wait so i think i get what youre saying, but explain it a little further. i think i could help.

This sounds similar to what I am trying to achieve. That is, programmatic creation of taskbar toolbars (ala Toolbars -> New Toolbar -> Browser for folder).

If this is what you're after and manage to figure it out, please share. I shall do likewise.

Sorry, it took me a little while to get back. I think Visix6 is correct, it has to do with Toolbar manipulation.
Under XP, Right click on Start and go to Properties and the TaskBar Tab. You will see an option that says, Show Quick Launch.
When you click and select that option, a Quick Launch area gets created on the Taskbar. From there you can drop icons in and have them readily available. The problem is, that setting does not appear to be a basic dword value or anything in the registry. When that option is turned on, it probably initializes some code which modifies the taskbar. We would like to programatically have that code run, instead of having the user have to initiate the setting. Hope that helps.

ooh ok nvm, thats out of my league.. sorry

i'm pretty sure that i remember the toolbars being stored in the registry, but for the life of me, i can't remember where in the registry. assuming they are, then you might be able to export the keys that hold them, and then import them. if i get a chance to this weekend, i'll see if i can find that key again.

I think you're be referring to :

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams

?

It could work...

can you set it to automatically execute a batch script with XP's cmd.exe that will create and run a .reg file and create the toolbar's folder?

yep, that was it Visix. i haven't tried it, but seems to me that importing that key would do it. it might not be importable with a batch file ( i don't know, i've never tried that either), but it's doable with the windows script host.

I was wondering something guys...

While looking at the first reg address listed above, I noticed a key under the Streams key called "Desktop". Anyone ever looked in that one? Is that the one you guys are already working with?

The values of interest to me were the Taskbar and Toolbars values. Wonder what happens if you mess with that taskbar value?

Anyone know what these values do?

that's the one that i've been looking at WinT. guess i should've been a bit more specific. i don't know for sure what the values do, but my guess is that it holds the location of the toolbar folders, and stores the order of the items on the desktop.

Hmm, good theory there joh6nn. You just might be on to something here

I think I'm gonna go back up my reg, and start messing around with those values. Might hit the jackpot

It's not that hard to just make a folder on the toolbar.

Found this on some old beginners "Using Windows 98" site. I literally typed the reg key into Google, and it brought up about 14 hits if you included "Desktop", and almost 200 if you did not include it. I read all sorts of stuff about this key storing folder views, etc.., pretty good stuff. Anyway, here's what I found -- just a small cut from the page:

NOTE: Your customized toolbar information is stored in one of the following registry keys:
Your toolbar is not on the taskbar:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ Streams\Desktop\Toolbars

NOTE: The above registry key is one path, it has been wrapped for readability.

Your toolbar is on the taskbar:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ Streams\Desktop\Taskbar


So, one is for when your toolbar is NOT on the taskbar, and the other is for when it IS on the taskbar. Could get something out of this maybe, but have no clue what to change the hex value to. It's a huge number.

WinT, open the value for editing, and take a closer look at it; that's how i found out what it was to begin with.

Ok, one more thing...

Found a great little explanation of the Streams key in general, right from Microsoft, and here's the link:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=171002

Guys,
Sorry I was out sick for a couple of days. I was somewhat familiar with the Streams registry keys before. I had made the changes to taskbar and dumped registry before and after and compared the differences to point me to those keys. The problem is decode what they all mean. I will try and look at this further and if I figure anything out I will post.
Thanks,

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