Quicklaunch folders act as menu

[Erasmus]

An interesting post explained the process of changing a registry
setting to cause folders in the quicklaunch toolbar to "Fly out"
similar to the Start Menu's appearance for folders and subfolders.
Using this hack, and another that allows creation of Symbolic Link
folders, I have made menu items in the quicklaunch bar that are
actually referencing folders I frequently need access to that are many
layers deep in my system (some are 9 or 10 folders deep, and I need
access to all files and subfolders inside those folders 9 or 10 deep).
This system works beautifully, and if anyone wants to know how to do
that, I will gladly explain.

My question, however, is this: Is there a way to echo the
"StartMenuScrollPrograms" attribute for FolderBands? I hate how XP
causes the flyout toolbar and quicklaunch menus to scroll, and would
like to know if there is a registry setting that I can set to force
these also to not scroll. Anyone know where I can dig for that data?

I have spent hours looking via google and on M$ site to see how I can
change this setting... Why couldn't they just give us users the option
to see ALL OPTIONS that are at all feasible in Windows??? Oh yeah...
because it is M$.

Anyways... Anyone have any good ideas or tidbits of knowledge?

 

[John Jay Smith]

can you give us a link to this hack?

 

[David Candy]

http://www.mvps.org/serenitymacros/ie5.html

 

[Erasmus]

To make your quicklaunch folder(s) cascade add into
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
a Dword value named CascadeFolderBands and set its value to 1.

This will make any toolbar that is a FolderBand (which includes the
quicklaunch toolbar) cascade like a menu. I then went to my
Quicklaunch folder, made a new folder and placed all of my quicklaunch
icons into it. Now I have a single icon in my Quicklaunch, and I can
use it similarly to the Start Menu. As David's link points out, you
can also simply hold CTRL while clicking the Folder icon in the
QuickLaunch toolbar, and that will cascade the folder like a menu
without making a changet to the registry.

The other hack (Symbolic Links) is actually short enough that I will
just include it here:
Mapped network drives are the only way that it seems that Windows
incorporates symlinks (Please do correct me if I am wrong). Simply
create a mapped network drive. Then, go to the cmd prompt. Navigate
to %USERPROFILE%\Nethood\ and list the directory. cd into the mapped
network connection you just made. The mapped drive is actually a
folder with two files in it - Desktop.ini, and target.lnk. Copy
target.lnk up a directory. In Windows, edit the target.lnk. Change it
to whatever folder you want to symlink. You can change anything else
that can be changed about a link. Once you've saved the link, go back
to your dos window and move the link back into the mapped drive's
folder. In windows, rename the mapped network connection to whatever
you want (I use the same name as the symlinked directory to avoid
confusion about what it links to). If you left the icon as is, it now
looks like a folder, acts like a folder, and if you right click on it,
it even says it _is_ the folder.

I added a symlink to my quicklaunch folder for my most frequently
accessed folder where I needed to access all of the folders and files
underneath it on a regular basis... basically like a toolbar, but takes
up a whole lot less space on the taskbar.

My biggest problem is that if the folder list is longer than the
screen, it scrolls the list, rather than expand to the right. The
Start menu has a registry setting to scroll or not scroll. It is a
setting just like this one that I am trying to find for the FolderBands
and Toolbars.

Everything above was tested using XP Pro, however it may also work in
2000 and NT, but I would have doubts about it working in 95 or 98...
anyone want to try symlinks out in 95 or 98 and let the rest of us know
if it works there too?

I found the first hack at:
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...e116c8a41?lnk=st&q=CascadeFolderBands&rnum=1&
The second hack I found at:
http://shell-shocked.org/article.php?id=284
in the Links On Windows section.

 

[Erasmus]

David,
Your site does not work in Firefox 1.5... not that it has to, but it is
frustrating. Glad I had the IE Tab extension, or I would have had to
open an entirely different browser program just to look at your tip!

Also, the method your site describes is not a hack, per se. It is a
built in easy to use function of Windows. I wanted to find a way to
clean up my taskbar, not add a ton of toolbars to it. Hope this hack
helps you clean up your taskbar like it did mine.

 

[John Jay Smith]

Erasmus thanks for your great and detailed reply...
I have solved this problem in another way, and also it gives be the ability
to do some things that are "far out".
I use a program called TRUE LAUNCH BAR that lets you customize the quick
launch tremendusly.
There is also a limited freeware version that is called freelauchbar.

 

[John Jay Smith]

I uploaded a screenshot for you... have in mind that you can add addons with
various functions.
You can make menus, as you can see the ones on top left have arrows that
submenus pop out.
I just wanted to keep it simple... all this pops up from the green arrow I
have on my quicklaunch.
http://www.computerboom.com/support/truelauchbar.jpg

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

What you are calling 'symbolic links' (and I call 'folder shortcuts' -- not sure if there is an
official term) are also created when you right-click & drag a folder to the Start Menu folder and
then select 'Create Shortcut' upon release of the mouse button. Using this method you can select
your target directly & not have to edit the target.lnk file. You can then move the shortcut
wherever you want.

 

[Erasmus]

John,
While that program looks nice, I prefer the challenges of a true hack.
I am looking to find articles related to the quicklaunch toolbar, and
how to tweak registry settings to get the effect I am looking for. If
it simply does not exist in any form, then I will admit defeat, but I
love the challenge of pushing the OS to the limit. Any one else have
any ideas about where I might find documentation on the Advanced key in
the Registry, and what values are acceptable there?

Keith - I have not had a chance to test this out (I am not at my
machine) but does this create a shortcut, or an actual symbolic link
like I described above (referential to the file, allowing you to have
flyout submenus, etc.)?

 

[Erasmus]

Keith,
Thank you for the simplified hack... this is much easier. I enjoyed
the other hack, though, since it taught me something new about windows,
and allowed me even further control over the symbolic links (ie
changing the icon, etc.).

Do you (or anyone who reads this) know of any location of documentation
on the Registry, and what keys are acceptable for Explorer's Advanced
tab (documentation for the entire OS would be even better).

Thanks to everyone for the interesting discussion.

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

If you use the command line: attrib -r "foldershortcutname", you can then explore the folder &
change the icon for target.lnk. Then use attrib +r when you are done.

Unfortunately, there is no one definitive reference for registry settings...just takes a lot of
searching . If you haven't played with RegMon from www.sysinternals.com, you should give it a
try.