Recent Posts

201

Post New Requests Here / Re: In some folder other than desktop, freeze icon placement

« Last post by nkormanik on November 01, 2018, 01:53 AM »

Virtual desktops seem not to provide new 'canvases' on which to work and organize your projects.  Virtual desktops appear to be mostly for separating open windows and running programs.

Unless I missed something.

If anyone knows of a program that provides new clear desktops or folders, on which one can carefully place icons, etc., and re-establish as desired, please let me know.

As said before, strikes me as absurd that such doesn't already exist.

202

Post New Requests Here / Re: In some folder other than desktop, freeze icon placement

« Last post by nkormanik on October 31, 2018, 08:43 PM »

Best approach for now regarding the objective of providing more 'desktop-like' working space in which to carefully arrange icons, etc., is to create additional desktops.

Windows directly allows this.  Google for instructions to change desktop folder.

In order to change desktops one has to log-off and back on.  New desktop will then be in effect.

After one finishes working on new desktop, one can use the same procedure to go back to original desktop.

DesktopOK works with whatever the current desktop is.  So just save icon positioning within each as wanted.


Skwire, another one done.

203

Post New Requests Here / Re: In some folder other than desktop, freeze icon placement

« Last post by nkormanik on October 30, 2018, 03:25 AM »

KodeZwerg, worthy suggestion.  Appreciate it!

Unfortunately, desktop.ini seems to only contain a few lines, and nothing about icon placement on desktop (or folder).

The idea I'm after, to clarify, is to place icons within folder, exactly where I want them to be placed.  So that when you open that folder the icons are where they are supposed to be, because I strategically placed them there.



Please see above image.  Worth 1000 words.

204

Post New Requests Here / Re: In some folder other than desktop, freeze icon placement

« Last post by nkormanik on October 30, 2018, 12:43 AM »

wraith808, Windows 10 Pro.  There is still that feature, to arrange and place your icons as desired, within each folder.

But, as said, as spotty as hell.  Pathetic.  Hit and miss.  Sometimes saved, mostly forgotten.

That's why a third-party solution is called for.  Microsoft engineers have other things requesting their attention.

By the way, icon arrangements appear to be held at the following registry location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\

But not at all easy to understand.  Coded.  Take a peek.

Theoretically one might be able to 'Export' that branch of the registry tree in order to save folder icon positions.  Then 'Import' back in to re-establish.

Trouble is, nearly EVERYTHING in the entire system regarding icon positionings is included there.  Each and every folder.  On all hard disks.  Plus extra stuff for good measure.

205

Post New Requests Here / Re: In some folder other than desktop, freeze icon placement

« Last post by nkormanik on October 29, 2018, 09:08 PM »

wraith808, Windows does indeed allow one to move icons around and place 'em in a folder.  And is supposed to remember such.  As long as the context menu... View, Auto-arrange... is unchecked.

Trouble is, in practice that's super spotty.  Even with Auto-arrange unchecked, often you close that folder and re-open only to find your icons lined up as you have described.  After you've spent countless amounts of time precisely arranging, with clarity and purpose.

Can't trust it at all.

So need a third-party solution.  One that specifically saves your icon arrangement in a particular folder, and can re-establish said arrangement.

Let's call the folder:  c:\Carefully_Arranged_Folder.

Perhaps a suitable approach would be to double-click a batch file, PowerShell file, .reg file... to save present precise arrangement.  And have another such file to re-establish arrangement.

Curious that nothing seems to exist that already does this.

Perplexing that no one else apparently perceives the usefulness.

As usual, go figure.

206

Post New Requests Here / In some folder other than desktop, freeze icon placement

« Last post by nkormanik on October 28, 2018, 10:20 PM »

On the desktop we already have a few good programs to save icon positions.  I use DesktopOK.  Another is Relcon.

Presently, however, there doesn't appear to be any program allowing one to backup/restore icon positions of some other folder.

I've written to the authors of both programs mentioned above to please "enhance" or extend their respective offerings.

