Adding Comments to Network Folders & Subfolders

  • Thread starter Thread starter Don G.
  • Start date Start date
D

Don G.

Does anybody know if its possible to add comments to
folders? (Kind of like adding comments to MS Exchage
email groups)We have about a dozen shared drives in our
domain and there has been dozens of folders created in
each drive over the years for one reason or another that
nobody seems to know what they are for. I thought if I
could add some discriptive comments in the detail view of
each folder. Something like when it was made, why it was
made which department uses it, etc, it would help the next
guy down the road that is doing what I am doing. (Trying
to figure out what is being used and what is junk!)
 
Does anybody know if its possible to add comments to
folders? (Kind of like adding comments to MS Exchage
email groups)We have about a dozen shared drives in our
domain and there has been dozens of folders created in
each drive over the years for one reason or another that
nobody seems to know what they are for. I thought if I
could add some discriptive comments in the detail view of
each folder. Something like when it was made, why it was
made which department uses it, etc, it would help the next
guy down the road that is doing what I am doing. (Trying
to figure out what is being used and what is junk!)
Click to expand...

Maybe just add a text file that only the admin can read or delete to
each folder with those details?
 
Hi Don,

To add text to the "Comment" column for directories so that it will show up in a
column next to Name, Size, Type, Modified, etc., use a Desktop.ini file and an
"Infotip=YourComment" line.

For example, if you want to add the comment "My Directory of Temporary Files" to a
directory named D:\MyTemp:

- If necessary change your Explorer view options as follows:

Control Panel > Folder Options > View [tab]:
Uncheck: "Hide file extensions for known file types"

- Use Explorer to navigate to D:\MyTemp

- Right-click on D:\MyTemp and choose Properties, in the Attributes section click
Read-only, click Apply, click OK to Apply changes to this folder only, click OK

- Right-click in the file list control area of D:\MyTemp and choose
New > Text Document

- Rename New Text Document to: desktop.ini

- Double-click desktop.ini, add the following two lines, and save the file:

[.ShellClassInfo]
InfoTip=My Directory of Temporary Files

Now, if the Comment column is enabled when you select D:\ in Explorer, you should
see your text.

For an example (most likely) on your computer, do this:

- If necessary change your Explorer view options as follows:

Control Panel > Folder Options > View [tab]:
Select: "Show hidden files and folders"
Uncheck: "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)"

- Use Explorer to navigate to the following directory:

...\Documents and Settings\Administrator

- If necessary, enable the "Comment" column. Note that the comment next to the
Recent folder says "History Folder"

- Double-click that Recent folder

- Double-click desktop.ini

- Note the line: "InfoTip=History Folder"

For more information about customizing a folder using desktop.ini see:

Customizing Folders with Desktop.ini
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/e...hell_basics/shell_basics_extending/custom.asp

Customizing your Computer in Desktop.ini
http://www.geocities.com/registrylord/desktop.txt

--
Carrie Garth, Microsoft MVP for Windows 2000
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- c x g

: "Don G." <dong AT unionbankvt DOT com>
: Wrote in message : Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 03:02 PM
: Does anybody know if its possible to add comments to
: folders? (Kind of like adding comments to MS Exchage
: email groups)We have about a dozen shared drives in our
: domain and there has been dozens of folders created in
: each drive over the years for one reason or another that
: nobody seems to know what they are for. I thought if I
: could add some discriptive comments in the detail view of
: each folder. Something like when it was made, why it was
: made which department uses it, etc, it would help the next
: guy down the road that is doing what I am doing. (Trying
: to figure out what is being used and what is junk!)
 
Carrie,
These steps don't work :(
I followed these exact steps. What am I missing?
-G

Carrie Garth (MVP) said:
Hi Don,

To add text to the "Comment" column for directories so that it will show up in a
column next to Name, Size, Type, Modified, etc., use a Desktop.ini file and an
"Infotip=YourComment" line.

For example, if you want to add the comment "My Directory of Temporary Files" to a
directory named D:\MyTemp:

- If necessary change your Explorer view options as follows:

Control Panel > Folder Options > View [tab]:
Uncheck: "Hide file extensions for known file types"

- Use Explorer to navigate to D:\MyTemp

- Right-click on D:\MyTemp and choose Properties, in the Attributes section click
Read-only, click Apply, click OK to Apply changes to this folder only, click OK

- Right-click in the file list control area of D:\MyTemp and choose
New > Text Document

- Rename New Text Document to: desktop.ini

- Double-click desktop.ini, add the following two lines, and save the file:

[.ShellClassInfo]
InfoTip=My Directory of Temporary Files

Now, if the Comment column is enabled when you select D:\ in Explorer, you should
see your text.

