Desktop Icons without Text - More functionality with less Icons!

• No Alt+255 or Alt+0160 -> No Text selection box when you select an Icon
• Enhanced Context Menu's -> You can run several commands with one Icon
• You can add them to the Start Menu (Pinned Programs List)
• You can use them in a dock with working Context Menu's
• No exta application running in the background
• Easy Installation & Uninstallation

       

Install: Merge the "Add" regs from the Icons that you want to use (double click & click on yes) and Refresh your Desktop + copy NirCmd.* to your Windows or System32 directory.
NirCmd is a great little free Command Line Tool (it does'nt run in the background) and it's included in the zip file.
Uninstall: Merge the "Remove" regs and Refresh your Desktop + delete NirCmd.* from your Windows or System32 directory.

Important: When you have Multiple User Profiles on your Computer, you can use "Add Recycle Bin MUP.reg", this Recycle Bin is fully functional but it doesn't change his Icon when it's full.
"Add Recycle Bin.reg" modifies some values from the Recycle Bin's CLSID and applies to all User Profiles!

Don't use reg files that are older than the reg files in the zip file below! (fixed some MUP issues)
If you have merged older versions of these files, run "Remove all.bat" first and then merge the "Add" reg files.


You can change the Icons, the location, the tooltip and the name of the Icons with Shell Object Editor (right click and select Expert Mode) or by editing the reg files (see Tutorial).

Redllar has created a great free gui based reg file editor and viewer: Regpad.
With Regpad, you can view and edit the expandable string values (see the Tutorial for more info).

Add the Icons to a Dock: If you use a dock, you can use the reg files included in ACM_Dock.zip, these reg files will add the Icons to "Entire Network" instead of to the Desktop (see _ReadMe.txt for info about how to add them to your Dock).
If you have the Icons on the Desktop, first run "Remove All.bat" and then merge the "Add" regs from the Icons that you want to use.

   

Add the Icons to the Start Menu: Download ACM_Dock.zip and merge the "Add" regs from the icons that you want to use.
Open the "Entire Network" folder (My Network Places -> Entire Network) and drag the icons into the Start Menu.

   


If you have any questions about the reg files, have a look at the Tutorial.

The zip file contains:
• [Virtual Plastic]
• ACDSee 7 PP
• Ad-Aware SE Personal & Pro
• Alcohol 120%
• Audigy 2 [ZS]
• CCleaner
• CD - DVD Drives
• Control Panel
• Dreamweaver MX
• eMule
• Firefox
• FlashFXP
• Folder with Drag & Drop support
• Foobar2000 (by Splinter)
• Games Folder Example (by Squek)
• Google Earth
• Internet Explorer 6 & 7
• IrfanView
• iTunes
• iTunes 6
• Master Volume + NV + CSM + kX
• Media Center
• Media Player Classic
• Microsoft AntiSpyware
• MSN Messenger
• Musicmatch Jukebox
• My Computer (-e = Without Explorer pane +Eject = with Eject PC command)
• My Documents (-e = Without Explorer pane) with Drag & Drop support
• My Entire Network (Same as "My Network Places" but it opens "Entire Network")
• My Network Places
• NeoMule
• Neowin
• Nero 6 & 7 Premium
• Notepad (with paste Clipboard command)
• Office 2003, 2K3 (smaller version) & 2007
• Opera
• Outlook 2003 & 2007
• Outlook Express
• Photoshop CS & CS2
• Recycle Bin (+ MUP Fix)
• Shareaza
• Shutdown (+Eject = with Eject PC command)
• Spybot - Search & Destroy
• StarOffice
• Steam (by MiG:uK)
• Thunderbird
• TuneUp Utilities 2004 & 2006
• VLC Media Player
• Winamp
• Windows Defender
• Windows Media Player 9 & 10
• WinMX
• XnView (by Splinter)
• X-Setup Pro

If you have any questions or suggestions, please PM me or Post 'em here.

To the ones who rated this topic: Thanks for the 5 stars!

[/Herby]

» ACM.zip ( 272 KB )

And what if you don't have the english winxp?

nice, but i dont want the Network places icon , how can i do that ?

It still works, and you can translate it.
But you must only edit the names, not the commands!
The hex commands are easier to edit in the registry.

I shall post the separate reg files later...

Here are the separate reg files...

Shutdown Button ...

Master Volume Button



Installation: Import "Add Master Volume.reg" and Refresh your Desktop.
When you use NVMixer import the "Add Master Volume+.reg".
Playback & Recording Controls open in Compact View, Press CTRL+S to switch to Normal View.



When you want to adjust your Master Volume, just Click & Scroll.



To remove it, import "Remove Master Volume.reg" and Refresh your Desktop.

there was an app which removed the text from icons aswell, can't remember it tho.

coooL!!
thanks

what if I want names on them?

lol..
like My Networkplaces. and My Computer?

Just edit the reg files:

Change
To

Cool. Thanks Herby.

@crashdummy : lol? I don't get it. I know the point is to have them textless, but I like text.

Suggestion for possible changes

Control panel icon with the following menu items

• Control Panel
• Administrative Tools
• Fonts
• Printers and Faxes
• Scanners and Cameras
• Scheduled Tasks
• Network Connections

Basically the different folders

Also not sure how possible it but a "Clear temp" item on the recycle bin icon which runs a batch file etc to clear the %tmp% folder

Thanks for this wonderful tweak guide

Working on it,.. the only thing I don't know is the "registry shortcut" for Scanners and Cameras.
It has to run via an executable... like explorer.exe or rundll32.exe:

Explorer.exe ::{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} = Scheduled Tasks
Rundll32.exe shell32, SHHelpShortcuts_RunDLL PrintersFolder = Printers and Faxes
Explorer.exe shell:Common Administrative Tools...

