Add a control panel tool to a category

Advertisement

Summary:

The Control Panel in Windows XP includes a Category view that divides specific tasks and Control Panel tools into different categories. This article describes how to add a Control Panel tool to a specific category.

More Information:

Warning: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

A Control Panel tool can be included in a particular category by adding a registry DWORD entry for the tool in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2

The allowed values of category IDs are as follows:

0x00000000 : Other Control Panel Options (any tool that does not specify a category ID is placed in this category)

0x00000001 : Appearance and Themes

0x00000002 : Printers and Other Hardware

0x00000003 : Network and Internet Connections

0x00000004 : Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices

0x00000005 : Performance and Maintenance

0x00000006 : Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options

0x00000007 : Accessibility Options

0xFFFFFFFF : Do not put the tool in any category (for special tools such as Add/Remove Programs which only start directly)

For example, this is how the Accessibility tool would be registered:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2
"%SystemRoot%\System32\access.cpl"=[DWORD] 0x07

For tools that are implemented as shell namespace extensions (for example, Fonts and Scheduled Tasks), the category ID is specified in the registry under the CLSID entry. For example, the registry entry for the Administrative Tools folder is:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D20EA4E1-3957-11D2-A40B-OC5020524153} "{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2"=[DWORD] 0x05

Note: There is no method for creating a new category or adding a task to a category.

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Keywords: MS Article ID 292463

 

Related Topics :

© 2013 123seminarsonly.com All Rights Reserved.