[VP} - Msgboard: Create shortcuts you normally can't (like a shortcut to Run...)

../Msgboard/Modding your system/Create shortcuts you normally can't (like a shortcut to Run...)

Herby - 21 Oct. 2005 - 16:15:

Create shortcuts you normally can't (like a shortcut to Run...)

It's possible to create shortcut's to existing CLSID's by hex editing the shortcut to My Computer.
When you open the shortcut with a hex editor, you should see something like this:

My Computer.gif

The highlighted part is the (scrambled) CLSID address from "My Computer".
{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

In this example I've changed it into the CLSID address from Run...
{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

Run.gif

Save the file and voila, you have a shortcut to Run...

Update:

I've extended the tweak by creating 'Folder Shortcuts' from the Start Menu & All Programs shortcuts.
A 'Folder Shortcut' (info) is a folder with a Desktop.ini and a Target.lnk inside.
The Desktop.ini refers to {0AFACED1-E828-11D1-9187-B532F1E9575D} (= Folder Shortcut CLSID).
You can alter these files by editing or replacing the Target.lnk with the Command Prompt or with a file manager like Total Commander or WinNc.
These files react like a normal folder (most of the time), so you can use them (for example) in Quick Launch with expanding menu's.

The zip file below contains a shortcut to Help and Support, Run, Search, User Accounts (Win2K Style), Start Menu & Programs Folder + the Folder Shortcuts.

CLSID_&_Folder_Shortcuts.zip

21 Oct. 2005 - 16:32 des

good tweak ..

...but you can do this also if you drag the run menu / search menu to the desktop (from the new start panel, XP!). and you will also have shortcut to run or search.

21 Oct. 2005 - 16:53 beaker

I think these are very cool tweaks! I'm on 2k at work, so this is perfect for me...

What Hex Editor/Viewer are you using in that screenshot?

21 Oct. 2005 - 17:37 Herby

Thanks!

@ des: Try that with the Start Menu & All Programs Folder.

@ beaker: I'm using UltraEdit-32.

21 Oct. 2005 - 17:52 des

herby:

eheh. ok.. my version only works on run and search menu.. ;-D so.. your tweak is great and better.

lol

21 Oct. 2005 - 23:46 plastic

Neat one. Included examples are not that worthwile to me, but there's loads of clsid's, this is bound to solve some upcoming issues for linking things.

Are you aware on any explanation for the way the clsid is 'scrambled' (first 3 strings reversed, other 2 not) ? Must have something to do with (double)word stuff, I guess (just curious).

Another issue, the 2 shortcuts to folders don't open with default set of toolbars here. File/edit etc is there (have that hidden), but also toolbar buttons, address bar, throbber, plus the custom bar I have (usually the only one shown). Prolly something build in by MS, but annoying.

Not all hex editors are able to open .lnk files indeed, it seems. AXE refuses, frhed even gives a dialog to choose file itself, or target (nice).

22 Oct. 2005 - 12:25 Herby

@ des: ?

@ plastic: Thanks,.. I have no idea why the first 3 strings are reversed.

The shortcuts to the folders are opened with Internet Explorer,.. I have no clue why ?.

You can also edit them with XVI32, nice little freeware hex editor.

22 Oct. 2005 - 16:38 plastic

Duh... could have seen that at the title line... but it's a weird mixture of IE and explorer. Toolbars are the regular explorer versions, throbber too. Only things IE are caption and toolbar setup - even class (using a spy tool), is cabinetwclass like regular folders. Windows is a weird thing at times….

23 Oct. 2005 - 02:38 WinT

This, I like

Hex editing a shortcut, to make previously unavailable shortcuts, available

Good work here Herby, keep it up.

Point of interest... some dll files, when loaded up in Resource Hacker, have a CLSID section, and it's available for modification too. I'm wondering if you changed CLSID's within DLL files directly, would it have any effect?

It's something I've never tried, but ya never know.

24 Oct. 2005 - 13:33 Herby

@ WinT: It should be possible (I've never tried it either).

I've extended the tweak by creating 'Folder Shortcuts' from the Start Menu & All Programs Folder shortcuts (see first post ^^).

@ plastic: They now open in a normal explorer window.

25 Oct. 2005 - 07:48 WinT

You've tapped into something here man, keep it up, no telling where you'll end up at

25 Oct. 2005 - 17:10 plastic

One issue with the Folder shortcuts, they don't survive zipping them up. You end up with regular folders containing those two files because the system attribute gets lost. Giving them (the folders) back the attribute (easy way) fixes them again.
Small annoyance, but the window issue is solved

25 Oct. 2005 - 19:21 Herby

Uhmm,.. when I unzip them (using WinRar or 7-Zip) they work and the Desktop.ini still has the system attribute, see screenshot. $\:|$

25 Oct. 2005 - 20:34 plastic

Well, yes. If I use Winrar it indeed works. Tested both ways, both compressing and extracting with in-build XP zip handling fail to safe the attribute...

26 Oct. 2005 - 02:34 kmr

"Not all hex editors are able to open .lnk files indeed, it seems. AXE refuses, frhed even gives a dialog to choose file itself, or target (nice)."

rename .lnk to .dat (or any supported format) then back?

27 Mar. 2006 - 18:59 des

does anybody know a commandline shortcut for the "view workgroup computers" link in the My Network Places folder?

(i know, if i drag the caption icon to the desktop it will create a shortcut but i need/prefer a command line (for active desktop) instead of a shortcut file)

27 Mar. 2006 - 22:43 TGHI

des, the closest that I can get is the window that displays all the workgroups that are on your network. Apparently, your question is a frequent one and the answer is rather difficult because Windows does not use a CLSID for the workgroups folder, but it is instead parsed to a subfolder IDL - created on the fly in other words.

Using run protcol handler:

run:Microsoft%20Windows%20Network

But strangely enoguh, you don't *have* to use run - typing 'Microsoft Windows Network' in the address bar suffices.

A slightly more ghetto approach:

You could also just put a shortcut to your workgroups folder somewhere, for example in the root of C:\. From there you could run it on your AD by using 'run:C:\shortcutname.lnk'. Not exactly elegant, but it works!

27 Mar. 2006 - 23:59 des

aham... damn.

yes, i used the dragged/pinned shortcutname.lnk till now, and that worked. and it seems i have to use this forever(?)...

thanx, btw.

p.s: there is another method for system paths: shell:pathname. system paths check it out if you dont know this! simple&useful

17 Aug. 2007 - 10:05 maniacOtaku

Is there any chance to make Folder Shortcuts in win98???
If so pm me plz.

17 Aug. 2007 - 15:05 skywalka

Thanx for these Herby.

You said these open in Windows Explorer now not IE. For me the CLSIDs open in Windows Explorer & the shortcuts in IE.

@des, nice link. Thanx.

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