Pretty Good Little Progs

Awesome work!

Here is the Control Panel.
Still don't know how to implent "Scanners and Cameras"...

Now what's REALLY kinda neat is when you combine say, the recycle bin without text, with the longhorn recycle bin icon, and that rather super-awesome "bahamas" wallpaper that StefanKa made famous, and...it just looks like it fits in:


Yep, the things I notice at 1am.

Thanks for that Herby, I replied to your PM

Here is the Control Panel icon with "Scanners and Cameras" added

I may be just slow, but how come the recycle bin uses whatever icon I assign to the recycle bin (in iconpackager), but the control panel, my computer, etc...they all keep the stock ones no matter what I change them to? (They're changed on the start menu and everything else)

What'd I miss?

Thanks,... it runs via the cpl,..

New Recycle Bin:
I've added the "Clear Temp" Command which removes all files in the "C:\Windows\Temp" directory that are not in use. (suggestion from REBELinBLUE)
You can change or add more Commands by editing the line:
@="Cmd.exe /C del /S /F /Q C:\\Windows\\Temp\\*.*"
If you want to use Multiple commands you must first add the Command Separator '&&' followed by the second Command:
@="Cmd.exe /C del /S /F /Q C:\\Windows\\Temp\\*.* && Cmd.exe /C del /S /F /Q C:\\Windows\\Prefetch\\*.*"

The Recycle Bin is the only one which you can change the icons the normal way.
I had to edit the original Recycle Bin address to make it work.
The rest of the Icons you can change by editing the reg files.
To change the Icons, edit the lines under;
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}\DefaultIcon]
to something like @="X:\\XXXXXXX\\IconDir\\AnyIconYouWant.ico".

New Internet Explorer:
Added Cookies,Flush DNS Cache, History & Temporary Internet Files.

(Flush DNS cache: clears the DNS cache entries from memory and flushes any potentially old or bad name to IP mappings. This can be very useful in troubleshooting DNS name resolution problems.)

What a beaut! Thanks again, Herby.

Again a new Recycle Bin:

Now the "Clear Temp" command not only clears "C:\Windows\Temp", but it also removes the Subdirectories + it now also clears "%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temp" + Subdirectories.

I had to create a hex command to make it work, but you can edit it in the registry.

wow this is cool.. i always wanted desktop icons without text Alt+255 was ugly..

thnx Herby

Thank you so much!
I have been waiting for something like this for ever!

Thaaank youuu

/Cqua

Thank you all for the Thank yous...

I'm now working on a Firefox Icon with lots of extra's.


[/Herby]

Is there a way to only make these changes to one user? I have 2 users on my system and I only want the changes to effect mine.

Uhmm,.. do they appear on the Desktop from the other user?

For all Firefox users out there!

Yea...they appear on both users screens

how about adding to each of these the option: "Change this Icon" and then you can navigate to the icon you want.

For the Recycle Bin I have no good solution... yet.
It works, but the Icon won't change when it's full.
You have to edit all the "Add" reg files; Remove the line "IsShortcut"="" & the line under ;Add .......... to Desktop.
Import all the "Remove" regs and then import the edited "Add" regs exept the "Add Recycle Bin.reg".
Now Import the "Add Recycle Bin.reg" from the attached zip file and copy the Icons from the zip file to your Desktop.

Good point,... I never thought of that.

I am creating another fix, without the "Icons" in this zip file,... I'm a little bizzy right now but I'll post it later!

I would like that too, but I don't think that's possible.
They are virtual folders,... but if someone knows how to do it, please let me know!

Who were you talking to? Will this fix the users problem? Also, whats the Users_Fix.zip file for?

I was talking to you...

This is a temporary fix.
I am creating a fix without the "Icons" in the zip file.
I'll post it tomorrow.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

It's an awsome tweak . Some new unique desktop.

Great work

OMG these are GREAT!!! no really they are!

Anymore?? (even tho i cant think of ne more that ne body cud ever need!)

Herby = genius

I'll see if I can tackle the icons issue tonight. I see how they're referencing virtually, so it should be pretty simple.

Fixed: Multiple User Profiles Problem (Icons Appeard on all Desktops)
When you installed the previous Icons, run "Remove all.bat" first and then import the "Add" reg files.
Important: When you have Multiple User Profiles on your Computer, use the "Add Recycle Bin MUP.reg"
This Recycle Bin doesn't change his Icon when it's full & you can't drag files in it, but you can empty and open it.

Added: Delete Cookies & Temp Internet Files in the Internet Explorer Context Menu.

This zip file contains:

- My Computer
- My Network Places
- My Documents
- Recycle Bin + MUP
- Control Panel
- Internet Explorer
- Mozilla Firefox
- Master Volume + NV
- Shutdown

[/Herby]

I was just looking at the reg files and thought of something neat...I make quite a bit of use of the "shared Documents" area because I wander around the house with my Axim x3i and listen to music, etc (kind of like a personal media center edition, just WM2003), as well as access them from my other computer. I wonder how hard it'd be to modify the "My Documents" with my pictures, music, etc, to reference the system's "Shared Documents" folderspace?

Thanks!!

Done...

Added:
• Shared Documents
• Shared Music
• Shared Pictures
• Shared Videos

Perfect!!

Herby, these totally rule, and I feel are way more functional than say, AveDesk icons.