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The settings in the Explorer category are all over the map: You can customize the Start menu, enable smooth scrolling, and automatically clear the document history. Table 5-7 on the next page maps the settings in this category to their registry values. Create any keys and values that you don't see in the registry.
Setting | Name | Type | Data |
---|---|---|---|
HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop | |||
Enable smooth scrolling | SmoothScroll | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main | |||
Use Classic Search in Internet Explorer | Use Search Asst | REG_SZ | Yes | No |
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer | |||
Manipulate connected files as a unit | NoFileFolderConnection | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Prefix "Shortcut to" on new shortcuts | Link | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced | |||
Detect accidental double-clicks | UseDoubleClickTimer | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState | |||
Use Classic Search in Explorer | Use Search Asst | REG_SZ | Yes | No |
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer | |||
Allow Help on Start Menu | NoSMHelp | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Allow Logoff on Start Menu | NoLogoff | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Allow Recent Documents on Start Menu | NoRecentDocsMenu | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Allow Web content to be added to the desktop | NoActiveDesktop | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Clear document history on exit | ClearRecentDocsOnExit | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Enable Windows+X hotkeys | NoWinKeys | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Lock Web content | NoActiveDesktopChanges | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Maintain document history | NoRecentDocsHistory | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Maintain network history | NoRecentDocsNetHood | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Show My Documents on classic Start Menu | NoSMMyDocs | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Show My Pictures on classic Start Menu | NoSMMyPictures | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
Show Network Connections on classic Start Menu | NoNetworkConnections | REG_DWORD | 0x00 | 0x01 |
You'll notice that the setting Show Links On Favorites Menu is missing from Table 5-7. This is because that setting isn't in the registry. When you disable the Links menu, Tweak UI simply sets the Links folder's hidden attribute. Enable the folder, and Tweak UI clears the Links folder's hidden attribute. This is the only way to prevent Internet Explorer from displaying the Links folder on the Favorites menu.
Note | Most of the settings in this category are policies, and you must pay attention to how the settings are phrased. For example, the Tweak UI setting Allow Help On Start Menu is positive. The corresponding value NoSMHelp is negative, which is true of most policies, as you will learn in Chapter 6, "Managing Registry Policies." Thus, to enable Help on Start Menu, you must disable NoSMHelp. To disable Help on Start Menu, you must enable NoSMHelp. |
When you create a shortcut, Windows XP adds an overlay to the original document's icon so you can easily identify it as a shortcut. The Shortcut category enables you to customize that overlay. You can choose not to add an overlay, to add a light arrow, to use the normal arrow, or to use a custom icon as the overlay. Table 5-8 shows the value and data that Tweak UI uses for shortcuts.
Setting | Name | Type | Data |
---|---|---|---|
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIcons | |||
Arrow | 29 | REG_SZ | null |
Light Arrow | 29 | REG_SZ | C:\WINDOWS\system32\tweakui.exe,2 |
None | 29 | REG_SZ | C:\WINDOWS\system32\tweakui.exe,3 |
Custom | 29 | REG_SZ | filename, index |
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIcons is the key where you customize the shortcut overlay. Create this key if you don't see it in the registry. You add the REG_SZ value 29, and set it to filename, index, where filename is the name of the file containing the icon, and index is the index of that icon. For more information about using icons, see Chapter 4, "Hacking the Registry." Tweak UI removes 29 from ShellIcons if you choose the default arrow. It sets 29 to C:\WINDOWS\system32\tweakui.exe,2 for a light arrow or C:\WINDOWS\system32\tweakui.exe,3 for no arrow.
Table 5-9, on the next page, describes the values in the Colors category. Create any values that you don't see in the registry. HotTrackingColor is a string value, and Windows XP expects an RGB value in decimal notation. For example, white is 255 255 255. The operating system expects binary RGB values in hexadecimal for the remaining values. Windows XP uses each color as follows:
Hot-tracking. Windows XP displays file names in this color when you point to them and if you've enabled the single-click user interface.
Compressed files. Windows XP displays compressed files in this color.
Encrypted files. Windows XP displays encrypted files in this color.
Setting | Name | Type | Data |
---|---|---|---|
HKCU\Control Panel\Colors | |||
Hot-tracking | HotTrackingColor | REG_SZ | RRR GGG BBB |
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer | |||
Compressed files | AltColor | REG_BINARY | 0x RR 0x GG 0x BB 0x00 |
Encrypted files | AltEncryptionColor | REG_BINARY | 0x RR 0x GG 0x BB 0x00 |
The Thumbnails category controls the quality of thumbnails in Windows Explorer. Table 5-10 describes the values for Image Quality and Size. Create values that you don't see in the registry. The default value for ThumbnailQuality is 0x5A. The default value for ThumbnailSize is 0x60. Keep in mind that higher quality and larger thumbnails require more disk space, which is not usually a problem, but they also take longer to display. Changing the quality does not affect thumbnails that already exist on the file system.
Setting | Name | Type | Data |
---|---|---|---|
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer | |||
Image Quality | ThumbnailQuality | REG_DWORD | 0x32 – 0x64 |
Size (pixels) | ThumbnailSize | REG_DWORD | 0x20 – 0xFF |
If you have a keyboard with navigation keys, such as the Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro (I use this keyboard; learn more about it at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware), you can customize them. For example, you can reassign the Calculator key to open your favorite calculator, instead of the program that comes with Windows XP.
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AppKey is the key where you customize the navigation keys. If you don't see this key, create it. Look up the keyboard key you want to customize in Table 5-11, and then add the corresponding subkey to AppKey. Within that subkey, create the REG_SZ value ShellExecute, and set it to the path and file name of the program you want to execute by pressing that key. If you want to disable the navigation key, set it to an empty string. You can restore the original behavior by removing the subkey you added to AppKey. For example, to run PowerToy Calculator by pressing the Calculator key, add 18 to AppKey. Then create the REG_SZ value ShellExecute in 18, and set it to PowerCalc.exe.
Key | Subkey |
---|---|
Back (Internet browser) | 1 |
Calculator | 18 |
Close | 31 |
Copy | 36 |
Corrections | 45 |
Cut | 37 |
Favorites | 6 |
Find | 28 |
Forward (Internet browser) | 2 |
Forward (mail) | 40 |
Help | 27 |
Lower microphone volume | 25 |
| 15 |
Media | 16 |
Mute microphone | 24 |
Mute volume | 8 |
My Computer | 17 |
New | 29 |
Open | 30 |
Paste | 38 |
| 33 |
Raise microphone volume | 26 |
Redo | 35 |
Refresh (Internet browser) | 3 |
Reply | 39 |
Save | 32 |
Search | 5 |
Send | 41 |
Spelling checker | 42 |
Stop (Internet browser) | 4 |
Toggle dictation and command/control | 43 |
Toggle microphone | 44 |
Undo | 34 |
WebHome | 7 |
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