Open Dialog Sidebar customization

  • Thread starter Thread starter John A. Bailo
  • Start date Start date
J

John A. Bailo

Can the left hand sidebar of icons on a "File/Open" dialog be customized
in XP to add other Favorites or selected document?
 
Hello John,

You can easily customize the places bar in the Open/Save dialog boxes within Windows XP. This can be
achieved through TweakUI. Under TweakUI, naviagte to Common Dialogs > Places Bar and Select 'Custom
places bar' and specify the paths to your desired locations.

TweakUI can be downloaded from:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

--

Anando
Microsoft MVP- Windows Shell/User
http://www.microsoft.com/mvp
http://www.mvps.org


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John said:
Can the left hand sidebar of icons on a "File/Open" dialog be customized
in XP to add other Favorites or selected document?
Click to expand...

It's called the "Places Bar". Note - you are limited to five, but as
Anando said these can be changed from their defaults.

To do it without TweakUI, run regedit and in this key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

Create a subkey called ComDlg32, and under that create a subkey of
Placesbar:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Comdlg32\PlacesBar

Once this key is created if you check in an application such as Notepad,
File | Open the places bar should be empty.

Under this key create up to five String Values or DWORD Values labeled:
Place0
Place1
Place2
Place3
Place4

Use a String value to enter an absolute path string. Use a DWord value
to enter a system folder such as My Documents, etc.

Then set the value for each of these to either the absolute path string,
e.g. D:\Folder1\Folder2 for the String values, or to the System ID
number for that system folder.

Common System Folders ID Number
Desktop 0
Favorites 6
Fonts 20
History 34
My Computer 17
My Documents 5
My Network Places 18
My Pictures 39
Network and Dial-UP Connections 49
Printers 4
Recycle Bin 10
Send to 9
System Root 36

To restore the default Places Bar just delete the key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Comdlg32

Make sure you have a backup of the registry before editing. I prefer to
use ERUNT.

http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/erunt.txt

http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_eruntuse.html
http://www.winxptutor.com/regback.htm
 
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