[NEW TWEAK] Start menu Left Pane / Favorites!

[ZileXa]

I created this topic because I wanted to know how to set the Left Pane/Favorites of the Start menu unattendedly.

There is a method in this topic, using a VBS script. But antivirus software don't like VBS and neither do I.

After testing and trying I found the HKU regtweak responsible for the Left pane.

There was actually one problem: the regkey is user-specific and when a user account is created, this key is NOT imported from the HKCU or HKU\.Default.

This makes it very hard to do it unattendedly, if you want to set it for ALL users, also those created in the future!

Here is the solution:

• Just set the left pane of your Start Menu exactly the way YOU want.
  
• Goto Start>Run..> type 'regedit' press ENTER. go to this key, rightclick Startpage and export it to a regfile you call usertweaks.reg:
  

  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartPage

  
  

• Open the regfile, you only need "FavoritesResolve", "Favorites" and "FavoritesChanges".
  You can delete the rest, this makes the regfile A LOT smaller. (perhaps you don't even need FavoritesResolve, not tested).
  
• Now make sure the name of the key is renamed to HKCU, or copy paste (overwrite!) this to the regfile:
  

  [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartPage]

  
  Save the file.
  

• create a .cmd file called per-user tweaks.cmd, with at least these lines:

  cmdow @ /HID
  @echo off
  
  REGEDIT /S "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Documents and Settings\Default User\usertweaks.reg"
  
  DEL /F /Q "%USERPROFILE%\usertweaks.reg"
  DEL /F /Q "%USERPROFILE%\Menu Start\Programma's\Opstarten\per-user tweaks.cmd"

  
  

• Make sure this file is placed (during your uA setup, for example using a SFX archive that is run from your RunOnceEx) in the folder:
  "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Documents and Settings\Default User\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\
  (NOTE: I use Dutch version, make sure you place it in the startmenu's startup folder, not sure if I have the names correct.)
  
• And place the usertweaks.reg file (by a sfx archive started from RunOnceEx or whatever) in the folder:
  "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Documents and Settings\Default User\usertweaks.reg"
  

What will happen?

When a Windows User logs in for the 1st time, the .cmd file will start, applying usertweaks.reg AND delete the regfile+ the .cmd from its user profile.

Both regfile + the .cmd file still exist in the DEFAULT user profile! this means, when a new user is created, they will be copied to the userprofile folder of THAT user. Once the new user logs in for the 1st time, the cmd file will start, applying the regtweaks

Edited May 6, 2006 by ZileXa

[ZileXa]

Just tried the VBS code mentioned in the topic on a pc with VBS support, doesn't work!

(copy paste it to a textfile with .vbs extension).

when I name the file test.cmd and run it in a command window, I get an error for the last line:

"objFolderItem.InvokeVerb" is not recognized as internal or external command, program or batchfile.

Edited April 24, 2006 by ZileXa

[The Glimmerman]

Try adding a backslash after System32

Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace("C:\Windows\System32\")
Set objFolderItem = objFolder.ParseName("calc.exe")

objFolderItem.InvokeVerb("P&in to Start Menu")

The following script will list the option you will have.

Same as right clicking a file

Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace("C:\Windows\System32\")
Set objFolderItem = objFolder.ParseName("calc.exe")

Set colVerbs = objFolderItem.Verbs
For Each objVerb in colVerbs
	Wscript.Echo objVerb
Next

Remember it will only work when not Using Classic menu!!!

Edited April 25, 2006 by The Glimmerman

[ZileXa]

I am sorry but it doesn't work for me

I save your first code as .vbs and run it... nothing changes in Start menu when I check.

also tried saving it as .cmd but no changes, when I run the .cmd file from command prompt I get the same error... possibly because I removed something about VBS with Nlite... not sure.

but there must be a way!

[Takeshi]

I assume you imported the Favorites subkey which relates to the pinned items in the Start Menu.

Have you tried importing the key to a clean Start Menu, to make sure the key is correctly applied? And havc you tried importing it on first logon?