The notion is to have additional desktops, just like the one you presently have:  Desktop#1, Desktop#2, Desktop#3, ....  Each one with icons, folders, files arranged exactly as you want.  Ability to save the arrangements.  And to instantly restore as needed.

My hunch is the job would take more work than you folks want to tackle.  But I thought I'd just throw out the idea.

Thoughts appreciated.

Nicholas Kormanik

207

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Create Folder, Give It Name: Current Date and Time

« Last post by nkormanik on October 25, 2018, 01:51 AM »

By the way, I ended up regressing to back-up.  All the "fixing" screwed the pooch.  Clear anomalies.  As said, no definitive answers.

208

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Create Folder, Give It Name: Current Date and Time

« Last post by nkormanik on October 25, 2018, 01:35 AM »

Regarding the original question above, I discovered (i.e., Google search) that 4wd's PowerShell script also works by calling from a batch file.

Place the two below together into the same fixed folder:

New Folder Date Time.bat:

@ECHO OFF
PowerShell.exe -Command "& '%~dpn0.ps1'"


New Folder Date Time.ps1:

$folderName = (Get-Date).tostring("yyyy-MM-dd hh-mm-ss")
New-Item -itemType Directory -Path "C:\0_SAS_1" -Name $FolderName


In the registry "command" space place the "path+New Folder Date Time.bat":

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Create Date-Time Folder\command]
@="\"C:\\Windows System Tools\\0 Create Date-Time Folder\\New Folder Date Time.bat\""


From handy context menu in folder background.  Easy peasy.  And no rude error message.

The only remaining fly-in-the-ointment is the specific location where the new date-time folder is created.  In the case above, it's bolded: C:\0_SAS_1.  Only works with respect to that one folder location.  Would greatly prefer that it work in ANY folder background, and create the new date-time folder in that folder.

But, at least....

209

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Create Folder, Give It Name: Current Date and Time

« Last post by nkormanik on October 24, 2018, 06:00 PM »

If one puts the entire error message into a Google search, gets a ton of hits.

But no one seems to have a definitive answer.

I'm in the perplexing situation now where I've implemented a bunch of the suggestions out there -- none worked -- and now I'm wondering if I should regress to a backup I made just prior to the said implementations.

Go figure.

210

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Create Folder, Give It Name: Current Date and Time

« Last post by nkormanik on October 24, 2018, 04:48 AM »

I'm wondering what explorer.exe has to do with it anyway.  It's PowerShell we're using....

211

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Create Folder, Give It Name: Current Date and Time

« Last post by nkormanik on October 24, 2018, 04:45 AM »

Both Desktop background and background of a folder.  Both give that damn error message.

Spent hours trying to see what others have done out there.  Tried many suggestions.  No use.

The really weird thing is, I think I remember encountering this issue before, maybe a year or so ago.  Should have documented the solution then, and saved such in a retrievable place.

212

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Create Folder, Give It Name: Current Date and Time

« Last post by nkormanik on October 24, 2018, 01:50 AM »

Curious if anyone else gets the following error when the 'background' reg is used, and attempting to create date-time folder:

"explorer.exe

This file does not have an app associated with it for performing this action. 
(...etc)."


I've been trying to research it, but seem to arrive at dead ends.

213

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Create Folder, Give It Name: Current Date and Time

« Last post by nkormanik on October 18, 2018, 04:55 AM »

4wd, ya did it again.  Exactly what I was hoping for.

Perhaps other Windows users will find their way here, and download some great little tools to make life a little easier.

Thanks!

214

Finished Programs / DONE: Create Folder, Give It Name: Current Date and Time

« Last post by nkormanik on October 17, 2018, 08:56 PM »

Searching the Internet I came across the following PowerShell script:

New Folder Date Time.ps1

$folderName = (Get-Date).tostring("yyyy-MM-dd hh-mm-ss")
New-Item -itemType Directory -Path . -Name $FolderName
Executin

IF this .ps1 file is in the current directory, and executed by PowerShell, an example of the result will be a new folder:

2018-10-17 07-28-52

Here is the challenge, however....

