When is a shortcut not a shortcut?

[Tannin]

I've done this before and can't remember how to do it 'cause it's been a while. How do you get a "special" icon up onto the system tray? For example, My Computer.

You can drag and drop a shortcut to My Computer anywhere you like (such as to the system tray) and all you get is an ordinary shortcut. This is fine if you just want to click on it and go into the c: drive or something, but when you right click you get the shortcut properties, where what you want is the system properties, the device manager, and so on.

The same applies to several others, notably the network icon. I know it's easy, but I just can't remember what you do.

Thanks guys.

 

[Mercutio]

Right Click on the "Special", choose create shortcut, drag as usual.

 

[Tannin]

Nope. That just creates an ordinary shortcut. (Tried in on a XP machine too - it's the same.) Damn it, I know this is easy, and I can't remember how you do it! Powertoys maybe?

 

[Sol]

I can never remember how to do those things 'cause they don't adhere to rules consistent with how you do everything else in the system...

In the end I'd just create the normal shortcut and use the Windows Key+Pause to get the system properties up. The only other special icons I can think of are for things like IE which I don't use so that one's the only one that counts.

 

[Bozo]

I just put the My Computer icon in the System Tray and when I right click on it, I get the same menu that I get when I right click on the desktop icon. When I did the drag-n-drop, I clicked on the desktop icon with the left mouse button and held it down while dragging it to the tray.

Bozo :mrgrn:

 

[Mercutio]

Apparently the problem with that is that Tannin wants to be able to right-click to get to system properties, which that shortcut won't do.

Tannin either doesn't know about [Windows Key]-Break or isn't using a keyboard with a Windows Key (like his laptop, probably).

I kind of remember doing stuff like that by creating shortcuts to control.exe for the relevant control panel applet (e.g. control.exe sysdm.cpl) but I don't know how to recreate the special My Computer shortcut anyplace else.

 

[Tannin]

Where is Will when you need him?

 

[Will Rickards]

Are you talking about me? I have no idea really, have been avoiding the thread because I'm very busy at work. But I'll look for you Tannin.

I usually right click and drag and drop the icon.
But on win xp all I get is as you suggest. I get the manage menu item but properties is overtaken by the shortcuts properties.

And I think where you want it is the quick launch toolbar, not the system tray. The system tray contains application icons like the clock and stuff. You can't put icons there without a separate program to my knowledge.

Anyway if you create a shortcut to
sysdm.cpl
It will open up system properties for you when you click it.
If you want to get fancy you can add a right click menu item for system properties to my computer (see reg file below). Then your dragged and dropped my computer will have that menu as well.

Network connections is ncpa.cpl

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;313808
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;149648

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\System Props]
@=hex(2):00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\System Props\command]
@=hex(2):63,00,6f,00,6e,00,74,00,72,00,6f,00,6c,00,20,00,25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,\
  00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,\
  32,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,64,00,6d,00,2e,00,63,00,70,00,6c,00,00,00

 

[Will Rickards]

You can also drag and drop the control panel item to the quick launch.

 

[Tannin]

Will, thanks for your help with this. I've been away (as usual) and haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but as soon as I get a spare moment ....