icotool. ## EXAMPLES List all resources in file \`write.exe':\ \ $ **wrestool -l write.exe**\ \--type=3 --name=1 --lang=1033 \[type=icon offset=0x3120 size=752\]\ \--type=3 --name=2 --lang=1033 \[type=icon offset=0x3410 size=304\]\ \--type=14 --name=1 --lang=1033 \[type=group\_icon offset=0x3540 size=34\]\ \--type=16 --name=1 --lang=1033 \[type=version offset=0x3564 size=808\] List all (group-) icon resource in file \`write.exe':\ \ $ **wrestool -l --type=group\_icon write.exe**\ \--type=14 --name=1 --lang=1033 \[type=group\_icon offset=0x3540 size=34\] Extract all icons to current directory, naming the destination files \`write.exe\_T\_N.ico':\ \ $ **wrestool -x --output=. -t14 write.exe**\ $ **ls \*.ico**\ write.exe\_14\_1.ico ## SEE ALSO [**extresso**(1)](/extresso/1.md), [**genresscript**(1)](/genresscript/1.md), [**icotool**(1)](/icotool/1.md). ## AUTHOR This manual page was written by Colin Watson \ for the Debian GNU system (but may be used by others). It was later modified by Oskar Liljeblad \. ## COPYRIGHT Copyright © 2001 Colin Watson Copyright © 2001 Oskar Liljeblad This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. ## TRADEMARKS Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.