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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Father Monkey
bad new folks.....
Can´t get image thumbs on desktop...
=(
VG
I have fixed the site style and now you should not face any problem while copying the text. No need to manually replacing double-quotes. :)
VG
^^ I think you have 2 separate lines for View menu in the file. Make sure there is only single line containing View code in the file.
fzweb
Hi Vishal
Is it possible to change e.g. Thumbnails to Large Icons, Tiles to Medium icons, and Icons to Classic Icons, just like in Vista, without the system crashing?
Thanks in advance.
VG
^^ yes. you can. Please check following tutorial:
http://www.askvg.com/update-get-windows-7-desktop-context-menu-in-windows-xp/
fzweb
Ummm...no. That's not what I meant. Something like changing:
215 MENUEX
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US
{
POPUP "", 0, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
{
POPUP "&View", 0, 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
MENUITEM "", 30208, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Show in &Groups", 30209, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "&Auto Arrange Icons", 28753, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "A&lign Icons to Grid", 28756, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "", 30208, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Show &Desktop Items", 29698, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
}
to...
215 MENUEX
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US
{
POPUP "", 0, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
{
POPUP "&View", 0, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0
{
MENUITE
MENUITEM "Large Icons", 28717, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Medium Icons, 28718, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Classic Icons", 28713, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "", 30208, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Show in &Groups", 30209, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "&Auto Arrange Icons", 28753, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "A&lign Icons to Grid", 28756, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "", 30208, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED
MENUITEM "Show &Desktop Items", 29698, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED
}
Where when 'Large Icons' is clicked, it activates the view 'Thumbnails'. When Medium Icons is clicked, it activates the view for 'Tiles', and 'Classic Icons' activates Icons.
What will happen?
VG
^^ You can change the strings according to your requirements like you can change "Thumbnails" string to "Large Icons". Also you can delete any line from code if you don't want to show in context menu.
ibar
could you please tell me how to change "refresh" with my name
ibar
hi vishal....!
ur site has given me a lot of knowledge about windows, thanks a lot. I have one question in mind. I like vista but I hate its explorer. I prefer xp explorer. Is it possible to have xp explorer on vista? thx
VG
^^ You can change Refresh to any other string in the same "215" Menu described in the above tutorial. Just change the string enclosed in double-quotes to any other string and compile the script.
Regarding Explorer, you can't get XP explorer in Vista but you can try 3rd party Explorer alternatives.