Change Special Folder Location

Special folders such as My Documents, Desktop, and so on can be changed to any other location from that set by the default installation. This hack will change the locations.There are 2 ways tto do this

• First, just move the required folders to the new locations. This will change the location of the folder.
  
  

• Second Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)
  
  
  
  

  Navigate to:
  
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

  
  
  
  
  Now change the paths of the folders. HKEY_CURRENT_USER is for current_user's folder only .Change it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for All users. The change should take effect immediately. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Download ActiveX Files To A Specfic Location

The default path where the ActiveX files are installed when you download an ActiveX control is Windows\Downloaded Program Files. It is good thing to change this location.This saves your OS. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Internet Settings

Change the ActiveXCache String Value to the desired download location like?F:\MyActiveX?.



Also

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ActiveX Cache

Here, change the ?0? value to the same folder you specified in the other location.You just need to restart IE for the change to take effect.



This is for win xp. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Change location of " Program Files"

Change the default location where software will be installed and where the ?common files? will be stored. These are normally found in C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files\Common Files\.

Both can be on independent volumes. This can be useful if you?re running out of space on the C: drive.Also this will stop any harm to your Operating system due to these softwares.

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion

Specify the String Value of CommonFilesDir &/or ProgramFilesDir to the path of the new directories. From now on all new software that is installed will refer to this key to identify where the common files and program files should be stored by default. Nothing will happen to your exisiting files/softwares. Now you rae free from the burden of pressing ?browse? and selecting the desired location.





This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Be doubly sure that the path is correct and the key doesn't exist before you think of create it. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Change Location Of Win system Files

This Registry Hack will show you how to Change Location Of Windows Installation Files. If you installed XP from a CD and then copied the installation discs to your hard disk, use this hack to change the default installation folder that XP will look for when it searches for additional setup files later. Just open Regedit(START>>RUN>>Type REGEDIT)

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows \CurrentVersion\Setup

Change the String Value called SourcePath to one specifying the path to where the XP setup files are now stored. From now on XP will first look in this new location. No more of you having to click ?browse? and selecting.This is for win xp. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)

Create folders in My computer

Wanting to Add A Custom Folder To My Computer(Or The Desktop) then read along.This hack will create a custom folder?like the special My Documents folder?and one that cannot be deleted or renamed!

Navigate to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID

Create a new key with a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). The GUID is a 128-bit identifier that is usually generated by Windows. This should not be confused with UNIX's GID. This can be a random number that is used to uniquely identify COM objects when required for a Registry entry.



Examples of GUIDs are:

{25122d54-1afc-515f-9c65-8e02632f0223}

{e5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}



Now you need to perform the following to achieve . before you begin let me tell you how to create a Key/Subkey/Value. Just select the folder(hive) for which you want to create a subkey and right click on it and select "NEW">>>"KEY"

• We?ll use a random GUID: {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}.
  
  Hence, the key value will be
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  Set the value of the (Default) setting for this key to the name of the folder.



• Create a new sub-key under the main key and call it ?DefaultIcon?.
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ C L S I D \ ..........395e}\DefaultIcon
  
  Set the value of the (Default) setting to the location of the icon file(.ico) you want to use for this folder. If you don?t specify a icon, Windows will use its default folder icon.
  
  
  
  


• Create another sub-key under the main key called InProcServer32.
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e} \InProcServer32
  
  Set the (Default) setting here to shell32.dll .Create another String Value called ThreadingModel, with the value set to Apartment.
  
  
  
  


• Create another sub-key called
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e}\ Shell\Open My Folder\Command
  
  Set the (Default) value here to the command that should be executed when the folder is clicked. In this case, it would be ?explorer /root, c:\Folder_name_you_gave?
  
  



• Create another set of sub-keys called
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e}\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\


• {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  


• Then create another sub-key called
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Navigate to:
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID

  
  
  
  
  Create a new key with a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). The GUID is a 128-bit identifier that is usually generated by Windows. This should not be confused with UNIX's GID. This can be a random number that is used to uniquely identify COM objects when required for a Registry entry.
  
  
  
  Examples of GUIDs are:
  
  {25122d54-1afc-515f-9c65-8e02632f0223}
  
  {e5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  Now you need to perform the following to achieve . before you begin let me tell you how to create a Key/Subkey/Value. Just select the folder(hive) for which you want to create a subkey and right click on it and select "NEW">>>"KEY"
  
  
  
  
• We?ll use a random GUID: {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}.
  
  Hence, the key value will be
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  Set the value of the (Default) setting for this key to the name of the folder.





• Create a new sub-key under the main key and call it ?DefaultIcon?.
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ C L S I D \ ..........395e}\DefaultIcon
  
  Set the value of the (Default) setting to the location of the icon file(.ico) you want to use for this folder. If you don?t specify a icon, Windows will use its default folder icon.
  
  
  
  



• Create another sub-key under the main key called InProcServer32.
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e} \InProcServer32
  
  Set the (Default) setting here to shell32.dll .Create another String Value called ThreadingModel, with the value set to Apartment.
  
  
  
  



• Create another sub-key called
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e}\ Shell\Open My Folder\Command
  
  Set the (Default) value here to the command that should be executed when the folder is clicked. In this case, it would be ?explorer /root, c:\Folder_name_you_gave?
  
  





• Create another set of sub-keys called
  
  HKEY_CL.................395e}\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\



• {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  



• Then create another sub-key called
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Navigate to:
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID

  
  
  
  
  Create a new key with a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). The GUID is a 128-bit identifier that is usually generated by Windows. This should not be confused with UNIX's GID. This can be a random number that is used to uniquely identify COM objects when required for a Registry entry.
  
  
  
  Examples of GUIDs are:
  
  {25122d54-1afc-515f-9c65-8e02632f0223}
  
  {e5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  Now you need to perform the following to achieve . before you begin let me tell you how to create a Key/Subkey/Value. Just select the folder(hive) for which you want to create a subkey and right click on it and select "NEW">>>"KEY"
  
  
  • We?ll use a random GUID: {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}.
    
    Hence, the key value will be
    
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
    
    Set the value of the (Default) setting for this key to the name of the folder.
  
  
  
  • Create a new sub-key under the main key and call it ?DefaultIcon?.
    
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ C L S I D \ ..........395e}\DefaultIcon
    
    Set the value of the (Default) setting to the location of the icon file(.ico) you want to use for this folder. If you don?t specify a icon, Windows will use its default folder icon.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Create another sub-key under the main key called InProcServer32.
    
    HKEY_CL.................395e} \InProcServer32
    
    Set the (Default) setting here to shell32.dll .Create another String Value called ThreadingModel, with the value set to Apartment.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Create another sub-key called
    
    HKEY_CL.................395e}\ Shell\Open My Folder\Command
    
    Set the (Default) value here to the command that should be executed when the folder is clicked. In this case, it would be ?explorer /root, c:\Folder_name_you_gave?
    
    
  
  
  
  • Create another set of sub-keys called
    
    HKEY_CL.................395e}\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\
  
  
  • {V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Then create another sub-key called
    
    HKEY_CL.................395e}\ShellFolder
    
    Under this key, create a new Binary Value called Attributes with the value ?00 00 00 00?.
  
  
  
  
  To put the folder on the Desktop, add the following key:
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
  
  \CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
  
  \{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  To place the folder in My Computer, add the following key:
  
  HKEY_CLASSES_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
  
  \CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace
  
  \{V5892e17-80f6-4756-8f0c-5f6c5227395e}
  
  
  
  This is for win xp. You need to restart the computer for the change/effect to take place. Back up your registry before you do it(click here)