Rename My Recent Documents?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jonathan Finney
  • Start date Start date
J

Jonathan Finney

Is it possible to rename the My Recent Documents link on the Start Menu?

I know I'm not alone in finding Microsoft's insistence on naming things 'My'
whatever. Is there a resource of information on how to change this?
 
Hi Jonathan,

Only way to rename the "My Recent Documents" link in the Start menu is to
hack the shell.

Start menu challenge - MSFN Forums:
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25759

Resource Hacker:
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Is it possible to rename the My Recent Documents link on the Start Menu?

I know I'm not alone in finding Microsoft's insistence on naming things 'My'
whatever. Is there a resource of information on how to change this?
 
Why is it such an issue for you?

Standardization and logical naming = a common interface for people.

--
Manny Borges
MCSE NT4-2003 (+ Security)
MCT, Certified Cheese Master

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who do understand binary
and those who don't.
 
It's not exactly an issue, Manny, and I'm all for standardisation, but the
'My' preceding these names is neither logical nor desirable IMHO. I
understand that in Vista this has been dropped. Can you see some advantage
to it?

--
Jonathan Finney

Manny Borges said:
Why is it such an issue for you?

Standardization and logical naming = a common interface for people.

--
Manny Borges
MCSE NT4-2003 (+ Security)
MCT, Certified Cheese Master

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who do understand binary
and those who don't.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Ramesh.

Thanks for this. It looks like it should do the trick, but I need some
help.

The post at http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25759 was very
brief and didn't make it very clear. After backing up explorer.exe and
opening it in ResHack, I can navigate to the string in 'String
Table/515/1033' and remove the 'My '. I then click Compile Script, but I'm
not sure what to do then. I can't just save the file as this isn't allowed.

How do I save the change?
 
In the right side, where the STRING TABLE items are listed, simply select
the text "My Recent &Documents" and type your own text there. Click "Compile
Script" and save the file (overwrite existing explorer.exe) Note that the
System File Protection will issue a fresh copy of explorer.exe immediately.
So, you may need to modify the explorer.exe present in the DLLCache folder
first. *Be sure to backup the original file at any case*.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hi Ramesh.

Thanks for this. It looks like it should do the trick, but I need some
help.

The post at http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25759 was very
brief and didn't make it very clear. After backing up explorer.exe and
opening it in ResHack, I can navigate to the string in 'String
Table/515/1033' and remove the 'My '. I then click Compile Script, but I'm
not sure what to do then. I can't just save the file as this isn't allowed.

How do I save the change?
 
It's not exactly an issue, Manny, and I'm all for standardisation, but the
'My' preceding these names is neither logical nor desirable IMHO. I
understand that in Vista this has been dropped. Can you see some advantage
to it?
Click to expand...

If weighing the aggravation of a two letter word against hacking an
executable core operating system files... I would find a way to live with
the two letters.

And yes (!), it looks like they will be dropped in Vista.
 
Hi Ramesh.

As you say, the file gets recreated immediately. That's the problem.

I don't know where my DLL cache folder is. Is it just a matter of repeating
the changes in this file? How does this get round the automatic recreation
of explorer.exe?

--
Jonathan Finney


Ramesh said:
In the right side, where the STRING TABLE items are listed, simply select
the text "My Recent &Documents" and type your own text there. Click
"Compile
Script" and save the file (overwrite existing explorer.exe) Note that the
System File Protection will issue a fresh copy of explorer.exe
immediately.
So, you may need to modify the explorer.exe present in the DLLCache folder
first. *Be sure to backup the original file at any case*.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hi Ramesh.

Thanks for this. It looks like it should do the trick, but I need some
help.

The post at http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25759 was very
brief and didn't make it very clear. After backing up explorer.exe and
opening it in ResHack, I can navigate to the string in 'String
Table/515/1033' and remove the 'My '. I then click Compile Script, but
I'm
not sure what to do then. I can't just save the file as this isn't
allowed.

How do I save the change?

--
Jonathan Finney

Ramesh said:
Hi Jonathan,

Only way to rename the "My Recent Documents" link in the Start menu is to
hack the shell.

Start menu challenge - MSFN Forums:
http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=25759

Resource Hacker:
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Is it possible to rename the My Recent Documents link on the Start Menu?

I know I'm not alone in finding Microsoft's insistence on naming things
'My'
whatever. Is there a resource of information on how to change this?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Jonathan,

It's located here:

c:\windows\system32\dllcache

Backup the existing copy to a safe location. Then alter the explorer.exe
(DLLCache folder) and see if the changes are applied on next reboot. If not,
copy the file to C:\Windows (overwrite the existing file when prompted).

If that does not help, see this newsgroup posting:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize/msg/d12295af9fa37e61

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]
Windows® XP Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Hi Ramesh.

As you say, the file gets recreated immediately. That's the problem.

I don't know where my DLL cache folder is. Is it just a matter of repeating
the changes in this file? How does this get round the automatic recreation
of explorer.exe?
 
Back
Top