Customize Open / Save As dialog box

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Is there any way to customize the common Windows 98 "Open File" and "Save As" dialog boxes? (make them wider and bigger, add custom folders to the "Save In" list, etc.) Adding a shortcut to the desktop doesn't really work for saving, because the file name of the shortcut usually overrides the original file to be saved.

I guess there is no easy way to do this (registry) other than actually writing a program. I am wondering whether anyone has any good freeware utility to recommend for this purpose?

I've found these two website, but they are not free:

http://www.file-ex.com/welcome.html
http://digilander.libero.it/important/bigwin/eng/


Thanks and regards,

Ivan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Unless you want to write replacement Common Dialog DLL files yourself, there
is no other option.

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"Ivan Bútora" <xxx@xxx.xxx> wrote in message
news:e7gZwtAeFHA.3280@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Is there any way to customize the common Windows 98 "Open File" and "Save
> As" dialog boxes? (make them wider and bigger, add custom folders to the
> "Save In" list, etc.) Adding a shortcut to the desktop doesn't really work
> for saving, because the file name of the shortcut usually overrides the
> original file to be saved.
>
> I guess there is no easy way to do this (registry) other than actually
> writing a program. I am wondering whether anyone has any good freeware
> utility to recommend for this purpose?
>
> I've found these two website, but they are not free:
>
> http://www.file-ex.com/welcome.html
> http://digilander.libero.it/important/bigwin/eng/
>
>
> Thanks and regards,
>
> Ivan
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Ivan Bútora wrote:
> Is there any way to customize the common Windows 98 "Open File" and "Save As" dialog boxes? (make them wider and bigger, add custom folders to the "Save In" list, etc.) Adding a shortcut to the desktop doesn't really work for saving, because the file name of the shortcut usually overrides the original file to be saved.
>
> I guess there is no easy way to do this (registry) other than actually writing a program. I am wondering whether anyone has any good freeware utility to recommend for this purpose?

You can alter the Windows sizes settings in "Desktop > rightclick >
properties > Appearance".

As for adding a button or two, there is no other way than hacking the
dialog DLL and this may be next to impossible (or dangerous to system
stability).

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[robertcollier4]

http://retestrak.nl/board/index.php?/topic/19835-how-to-make-open-save-dialog-bigger-by-default-comdlg32dll-hack/
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15651522#post15651522

Yes - it is possible and it is quite easy by modifying COMDLG32.DLL via Resource Hacker

WARNING: Before doing this, you should make a copy of C:\windows\system32\comdlg32.dll at somewhere like C:\windows\system32\comdlg32.dll.backup. This is because if you corrupt comdlg32.dll then Windows will not start and you will need to boot into a BootCD such as UBCD that can access NTFS and rename the old original file back.

1. Download and install and open Resource Hacker from http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/
2. In Resource Hacker - Open C:\windows\system32\comdlg32.dll
3. In the left tree - Navigate to Dialog --> 1552 --> 1033 (Note: if you have disabled the Places bar to the left of the Open-Save Dialog, then you will be using Dialog 1547 instead of 1552).
4. Where-ever you see four numbers - it is specifying X-position, Y-position, Width, Height. You can tweak these numbers yourself or use the below settings provided which is good for medium-large size screens.
5. After you are done modifying your positions and sizes - click on "Compile Script". You shouldn't drag the sizes on the window -- rather you should change them via computing mathematical additions of width,height,position and adding those to the textual parts of the element. After you are done adding your width and height additions, go to "File" - "Save". You will need to save the filename as something else such as comdlg32.dll.new because windows will not let you overwrite the file.
6. Now go to explorer and go to C:\ --> Windows --> system32. Rename the file COMDLG32.DLL to COMDLG32.DLL.original. Windows will not let you delete the file but it will let you rename it. Then copy to here the file you just created in Resource Hacker.
7. Restart the computer and you should have new enlarged Open-Save Dialogs.

Here is sample code for Dialog 1552 Enlarged:

1552 DIALOG 0, 0, 685, 411
STYLE DS_MODALFRAME | DS_CONTEXTHELP | WS_POPUP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CLIPCHILDREN | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU
CAPTION "Open"
LANGUAGE LANG_ENGLISH, SUBLANG_ENGLISH_US
FONT 8, "MS Shell Dlg"
{
CONTROL "Look &in:", 1091, STATIC, SS_LEFT | SS_NOTIFY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 4, 7, 57, 8 , 0x00001000
CONTROL "", 1137, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWNLIST | CBS_OWNERDRAWFIXED | CBS_HASSTRINGS | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 66, 3, 523, 300
CONTROL "", 1088, STATIC, SS_LEFT | WS_CHILD, 600, 4, 80, 14
CONTROL "", 1184, "ToolbarWindow32", 0x50012B4C, 4, 22, 58, 330 , 0x00000200
CONTROL "", 1120, LISTBOX, LBS_NOTIFY | LBS_NOINTEGRALHEIGHT | LBS_MULTICOLUMN | WS_CHILD | WS_BORDER | WS_HSCROLL, 66, 22, 615, 330
CONTROL "File &name:", 1090, STATIC, SS_LEFT | SS_NOTIFY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 19, 361, 44, 8
CONTROL "", 1152, EDIT, ES_LEFT | ES_AUTOHSCROLL | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER | WS_TABSTOP, 66, 358, 556, 12
CONTROL "", 1148, "ComboBoxEx32", 0x50210042, 66, 358, 556, 300
CONTROL "Files of &type:", 1089, STATIC, SS_LEFT | SS_NOTIFY | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP, 19, 377, 44, 8
CONTROL "", 1136, COMBOBOX, CBS_DROPDOWNLIST | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_VSCROLL | WS_TABSTOP, 66, 376, 556, 300
CONTROL "Open as &read-only", 1040, BUTTON, BS_AUTOCHECKBOX | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP, 66, 395, 120, 8
CONTROL "&Open", 1, BUTTON, BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 631, 358, 50, 14
CONTROL "Cancel", 2, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 631, 375, 50, 14
CONTROL "&Help", 1038, BUTTON, BS_PUSHBUTTON | WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_GROUP | WS_TABSTOP, 631, 393, 50, 14
}

Code Example Produces This Window: http://i49.tinypic.com/qyilg0.jpg
Sample Resource Hacker BEFORE: http://i50.tinypic.com/1pcvuh.jpg
Sample Resource Hacker AFTER: http://i48.tinypic.com/1zlq0sn.jpg

 

[ex_bubblehead]

You do of course realise that you've responded in a thread that's been dead for over 7 years?