Messages

1

General Software Discussion / Re: FastExplorer: Create your own Context Menu Items (Freeware)

« on: August 24, 2008, 03:12 PM »

Just to warm up the topic:
Fast Explorer 2008 3.1.11.430
Fast Explorer Context Menu Extension DLL v3.1.11.190
are finally out and ready to download from:
http://thesoftpro.tr...od.com/downloads/fe/

List of changes:

• added support for perceived types (introduced in Windows XP) including a set of predefined PerceivedTypes: Image, Text, Audio, Video, Compressed and System;
• copy and paste for static and dynamic menu items;
• relaxed user priveleges for using of Fast Explorer Context Menu Extension DLL: administrative rights on local machine are required to edit, enable and disable dynamic menu items. Regular users can enjoy installed context menu items;
• updated installer to NSIS v2.39;
• fix: Windows Registration Server (regsvr32.exe) crashes after enabling or disabling dynamic menu items;
• fix: accidental crash on pressing Win+E or right clicking on My Computer;
• fix: incorrect reporting of Windows Server 2008 in the About box;
• fix: dynamic menu items didn't appear if the access to the Internet is restricted for Verclsid.exe;
• fix: crash on click on the Parameters label on the Submenu Items tab;
• fix: crash on pressing F1 when a context menu is shown.

As usual, English, French and Russian localizations are built in. Japan localization is coming (hopefully  ).
Enjoy.

2

General Software Discussion / Re: FastExplorer: Create your own Context Menu Items (Freeware)

« on: May 04, 2008, 12:40 PM »

Feel free to point and laugh and place a comical hat upon my head if I have missed something written in really big letters, but would Fast Explorer allow me to ditch the current freeware utility I am using to get rid of unwanted context menu items?

You know, all the ones slapped on by this or that program, that the program itself doesn't provide an option to get rid of them, or if it does, you can't find it, so your context menu ends up with about 9 squillion entries, approximately 7 of which you use or need...

-cathodera (May 04, 2008, 07:03 AM)

Well, you can delete or temporary disable unwanted context menu items added by other programs. Just look at the Static Items Cleanup and Shell Extensions Cleanup tabs.

What is really difficult for a context menu editing tool is to edit existing context menu items in a WYSIWYG manner. A context menu can be either completely replaced (as Mmm does, for example), or at least you could use these two cleanup tabs in Fast Explorer. The fact is that everything you see in a context menu has a very different nature. It could be menu items:
1) which are added and handled by the system (such as Copy, Delete, Properties);
2) which are added through the Registry by system or third party apps (Static Items Cleanup tab);
3) which are dynamically created by so-called "shell extensions" every time you pop up the menu (Shell Extensions Cleanup).

As you can see, the task of editing the existing context menu items splits into three fundamentally different subtasks. And it really hard to combine it all together.

3

General Software Discussion / Re: Batch image resizing, dimensions fixed, quality dependant on eventual file size?

« on: May 02, 2008, 04:31 PM »

Batch file processing is a feature of Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo. All you should do is to setup actions performed on individual image file, select source and destination files/folders and click Start. However, it is commercial.

4

General Software Discussion / Re: FastExplorer: Create your own Context Menu Items (Freeware)

« on: May 02, 2008, 01:39 PM »

I've got a couple of requests: Preview the context menu and ability to rearrange the order of items in the context menu (if possible).

-TucknDar (May 02, 2008, 12:50 PM)

1) Preview of context menu is possible. Added to the TODO list.
2) Rearranging of existing context menu items is one of the most wanted features, as well as a hardly possible one.

TBH I had forgot about Fast Explorer and I'm delighted it's still in active development! The Nirsoft utilities with similar capabilities are excellent, too, but I think Fast Explorer will be my choice for tweaking my context menus

-TucknDar (May 02, 2008, 12:50 PM)

As a true freeware, Fast Explorer is truly limited to the amount of author's free time

5

General Software Discussion / Re: FastExplorer: Create your own Context Menu Items (Freeware)

« on: May 02, 2008, 12:22 PM »

Hello context menu fans!

Since 1999, Fast Explorer is an active project and is always open for suggestions and comments.
As for now, it is the only freeware tool that does the wide range of context menu management tasks.
I see here much interest in a good context menu manager. I'd like to share the development plan and discuss it with you:

Next minor update (expected in a few weeks)

• copy/paste feature for menu items across different tabs;
• add support for perceived types (introduced in Windows XP ) including a set of predefined PerceivedTypes: Image, Text, Audio, Video, Compressed and System;
• relax user privileges for using of Fast Explorer Context Menu Extension DLL: administrative rights on local machine are required to enable or disable dynamic menu items only, and regular users can enjoy installed context menu items;
• update installer to NSIS v2.36;
• fix: Windows Registration Server (regsvr32.exe) crashes after enabling or disabling dynamic menu items;
• fix: exotic crash on pressing Win+E or right clicking on My Computer;
• fix: incorrect reporting of Windows Server 2008 in the About box;
• fix: dynamic menu items do not appear if the access to the Internet is restricted for Verclsid.exe; more info;
• fix: crash on click on the Parameters label on the Submenu Items tab;
• fix: crash on pressing F1 when a context menu is shown.

Future minor updates

• [troubleshooting] improve diagnostics of Registry operations and show the users an error message reported by system;
• [usability] multi-select feature for static and dynamic menu items tabs;
• Ability to specify multiple file types for menu items;
• "Convert existing static menu item to dynamic": possibility to place existing (non-Fast Explorer) items into submenus with one click;

Future major versions

• a special context menu item that shows preview of an image;
• a context menu item that would allow a user to explore and execute the contents of any directory in Windows XP (similar to cascading menus in Start, e.g.);
• manage IE context menus;

As you see, the context menu management thread is supposed to be alive until Microsoft includes own context menu manager with Windows, or moves to Linux

Please use this topic to post your suggestions and requests (or contact via email).
All points of the development plan (except the next minor update) are the subject to change if there will be (or won't be) demand for them.