Cascading my documents folder

I have windows 98 second edition, and one day my documents folder stoped cascading on all menus. I have my desktop on my tool bar, that dosen't cascade and the folder in my start menu under documents dosen't work eather. It maybe a regestry hack help???

 

John,

Perhaps your old thread would have given you more help if you had explained your problem better.

I remember following that thread and never understanding what you were talking about. I have 98se and for the life of me couldn't figure out what you wanted.

Did you try Brett's suggestion?

That's like saying you have your wrist on your elbow.

Please try to explain again??

 

CASCADING MY DOCUMENTS

MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER WILL NOT CASCADE AND USED TO.
MY OS IS WINDOWS 98. ALL BRETT'S SUGGESTION DID WAS TO PUT A EMPTY FOLDER NAMED MY DOCUMENTS IN MY START MENU.
???????

 

Don't know about the startmenu>Documents> "My Documents" shortcut.....yet Windows default has never enabled a cascaded one. This would have to have taken a reg tweak or OEM/third party application. I have noticed an interesting effect for the desktop toolbar though.....

If I have the toolbar shrunk small enough [moved over all the way to the right] so only the text tiltle "dektop" is shown with the arrow that must be clicked on to gain access to the the other links the My Documents folder will cascade but..... I lose that ability if I allow enough taskbar realestate to have "My Documents" link exposed/expanded/moved to show up on the taskbar.....

Try moving your tasksbars "desktop toolbar" in this manner [all the way over to the right], click the arrow to gain access to the drop drown list and see if My Documents will cascade once again.

I hope this isn't to confusing and I have made myself clear?!?

 

johngkerr

Sorry to have upset you. I won't bother you again.

 

I have the toolbar shrunk small enough [moved over all the way to the right] so only the text tiltle "dektop" is shown with the arrow that must be clicked on to gain access to the the other links the My Documents folder will cascade. But mine will not I think it happen when removed my documents folder form my desktop, and when I add it back it didn't cascade. I have removed the folder and put it back. This dosen't help

 

When removing and putting it back did you use this method......:
http://www.windows-help.net/windows98/troub-02.shtml

When you right_click on it and select properties, what does it say?... Before Brett comments....Of course it doesn't SAY anything, it can't talk! I mean what path is reflected and is it the correct path?

When you save a doc or txt does it go into the "c:\My Documents "? In other words does the folder still function as it should or is it also acting up? [or see below...]

Do you have OS set up for "Multiple Users "? In that case the My Documents path should reflect the correct user logged on.
Example:
C:\Windows\Profiles\<Username>\My Documents
Also do all these icons function correctly when clicked upon. By that, I mean the one on the desktop, the on in the startmenu and the one in the "desktop toolbar ".

------------------------
Does the folder have over the limit of 100 subfolders?

Are you using an unusual customized display setting? Sometimes if you are to far off the default on color choice, icon size or font, strange secondary bugs and glitches can occur.

=============
What version of IE are you using? Found this bug reguarding 5.01:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;243710

Perhaps a repair of IE [any version] may help. It sure can't hurt.
Tweakui also offers a repair function for system folders, using this may help also. My Documents is a special shared shelled folder and must fall into this category. Tweakui also has a function on the MY computer tab to change[redirect] "Special Folder" paths. A peek at this path can't hurt either.

.........................

 

Not too sure but is this what your looking
for



http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/answerstips/story/0,24330,3380108,00.html

 

Hi again,
Well you can forget about the suggestions I have thusfar given. As it turns out I have access to two different computers, one with an expandable "Desktop Toolbar "/My Documents folder and one without. I have been all over the non working, trying various things including most of what I have thus far suggested and none have worked. I do have different versions of IE and office on both and one has tweakui while the other does not.

I'll keep plugging away at this and let you know if I come up with something that works.

Reguardless you should be able to make a "Documents Toolbar" in the same manner that the desktop toolbar was made.

>RightClick on "startmenu button" and choose "explore "
>Scroll up to c:\drive and click to expand
>scroll to c:\My documents folder [make sure this is the folder in expanded c:\drive not the My Documents shortcut found along the list for desktop]
>Rightclick_Hold and drag to taskbar then release.
>Result should be an expandable "My Documents" toolbar.

==========
For those suggesting the cascading my documents tweak by creating and naming the folder with id number, I believe there was gotcha' with this tweak that [For My Documents Only I think] that after creating the shortcut directary, any new documents saved to my documents would not be reflected/syncronized in the cascaded startmenu shortcut. Could be wrong or it may be OS version specific.....?

