Controlling the Windows 2000
Professional 'File Open', 'File Save' and 'File Save As' Common Dialog Box
(CDB)
The following information applies to Windows 2000
Professional and is not readily available anywhere - It comes from a variety of
sources including the experts-exchange.com, Microsoft.com, Window's 2000
Resource kit, Window's help files and various net searches - I claim no
originality for this information, although I have spent a fair amount time
testing some of the various techniques - and I am certainly not a Window's
expert, nor an MVP, etc - I am just an ordinary user trying to learn to 'live
with' Microsoft's Operating Systems -
Please note that the CDB is highly customizable and
its implementation varies greatly between applications. More sophisticated
applications, like Word & Excel, may supply additional features to the CDB,
such as a find file function, delete file, etc.
Note the following right click options within an open
CDB:
Sorting: Right
click inside the dialog box, click on arrange icons
View: Right
click inside the dialog box, click on view
Display View
As best as I can tell, there is NO way to force an
application to use a particular 'default' view in the CDB, particularly the
details view. This doesn't appear to be possible unless an application
developer provided for it or with 3rd party software is used.
Most applications use the list view their default.
More sophisticated applications, like Word &
Excel, will independently remember the previous state of the CDB, including the
display view. That is, each application will independently remember its own
'lasted used' settings.
The grids displayed when the details view is
selected from the view menu in an open CDB are those grids selected when the
window's explorer folder options are set globally.
Sort Order
Generally, the order of the file items displayed in
the CDB (irrespective of which display view is used) is controlled by the sort
order when window's explorer folder options are set globally.
Simply implemented applications (Notepad, Wordpad,
etc) will use the folder options sort order as their default.
More sophisticated applications, like Word &
Excel, will independently remember the previous state of the CDB. That is, each
application will remember its own sort order.
Some apps don't remember the previous state of the
CDB (Photoshop and many others).
Resizing the CDB
As best as I can tell, there is NO way to enlarge or
resize the 'default' CDB, at least not without 3rd party software help.
Enable/Disable CDB Buttons
The buttons and places bar are enabled and disabled
in the following registry key
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\comdlg32
|
Setting |
Name |
Type |
Data |
|
Show Back button on File Open/Save dialog box |
NoBackButton |
REG_DWORD |
0x00 | 0x01 |
|
Remember previously-used file names |
NoFileMru |
REG_DWORD |
0x00 | 0x01 |
|
Hide places bar |
NoPlacesBar |
REG_DWORD |
0x00 | 0x01 |
Customize the CDB Places Bar
Not for the faint of heart
To customize the Common Open Dialog Box (used by
notepad, etc), Jerold Schulman International, Inc. provides the following tip
http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBF/Tip2500/rh2514.htm
To customize the places bar in the Office 2000 Save
As and Open Dialog boxes, Microsoft provides this knowledge base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;205041
Setting Window’s Explorer Folder Options
To set the folder options, do the following:
·
Open window's explorer and
configure the window as desired such as sort order, grid position, etc... The
same sort order will also used in the CDB.
·
Optionally, grids can
be added and/or deleted by going to pull-down menu View | Choose Columns... and
select any additional grid details that you want to be appear in the explorer
window and uncheck any you don't want to appear. The grids selected will also
be displayed when details is selected from the view menu of an open CDB.
·
Once you are done go to
pull-down menu Tools | Folder Options and click "View" tab.
·
Under "Advanced
settings:" locate "Remember each folder's view settings" and
make sure the selection box is checked.
·
Then locate "Like
Current Folder" button and click it to apply the setting globally.
I believe the above will set the sort order of the
CDB and the grids displayed when the details view is selected in the CDB.
However, it probably won't override the customizations created by the Customize
This Folder option as explained by Microsoft in this knowledge base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;232743
The following solution did NOT work on either of my
Win2K machines and I have no way to verify it's veracity, but Win98 users can
try the method explained by Microsoft in this knowledge base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;229070
3rd Party Utilities
I would think that there ought to be a simple
straight forward way of setting up a default CDB. As one 'expert' quipped,
"what's the point of having a Common Dialog Box if it's not common?"
Freeware
Having said that, there is at least one freeware
application that will force standard apps to use an enlarged CDB and the
details view. It is called Windows MultiEnhancer 6.9 and is available here:
http://www.netcult.ch/elmue/ElmueSoft-en.htm
Many thanks to LangaList reader Bob Stringer for this
tip.
Within reason, a user can control the sort order,
force the detail's view, control the displayed grids and display an enlarged
CDB for free -
There are two CDB 'helper' utilities that I have
purchased and tried:
XfilesDialog is available for $22 (as of 8/25/2003)
at http://www.xdesksoftware.com/ -
I think it uses the folder options sort order to open. It does open with the
detail's view so it's only one click to resort - and it opens with a much
larger dialog box, which is also helpful -
Dialog Box Assistant is available for $20 (as of
8/25/2003) at http://www.win-utilities.com/
- It will remember it's 'MRU' settings, including an enlarged CDB -
I bought both, but I think the dialog box assistant
is the 'smoother' of the two -
A third suggested by another LangaList reader (Jenny
Pitt) looks very promising - File-Ex by Cottonwood Software is available for
$20 (as of 9/29/2003) at http://www.cottonwoodsw.com/fx3summ.html
- I'm in the process of trying it out myself and I think it will become a
permanent addition to my shareware arsenal -
All three titles offer full featured free trials in
the true spirit of shareware, are minimally priced and are very well featured,
including convenient access to options, user specified folders, etc.
FINAL RANT
I have no quarrel with shareware authors, most have
produced excellent products, stand behind their efforts and proudly so. I use
several dozen shareware applications every day.
BUT, it is aggravating to have to pay for something that I think MS should have gotten right the first time.