I'm using the Diamond kitchen HERE. I am really struggling to organise my start menu.
I've been able to create folders using the initflashes.dat and mxipinit_startmenu_001.provxml.
But Windows installs default icons that I have been unable to remove. Where do I remove the icons such as Calendat, Tasks, Messaging etc...? I want to remove them from the start menu root, into my new created folders.
Any help would be very much appreciated!
You need to take a multi-pronged attack to control the 6.5 start menu, lol. There are many different ways to do it.
First, the icons. One approach is to search on the sys folder for "icon." Can't remember the names (icon_games.png, or something like that). There is one big-ass folder with all the icons. Just delete the ones you don't like or need. Or, create your own icon, rename it the way it's named in sys, and stick it in a package that runs later. Then you'll never have to think about it again, as long as you keep the package.
As far as folders go, I've dug out all the provxml's that create start menu shortcuts and I've deleted all of the program shortcuts (I left the settings stuff alone). I don't remember what all the provxmls are named, but you can usually tell just looking at the title. I recommend either organizing the dump file in your kitchen by extension, and then copying all the .provxmls out and examining them (some are hidden). So, if you make changes to any of them, then you should again stick them in the package with your icons that runs at the end of the cooking process. Personally, I install my entire start menu by cab file during customization, and that's where my directory is created. I've editted out everything in the initiflashfiles.dat and app.dat files. I'm not recommending that you take this approach, but this is what I do, lol.
The last thing you need to do is to cook in your HKLM\Security\Shell\Startinfo reg setting. This has all of the folder icon settings (if you use the .png icons-personally, I don't). It also orders everything the way you like it. I've also found that I never have problems with the owner info and buttons settings not showing up with this cooked in. When you look at that reg directory, you'll probably see a lot of crap in there that isn't in your start menu (or in the wrong place). Just delete those entries.
Getting that menu set up is a pain, but once you have it done, it's not so bad.
Edit: you can also run a mortscript during customization to clean and re-organize the SM. I've done that, but there's just something unappealing about moving stuff around and deleting stuff. You usually end up with a messy startinfo registry (mine's clean as a whistle now, lol). But it does work. You can also write scripts to delete the 'icon' values in the registry to use icon.lnk files to set your folder icons. It pretty much comes down to what's convenient and what you're familiar with.
Related
hi,
please advise if i am wrong with my thoughts.
i think it is useless and a waste of performance to use LNK files (at least the ms ones).
lets have a look at the calendar.lnk:
if you want to launch the calendar app, you are launching first the calendar.lnk. the lnk file points to a registry setting (mscalendar). so the launcher (or systemhandler or whatever) needs to lookup there to findout what the programm-name and the required parameters are (in this case "poutlook.exe calendar". now after a while of doing nothing effectively the system finally begins to execute poutlook.exe calendar...
so whats the point of using lnk files?
i see so many launchers, programms even tweak utilities which make use of lnk files.
e.g. if you change one of your softkeys with a tweak utility to "phone", it does the same useless thing: it points to a link file instead directly to cprog.exe.
hopefully i am totally wrong but then please give me some advise.
thx
lnk is shortcut files
same as in windows
in windows if you want to start your program from the desktop
and dont want to copy the tons of files the exe file needs to start
to the desktop too you have a shortcut to the exe file
Some more on the subject:
The use of lnk files does not slow down the loading, in fact it can make it much more officiant.
Take Skype for example: it has a large executable (several MB). If you were to place that exe under "programs" to launch it it will take the system several seconds (quite noticeable period of time) just to find the icon inside the exe so even if you were just scrolling through your programs the device would appear to hang while the icon was loading.
A solution to that (which now became official part of the program installation) was to keep the icon in smaller exe (a resource dll or just plain ico file can also be used) and the lnk will "state" that the icon is not in the main exe.
Another use of the lnk files is the one you mentioned your self:
poutlook.exe calendar
Without lnk files you would be forced to type any parameters manually every time just like in the good old dos days.
By the way, the process you described, lnk-registry-exe does not take that long on current devices.
Just try launching a given exe directly and check if you notice any difference in lag.
