start menu small icons

[matthewk]

This one is difficult to find. I've always found it to be a messy one as quicklaunch tries to be. Anyone know the way to set small icons for classic start menu via registry or automated process? Thanks in advance

[Cartoonite]

I'm not sure on this one, but have you tried implementing this the same way QL can be enabled?

Export the key (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams\Desktop, "TaskbarWinXP"=) once the settings are set exactly the way you want them and then import during uA.

[Hypatia]

I have been searching for this "holy grail" too...

The option small icons for Class Menu uses the HKEY_USERS key:

Stuckrects2 (WinXP)

Stuckrects (Win95/98)

Unfortunately simiply changing the registry's hexidecimal in the stream won't work. Windows needs to record it via a reboot.

Source: http://udf.isorg.com/UDFs/82893.html

Not to mention late nights of comparing code and trying to 'bend' Windows to my way of thinking.

Hypatia

[eidenk]

Unfortunately simply changing the registry's hexidecimal in the stream won't work.

On 9x you can kill and restart explorer after modifying the registry, but you need to use one or another script (I use Batchrun for doing that sort of things).

On 9x all the settings that concerns the taskbars (quicklaunch + eventual additional taskbars) are normally dumped to the registry only at normal shutdown. If you quick reboot or crash Explorer before normally shutting down, all changes made to the taskbars are lost. Relevant data is stored in those keys :

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams

and

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects2 (There is no StuckRects key on my Win ME system)

I think the first of those keys also contains also the location of the desktop icons.

On ME you can do the following :

Create a taskbar environment, shut down normally to write the taskbars/desktop data to registry, restart the machine, backup the above two keys.

Create another different taskbars/desktop environment, shut down again, restart, backup this new desktop environment.

You can create and backup like that like that as many others environments as you want.

Then with a script that do the following :

1) Kill Explorer.

2) Merge a backed up environment to the registry.

3) Restart explorer.

You can switch desktop environment with one click. It is also possible to switch in the same time the location of the desktop, the various system icons, color scheme, context menu entries, etc. Wallpaper can also be changed by using a command line wallpaper changer. (Merging like that a backed up environment with additional taskbars will create the taskbars even if the corresponding folders do not exist but they won't be usable.)

PS : There is a small proggie called refresh.exe that will dump the quicklaunch settings data from memory to registry without needing to reboot. Unfortunately it doesn't dump the additional taskbars data so it is of limited use.

Edited September 21, 2005 by eidenk

[Doc Symbiosis]

In XP, I do it with the following reg-setting:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"Start_LargeMFUIcons"=dword:00000000
"Start_MinMFU"=dword:0000000c

Import this and restart the explorer.

[matthewk]

I thought someone had figured it out. Doc, we're talking about the classic start menu. How to make classic start menu -> small icons.

[eidenk]

How to make classic start menu -> small icons.

There is nothing more easy than that. On Win98/ME : Right Click on the Taskbar, choose Properties and then tick "Show small icons in Start Menu".

For Win XP, see here : http://www.viewz.com/computingtips/computingtip43.shtml

In Win XP, click on the Start Menu tab and hit the Customize button. Choose Small Icons.

[Draggie]

I am in need of it too. but as a reg tweak or in a script file

[trodas]

The above reg tweak for XP did not satisfy you?

[meowing]

Did any of you actually succeed in accomplishing this, ever?

I'm breaking my head on this one for XP x64 Edition. None of what is found online does the job.

1	11.73573494	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Start_LargeIcons	SUCCESS	0x0	
2	33.11792755	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuAdminTools	SUCCESS	"YES"	
3	33.11818695	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuFavorites	SUCCESS	0x0	
4	33.11844635	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuLogoff	SUCCESS	0x1	
5	33.11869431	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuRun	SUCCESS	0x1	
6	33.11892319	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuChange	SUCCESS	0x1	
7	33.11915970	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadeControlPanel	SUCCESS	"NO"	
8	33.11940002	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadeMyDocuments	SUCCESS	"NO"	
9	33.11962509	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadeMyPictures	SUCCESS	"NO"	
10	33.11985397	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadeNetworkConnections	SUCCESS	"NO"	
11	33.12008667	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadePrinters	SUCCESS	"NO"	
12	33.12032318	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuScrollPrograms	SUCCESS	"NO"	
13	33.12088013	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Start_LargeIcons	SUCCESS	0x1	
14	33.12113190	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\IntelliMenus	SUCCESS	0x1	
15	33.14191055	explorer.exe:1464	DeleteValueKey	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Start_LargeIcons	SUCCESS		
16	34.03789520	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\TaskbarSizeMove	SUCCESS	0x1	
17	34.03798676	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\TaskbarGlomming	SUCCESS	0x0

