I got rid of FolderPointers yesterday!

[fitwell]

This is one of those apps that I can't believe "experts" wouldn't have
figured out was unnecessary! <g> I stumbled upon making new toolbars
for my taskbar within last 6 months. I'd never come across anything
to this effect and can't remember how one day I was just playing
around, but something prompted me to start using toolbars i created.
They've been a godsend. I had 2 others besides my QL one for several
months now. In last 2 days it occurred to me that perhaps even the
FolderPointers app could become obsolete if the desktop would allow
itself to be made into a toolbar as well. It did. And it seems to
refresh frequently enough so that I can acess things saved to the
desktop right away or look at the recycle bin for items I just deleted
and need to restore, etc., etc.

So just wanted to pass along the tip that if anyone else has been
using FolderPointers, that they can get rid of it. Creating a toolbar
out of the desktop works exactly the same as this app without being
another operation running and taking up RAM.

In my Win98SE, this is how to do that for anyone that wants to know:

- right-click on an empty spot on the taskbar or even on your
QuickLaunch area

- choose TOOLBARS > NEW TOOLBAR ... > browse to the DESKTOP, click on
it and then click OK

- Desktop now appears as another toolbar on your taskbar

**TIP - I slide ALL toolbars to the right-hand most part of the
taskbar so that they all sit to the left of the systray. The QL bar
always, then, remains at 4 icons no matter how many icons you have
which is important as it keeps the QL bar from taking over taskbar
real estate.

Granted, with 1 QL bar and 4 toolbars now, quite a bit of my taskbar
space is taken up but I recently changed my screen resolution to 1024
x 768 because one of my graphics programs only runs on that
resolution, so I can fit a lot more on there with less hassle.

hth,

Cheers.

 

[default]

Thanks for the idea.

It displays the desktop the same way it displays the Start Menu
Programs - unfortunately it only displays one column and leaves scroll
bars to see the rest.

I left that desktop icon on my task bar (the one that says "show
desktop") doesn't that serve the same function?

 

[Harvey Van Sickle]

On 04 Aug 2004, default wrote

re: creating a desktop toolbar

Thanks for the idea.

It displays the desktop the same way it displays the Start Menu
Programs - unfortunately it only displays one column and leaves
scroll bars to see the rest.

I left that desktop icon on my task bar (the one that says "show
desktop") doesn't that serve the same function?

But that also minimises the open programs -- a "desktop toolbar" would
leave the apps open while you browsed the desktop.

 

[default]

On 04 Aug 2004, default wrote

re: creating a desktop toolbar



But that also minimises the open programs -- a "desktop toolbar" would
leave the apps open while you browsed the desktop.

True. I guess I have so many desktop icons that by the time I click
on the task bar and scroll them, I might just as well minimize all the
open windows - so I didn't appreciate a time saving.

 

[fitwell]

Thanks for the idea.

It displays the desktop the same way it displays the Start Menu
Programs - unfortunately it only displays one column and leaves scroll
bars to see the rest.

I left that desktop icon on my task bar (the one that says "show
desktop") doesn't that serve the same function?

No. What you're doing with the "show desktop" is to minimize
everything. Sometimes we're in the middle of something and you just
want to access something from the desktop without going through all
that. FolderPointers AND creating a toolbar out of your desktop both
do this. And I, personally, don't have a problem with how toolbars
display items at any time. I have my Start menu do the same as I hate
what happens once you have to scroll through. But that's just me.

I imagine if you don't like how toolbars work re the display of the
desktop, that this method will not be for you. I wonder if there is
any app out there that does what you need.

I see no difference, however, between a desktop toolbar on the taskbar
and FolderPointers. Difference is probably one less resource running.

Good luck in finding what you need! <g>

Cheers! D

 

[fitwell]

True. I guess I have so many desktop icons that by the time I click
on the task bar and scroll them, I might just as well minimize all the
open windows - so I didn't appreciate a time saving.

I try to keep my desktop as clean as possible, but it is a nearly
impossible task. But I needed something like this because I _always_
save things off the net and from my emails to my desktop _first_. So
very handy for my needs.

Good luck!

 

[jo]

I try to keep my desktop as clean as possible, but it is a nearly
impossible task. But I needed something like this because I _always_
save things off the net and from my emails to my desktop _first_. So
very handy for my needs.

I would suggest you have a look at another file manager. I download
stuff to 'downloads' and have it set as a 'favourite'

xplorer2 lets you do this easily, and also gives you hotkey access to
the desktop in whichever pane has the focus.

My desktop is usually too messy for a toolbar to cope...

A bonus though, for your way or mine, is that you can hide desktop
icons and have a wholly clean desktop