If anything, it is the certificate check combined with relatively slow read speeds of flash memory that make WM 5 and 6 devices look sluggish.
levenum,
thanks a lot for your time and explanation.
sure, i was aware that lnk files help you to launch more easily programs with longer command strings when you use the default launcher.
but how about a different launcher (e.g. rltoday), where you setup once your config within that launcher. would you really point to the calendar.lnk file (which points to registry, which points to an exe file) instead of typing "poutlook.exe -calendar" directly into the launching path within rltoday?
anyway, if you say that there is no time lag, the discussion is more or less of "academical nature".
thanks
oliver
I am not familiar with rltoday, but it all comes down to how the programmer implemented the launcher.
There are two different commands, CreateProcess designed specifically to launch executable files and for that purpose only.
SellExecuteEx that acts exactly like a click in file explorer. The writer of the launcher has the option of which to use and I suspect they often use the second command.
The reason is simple: they want to give the user as much options as possible. If you want to bother and look up the exe and its command line, good for you, go for it. But what if you are a regular user who just wants to get that stupid icon on his today screen?
He wouldn't know or care about lnk->registry->exe. He just knows to look under windows\start menu\programs for something familiar.
Also having to interpret input of different types may be extra work so some launcher creators may want to only allow lnk and let the system understand and run their content.
That way they do not need to implement options for different icons, command line parameters and control panel applets.
With the 6.5 rom's coming out, I'm finding that I have to re-arrange my start menu everytime I flash. I'm aware of re-start, but it's a bit, primitive, for what I want to do. I'm wondering if CECabManager can create a cab that will simply MOVE files from one directory to another, even if that means creating a directory to place some files in. Basically, a fast and easy way to clean up my start menu the way I like it. Any help is appreciated.
A common cab can not do this, in my knowledge if you want a cab do this, that cab must contain a setup.dll, which can execute some commands before/after the install/uninstall. And seems it is not easy to make a setup.dll except you can use c++ computer language.
Otherwise a cab can only: Copy files, create/overrwrite registry and create shortcut.
As fa as I know, XDA_UC can do this. Check here:
[UC]XDA_UC V1.0.02, Automated & Silent User & Cook, Configuration Service[12/07/09]
Please do correct me if anything wrong.
I actually use a cab to install my start menu, but I cook my own roms. I think it's going to be harder to do if you're flashing different roms-you won't know beforehand all the shortcuts that you need. You could probably write a mortscript that deleted everything in the start menu, and then install what you want with a cab, but I have a feeling that you'll miss a bunch of apps that are cooked in, and maybe include dead shortcuts.
Sashimi is another good way to insert a new start menu directory.
hmm. guess I'll stick with what I know for now. Thanks guys.
All the new ROMS have the ability to hold and move the start menu items. I dont know if its possible but there needs to be the ability to hold and move a shortcut into a folder already present and create new folders from right there as well. Its annoying to have to go into total commander and organize all the shortcuts every time i install something. so if i could just press start and do it, that would be really cool.
Thanks.
If you can't do it, you can't do it. I've never used a rom with the drag'n'drop feature myself, but this is stuff that comes from microsoft. Your chef has no control over it. Is it really that hard to move a link with total commander? Here is my recommendation: create a shortcut to the start menu\programs directory, and put it in the root of your device directory. It makes it a lot easier to get to the start menu in total commander (or file explorer), because you don't have to open up \windows.
What the heck, here is the shortcut. Just change the extension from .txt to .lnk. You'll find it makes things much easier.
Cheers
Thanks Farmer Ted for the tip!
I hate opening up the windows folder as there are so many items and it takes around 6 seconds - every time I open it.
I never thought to create a shortcut for programs!
If I have the shortcut in my memory card, even after flash it would make it faster to navigate to program files..
Anyway, I know I said it the long way, but thank you!
Hey guys sorry if this has been covered before I did a couple of search in the Topaz and this forum but didn't turn up anything similar.
Basically, What I am looking for is a program of sorts that will allow me to arrange the icon how I wish them to be. For instance when I install games or new programs S2P for example; It just creates a new icon on the main page. I would like to place it in the "Multimedia" folder rather then sitting in the open.
Again sorry if their is a thread if you could direct then delete this that would be awesome or if any tips available. I like to keep all my stuff tagged and categorized and it kinda kills me about to see the pane all messy and filled with junk XD
Sorry I though I would point out I am using Dutty's R6 ROM.
