Add button to Win7 explorer toolbar

Howdy.

I want to add a button that creates a new text document and put it next to the New Folder button in Windows 7, so that clicking it will give me the same result as right-clicking in the folder and choosing New>Text Document.

I have read this page: Add a Custom Command Button to the Windows 7 Explorer Toolbar - Win7, Explorer toolbar, FolderTypes, command bar, custom button, RegEdit, registry, jscript, Dan Rollins

and this page: Adding custom buttons to the Explorer command bar « winJade



So ive got the button appearing, and i can get it to open the actual program Notepad, but not create a new text document inside the folder. I dont know if its just a variable i need to add onto the command line "c:\windows\system32\notepad.exe", or its a different command altogether..

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Nathan

Hi thx for the reply. Im trying to replicate the action of right clicking and choosing New>Text Document. So when i push the button, a new un-opened text document will appear in the folder, with title text highlighted ready for renaming, same as what happens now with context menu method. Basically the exact same thing as the New Folder button, except New Text Document..

Try the application 7Plus. It has an option that creates a new text file when you press 'F7'. It's pretty cool and I use it often. It has a feature where you can add a folder shortcut to the explorer bar as well, which didn't make sense to me since we have the favorites navigation panel. But I found a way to add a button for 'Copy to', 'Move to', 'Show desktop', Switch windows' and 'Unblock Files' to the explorer bar, just using JavaScript. You can download the app for free from my livespaces skydrive account ExBarButtons.zip - Windows Live it's pretty cool and almost anyone can modify it to add different buttons and actions.

CadWizard said:

Try the application 7Plus. It has an option that creates a new text file when you press 'F7'. It's pretty cool and I use it often. It has a feature where you can add a folder shortcut to the explorer bar as well, which didn't make sense to me since we have the favorites navigation panel. But I found a way to add a button for 'Copy to', 'Move to', 'Show desktop', Switch windows' and 'Unblock Files' to the explorer bar, just using JavaScript. You can download the app for free from my livespaces skydrive account ExBarButtons.zip - Windows Live it's pretty cool and almost anyone can modify it to add different buttons and actions.

Hey dude I used the move to/copy to element but, I was wondering (should have asked first, I know) how to undo it in case I need to because I'm trying to find a way to remove the email and share buttons which force the copy to/move to buttons off into a menu :s

CadWizard said:

Try the application 7Plus. It has an option that creates a new text file when you press 'F7'. It's pretty cool and I use it often. It has a feature where you can add a folder shortcut to the explorer bar as well, which didn't make sense to me since we have the favorites navigation panel. But I found a way to add a button for 'Copy to', 'Move to', 'Show desktop', Switch windows' and 'Unblock Files' to the explorer bar, just using JavaScript. You can download the app for free from my livespaces skydrive account ExBarButtons.zip - Windows Live it's pretty cool and almost anyone can modify it to add different buttons and actions.

Can't this be done manually editing the registry without using your supplied scripts which get located in ProgramData? I can't get your scripts to run even though it's from an Admin console. I'd like to have the flip3d and show desktop buttons and not the rest of them. I've already added some buttons of my own but those two would be a welcome addition.

CorneliusM said:

Hey dude I used the move to/copy to element but, I was wondering (should have asked first, I know) how to undo it in case I need to because I'm trying to find a way to remove the email and share buttons which force the copy to/move to buttons off into a menu :s

I was also looking for how to remove the "Share with" button, when I found this post. Be sure you export the "Windows.share" key (as a backup) before you delete it! This way, you will be able to restore the button if you want it back again.

CadWizard said:

But I found a way to add a button for 'Copy to', 'Move to', 'Show desktop', Switch windows' and 'Unblock Files' to the explorer bar, just using JavaScript. You can download the app for free from my livespaces skydrive account ExBarButtons.zip - Windows Live it's pretty cool and almost anyone can modify it to add different buttons and actions.

A couple of more questions on this toolbar scripts.

1) What is the icon library for?
2) If the usable scripts are all located in C:\ProgramData\Cad\ExplorerBarEX\MyScripts\ExplorerBarUtilities.js , why place other items in the subfolder?

Points of awareness

1) Your scripts are set up for C:, mine as well as others may have Win 7 on another partition which I do but edited the scripts to reflect
2) If users have already edited the registry prior to running this and have some custom buttons under one of the folder types listed by your class ids and which already take up the (0) or (1) for example, your script will not overwrite them nor add to them

Greg,

1st.: Yes, the registry items could be manually added. They are for convienence only. But the commands can and wil not execute without the scripts in ExplorerBarUtilities.js.

2nd.: In order for the installation scripts to work, you will need to take ownership of at least the 'FolderTypes' registry key. You can manually enter in the information yourself. Look in the 'Reference' folder on the same level as the 'Scripts' folder for an example registry file for the exact key structure and the CID's I created for the buttons.

3rd.: The icon library is for Windows Vista, which shows icons on the explorer bar. Only needed for the Copy to and Move to buttons.

4th.: The extra scripts in the 'Scripts' folder is just a backup of the installation scripts which do not get copied over so as to avoid any 'File in use' error that may occur.

5th.: Good point about the drive spec. I will need to fix that or add a note to change the drive letter to correspond to your installation of windows. For now, anyone downloading this should do that themselves.

6th.: No, the scripts will not overwrite any buttons that already exists. I have designed it to discover the last used number for each folder type and then use the next available number. That's why I didn't simply provide a reg file to install the commands.

CorneliusM, I haven't forgoten about you. I do have an uninstallation script, but not with me at the moment. I'll be back home late tonight and post it as soon as I can. Sorry, my bad, that script should have been included, I'll make sure to update the zip file to include that ASAP. I'll also post it here in this thread for anyone needing it. In the meantime, if you need to uninstall it manually.:
Under the keys 'TasksItemsSelected' and 'TasksNoItemsSelected' for each folder type under the 'FolderTypes' key you will find keys with the names 0, 1, 2, etc... To remove my buttons only, delete any of those keys that has a string value key named 'CAD' located directly under the 'Default' key. Please backup your registry before doing so.

CadWizard said:

Greg,

6th.: No, the scripts will not overwrite any buttons that already exists. I have designed it to discover the last used number for each folder type and then use the next available number. That's why I didn't simply provide a reg file to install the commands.

.

Thanks Cad, that was my point. Your script did not discover the last used number for each folder type, at least not for me. If I had a custom one within a folder type which is in the list of CID's of your script, then no functions were added but to your credit and as you say, it did not overwrite mine nor did it add to it. Anyhow, I have edited it for personal use to just add the two which I wanted and it is working well! Thank you.