Here I had just set it to Large icons in Classic menu,

below (in the same Windows session) setting it back to Small Icons via Start Menu customize:

18	132.82203674	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder\Start Menu\Order	SUCCESS	08 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 ...	
19	138.48182678	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Start_LargeIcons	SUCCESS	0x1	
20	142.67468262	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuAdminTools	SUCCESS	"YES"	
21	142.67494202	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuFavorites	SUCCESS	0x0	
22	142.67520142	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuLogoff	SUCCESS	0x1	
23	142.67544556	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuRun	SUCCESS	0x1	
24	142.67568970	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuChange	SUCCESS	0x1	
25	142.67591858	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadeControlPanel	SUCCESS	"NO"	
26	142.67614746	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadeMyDocuments	SUCCESS	"NO"	
27	142.67639160	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadeMyPictures	SUCCESS	"NO"	
28	142.67662048	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadeNetworkConnections	SUCCESS	"NO"	
29	142.67686462	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\CascadePrinters	SUCCESS	"NO"	
30	142.67709351	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\StartMenuScrollPrograms	SUCCESS	"NO"	
31	142.67736816	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Start_LargeIcons	SUCCESS	0x0	
32	142.67762756	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\IntelliMenus	SUCCESS	0x1	
33	142.69767761	explorer.exe:1464	DeleteValueKey	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Start_LargeIcons	SUCCESS		
34	143.70024109	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\TaskbarSizeMove	SUCCESS	0x1	
35	143.70033264	explorer.exe:1464	SetValue	HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\TaskbarGlomming	SUCCESS	0x0

I used Regmon for this. Really wonder what the deal is.. it seems to be live activation somehow.

Trying the (seemingly) relevant changes in a script:

echo off
echo.
echo  Should set Small Icons in Classic Start Menu (update for Windows XP x64 SP2+, 2009)
echo.
REG ADD HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced /v Start_LargeIcons /t REG_DWORD /d 0x0 /f
rem ? REG ADD HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced /v IntelliMenus /t REG_DWORD /d 0x1 /f
REG DELETE HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced /v Start_LargeIcons /f

pause
EXIT

did not work.. :-/

Edited February 3, 2009 by meowing

[Geej]

Will IconSize help?

[meowing]

No, it doesn't set the icon size for the Start Menu.

Regshot only finds these when I set the Icon size to small for the Classic menu in XP64:

Regshot 1.8.2
Comments:
Datetime:2009/2/3 15:06:59  ,  2009/2/3 15:07:31
Computer:SILENT , SILENT
Username: , 

----------------------------------
Values added:4
----------------------------------
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\kmixer\Enum\0: "SW\{b7eafdc0-a680-11d0-96d8-00aa0051e51d}\{9B365890-165F-11D0-A195-0020AFD156E4}"
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ksthunk\Enum\8: "SW\{b7eafdc0-a680-11d0-96d8-00aa0051e51d}\{9B365890-165F-11D0-A195-0020AFD156E4}"
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kmixer\Enum\0: "SW\{b7eafdc0-a680-11d0-96d8-00aa0051e51d}\{9B365890-165F-11D0-A195-0020AFD156E4}"
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ksthunk\Enum\8: "SW\{b7eafdc0-a680-11d0-96d8-00aa0051e51d}\{9B365890-165F-11D0-A195-0020AFD156E4}"

----------------------------------
Values modified:8
----------------------------------
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\kmixer\Enum\Count: 0x00000000
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\kmixer\Enum\Count: 0x00000001
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\kmixer\Enum\NextInstance: 0x00000000
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\kmixer\Enum\NextInstance: 0x00000001
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ksthunk\Enum\Count: 0x00000008
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ksthunk\Enum\Count: 0x00000009
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ksthunk\Enum\NextInstance: 0x00000008
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\ksthunk\Enum\NextInstance: 0x00000009
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kmixer\Enum\Count: 0x00000000
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kmixer\Enum\Count: 0x00000001
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kmixer\Enum\NextInstance: 0x00000000
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kmixer\Enum\NextInstance: 0x00000001
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ksthunk\Enum\Count: 0x00000008
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ksthunk\Enum\Count: 0x00000009
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ksthunk\Enum\NextInstance: 0x00000008
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ksthunk\Enum\NextInstance: 0x00000009

----------------------------------
Total changes:12
----------------------------------

But I finally found a solution. You should kill explorer and then restart it, and in between make sure you add

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StuckRects2]
"Settings"=hex:28,00,00,00,ff,ff,ff,ff,06,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,6b,00,00,00,1e,00,00,00,fe,ff,ff,ff,94,04,00,00,
82,07,00,00,b2,04,00,00

Especially the nineth digits (06) in the example above are making the icons small.

Edited February 3, 2009 by meowing