Tweak Up XP

Yet another under-utilized feature in Windows XP is the places bar - you know, the one on the left side of your save dialogs that shows more or less pointless shortcuts to things you can get at just as easily through the dropdown menu?

It’d be a nice timesaver if it were customizable.

Well, it is, and there are several ways to do it.

1. The Registry: like so many other Windows tweaks, those who don’t mind a little text hacking can run regedit to makes some adjustments:Start -> Run -> regedit [enter]Now, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\comdlg32\

   If there is no PlacesBar key, create it now - otherwise, go on.

   You can create up to 5 string values under the PlacesBar key (starting with 0, of course).

   

1. Group Policy Editor: Windows XP Pro only. GPedit will accomplish the same thing, and with a slightly nicer interface. Think of it as the compromise between option one and three.Start -> Run -> gpedit.msc

   Now navigate to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Explorer -> Common Open File Dialog

   Double click “Items Displayed in Places Bar” in the right pane.

   

   The “Explain,” tab actually does give some good information about how to configure the settings. You can use absolute folder paths, UNC shares, or common Windows locations like “MyPictures.”

2. Melloware Placesbar Editor: for those who’d rather just find a pretty, easy-to-use tool for doing this, check out Freeware Genius’ writeup of this utility. It’s much more visual and gives you the option to test your new settings before applying them, which is a pretty cool trick. Obviously the regedit method will require a reboot to accomplish that, which is a little annoying.

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