I want to kill the My Documents folder icon in Win Explorer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jack
  • Start date Start date
J

Jack

I am in the final stages of kicking XP Home, which I installed about a
week ago, into shape.

Like a bad dog that it is, I have taught it to obey my will in every
respect so far except this one and those I have not thought of yet.

I would like to make the My Documents folder shortcut icon disappear
from the left hand pane of Windows Explorer.

I don't need to know how to remove the My Documents folder icon from the
actual desktop. I have done that already.

I wish to banish it from the left hand pane of Windows Explorer, both
from the from Desktop folder view and the Documents and Settings folder
view.

I want never to see it again.

I do not care if it lives in some dank, dark recess of XP's bowels, but
I wish never to see it again in this lifetime or the next.

I have already tweaked the registry thusly, as per this website,
http://www.jsifaq.com/subh/tip3600/rh3633.htm
_____________________________________________
QUESTION: How do I remove the 'My Documents' folder from the desktop,
Windows Explorer, and the standard Open dialog?

ANSWER: Add Value name {450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}, a
REG_DWORD data type, at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\NonEnum

A data value of 0, the default, displays the My Documents icon. A data
value of 1, removes the icon.
_____________________________________________

On my system, the last sentence is not quite true. This tweak merely
moved the My Documents folder icon from the top of the Desktop view in
the left hand pane of Windows Explorer to the bottom of that view. While
this is a vast improvement, I wish rather to drive the wooden stake into
the heart of this beast and lay it to a good Christian rest or eternal
damnation. I do not care which. I have hardened my heart.

Jack

And this masquerades as progress:

"Click here if you're using Internet Explorer 6.0 with Windows XP or if,
for any other reason, your download doesn't begin automatically."

This says it all:
http://hp.msn.com/[!/BF+K}TXR`3U{EW3BOST3W.jpg
 
To remove it from Documents and Settings, simply right-click and drag it to an out-of-the-way folder you don't browse.

If you've set non-enum correctly (you did set it as hex 1 and not decimal 1, right? ;-), it won't show as a subfolder under the desktop, when you, for example, explore My Computer or any normal folder on the file system. It will show at the bottom of the subfolders if you access it by right-clicking on the My Documents shortcut on the Start Menu and select explore, because it does still exist in the desktop namespace. But surely you're not keeping the shortcut on the Start Menu if you've gone to all this other trouble. To get it to show in the folder pane after setting NonEnum, you've got to go looking for it -- so stop looking for it.

I did play around before responding to your question. Even if you remove the CLSID from the Desktop namespace, it's still there. I found that surprising. So accepting the fact that it will be there in some way, why not learn to live with it? You can rename it, you can have it point to any folder you like....don't let it get to you!

I haven't tested the following, but, the search results folder is also rooted at the desktop but seems to do a better job of staying hidden. It's CLSID is
{e17d4fc0-5564-11d1-83f2-00a0c90dc849}

you might compare entries under HKCR\CLSID\<clsid>\shellfolder for search results and my documents, and see what you can come up with.

Keith
 
Because he, like a lot of other people such as myself, don't work that way.
We like our personal filing system just fine. We don't like the way "the
others" organize "documents" and don't want MS making it mandatory to do it
that way.
It's like arriving for a new job and the ever smiling office manager comes
over and starts showing how "we" organize our desk. "The stapler always goes
in the center, and we only use black fine line pens...."
Unfortunately, I am quite painfully aware of why a mass produced OS like
Windows needs a "My Documents" filing system. I can also understand why it
can't and shouldn't be easily disabled by an errant click. But I don't
understand why it can't be disabled on an advanced level. That's just wrong.
 
SFGAO_NONENUMERATED = 0x100000

is how search hides.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{e17d4fc0-5564-11d1-83f2-00a0c90dc849}\ShellFolder
Attributes=

So add 100 000 to the equiv in My Docs.

Use Calculator in scientific mode and in hex mode. Take My Docs attributes, AND it with 100 000, if SFGAO_NONENUMERATED is set it will return 100 000, if not set it will return 0. If it returns 0 then add 100000 to the existing attributes.

On the other hand, I'm only saying this for Kieth's benefit. It's a dammed stupid question. If you don't like something ignore it.
--
----------------------------------------------------------

To remove it from Documents and Settings, simply right-click and drag it to an out-of-the-way folder you don't browse.

If you've set non-enum correctly (you did set it as hex 1 and not decimal 1, right? ;-), it won't show as a subfolder under the desktop, when you, for example, explore My Computer or any normal folder on the file system. It will show at the bottom of the subfolders if you access it by right-clicking on the My Documents shortcut on the Start Menu and select explore, because it does still exist in the desktop namespace. But surely you're not keeping the shortcut on the Start Menu if you've gone to all this other trouble. To get it to show in the folder pane after setting NonEnum, you've got to go looking for it -- so stop looking for it.