[ZileXa]

@Takeshi, yes ofcourse to all that. Check the first post, I found the key responsible, but didn't know how to fix the problem described (the key is not imported from HKU\.Default or HKCU) then by accident I discovered when the key is applied to HKCU for the user currently logged in the Left Pane changed to the way I wanted!

Unfortunately, applying this key to HKCU @ T12/13 doesnt have any effect! so thats why I did the Start menu startup folder solution. I think the method is clean enough to use.

Check the first post for the solution!!

Now, I still have one tweak to do: I want to have "MOVIES" below MUSIC, check the image in the startpost... any ideas?

Edited May 5, 2006 by ZileXa

[Takeshi]

That's actually what I had in mind and credit is given to you for working out the details. I just wanted to start from the basics, making sure the reg file is correct first and I suspected it should work when applied when first logged on.

The HKCU reg hive maps to HKU\S-1-5-21-SID so you can usually just go directly to HKCU and export the key from there when you're loggon on as that user.

[ZileXa]

That's actually what I had in mind and credit is given to you for working out the details. I just wanted to start from the basics, making sure the reg file is correct first and I suspected it should work when applied when first logged on.

The HKCU reg hive maps to HKU\S-1-5-21-SID so you can usually just go directly to HKCU and export the key from there when you're loggon on as that user.

Yes indeed, I suspected that, just wasnt sure so didn't put it in the guide!

Actually I thought I would expand my usertweaks.reg file... because I also want another exotic tweak. But I discovered this is not set in the Registry:

Tile icons on the desktop! (if you ever tried Xpize Settings.. with that you can Tile icons on the desktop).

I don't know wich file is responsible for this tweak, can't believe it involves Reshacking since it is applied immediately when you set it with Xpize Settings... hmm I will have to ask Xpero (creator of Xpize).

I did discover how to get the Buttons above, menubar below and addressbar in the middle in the Windows Explorer windows its just a regtweak

I use Vista themes, looks lot better this way.

Only have the Tile tweak, the 'how to get Movies in the Rightpane of Startmenu' - tweak, and 'how to disable Import Wizard of Firefox on first run'.

My uAcd is finished apart from that.. just waiting for final Nlite to make a final iso. Took me a year or perhaps more. was a nice project though!

Edited May 6, 2006 by ZileXa

[Djé]

'how to disable Import Wizard of Firefox on first run'

Either have a profile already existing in %APPDATA%/Mozilla/Firefox. You can copy back one you had previously backed up, or create a brand new one using (silent):

firefox.exe -CreateProfile default

You can use whatever profile name you want instead of 'default'

Or

have a file named 'override.ini' in Firefox program folder and containing the following:

[XRE]
EnableProfileMigrator=false

That feature was introduced with v1.5.0.2.

Bugzilla does not seems to work right now so I can't provide the link to the KB article.

I'm a bit worried tho, because there used to be a link to that bugzilla page on the v1.5.0.2's official release notes page but it's not there anymore...

[ZileXa]

Ow great thanks!!

but uhm, I created my own default profile, by installing firefox, starting it from the default profile, modify everything the way I want, install extensions/themes etc. then I export the default profile to a 7z archive that will be extracted once Firefox is installed (extracts the folder "profile" to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\defaults and also the folder "searchplugins" to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\).

So every user that starts up FF for the first time, a new profile will be created in the user accounts appdata folder, this new profile is just a copy of the default profile...

So I would need a command doing this task, create the profile (using the default profile)..

not sure if the command you gave

firefox.exe -CreateProfile default

will do this..

If it is possible like this I would prefer it above the override.ini method.

[Djé]

Well I'm not 100% sure but I guess that firefox just use the stuff in the location you mentionned to create the default profile when a new user open it for the 1st time, or when the -createprofile switch is used.

So basically, I think that what you're trying to do would just work using the switch, at least at the beginning. Then any new version of Firefox you install may destroy your custom default profile.

That's why, in my opinion, this is a bad way to do it: don't mix you custom stuff with things that can be changed by Mozilla at any time, or you may loose control.

