Add specific folders to Navigation Pane

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  1. q9q
    Posts : 11
    Window 11 Dev ARM (Parallels / Apple Silicon)
       #11

    Hello,
    it seems that the above instructions are too difficult for me... would somebody please help me accomplish what's been described by Keith?

    Problems/questions:
    - OneDrive seems to show up in the code just to fetch an icon. -- Is C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe,0 a suitable substitute?
    - Could someone explain what is meant by "Default" in "Edit the name (Default)". does this just refer to the name "Sandbox" in the example?
    - What will happen if the target folder does not exist?
    - Can I create the reg file by simply copy pasting the code into a text file in notepad and then rename it to randomname.reg? Is it correct that I should merge by running regedit, file, import?
    - Why should "name (default)" (I guess it's just supposed to mean what is Sandbox in the example) and defaulticon be changed AFTER "merging", but the target folder path before?

    Thank you!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 16,712
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #12

    q9q,

    I have never used this method so all I can do is give you a second opinion. There is no indication that anybody other than Keith has; he is very highly skilled.

    I have numbered each response to help refer to them later.

    Do note that KeithM wrote that code for File manager. He's been away recently so may not be able to assist you. There's no telling what effect, if any, the changes will make to how other File managers behave.

    #0.1 Make a new system image before you do anything.

    #0.2 Go to each of the Registry Keys given in Keith's .reg file and export each Key in .reg format so that you can restore each of them to their prior state if there are problems. If any Keys do not exist beforehand then just make a note of the facts so you can manually delete them if you want to undo it all.

    q9q said:
    - OneDrive seems to show up in the code just to fetch an icon.
    -- Is C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe,0 a suitable substitute?
    #1 Yes that is a perfectly valid icon reference.

    q9q said:
    - Could someone explain what is meant by "Default" in "Edit the name (Default)". does this just refer to the name "Sandbox" in the example?
    #2 I don't know. Like you I suspect that it was an error in explanation and that you can substitute your chosen name for "Sandbox" and it will appear in the (Default) entry within that Registry Key.

    q9q said:
    - What will happen if the target folder does not exist?
    #3 I don't know but I suspect that nothing untoward will happen. You could simply repeat the code using one that does exist and that would correct anything awkward that did happen.

    q9q said:
    - Can I create the reg file by simply copy pasting the code into a text file in notepad and then rename it to randomname.reg?
    4.1 Yes.
    q9q said:
    Is it correct that I should merge by running regedit, file, import?
    #4.2 Just double-click on it and it will 'merge' i.e. it will operate / run. People say 'merge' for .reg files because they merge their contents with Registry contents.

    q9q said:
    - Why should "name (default)" (I guess it's just supposed to mean what is Sandbox in the example) and defaulticon be changed AFTER "merging", but the target folder path before?
    #5 I don't know. Perhaps Keith meant "check" them afterwards. I cannot see anything in any of the code that indicates anything different from any other .reg file's behaviour. Keith himself put his chosen Default & Icon entries in his .reg file. If you have exported the Registry Key's beforehand then you can afford to take the chance in the knowledge that you can undo it all.


    #6 Do note W10 Tweaker's offer to explain how to do the job in WinAero. But he was also thinking of File explorer not a different file manager.


    Best of luck,
    Denis
      My Computer


  3. q9q
    Posts : 11
    Window 11 Dev ARM (Parallels / Apple Silicon)
       #13

    You put so much effort into a reply, thank you very much.

    I have been looking at winaero tweaker and I believe it only works for local folders? I am referring to the "navigation pane" item there, in the tweaker. Or perhaps there is a trick to do it for the external location?

    Backing up is a breeze because I can take a snapshot of the parallels VM. I am still very careful because sometimes things turn out to have been a mistake later in time, and then the backup is of limited use.

    As to File Explorer vs. DOpus, at the very least DOpus does display the virtual folder that Parallels creates, at that high level, with no issues. DOpus is very robust. I think if sth is displayed in Explorer, it will also work and show up in DOpus.

    I am not so certain about this because user Keith is not around at the moment, but I have copied in an amateurish way data from the registry where Mac Files as a string shows up so anybody who is interested can see how it is accomplished there.

