Custom-coloring folder names in Windows Explorer

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Guest

Windows XP Pro, using Widows Classic folder view option.

My computer has hundreds of sub-folder names within a single folder. A few
of these sub-folders are 'key' folders that I access frequently via the
folder trees in the left pane of Windows Explorer.

I've re-named these 'key' sub-folders using ALL-CAPS -- this makes them
**somewhat** easier to see, but...

Is it possible to assign a **color** (like red) to individual folder icon
and/or folder and sub-folder names so they can be easily found within a long
list?

Thanks, John
 
let it be known on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:56:00 -0700
John Cutler <[email protected]> scribed:

|Windows XP Pro, using Widows Classic folder view option.
|
|My computer has hundreds of sub-folder names within a single folder. A few
|of these sub-folders are 'key' folders that I access frequently via the
|folder trees in the left pane of Windows Explorer.
|
|I've re-named these 'key' sub-folders using ALL-CAPS -- this makes them
|**somewhat** easier to see, but...
|
|Is it possible to assign a **color** (like red) to individual folder icon
|and/or folder and sub-folder names so they can be easily found within a long
|list?
|
|Thanks, John

I don't know about being able to use colors but what I do is to start the folders name with an _ (underscore) or !_ (exclaimation-underscore). If all the other folders begin with letters or numbers this will place the _KEY or !_KEY folders at the top of the lists and eliminates having to scroll down (at least for me!).

hth
 
Yes, I've done things like that too, and probably should do that for the
current situation --- but it will require changing that folder path name in a
lot of other software....

There is a way to have Windows Explorer open in a specified folder (other
than My Documents). I created a folder named "_" which is a dummy with no
contents (since the names of folders with content can change from time to
time).

The target in the Windows Explorer shortcut says:

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D},
/select,c:\orlt\_

I found this trick years ago somewhere Microsoft's website.

Thanks for the reply

John
 
John you can change the color of the text but unfortunately it has to be all
the icons in a directory and not just one folder icon alone.

The following won't solve your problem but try adding an eye catching custom
icon to the folders you want, not just that but maybe breaking down the
directory into sub systems and viewing the folder by details and view icons
by groups you would be better off.

I have a large music collection so I broke the artists up into genre>sub
genre>artist>albums, this way I dont see all 1.100,010 (or whatever) folders
at once. the folder opens faster this way also.

but here it is anyway

â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹ Change the icon text color â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹â—‹

either edit or create a desktop.ini in the folder you wish to see the colors
and add this to the bottom of it

[{BE098140-A513-11D0-A3A4-00C04FD706EC}]
IconArea_Image=C:\background image.jpg**
IconArea_Text=0x00DDDDDD***
Attributes=1

** add a directory to add a background image
*** Icon area text is the HEX color you will see in the icon text, you can
google "hex color code" for color charts. this example is 'grey 40%' or
something

See this for more
http://delta9-4hc.deviantart.com/art/explorer-background-hack-65210393
 
geez I write a detailed reply then I have to log in again when I press
"send"..I forgot you have to keep singing in every 5 minutes here.... this
sucks.

Anyway to spit the gist of what I tried to send you was that you can only
add icon colors to ALL the icons text inside a directory and not just one
folder.

I will show you how but first I might suggest that you break down your
directory somehow and groups similar folders together. This will also improve
the folders loading speed.
You can also customize them with bright icons to be more visible and view
the folder in 'details > groups icons b name'.


○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○◘◘◘◘☻ Change Text Color ☻◘◘◘◘○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

Either create a desktop.ini file or add this inside the directory you want
to modify icon text color in

[{BE098140-A513-11D0-A3A4-00C04FD706EC}]
IconArea_Text=0x00DDDDDD**
Attributes=1

* Icon text hex color

Google "hex color codes" for more colors , this example is a light grey.

see here for more advanced desktop.ini uses;
http://delta9-4hc.deviantart.com/art/explorer-background-hack-65210393

I created some templates as an example of how I organized a large directory
 
ok I wrote this twice already and by the time I was done I had to sign in and
rewrite.

basically you CAN change the icon text but only to the directory and one
directory at a time. You do this through the Desktop.ini file found in the
folder, if its not there just create one

Just check this out
http://delta9-4hc.deviantart.com/art/explorer-background-hack-65210393

you can change a folders icon text by adding

[{BE098140-A513-11D0-A3A4-00C04FD706EC}]
IconArea_Image=C:\background image.jpg**
IconArea_Text=0x00DDDDDD***
Attributes=1

to the folders desktop.ini file. See the above link for more details

This isnt what you wanted but I recommend you group your folders into sub
folders, view it by details > group by name and add bright icons to the
folders you want to see first.
 
hmm last time I was here it wouldnt send my message if I had to re sign in,
sorry for the multiple posts
 
John said:
Windows XP Pro, using Widows Classic folder view option.

