How to Customize the Places Bar in Windows 7

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Customizing fast-access buttons on left-hand side of File->Open dialogue in most Windows programs

I would like to customize what shows in the places bar that you see in the open and save dialog boxes in Windows 7. I know there was a way to do this using Tweak UI in Windows XP but I cannot find a Tweak UI equivalent for Windows 7. I have read a way to do this using the Local Group Policy Editor but it tells me to find a file called gpedit.msc. There are files with gpedit but no msc file. (Edit- After posting this I saw this at the bottom of the page:

The Local Group Policy Editor feature is not included in the Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, and Home Premium editions.

I am running Home Premium)

Not sure what else to do and I want to avoid editing the registry if at all possible (do not want to mess anything up). How do you do this in windows 7?

Answer 1

the registry is the way to do it without external programs.

One such external program is Places Bar

if you do want to look at the registry, the location is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\comdlg32\PlacesBar

Answer 2

This method requires you to edit the registry. Please use caution when doing this because you can mess up your computer. I found this information from this website. The website list two methods (and screenshots), I list the one I used below:

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes.

3. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

4. To Customize Items to be Displayed in the Places Bar

   A) In the left pane, right click on Policies and click on New and Key. (see screenshot below

   B) Type comdlg32, and press enter. Right click on comdlg32 and click on New and Key. (see screenshot below) NOTE: If you already have the comdlg32 key, then you can skip on to step 4C below.

   C) Type Placesbar and press enter. (see screenshot below step 4D)

   D) In the right pane of Placesbar, right click on a empty space and click on New and String Value. (see screenshot below)

   E) You can specify up to 5 places, so type Place0, Place1, Place2, Place3, or Place4 for each one you would like to customize, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

   F) Repeat steps 4D and 4E to add each Place# string value for how many custom places you wanted to be displayed as items in the Places Bar.

   G) In the right pane, right click on the Place# and click on Modify. Type in the item location that you want to have displayed in the Places Bar, and click on OK. Repeat for each Place# that you have added in step 4E above. (see screenshot below) NOTE: See the NOTE box at the top of the tutorial for more on valid items you may display in the Places Bar.

   H) Go to step 6.

5. To Restore Default Items Displayed in the Places Bar

   A) In the left pane, right click on Placesbar and click on Delete. (see screenshot below)

   B) Click on Yes to approve deletion. (see screenshot below)

6. Close regedit.