    Code:
    Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-3051861004-3005662910-3786600020-1000\Software\Classes\CLSID\{dede6ed1-7013-4991-b269-775ec466900f}
    standard 
    REG_SZ 
    Mac Files
    
    subfolder
    
    DefaultIcon
    standard 
    REG_SZ
    c program files parallels tools plugins desktoputilities.dll,-1133
    
    subfolder
    
    InProcServer32
    standard REG_EXPAND_SZ %SystemRoot% system32 shdocvw.dll
    ThreadingModel REG_SZ Apartment
    
    
    subfolder
    Instance
    standard reg sz  (not assigned)
    CLSID reg sz {0AFACED1-E828-11D1-9187-B532F1E9575D}
    
    subsubfolder
    InitPropertyBag
    
    standard reg_sz (not assigned)
    ResolveLinkFlags Reg_DWORD 0x00000050 (80)
    Target REG_SZ \\Mac
    
    ShellFolder
    standard reg sz  not assigned
    Attributes reg_dword 0xb0840020 (2961440800)
    FolderValueFlags reg dword 0x00000028 (40)
    HideOnDesktopPerUser REGSZ (nothing)
    
    The same is also in 
    Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-3051861004-3005662910-3786600020-1000\Software\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{dede6ed1-7013-4991-b269-775ec466900f}
    
    and
    
    Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-3051861004-3005662910-3786600020-1000_Classes\CLSID\{dede6ed1-7013-4991-b269-775ec466900f}
    
    and 
    
    Computer\HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-3051861004-3005662910-3786600020-1000_Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{dede6ed1-7013-4991-b269-775ec466900f}
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 16,712
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #14

    q9q said:
    I have been looking at winaero tweaker and I believe it only works for local folders? I am referring to the "navigation pane" item there, in the tweaker. Or perhaps there is a trick to do it for the external location?
    @W10 Tweaker

    Can you advise q9q about WinAero?

    Denis
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 16,712
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #15

    q9q said:
    I have copied in an amateurish way data from the registry ...
    As long as you are exporting in .reg format.
    There's just something about your posted entry that looks more like it was taken from an Export in .txt format and that cannot be used to restore Registry Keys - .txt exports are useless.
    Do note that .reg export formats can be dropped into Notepad windows to be read and edited. Their layout is better than .txt exports even for reading.


    q9q said:
    … where Mac Files as a string shows up ...
    I don't understand why you are referring to a Registry HKUsers Key when Keith's suggestion concerned only HKCurrentUser Keys.
    - If you prove the method in HKCU then it might well be worth experimenting with HKU but you'd be breaking new ground & might encounter Permissions issues.

    Denis
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 989
    Microsoft Windows 10 Home
       #16

    q9q said:
    Hello,
    it seems that the above instructions are too difficult for me... would somebody please help me accomplish what's been described by Keith?

    Problems/questions:
    - OneDrive seems to show up in the code just to fetch an icon. -- Is C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe,0 a suitable substitute?
    Yes.I just like the cloud icon. You can reference any valid icon or omit the entry and the normal folder icon will be used.

    - Could someone explain what is meant by "Default" in "Edit the name (Default)". does this just refer to the name "Sandbox" in the example?
    Sloppy instructions on my part. Every registry key has a value named "(Default)". In this case, the value will contain the deisred display name of the folder. If you use my code as posted, the key (and corresponding folder) will be created with the name "Sandbox". That can be changed to any name you wish. Spaces are allowed (no quotes necessary) as well as characters not valid for file system names ( \ : " etc.)


    - What will happen if the target folder does not exist?
    You'll have a non-fuctioning icon in your Navigagtion Pane.

    - Can I create the reg file by simply copy pasting the code into a text file in notepad and then rename it to randomname.reg? Is it correct that I should merge by running regedit, file, import?
    Yes, create in Notepad & save as a .reg file. You can merge from the Registry editor, or right-click the .reg file to display its context menu and Merge should be the second option.

    - Why should "name (default)" (I guess it's just supposed to mean what is Sandbox in the example) and defaulticon be changed AFTER "merging", but the target folder path before?
    If you look in the Regisry editor, every key has a value named "(Defalut)". The data for that value contains the display name.

