FeedsMy Folder
Nov/11/2003 03:01 PM
How about three posts in one day! 
I wrote a little utility about three years ago called My Folder that let's you customize folder icons and change the background image of folders. Oddly, Windows 98 already let you customize the folder backgrounds, but not the folder icons. Now, Windows XP will let you do you the icons, but not the backgrounds. So, I have now uploaded the utility to my website here since it looks like the former download locations no longer exists. A friend of mine had some ideas on some updates I should make to the program that would benefit XP users (XP wasn't out when I created My Folder, only in beta versions). If I get a chance, I might work on some more updates. Actually, there already is an update thaat I wrote, but it had a bug so I removed it a few days after releasing it. Then I never fixed the bug. 
You can download My Folder 0.94 from this link.
5 Comments
Hi Cameron -- thanks for this nice little util.
It's not just a cosmetic thing, but also really helps to identify folders more quickly.
There is one thing I would like to suggest (.. not knowing whether it is possible of course ...)
Is there any way to add the folder comments (InfoTips) in a way that they would be displayed in Win XP (home SP2) Explorer's detailed view "Comment" column?
I cant manage for some reason to get them displayed there, but it would help to see them all there constantly instead of having to "mouse over" each one individually.
would be great, indeed
Wolf
Comment by: Wolf on April 06, 2005 08:29 AM
I am pretty sure this should be possible. From what I can see, Windows 2000 offers a way to do this through the folder customization wizard (which also give a way to set a folder background), but Windows XP offers no way to add the backgrounds or comments.
I don't have Windows 2000 on my home computer, but we do at my work, so I will check out how Windows 2000 adds the comments to the folders.
Unfortunately, I haven't done any VB programming or have not even looked at the code for this program for over four years. So, it might take some time for me to figure out how this works. I actually have a newer version of this program will some other features, but I had some bugs I never fixed. Maybe I will try and fix those too.
Comment by: Cameron Bulock on April 06, 2005 09:26 AM
Just an update to this. I kinda forgot about this for a little bit. I have determined how Windows 2000 creates folder comments, but it seems these comments are different than the file comments that show up in the details column. I know that the comments for files are stored on the NTFS table for the files. But, folders don't have this ability. There is a way to create comments through the desktop.ini file and a Comments.htt file. But, I honestly can't see what it does. I don't see any where in the GUI where these folder comments display. I tested this in XP also, couldn't see what the comments did in there either. Will have to do some more testing on this.
Comment by: Cameron Bulock on April 19, 2005 08:57 PM
Hi again!
Many thanks for your effort!
Hmm... I wonder ...should it not (theoritically) be possible to add an ADS (Alternate Data Stream) to an NTFS Folder entry just as well as to a file? (though probably not quite as easy)
I seem to remember some one say so, but I could be wrong.
I have meanwile spent a good bit of time trying to find out more about this obvious XP shortcoming - but no luck.
Nobody seems to know much about it.
I still havn't seen anything displayed in the comment column for any folder...and it would be so helpful! (even more than file comments, I think)
Ah well ... I hope I dont miss your upgraded version once you have it out :)
Comment by: Wolf on April 27, 2005 02:39 PM
i have noticed that some folders, such as those in the control panel have comments. is there a way to add reg values such as:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*]
"TileInfo"="prop:Type;Size;Attributes"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*]
"InfoTip"="prop:Type;Size;DocComments;Attributes"
Comment by: dave on January 06, 2007 03:30 AM