NOTE: This tutorial has been featured by Microsoft. AskVG.com was the first website posting this unique trick.
This tutorial will help you in enabling "View" menu on Desktop which is now available by default.

1. Open %windir%\System32\Shell32.dll file in Resource Hacker.
2. Goto: Menu -> 215 -> 1033.
3. In right-side pane, replace the line saying:
POPUP "&View", 28674, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
to:
POPUP "&View", 0, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
i.e., you have to only change the ID 28674 to 0. It can also be done by deleting the text after "&View" and after compilation resource hacker will automatically add the remaining part.
4. Now click on Compile Script button and save the file.
Now after restarting the PC, you'll see the VIEW menu on desktop and it'll work without any problem.
NOTE 1: After applying this tweak the "View" button on Toolbar will stop working.
NOTE 2: If you are facing problems while saving the file after editing in resource hacker, then make sure you have disabled WFP (Windows File Protection) service using WFP Patcher.
Also if you are getting error "Can't create file...", that means you have edited and saved the file in past and there is a backup file which needs to be deleted before saving this file again. Go to "System32" folder and you'll see a file having "shell32_original.dll". Delete it and try to save the file in resource hacker.
This article was posted by VG in following section: Resource Hacker, Windows XP.
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Rippie
THX, now i got the option for view when right click on my desktop. only problem is thoug that i cant see any icons except from the recycle bin. :( It has to be said that i am trying to get the list view on to my desktop.
If i choose details i get my icons, but that looks a bit funny :D Do you have any advise ?
VG
^^ Nope. Since we are forcing Windows to use our hack, its obvious to have these side effects. ;)
Ahmed
Hi My name is Ahmed F. I a computer enthusiast that really want to know more about computer ?
What i really want to know about is PROGRAMMING (WRITTING CODE DESIGNING PROGRAME) More about WINDOWS AND LINUX OS and better on HARDWARE Please can u give me clues how to start and how achieve all this step by step?
And also Once started which type of character should i put in practice 4 it 2 be possible?
Let me tell u this (U HAVE BRING CHANGES,IMPROVEMENT TO MANY PEOPLES LIFE MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS U )
Chetan
ThnX Vishal Bhai
Boon
Nice hack. One little thing though: On my system windows doesn't save the view setting (thumbnail) for the desktop. After every reboot i have to reset it to thumbnail. Is this normal? How can i fix it?
VG
^^ I have not checked it so can't confirm.
Father Monkey
SOLVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT IS possible to preserve the functionality of the toolbar button AND to have the popup menu on desktop....
=)
how??
instead of changin the value to "zero", add the following after the "}"...
POPUP "&View", 0, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
{
MENUITEM "T&humbnails", 28717, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Tile&s", 28718, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Ico&ns", 28713, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
}
so the entire text should look like this:
215 MENUEX
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US
{
POPUP "", 0, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
{
POPUP "&View", 28674, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
{
MENUITEM "Filmstri&p", 28719, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "T&humbnails", 28717, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Tile&s", 28718, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Ico&ns", 28713, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "&List", 28715, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "&Details", 28716, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
}
POPUP "&View", 0, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
{
MENUITEM "T&humbnails", 28717, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Tile&s", 28718, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Ico&ns", 28713, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
}
MENUITEM "", 65535, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED
POPUP "Arrange &Icons By", 28673, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
{
MENUITEM "", 30208, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Show in &Groups", 30209, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "&Auto Arrange", 28753, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "A&lign to Grid", 28756, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
}
MENUITEM "R&efresh", 28931, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "", 65535, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Customize This &Folder...", 28722, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "", 65535, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "&Paste", 28698, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Paste &Shortcut", 28700, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "&Undo", 28699, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
}
}
then press compile, and save...
I intentionally removed the DETAILS, LIST and FILMSTRIP views from the view context menu because those views look TERRIBLE!! (i guess that's why these options are not available by default).
if you´re looking for thumbnails for your images(in desktop too!!), i recommend u:
Xentient Thumbnails... supports more image formats than xp´s default thumb generator plus low resources usage
;)
Riza
As usuall when I add new values like these Father Monkey's I get: Compiler Error in line 15 at offset 13
Invalid statement: Text expected.
:S
VG
^^ You'll need to remove all double-quotes "" in the code and then type them manually. The site formatting change the double-quote in a character which is not supported by resource hacker.
Riza
I copy first code in Notepad then I place in Rseource Hacker. :S
Oh, now I removed quotes and when I placed new quotes from my keyboard (US english) I noticed different quotes. :D
Good, let see what happens. :)