Quick tutorial for creating easy (Start > Run) access to lookup files on Windows

[Arlen G. Holder]

Quick tutorial for creating easy access to lookup files on Windows.

Let's assume you have a set of document (of any format) scattered about
your system which you wish to instantly access, from time to time, for the
purpose of annotating or looking up data such as names, addresses, parts,
part numbers, web sites, todo lists, whatever.

SIMPLE EXAMPLE:
o Start > Run > autoparts
o Start > Run > libraryhours
o Start > Run > todolist
etc.

SIMPLE USE MODEL:
o Start > Run > file (this pops up any file in its default editor).

SIMPLE SETUP:
o Obtain the file or create a blank file.
o Add an "App Path" key pointing to that file.

OBTAIN OR CREATE THE FILE:
o type nul > file.txt (or simply "dir > file.txt")

ADD FAVORITES to the System Registry: (done only once):
o Start > Run > regedit
o HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\

Then, whenever you need to access any of your data files, say, the
automotive parts store list of hours and phone numbers and clerk's names,
etc., you simply run...
o Start > Run > parts

If you've set up this key from that "favorite" in the registry:
o App Paths\parts.exe

And where the value of that key is a pointer to the file:
o Default = /path/to/the/file/named/parts.xls

Note: There are certainly additional ways to access these random files
scattered about; this is just an intuitive method that doesn't require a
change in the GUI, and which doesn't preclude any of those other methods.

[David E. Ross]

Windows 7

I have several such files. One is a phone list in a Word document.
Another is a list of passwords in a .txt file (non-critical,
non-financial passwords for sites contain no personal information).

I right-clicked on the Windows Taskbar and selected [Toolbars > New
Toolbar] from the menu. The resulting New Toolbar menu allowed me to
specify a folder to contain the toolbar, the name of that folder, and
where I wanted it to reside. I then went to that folder and populated
it with shortcuts to the data files. I also included shortcuts to
certain applications that I use very frequently. The toolbar appears by
name on the Taskbar. When I select it, it shows a menu with the
shortcuts. Selecting a shortcut to a data file from that menu opens the
file in the appropriate application (Word for the phone list and Notepad
for the passwords).

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

President Trump claimed that the Mueller report vindicated him.
Why then is his administration trying to prevent Congress from
seeing the full, unredacted report?

[Arlen G. Holder]

On Fri, 3 May 2019 18:01:03 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:

> Windows 7

> I right-clicked on the Windows Taskbar and selected [Toolbars > New
> Toolbar] from the menu.

Hi David,

I wish to thank you for your purposefully helpful suggestions!
o You helped everyone because Usenet is a potluck picnic of tasty ideas
o We each bring the value we can for the benefit of the whole community

Hence I thank you for helpfully adding an additional way to easily access
any sporadically accessed editable file on Windows, simply by modifying the
task bar to always have that file available in the GUI.
<https://i.postimg.cc/T3J0brSL/winxpmenu11.jpg>

I do the same thing (sort of) for all my executable's, for example, where
my taskbar "new folder" contains the complete "program files" hierarchy of
installers, as shown in this Windows 10 screenshot below.
<https://i.postimg.cc/zXgVwk1J/winxpmenu10.jpg>

In fact, I easily populate that WinXP-style accordion menu in Win10 simply
by right clicking on a shortcut to send it directly _to_ the menu itself.
<https://i.postimg.cc/GpJDFxGB/winxpmenu07.jpg>

It's so simple to create that I also keep a "flat" menu on the taskbar:
<https://i.postimg.cc/CL3n9Q4B/winxpmenu08.jpg>

Where it's reasonably unobtrusive when it's not in use:
<https://i.postimg.cc/vT1DNrgt/winxpmenu09.jpg>

The main difference with the "Start > Run" suggestion, is that it is
_completely_ unobtrusive, in that not a single modification of the Windows
GUI needs to be made when we use the App Paths registry key.

All we do is type:
Start > Run > filename
And up pops that named file in its default editor.

What would be nice is if we could get a *folder* to open up using this
method, but I haven't been able to figure out the syntax to do that yet.
Start > Run > pic

What I would want, when I type that single folder name, is this folder to
pop up (without me having to type the entire path to that folder):
C:\path\to\that\folder\named\pic
As shown here:
<https://i.postimg.cc/fynSPS4L/winxpmenu12.jpg>

In summary, if anyone here who is an expert in using this Windows App Paths
key (any version from XP to 7 to 10 works the same, AFAIK) knows how to
open any desired folder simply by typing the folder name into the Start Run
box, that would be generally useful to everyone.

Note: I realize this works for special folders such as "Documents"
Start > Run > documents
But the goal is for it to work also for any desired set folder.

[David E. Ross]

By creating a toolbar accessed from the Taskbar, I am able to include
folders. In the folder representing the toolbar, I have two actual
folders, each containing shortcuts to applications and bat files. I
also have a shortcut to a folder containing data files.

When I select my special toolbar to display its menu, I can select a
shortcut folder from the menu, which opens that folder on my desktop.
Or I can select an actual folder, which displays a submenu of its
contents.

[Arlen G. Holder]

On Fri, 3 May 2019 22:08:52 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:

> By creating a toolbar accessed from the Taskbar, I am able to include
> folders. In the folder representing the toolbar, I have two actual
> folders, each containing shortcuts to applications and bat files. I
> also have a shortcut to a folder containing data files.
>
> When I select my special toolbar to display its menu, I can select a
> shortcut folder from the menu, which opens that folder on my desktop.
> Or I can select an actual folder, which displays a submenu of its
> contents.

