Drive icons on desktop or My Computer as desktop folder?

[inkognito]

1. Is it possible to place, for example, HD, CD-Rom and removable drive icons on desktop - not shortcuts, but real icons that are in My Computer, so that I could see their properties (space left), eject, format the disc from the desktop, not going to My computer?

I've tried to create a folder with My computer CLSID and set it as a desktop folder (through User Shell Folders in registry), but it did not work - I did not see those drive icons on the desktop.

2. When I open a folder and go "one level up" until the end, I reach desktop. When I am in Open file window, go to Look in, I see that Desktop is, you could say, root folder, then goes My computer, and only then a hard disc. Is it possible to tweak Windows that it showed my hard drive as the root of the roots? I mean, if I went "one level up" and the end I reached hard drive, not desktop? Or could that at least be My computer, not desktop?