If you want to be a professional dictator with your users (as you said, your iron hand has also a foot in the users' extensions & themes ), I would just advice to have your custom default profile ready in the Default User's %appdata% folder (You can copy it there @T12 or later). As a profile will be existing, Fx won't show the Import IE wizard.

That way you can impose your will to any new user without fearing Firefox' Blue Helmet messing in your private business .

The other solution, of course, would be to go the 'free' way, allowing the users to customize Fx their own way and so on. But do people want to be free, nowadays??

BTW, bugzilla is still unreacheable (maybe it has been the victim of a DoS attack, the very problem v1.5.0.3 was released to solve ) but here's the link to the override.ini article.

[ZileXa]

the switch works fine, but when I think about it, the overrides.ini file is a much cleaner and more efficient method.

and btw, the default profile is actually a very save method. If I install a new FF version, then create a new windows user account, go to this account and start firefox, he still gets the nice default profile. Even better: firefox checks for updates for the extensions and themes in the users profile and updates it to make them compatible! So it seems to be a robust method.

And if I want to update the default profile for a new uA cd, all I have to do is start Firefox using its default profile (with a switch), Firefox will (just as described above) update the extensions/themes and whatever and start itself up. Now I can change the settings if I want to or just close Firefox immediately and export the default profile to my uA cd.

it seems to me to be a fast and easy method, easily updated and pretty robust.

oh and a new firefox release would not destroy the customized default profile... it is really a seperate part. Actually, every localized version of Firefox (as far as I know) has a different default profile (different default rssfeed for News, but not all localized versions have it).

I have been using this method for a long time... never had any trouble. if I would put a firefox profile in the Windows default user, I would have a useless default profile in the Firefox folder... thats not what I want

btw, my default profile just has some extensions I see as musthaves, like Adblock+Filterset.G Updater, Autohide (for fullscreen), Bbcode, Imagezoom and Mousegestures. furthermore, I cleaned the Bookmarks section and added a few searchplugins (to translate/dictionary)+rearranged the Searchplugins. Did some basic tweaking for speed (its a habit since v.8) thats all.

Edited May 8, 2006 by ZileXa

[Maelstorm]

After testing and trying I found the HKU regtweak responsible for the Left pane.

There was actually one problem: the regkey is user-specific and when a user account is created, this key is NOT imported from the HKCU or HKU\.Default.

This makes it very hard to do it unattendedly, if you want to set it for ALL users, also those created in the future!

Um, I hate to say this, but you are incorrect. If you apply the reg tweak during GUI mode setup, then it's applied to the default user profile and every user created afterwards gets it. I have done it myself and it works. It seems that you have run into the same problem that I did when I first started exploring this. The problems has to do with FavoritesChanges. See the links below for more information:

For my old version, you may want to see this forum topic:

http://www.msfn.org/board/lofiversion/index.php/t40866.html

The new version is in the RegTweaks database here:

http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/registry/80/

Edited May 10, 2006 by Maelstorm

[ZileXa]

Oooh! Well although it works fine this way, your new method is A LOT cleaner ofcourse! thanks a lot!

you seem to know something about Startmenu tweaking... do you know if it is possible to create "Videos" below "Music"? (check the image).

Edited May 11, 2006 by ZileXa

[Maelstorm]

Adding a My Videos to the menu? I have explored this quite extensively, and I have come to the conclusion that it cannot be done, unless you are Microsoft. All the items on the right side of the menu are hardcoded in explorer.exe. When Microsoft added "Set Program Access and Defaults" to the right side of the menu, they also released a new version of explorer.exe to support this. I have found the registery keys that control SOME of the items on the right side (the names, icons, what they point to, etc), but it loops through explorer which looks at another registry key that controls if a particular item is displayed or not. Microsoft controls explorer.exe.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to hack explorer.exe to allow more items on the right side of the start menu. Given the nature of the GUI and the fact that explorer.exe IS the GUI, it may be close to impossible to do unless you are very good at hacking files.