    Editing the icon reference after merging is really a suggestion. A .reg file uses quotation marks to delimit values and the backslash as an escape character, so with string data that includes quotation marks, backslashes, and some other characters have to be escaped in the file. These appear automatically when you export a key from RegEdit, but are tricky to create from scratch. When you edit a path from within RegEdit, you don't have to escape anything.

    In a .reg file:
    Code:
    "C:\\Users\\keith\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\OneDrive\\OneDrive.exe,0"
    After importing:
    Code:
    C:\Users\keith\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe,0



    ‹Thank you!
    You're welcome.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 989
    Microsoft Windows 10 Home
       #17

    As to the alternate file manager question. I'm not familiar with any of them, but if the manager is "aware" of the Shell namespace, with This PC, Network, OneDrive,etc. as subfolders of the virtual Desktop, then custom Navigtion Pane entries should be displayed as well.

    If the manager only deals with "pure" file system: disks, volumes, directories, and files, then the custom folder, as well as the aforementioned virtual folders, will not be dosplayed.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 3,271
    Win10
       #18

    As a side note, whilst using Keith's method and the WinAero method both work to show the custom folder in the Navigation Pane, I am still able to re-name or even delete the original target folder when using Keith's method but with the WinAero method, the target folder name gets locked on my System (attempts to delete or re-name the original folder give "Folder in use" or "Access Denied" message).

    Both methods use similar Registry methods (under CLSID), with the WinAero going as far as to lock the original folder name - this might matter to me were I in need to 'delete' or 're-name' or 'release' that folder for any regular reason/s. Of course, unless I the WinAero method is behaving this way only on my System.

    ps: Using Keith's method, after renaming or deleting the original folder, attempts to click on the custom folder then shows the standard "C:\my folder name... is not available. If the location is on a network, make sure that you're connected.........etc".
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 989
    Microsoft Windows 10 Home
       #19

    das10 said:
    As a side note, whilst using Keith's method and the WinAero method both work to show the custom folder in the Navigation Pane, I am still able to re-name or even delete the original target folder when using Keith's method but with the WinAero method, the target folder name gets locked on my System (attempts to delete or re-name the original folder give "Folder in use" or "Access Denied" message).

    Both methods use similar Registry methods (under CLSID), with the WinAero going as far as to lock the original folder name - this might matter to me were I in need to 'delete' or 're-name' or 'release' that folder for any regular reason/s. Of course, unless I the WinAero method is behaving this way only on my System.

    ps: Using Keith's method, after renaming or deleting the original folder, attempts to click on the custom folder then shows the standard "C:\my folder name... is not available. If the location is on a network, make sure that you're connected.........etc".
    Interesting. Thought it might just be setting the System attribute for the folder, but that doesn't prohibit re-naming here....

    May have to download to investigate....
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,807
    Windows 10 Pro 21H1 19043.1348
       #20

    Hi q9q,

    Welcome to Ten Forums.

    While I usually prefer the manual method for tweaks, there's only so much time in a day.
    OK, I get lazy sometimes and can appreciate the efforts of Sergey Tkachenko in creating Winaero Tweaker.


    Here, I've added a 'test folder' that appears in the Nav panel under 'This PC'. I used the content of an existing doc folder, this was only for display purposes.

    Add specific folders to Navigation Pane-0720-test-folder-nav-pane.jpg


    To add your own custom folder, launch WinAero Tweaker and type 'folders' in the upper-left search box, then enter.

    Add specific folders to Navigation Pane-0720-wt-folders.jpg


    Click [Add custom folder], then browse to locate the folder you want to add to 'My PC'. You can also browse to select a custom icon. This location also has a [Remove selected] to delete an existing folder. Be certain before clicking [Remove selected], there's no confirm action before the folder is deleted.

    Add specific folders to Navigation Pane-0720-add-tf-folder.jpg


    That's it! You now have a new folder that appears in 'My PC'. This Tweak option also has the ability to add to certain shell locations, if 'My PC' is not where you want the new folder. It also has a [Test this location] before saving.

    Add specific folders to Navigation Pane-0720-tf-folder-pc.jpg
    Last edited by W10 Tweaker; 20 Jul 2021 at 11:58.
      My Computer


 

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