You might try Showaco's reSTART, if you're running 6.5. Or, you can always browse to /Windows/Start Menu/Programs with any file explorer and manually copy the shortcut into whatever folder you want it to be in (or create a new folder).
hi there i've installed some games onto my HD2 (uno, FM, tonyhawks) and want to locate them in the games folder not in the main windows area. can anyone help me do this?
open file explorer. browse to windows/startmenu/programs.....look for ur games shortcuts......cut..... nd paste in windows/startmenu/programs/games. done
You're not done at all.
OK, it will move the shortcut to the correct folder, but the icon won't follow. It's defined in the registry ([HKLM\Security\Shell\Startinfo\Start] then the folder name, then the shortcut name, string value "Icon").
People making CABs should be a bit less lousy and direct shortcuts to the correct folder, same for the acompanying icon.
Actually, some people put icon definitions into several registry keys, so they will "follow" the shortcut if you move it. It's actually a satisfying alternative, if you consider it gives the user the ability to put the shortcut wherever he wants (including copying it to several locations) without losing the icon.
But yes, having shortcuts piling up into the Start Menu's first level, or even worse, placing them into dummy folders with a fixed name (sometimes in a foreign language), is pig work, and I saw even worse (yes, it's possible !) : shortcuts landing to a foreign language "Programs" or even "Start menu" folder, so actually not even displaying in the Start Menu !
When you create (or modify) a CAB file, you should heavily use aliases in order to let Windows Mobile translate them to the actual names during installation.
For instance, if you wanted to direct a shortcut to the "Games" folder, whatever its actual name in your own language is, you should NOT put it into "\Windows\StartMenu\Programs\Games" (neither into "%StartMenu_Programs%\Games", though it's still better like that), but you should actually use "%StartMenu_Programs_Games%", which will put the shortcut in the exact correct location.
You can do the same for the program's location itself. For instance, %ProgramFiles_Games% will direct it to the correct folder, according to your system's language, and will even do so, either you choose to install it on the internal memory, or on the SD card.
You can use these aliases inside registry values, too.
Unfortunately, this process may sometimes do it "too much".
It's the case on cooked ROMs, where the author may retain WWE names for some folders and translate others, sometimes using his own syntax. Since the CAB will always translate using the official way, it may still land in an incorrect location...
The ony way to be sure you'll obtain the wanted result, anyway, is to get some CAB editor program and peek inside before copying them to the pocket PC and installing them... And maybe, fix them before using them.
It will be handy each time you'll need to reinstal it, so don't mind inspecting and fixing the CABs you find : it's always better than crashing your system because something wrong or inadequate to your setup was put inside.
One classic case is TouchFlo / Sense tabs, for instance.
Unfortunately, they're all defined inside a unique XML Manila file, so you actually can't just ADD a tab : in fact, this notion does not even exist ; all you can do is overwrite your whole tabs list with another complete one, and pray that you'll end up with the same list, plus the new one... Would you bet your life on that ? I won't.
In real life, you really can NEVER trust a CAB intended to add a tab to your existing setup, as the author most probably don't have the same tabs as you have. In the best case, you'll just loose some tabs (they'll just disappear, even in the tabs list from the settings, and you won't get them back) : the programs and files are still there, but their definition file will have been replaced by the new one. And in the worst case, it will add a definition for a tab whose programs and files are not previously installed on your phone - and you'll crash it once and for all.
That's the reason why now, I never give a tab CAB containing any tabs definitions. I only provide all but the tabs list, and provide separate CABs for all the possible tabs combinations - and you have to choose and use the good one. Or use Maltwater's SenseUtil program to setup your tabs. The good news is my method will setup all the tabs in perfect order as soon as you've soft resetted the device, since my CABs contain the XML file, plus all the registry keys, plus it resets ManiFull.xml.
So, people, whatever I said about good CABs putting the shortcuts where they should... OK, you may be lucky... But the right behaviour should always be to look inside CABs before trying them. You can trust me !
i'm new coming nice to know all
russeini said:
open file explorer. browse to windows/startmenu/programs.....look for ur games shortcuts......cut..... nd paste in windows/startmenu/programs/games. done
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's been a while since I had the need to move icons, so there may be newer versions of this program, but the JWMDIconChanger will move the icons for you.