Multilingual User Interface (MUI) form

The Multilingual User Interface (MUI) form is used to store strings in multiple languages. This is also known as Registry string redirection.

The actual strings are stored in the resource sections of PE/COFF files (also referred to as resource file) e.g .exe, .dll.

In the Registry the MUI strings are referenced using the following form:

@path,-stringID[;comment]

Where:

  • path; is the full path or filename of the resource file that contains the string

  • stringID; the identifier of the string within the string resource of the resource file

  • comment; a comment

For example the MUI form string:

@%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll,-9227

This MUI form string refers to the string with identifier 9227, stored in the string resource of SHELL32.dll. Which, for an English version of SHELL32.dll, corresponds to: “My Documents”.

An example of a MUI form with comment:

@wfplwfs.inf,%WfpLwfs_Name%;WFP LightWeight Filters

Notes

What about the form (seen in the Shell Folder value LocalizedString):

@%SystemRoot%\System32\fvecpl.dll,-1#immutable1

What does # represent here?

@wd.inf,%WdServiceDisplayName%;Microsoft Watchdog Timer Driver

Yet another variation seen in Windows 2000.

@C:\WINNT\system32\shell32.dll,-9227@1033,My Documents