[Resolved] Automating creating Windows taskbar toolbars?

[Diana (Cda)]

I've done a lot of googling and there doesn't seem to be much out there for what I'm trying to do programmatically. When you right-click on the taskbar, and choose TOOLBARS > NEW TOOLBAR... one has the ability to choose a folder to put as a taskbar toolbar. I have 3 of them besides the Quick Launch bar. I really like this windows feature because it allows you easy access to things without loading anything into memory at all (they're just shortcuts). [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY4iWi4KV_8, http://bucarotechelp.com/computers/wintips...n.mspx?mfr=true, http://www.aarp.org/learntech/computers/ho...ws_taskbar.html]

The closest I found to anything is a regedit solution that doesn't work for me, though I am on Windows XP ( http://www.tabletquestions.com/windows-xp/...igurations.html ). It says that this info is saved in registry under:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams\Desktop]. My "Streams" doesn't have any "folders" coming out of it. If it did, it would be a simple matter to export a .reg file, of course.

At any rate, the problem is that after a crash or unexpected shutdown, these taskbar toolbars all wink out, disappear. I had an unexpected system shutdown earlier and again had to set them all. Was hoping to automate this entire process as the only thing I now how to do now is to make AI scripts for the paths to the 3 folders I set. Still a lot of manual work for this despite that. My system seems to shut down enough times to need something automated to help with this, as well as needing an option to make a generic one for all the job contracts I get sent on (I work temp).

Anyone know how this might be done? Thanks.

Edited June 1, 2008 by Diana (Cda)

[rover]

I dont know about automating, other than running a script to keep copies of the folder

of shortcuts in Documents and Settings and exporting that section of the registry.

this is more of a straight XP config issue.

I have one machine, (this one I'm typing on) that wasn't saving the toolbar selection at all

(shutdown, crash, reboot)

the other xp pc always loads its toolbars

didn't bother to deal with it until seeing your post

so I tried a few things, here's what i came up with:

if the folder of program shortcuts you select for a toolbar

with the 'New Toolbar' folder dialog is not in this folder:

'X:\Documents and Settings\'USER'\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer'

then the toolbar doesn't survive reboot

I have an AutoIt3 folder of shortcuts on the desktop I was using

that I selected with the 'New Toolbar' Dialog

'C:\Documents and Settings\'USER'\Desktop\AutoIt3'

that doesn't survive reboot

so I placed the folder in:

'X:\Documents and Settings\'USER'\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer'

then selected the folder in the new location with the 'New Toolbar' dialog

now it survives reboot

try that

rover

just another canadian nighthawk

awaiting a sentence of 'extreme snowfall'

to be handed down to my city

meh...

were used to it.

Edited December 16, 2007 by rover

[Diana (Cda)]

Interesting. No, I don't have a folder in there either that I can say has anything to do with the toolbars. My path is this one:

C:\Documents and Settings\Compaq_Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

and in that folder I have the standard QL folder, labelled "Quick Launch", and 2 others files. These are: brndlog.txt and Desktop.htt. I opened up both (taking a chance on the 2nd with a notepad program) but nothing there seems to indicate the toolbars.

This is interesting because nothing is in there and nothing is in the registry. I'm guessing that that's may be why they don't survive crashes. They come after closing and/or restarting Windows, but not in emergency shutdowns. This is true of the office, too, btw.

The difficulty with my situation is that unlike some of the example I found, and what you mention, I don't stick a bunch of shortcuts into one folder, I access 3 actual folders on various partitions so they're all in different locations. So I don't know how I can create a folder into the IE one and placing shortcuts there so that this might work.

You've given me an idea, though which just in last day or 2 I feel confident to try. Seems obvious now in hindsight. I'll see if I now can come up with a script to at least send the 3 paths to the clipboard one by one with prompts. That would have been beyond me without help even a few days ago but I think I'll be able to manage it now <g>. This will help. I still hope to completely automate this at one point or another, or to figure out the registry .reg file. But in meantime, this will be much less aggravating than doing this manually.

Still, am curious to know your solution, if though it's not AI. Is it because you put the folder with the shortcuts in that IE folder that it survives crashes? Is that what you're saying. If I've understood you correctly, that's it.

Cheers.

[Diana (Cda)]

I've meant to come back with the eventual solution to this. Here's something that works just great. No, it's not as automated as I'd like where an AI script just sets up all the taskbar toolbars but this at least sends each path to the clipboard as I press the button and I do the rest myself manually. Works good enough for me. This script goes into the QuickLaunch bar and after explorer crashes and I lose all my toolbars, even QL, I just tick QL back on and run this.

Down and dirty, but it works. <g>

expandcollapse popup

#include <GUIConstants.au3>

;=========================================================================
Opt("GUIOnEventMode", 1)
$Form1 = GUICreate("Taskbar Toolbar Helper v1.0", 301, 283, 193, 125)

$Toolbar1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("1.  AutoIt scripts ...", 50, 80, 193, 33, 0)
GUICtrlSetFont(-1, 12, 400, 0, "MS Sans Serif")
GUICtrlSetOnEvent(-1, "Toolbar1Click")

$Toolbar2 = GUICtrlCreateButton("2.  Searches ...", 50, 130, 193, 33, 0)
GUICtrlSetFont(-1, 12, 400, 0, "MS Sans Serif")
GUICtrlSetOnEvent(-1, "Toolbar2Click")

$Toolbar3 = GUICtrlCreateButton("3.  Volume folder ...", 50, 180, 193, 33, 0)
GUICtrlSetFont(-1, 12, 400, 0, "MS Sans Serif")
GUICtrlSetOnEvent(-1, "Toolbar3Click")

$OK = GUICtrlCreateButton("OK, Done", 110, 243, 75, 25, 0)
GUICtrlSetOnEvent(-1, "OKClick")
$Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Click on each button below to send the path" & @CRLF & "to the clipboard.  Then retrieve the path" & @CRLF & "by pressing ^+v:", 16, 8, 261, 49)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
;=========================================================================

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func OKClick()
    Exit
EndFunc
Func Toolbar1Click()
    ClipPut("E:\AUTOIT\Scripts\AI")
    Beep(1000,50)
    Sleep(100)
    Beep(1000,50)
EndFunc
Func Toolbar2Click()
    ClipPut("E:\SavedSearches\SS")
    Beep(750,150)
    Sleep(25)
    Beep(75,150)
EndFunc
Func Toolbar3Click()
    ClipPut("L:\AutoHotKey\APP- AutoHotKey v1.0.47.04\0- Scripts\Vol")
    Beep(2000,75)
    Sleep(100)
    Beep(3000,25)
    Sleep(100)
    Beep(1500,75)
EndFunc

Edited June 1, 2008 by Diana (Cda)