For an example (most likely) on your computer, do this:

- If necessary change your Explorer view options as follows:

Control Panel > Folder Options > View [tab]:
Select: "Show hidden files and folders"
Uncheck: "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)"

- Use Explorer to navigate to the following directory:

...\Documents and Settings\Administrator

- If necessary, enable the "Comment" column. Note that the comment next to the
Recent folder says "History Folder"

- Double-click that Recent folder

- Double-click desktop.ini

- Note the line: "InfoTip=History Folder"

For more information about customizing a folder using desktop.ini see:

Customizing Folders with Desktop.ini
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/e...hell_basics/shell_basics_extending/custom.asp

Customizing your Computer in Desktop.ini
http://www.geocities.com/registrylord/desktop.txt

--
Carrie Garth, Microsoft MVP for Windows 2000
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- c x g

: "Don G." <dong AT unionbankvt DOT com>
: Wrote in message : Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 03:02 PM
: Does anybody know if its possible to add comments to
: folders? (Kind of like adding comments to MS Exchage
: email groups)We have about a dozen shared drives in our
: domain and there has been dozens of folders created in
: each drive over the years for one reason or another that
: nobody seems to know what they are for. I thought if I
: could add some discriptive comments in the detail view of
: each folder. Something like when it was made, why it was
: made which department uses it, etc, it would help the next
: guy down the road that is doing what I am doing. (Trying
: to figure out what is being used and what is junk!)
Click to expand...
 
Hi G,

Sorry, I am not sure what you are missing since following the steps work on my
computer. Perhaps it would help if you read Jerold Schulman's Reghack on the
subject.

JSI, INC_ - Tips & Tricks - Windows Server 2003 - Windows NT -
Windows 2000 - Windows XP ®

3210 » How do I assign a custom icon to a folder in Windows 2000 Explorer
http://www.jsiinc.com/subg/tip3200/rh3210.htm

Note: His tip has you set the System Attribute to the folder. However, as can be
verified by checking the attributes of the Recent folder, the read-only attribute
works also.

--
Carrie Garth, Microsoft MVP for Windows 2000
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- c x g

: "Sto Rage®" <[email protected]>
: Wrote in message : Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 4:03 PM
: Carrie,
: These steps don't work :(
: I followed these exact steps. What am I missing?
: -G

: > "Carrie Garth (MVP)"
: > Wrote in message : > Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 8:13 AM
: >
: > To add text to the "Comment" column for directories so that it will show up in a
: > column next to Name, Size, Type, Modified, etc., use a Desktop.ini file and an
: > "Infotip=YourComment" line. For example <SNIP>

: > : "Don G." <dong AT unionbankvt DOT com>
: > : Wrote in message : > : Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 03:02 PM
: > : Does anybody know if its possible to add comments to
: > : folders? <SNIP>
 
Do I HAVE to make the folder read-only? Why? Does it mean I can't do it for
read/write folders?
I noticed I could only get it to work only if I map it to a drive letter
exactly at that folder level. How do I get the comments to show for an UNC
path or sub-directories in a mapped drive?
-G
 
Hi G,

The folder must have either the read-only attribute or the system attribute. Why...
As Dino Esposito says in the following MSDN Magazine article "This is the magic
combination that lets Explorer know that desktop.ini is a special file."

New Graphical Interface: Enhance Your Programs with New Windows XP Shell Features
http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/default.aspx

desktop.ini generated Folder Comments are visible in the Comment column of the
Parent folder.

--
Carrie Garth, Microsoft MVP for Windows 2000
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- c x g

: "Sto Rage©" <[email protected]>
: Wrote in message : Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 11:00 PM
:
: Do I HAVE to make the folder read-only? Why? Does it mean I can't do it for
: read/write folders?
:
: I noticed I could only get it to work only if I map it to a drive letter
: exactly at that folder level. How do I get the comments to show for an UNC
: path or sub-directories in a mapped drive?

: > "Carrie Garth (MVP)"
: > Wrote in message : > Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 07:30 AM
: > <SNIP> http://www.jsiinc.com/subg/tip3200/rh3210.htm
: >
: > Note: His tip has you set the System Attribute to the folder. However,
: > as can be verified by checking the attributes of the Recent folder, the
: > read-only attribute works also.

: > : "Sto Rage®" <[email protected]>
: > : Wrote in message : > : Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 4:03 PM
: > : Carrie,
: > : These steps don't work :(
: > : I followed these exact steps. What am I missing?

: > : > "Carrie Garth (MVP)"
: > : > Wrote in message : > : > Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 8:13 AM
: > : >
: > : > To add text to the "Comment" column for directories so that it will
: > : > show up in a column next to Name, Size, Type, Modified, etc., use a
: > : > Desktop.ini file and an "Infotip=YourComment" line. For example <SNIP>

: > : > : "Don G." <dong AT unionbankvt DOT com>
: > : > : Wrote in message : > : > : Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 03:02 PM
: > : > : Does anybody know if its possible to add comments to
: > : > : folders? (Kind of like adding comments to MS Exchage
: > : > : email groups)We have about a dozen shared drives in our
: > : > : domain and there has been dozens of folders created in
: > : > : each drive over the years for one reason or another that
: > : > : nobody seems to know what they are for. I thought if I
: > : > : could add some discriptive comments in the detail view of
: > : > : each folder. Something like when it was made, why it was
: > : > : made which department uses it, etc, it would help the next
: > : > : guy down the road that is doing what I am doing. (Trying
: > : > : to figure out what is being used and what is junk!)
 
Aha! so its the FILE (desktop.ini) that needs to have the read-only or
system attribute and not the FOLDER.
But it only works if you map this folder to a drive letter. As I said
before, wish this feature would work for all UNC path folders or even for
subfolders within a mapped drive.

-G
 
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