Hi David,

We agree that basic normal standard shortcuts can easily open folders
o The hard part is how to open folders with the App Paths key

To my knowledge, nobody yet has the answer to that expert question.

That's why it will take an expert who knows more than we do to solve it.
o The goal is to open any desired folder without modifying the GUI at all.

[R.Wieser]

Arlen,

As always you come up with the most complex of "solutions" to stuff that has
already been solved. Personally I seldom use the "run" method, but do have
a personalized folder in the "start" popup. Much easier actually, as I do
than not have to remember which names the files, executables and what not
have. Just point-and-click.

As for "quick and easy" ? Rummaging around in the registry is definitily
/not/ what anyone (especially not novices) should do. Too easy to make a
mistake and fuck up the OS that way.

And a few other remarks:

> ADD FAVORITES to the System Registry: (done only once):
> o Start > Run > regedit
> o HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\
>

That seems to be incomplete. What needs to be done there ?

> We agree that basic normal standard shortcuts can easily open
> folders
> o The hard part is how to open folders with the App Paths key
>
> To my knowledge, nobody yet has the answer to that expert question.

Sou you want to abuse an *APP* paths entry to work with *FOLDERS* too ?
Good luck. And thats not an expert question at all, just one you demand
that should be possible but can't find the solution for and than throws it
upon "the tribe" to solve it for you. In short, you're just sticking a
feather in the asses of gullible "experts" to give you your solution.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

P.s.
Don't bother to reply. The only reason I saw your post is because you've
yet again choosen a new name.

P.p.s
I'll give you a freebee: If you want to access folders when all you /can/
access is files, just create links to those folders. You know, windows own
.LNK ones. Type in the name of a folder, the same-named .LNK gets
executed instead and presto, there is your folder.

[R.Wieser]

And I forgot: You seem to be rather oblivious - as allways - that solutions
that could work in W10 might well not work in XP, and vise-verse.

Nope, you just spam your proven-to-work-in-a-single-OS(?) (yours) into as
many different OS versions newsgroups you can find, and let "the tribe"
figure out any incompatability problems with it.

Just imagine the fun a novice will have trying to get your "quick tutorial"
to work - and than having no clue to why it won't.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

[Arlen G. Holder]

On Sat, 4 May 2019 10:40:15 +0200, R.Wieser wrote:

> As always you come up with the most complex of "solutions" to stuff that has
> already been solved.

Hi Rudy,

The key question being asked of the Windows experts is...
Q: How does this work? Start > Run > my documents
(Tested on Windows XP, but where all Windows versions are similar.)

If we knew better how that non-GUI folder-opening mechanism worked, then we
might be able to take efficient advantage of that non_GUI folder opening
mechanism on all our Windows platforms.

I suspect everyone knows how to use folder links scattered about, Rudy.
o The goal is to NOT pollute the Windows GUI with folder links.
<https://i.postimg.cc/mZYnkgqp/winxpmenu13.jpg>

The goal is to use our brains, and expertise, to make an efficient system
o that does NOT pollute that system with scattered folder links

It _can_ be done, even if nobody here (yet) knows how to do it.

For example, this works just fine on Windows XP to open the folder:
Start > Run > my documents

Notice you don't need to pollute your menus with links to that folder.
o There's a Windows non-GUI "mechanism" that allows that to happen

The expert question here is how to use that non-GUI mechanism...
o So that we can open any desired folder using that mechanism

WITHOUT having to add shortcuts to folders scattered all around:
o It's a question for experts only since the solution may not be obvious.

Once we find the method, an added efficiency advantage is that the registry
can be populated with these special commands with a portable text file for
all the machines that you maintain, on all Windows version.

But that registry file efficiency assumes we can figure out how it works.

Hence, the key question to be answered by experts is...
Q: How does this work: Start > Run > my documents

If we knew better how that non-GUI folder-opening mechanism worked, then we
might be able to take efficient advantage of that non_GUI folder opening
mechanism on all our Windows platforms.

[Arlen G. Holder]

On Sat, 4 May 2019 10:58:08 +0200, R.Wieser wrote:

> And I forgot: You seem to be rather oblivious - as allways - that solutions
> that could work in W10 might well not work in XP, and vise-verse.

Hi Rudy,

*This thread is a purposefully helpful tutorial for WinXP users too.*

Every time you post, you prove to the world...
o That you own the completely imaginary belief systems of a child

The test of a completely imaginary belief system is simple
o It doesn't have a _single_ fact that backs it up

It's completely imaginary.

> Nope, you just spam your proven-to-work-in-a-single-OS(?) (yours) into as
> many different OS versions newsgroups you can find, and let "the tribe"
> figure out any incompatability problems with it.

Rudy,

There are two reasons I can easily prove you own the mind of a child.
o Your belief systems are completely imaginary
o You post worthless drivel that is simply your childish emotions run amok

> Just imagine the fun a novice will have trying to get your "quick tutorial"
> to work - and than having no clue to why it won't.

Your belief system, Rudy, is that of a child
o Your entire belief system is completely imaginary

Mine is based on facts
o That's because I'm an adult, Rudy.

My belief system is not only based on facts Rudy,
o But my belief system is _bolstered_ by facts.

For example...

Does this work for you or not, on Windows XP?
Start > Run > My Documents

Do registry "Favorites" work for you or not, on Windows XP?

Is the App Paths key the same or not, on Windows XP?

Does the "Start > Run" work the same or not, on Windows XP?
etc.

In short, you add no value to this newsgroup, Rudy.
o In fact your posts are all of negative value
o As are mine, in response to your childish drivel

Hence, I'll spare all but the WinXP folks this response.
o Since the main point in this post is that this works for WinXP also.

*This thread is a purposefully helpful tutorial for WinXP users too.*