Create in the current folder (subdirectory) the above new folder, current date and time.  From the context menu.  And don't require that the executable script reside in the current folder -- executable script (or program??) should be in some other permanent location.

Seems odd that such does not already exist out there somewhere.

All thoughts, suggestions appreciated!

Nicholas Kormanik

215

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Append/Concatenate/Merge text files, but prepend filenames

« Last post by nkormanik on October 05, 2018, 02:33 AM »

c.gingerich, 4wd, wraith808, cranioscopical...  you guys are great.

(Who else did I miss??)

Thanks for your help.

Skwire, another one done.

216

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Append/Concatenate/Merge text files, but prepend filenames

« Last post by nkormanik on October 04, 2018, 06:33 PM »

4wd, wraith808, cranioscopical...  you guys are great.

Thanks for your help.

Skwire, another one done.

217

Finished Programs / DONE: Append/Concatenate/Merge text files, but prepend filenames

« Last post by nkormanik on October 03, 2018, 04:51 AM »

Any suggestions on the best way to append/concatenate/merge text files, and include filenames (and paths, even better) separating the files.

I've regularly simply used 'copy':

copy *.txt bigfile

But this, of course, does not include filenames between files.

Thoughts appreciated.

Thanks!

Nicholas Kormanik

218

Finished Programs / Re: SOLVED: Quick PowerShell Question

« Last post by nkormanik on October 03, 2018, 02:53 AM »

Good link, highend01.  Explains what I need to know.

Skwire, mark this thread as closed.

219

Finished Programs / SOLVED: Quick PowerShell Question

« Last post by nkormanik on October 03, 2018, 01:16 AM »

I'd like to change the date of all files in a folder, recursively.

A PowerShell script I've found on the Internet to do this is:


$files =  Get-ChildItem -force -recurse | Where-Object {! $_.PSIsContainer}
foreach($object in $files)
{
     $object.CreationTime=("10 November 2016 12:00:00")
}


My question is:  Where would one place the folder to be acted upon?

The script above operates on the 'current' folder.  But I'd like to act upon a different folder from 'current.'

Example: C:\Files\*.*

If anyone knows of another 'command line' (i.e., batch file) way of doing the job, please share.

Thanks!

Nicholas Kormanik

220

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Tally folder contents by file date

« Last post by nkormanik on September 29, 2018, 03:20 AM »

Thanks also to:

Nod5
4wd
highend01

Terrific skills demonstrated.

221

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Tally folder contents by file date

« Last post by nkormanik on September 29, 2018, 03:16 AM »

Beautiful job, wraith808.  Thanks very much.

Skwire, another winner.

222

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Tally folder contents by file date

« Last post by nkormanik on September 28, 2018, 07:42 PM »

Curiously the -c W parameter gives some really early dates.  Not sure what it's doing.

Different from 'Date Modified'.

Prefer 'Date Modified' option, along with the default 'Date Created'.

Thanks!

223

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Tally folder contents by file date

« Last post by nkormanik on September 28, 2018, 07:29 PM »

Output file still ends up in 'acted-upon' folder.

Prefer output file to be created in folder where TallyFiles.exe resides.

Thanks!

224

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Tally folder contents by file date

« Last post by nkormanik on September 26, 2018, 12:57 AM »

wraith808, beautifully done.  Thanks a million.

TallyFiles -d "C:\Windows System Tools" -o "Windows System Tools.txt"

Two enhancement requests:

1.  Allow the default output file save location be to where TallyFiles.exe resides and is executed from (via batch file there) (instead of folder being acted upon, presently the default save location).

Thus, command would be merely:

TallyFiles -d "C:\Windows System Tools"

(and .txt extension would be added to "Windows System Tools")

2.  I specified "Creation Date."  Could we have the option of "Date Modified"?

You might already be allowing for this through your -c, --compare option.  But I don't understand how it works, if so.

Great job!

Thanks again.

Nicholas

225

Finished Programs / Re: DONE: Tally folder contents by file date

« Last post by nkormanik on September 22, 2018, 10:41 PM »

Creation date.

Thanks for asking!