===========
Grrrr... This whole thing has me scratching my head.

 

Thank you all for working on this problem. I tryed most of your sugestion just to see and none worked. The one think i didn't say was that the folder doesn't have a arrow next to It.

 

Sorry johngkerr,
I give up on this one. You wouldn't believe what I have tried since a web search had produced nothing helpful except others with same problem unresolved. Couldn't even find a good explanation on why this happens with Ie updated. Maybe a code omission for security reasons or simply a bug no one has cared to address or a way to prevent a bug flaw with existing toolbar creations. Dunno! Have you considered other workarounds? Shareware freeware toolbar makers that include cascade option for any folder? A dedicated My Documents toolbar creation? Just plain old clicking on the desktop icon?

So sorry I have come back empty handed.....

 

help

 

I think I have found a fix at least for the "desktop toolbar\My Documents ".

WARNING!
but please, PLEASE, backup both your documents folder and your registry before doing this. I have no idea what side effects or glitches may occur. I have applied this fix to the computer I am on but have not ran it through any workouts to see if it will produce any additional problems.

That being said.............

I stumbled across an old trick for allowing the deletion or renaming of special folders such as recyclebin and in this case My Documents, using just a rightclick option as if it were a normal folder. [This is not advisible for the unaware, uncareful and unobservent. Safety is built into these folders to keep from doing this by accident and changing that can be disastorous].

All I did was add an "Attribute" value as dirrected:

Delete or Rename Special Folders

This setting allows you to rename and delete special folders (such as the Recycle Bin) as if it was a normal folder by right-clicking the icon.

Set the value of "Attributes" in the appropriate key below to "70 01 00 20 ", you will then be able to rename and/or delete any special folders by right-clicking them.

Start/Run/Regedit : Recycle Bin
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]

Search the [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID] key for any other folders you want to modify.

Registry Settings:
Value Name: Attributes
Data Type: REG_BINARY (Binary Value)
Data: (70 01 00 20=enable, 40 01 00 20=default)

Used the above tweak for "My Documents" CLSID as follows:
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\ShellFolder]
"WantsFORPARSING "=" "
"CallForAttributes "=" "
"Attributes "=hex:40,01,00,20

Note* I used the default value which was suppose to disallow simply click rename_or_delete but it still allowed a rename, I dare not try it on a delete for obvious reasons.

You can either enter this manually or copy bolded text into notepad and save it with name of choice using the "*.reg" extention. Include name in quotes to keep from having a *.txt extention added. Save it to desktop and double click to merge dat into registry. The result should be instant. Desktop toolbar should now have a cascading My Documents folder.

 

I looked at that key Attributes "=hex:40,01,00,20
was not there. I didn't make the change. I don't like the idea of being able to renname and delete this folder. ? If i make the change than change it back do you think the folder will cascade and you will not be able to delete the folder. Is the computor that you made the change to still ok??

 

The edit I made is still being used and the "desktop toolbar-My Documents" is still functioning as it should [cascading like a champ]. I and os owner have not had or noticed any problem thusfar.

 

thank you very much goddez1 for all your help. I inported your registey tweek and the folder in my decktop is working great. I don't care but fyi the my documents folder under document in the start menu still dosen't cascade. thank you see yaa

 

Your most welcome johngkerr.

I was wondering if you were going to give this a try.

I suggest you have a note to yourself or have exported that particular hkey so you can undo this should the occasion ever arise. While the rename or deletion of the my documents folder will always be followed by a confirmation popup that should stop this from being done by accident and I have not noticed any problems, I am still unsure what glitch may be waiting around the corner.

Like I said before.. it's easy enough to undo [or redo] without any permanent damage. Once undone, the folder will behave exactly as it did before the added string and value, with all the "Special Folder" can't_do's intact.

=============
As for the startmenu\ "Documents "\ "My Documents" link, I dunno what to say. Mine has never cascaded or expanded to subfolders. I can't recall ever being able to do this even with previous versions of windows or IE. This may have been done with some 3rd party app. or tweaker.

I have had a cascaded "My Documents" folder in the top of the startmenu [accomplished by previously posted instructions] but have deleted it because of the "new docs" added after the tweak syncronization shortcomings I have also previously mentioned.

Ahhh, even half a fix or a work around is better than no fix.

Thank you very much for updating your post with the much appreciated updated outcome!