My computer has hundreds of sub-folder names within a single folder. A
few
of these sub-folders are 'key' folders that I access frequently via the

folder trees in the left pane of Windows Explorer.

I've re-named these 'key' sub-folders using ALL-CAPS -- this makes them

**somewhat** easier to see, but...

Is it possible to assign a **color** (like red) to individual folder
icon
and/or folder and sub-folder names so they can be easily found within a
long
list?

Thanks, John
Click to expand...


An altenative method is to change the icon of the folder to a relevant
image. I've done this to a master folder containing a collection of
software folders that I use to rebuild PC's over our network.
If you create/locate the icon that easily represents the contents - I
use the relevant program's icon - then you can spot the folder very
quickly when in icon view.

To do this:

In the parent folder, set the attribute to the relevant subfolder to
system ( attrib fldername +s )

In the relevant subfolder you wish to identify:
Place/create the icon file
Create a Desktop.ini file containing:
------------------------


[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=Real.ico
IconIndex=0
InfoTip="Simple Versions of Quicktime & Real Player"


--------------------------


If you don't want to see these files when you browse the folder
contents, set their attributes to hidden ( attrib desktop.ini +h )

Note, the InfoTip line is not required, but it's another useful aid.
 
yes but it has to be a folder which can be modified, you have to right click
the folder > customize [tab] > change icon. some program will modify system
folders like C:/ , program files and windows directories. Stardock probably
has one of the better ones

check out my templates at
http://delta9-4hc.deviantart.com/art/explorer-background-hack-65210393

I illustrate how you can use the folder or its sub folder to hold the icon
and background image.
Another tip though if you create folder, add an icon inside it and do as
PeterHolgate said and make copies of them you can have a directory of
modified folder icons.

If there are a lot of folders you dont use often then give the folder a
transparent or a small icon for example, this will also increase visibility
to the folders you would like to see

I know of some programs that ill mass change folder icons in a directory you
choose, look into it as some of them also offer to change the icon text color
as well
--
Brandon Dub., TO canada, Shell ''explorer''


PeterHolgate said:
Windows XP Pro, using Widows Classic folder view option.

My computer has hundreds of sub-folder names within a single folder. A
few
of these sub-folders are 'key' folders that I access frequently via the

folder trees in the left pane of Windows Explorer.

I've re-named these 'key' sub-folders using ALL-CAPS -- this makes them

**somewhat** easier to see, but...

Is it possible to assign a **color** (like red) to individual folder
icon
and/or folder and sub-folder names so they can be easily found within a
long
list?

Thanks, John
Click to expand...


An altenative method is to change the icon of the folder to a relevant
image. I've done this to a master folder containing a collection of
software folders that I use to rebuild PC's over our network.
If you create/locate the icon that easily represents the contents - I
use the relevant program's icon - then you can spot the folder very
quickly when in icon view.

To do this:

In the parent folder, set the attribute to the relevant subfolder to
system ( attrib fldername +s )

In the relevant subfolder you wish to identify:
Place/create the icon file
Create a Desktop.ini file containing:
------------------------


[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=Real.ico
IconIndex=0
InfoTip="Simple Versions of Quicktime & Real Player"


--------------------------


If you don't want to see these files when you browse the folder
contents, set their attributes to hidden ( attrib desktop.ini +h )

Note, the InfoTip line is not required, but it's another useful aid.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, all --

I've printed off your suggestions and will work on it. Having a specific
Icon for the "Key" folders should work.

Sub-folder groups won't work in this situation. The parent folder is
C:\ORLT\, and the sub-folders are 'Projects' within that -- C:\ORLT\Able\,
C:\ORLT\Baker\, C:\ORLT\Charlie, and so on. The custom software that process
the contents of the sub-folders looks for "C:\ORLT\" + "Project\" (the
project name is entered by the operator).

The 'key' sub-folder is "C:\ORLT\RELATED\", whose contents are not
automatically processed in the same ways as Projects. I often select it
manually within Windows Explorer; having the custom icon will do the job.
Changing it to "C:\ORLT\_RELATED\" to force it to the top of the folder tree
would cause custom programming/processing issues in other ways.

Kinda busy for now - getting ready for major surgery. Will have time while
recuperating from the surgery to play with this.

Thanks.

John
 
this might be too much work for you if you really have a lot of files but
make a new folder , customize it then make a copy. drop that folder into the
firsst one and copy more inside until you have what you need.

now you have C:]ORLT/copy of ORLT (x16 or whatever amo9unt of copies you
made), rename them all and now you can create desktop.ini files (like
templates in anoher directory) and drop them into specific folders and the
icons will change. Its easier than custoizing EVERY folder but you would have
to migrate files into this new directory.

sounds complicated, sorry but I think you get what I mean..I hope
good luck in surgery, break a leg
 
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