I did play around before responding to your question. Even if you remove the CLSID from the Desktop namespace, it's still there. I found that surprising. So accepting the fact that it will be there in some way, why not learn to live with it? You can rename it, you can have it point to any folder you like....don't let it get to you!

I haven't tested the following, but, the search results folder is also rooted at the desktop but seems to do a better job of staying hidden. It's CLSID is
{e17d4fc0-5564-11d1-83f2-00a0c90dc849}

you might compare entries under HKCR\CLSID\<clsid>\shellfolder for search results and my documents, and see what you can come up with.

Keith
 
Because he, like a lot of other people such as myself, don't work that
way. We like our personal filing system just fine. We don't like the way
"the others" organize "documents" and don't want MS making it mandatory to
do it that way.
It's like arriving for a new job and the ever smiling office manager comes
over and starts showing how "we" organize our desk. "The stapler always
goes in the center, and we only use black fine line pens...."
Unfortunately, I am quite painfully aware of why a mass produced OS like
Windows needs a "My Documents" filing system. I can also understand why it
can't and shouldn't be easily disabled by an errant click. But I don't
understand why it can't be disabled on an advanced level. That's just
wrong.
Click to expand...

I'm totally with you, but the fact is that it's now too late to do anything
about it...too many apps now depend upon it, and I suspect that removing it
(if it could be done) would cause more harm than good for anyone.
 
Thanks David for Keith and myself! :o)

--
In memory of our dear friend, MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
SFGAO_NONENUMERATED = 0x100000

is how search hides.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{e17d4fc0-5564-11d1-83f2-00a0c90dc849}\ShellFolder
Attributes=

So add 100 000 to the equiv in My Docs.

Use Calculator in scientific mode and in hex mode. Take My Docs attributes,
AND it with 100 000, if SFGAO_NONENUMERATED is set it will return 100 000,
if not set it will return 0. If it returns 0 then add 100000 to the existing
attributes.

On the other hand, I'm only saying this for Kieth's benefit. It's a dammed
stupid question. If you don't like something ignore it.
--
----------------------------------------------------------

To remove it from Documents and Settings, simply right-click and drag it to
an out-of-the-way folder you don't browse.

If you've set non-enum correctly (you did set it as hex 1 and not decimal 1,
right? ;-), it won't show as a subfolder under the desktop, when you, for
example, explore My Computer or any normal folder on the file system. It
will show at the bottom of the subfolders if you access it by right-clicking
on the My Documents shortcut on the Start Menu and select explore, because
it does still exist in the desktop namespace. But surely you're not keeping
the shortcut on the Start Menu if you've gone to all this other trouble. To
get it to show in the folder pane after setting NonEnum, you've got to go
looking for it -- so stop looking for it.

I did play around before responding to your question. Even if you remove
the CLSID from the Desktop namespace, it's still there. I found that
surprising. So accepting the fact that it will be there in some way, why
not learn to live with it? You can rename it, you can have it point to any
folder you like....don't let it get to you!

I haven't tested the following, but, the search results folder is also
rooted at the desktop but seems to do a better job of staying hidden. It's
CLSID is
{e17d4fc0-5564-11d1-83f2-00a0c90dc849}

you might compare entries under HKCR\CLSID\<clsid>\shellfolder for search
results and my documents, and see what you can come up with.

Keith
 
In Kelly <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
I wouldn't suggest that, Galen unless you have plenty of time on your
hands to walk them through the workarounds!
Click to expand...

*chuckles* Time? What's that? I swear to God I had lots of free time but now
it's all gone. I'm not too sure why I got rid of it or even where it all
went but it's surely gone lately. Usually if the OP is willing to walk
through it I'm willing to take the time to do so even if it's an insane
idea. People want to customize so much of their OS these days, even beyond
the things I would normally try. These days I mostly stick to case mods and
have learned to like the OS pretty much the way it is.

Galen
 
In Kelly <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
I hear you, and I can't seem to find my bottle from Jim Croche. :o(((
Click to expand...

IIRC You dumped out the time and filled it with work which is only a single
step above filling it with a double malt. We'll have to figure out a way to
rig the DST to make an extra bottle's worth. Maybe if we sail back and
fourth across the International Date Line we'll be able to save up enough
time to make an extra day and then we could just take that day off or use it
to catch up on stuff? I don't suppose that works but with as little sleep as
I've had I'm afraid that I don't see any flaws in this theory. <g>

Galen
 
In Kelly <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
Learn to sleep fast, Galen?
Click to expand...

Every 24 to 36 hours I sleep for 12 and call it good. It's been my system
for ages now and I just don't have the heart to change it. Actually lately
it's been more like every 24 hours, I don't often go the full 36 these days.
Maybe because there's no more pressing issues with massive worms attacking
every three or four days?

Galen
 
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