A useful XP utility

kinmel · May 21, 2008, 19:49:23

WARNING: Use of this utility may cause problems - please read reply #3.

I have used one XP utility for years without thinking about it and I think some of you may find it useful too.

xp_copyto_moveto.VBS adds 2 new options when you right click on a file:-

1. Copy to any folder and
2. Move to any folder.

Download and unzip the file, then open it.

I promise the file contains no nasties and you can ignore any warnings from AVG etc.

Sebby · May 21, 2008, 20:06:31

Thanks, Alan.

Simon · May 21, 2008, 20:52:21

Oh, I had that ages ago, on e previous installation, and never found it again, so thanks Alan, and

Dopamine · May 24, 2008, 04:36:19

WARNING - This utility may mess up your system

Briefly, it corrupted the "Play All" option shown in the "Music Tasks" pane in a Windows Explorer music folder. After installing, hitting the "Play All" option now pops up the "Copy to.." dialogue box instead of opening my media player. Cancelling the dialogue box pops up another, which when cancelled for a second time automatically allows media player to open as it should have done immediately.

Although I didn't notice this problem until 24 hours after installing the utility, no other changes had been made to my machine in the interim.

Unable to find a way to uninstall the utility I resorted to System Restore, which put everything back to normal.

As a test, I've installed the utility on a second XP SP3 machine and had the same problem, resolved by System Restore, so I'm pretty certain that this utility is to blame.

kinmel · May 24, 2008, 08:47:12

Quote from: Dopamine on May 24, 2008, 04:36:19
WARNING - This utility may mess up your system

Briefly, it corrupted the "Play All" option shown in the "Music Tasks" pane in a Windows Explorer music folder. After installing, hitting the "Play All" option now pops up the "Copy to.." dialogue box instead of opening my media player. Cancelling the dialogue box pops up another, which when cancelled for a second time automatically allows media player to open as it should have done immediately.

Although I didn't notice this problem until 24 hours after installing the utility, no other changes had been made to my machine in the interim.

Unable to find a way to uninstall the utility I resorted to System Restore, which put everything back to normal.

As a test, I've installed the utility on a second XP SP3 machine and had the same problem, resolved by System Restore, so I'm pretty certain that this utility is to blame.

You are correct, I have not seen, or heard, of that problem before, but it's now screwed that music option.

I am sorry for the trouble you have had with this.

Simon · May 24, 2008, 12:12:20

Oh, that's a bugger, as I just installed SP3 this morning, and to use system restore to a point before I installed the Copy To facility, would presumably mean having to reinstall SP3 again. Seeing as I have never used the Play All function, it doesn't actually bother me all that much, but I wonder if there's a fix to restore that function without removing the Copy To mod?

Steve · May 24, 2008, 12:55:34

kellys fixes has an undo option no 45
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Rik · May 24, 2008, 12:58:09

Thanks, Steve.

talos2 · May 24, 2008, 14:17:10

Quote from: stevethegas on May 24, 2008, 12:55:34
kellys fixes has an undo option no 45
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Thats a very useful site.

Rik · May 24, 2008, 15:09:45

It is, Bob, the hard part s finding the bit you want.

Simon · May 24, 2008, 16:53:35

Just a thought, but I don't suppose it could be XP3 itself causing the Play All problem? I've installed the Move To / Send To mod previously, and haven't had any issues.

Rik · May 24, 2008, 16:55:50

It's always possible, Simon.

Simon · May 24, 2008, 16:58:21

Or possible, even.

Actually, I can't quite work out what to do with that 'undo'. Is it somehow supposed to be converted into a VBScript, and if so, how?

Rik · May 24, 2008, 17:03:27

Cut'n'paste, save it as a registry file (*.reg), right-click and merge.

Simon · May 24, 2008, 17:07:20

Got it, thanks. Will try it later.

Steve · May 24, 2008, 19:38:27

Just wonder how many of us back up the registry prior to making such changes? I must admit myself to taking a fairly carefree attitude towards it and system restore is not always perfect.

Simon · May 24, 2008, 20:28:52

Have to admit, I only backup when prompted to by whatever utility I am using. I usually do before running CCleaner, but otherwise, like you, Steve, I hardly ever bother.

It seems that removing the mod does repair the Play All function.

Simon · May 24, 2008, 20:32:23

It also seems that there may be a few other 'extras' with this mod that folks might like to be aware of:

Baz · May 24, 2008, 20:57:13

I just drag it where I want.......isnt that the same?

Rik · May 25, 2008, 09:57:38

Essentially yes, Baz.

kinmel · May 25, 2008, 09:59:47

It is not SP3 that is causing the problem with Play All, it is Windows Media Player 11 and it then also affects the behaviour of whichever media player is the default too .

The routines used by the utility are "hidden features" that were coded into XP, but not enabled by default and so should not have been used for something else later.

I wonder why Microsoft has called these routines when invoking Play All.

Rik · May 25, 2008, 10:03:58

Because they can?

madasahatter · May 25, 2008, 10:09:08

Not really sure I see your point Alan - it's not the fault of MS that someone has written a script that uses these routines. MS must have put them in there in the first place for a reason - expandability or scalability perhaps? MS thinking ahead and not just implementing an OS that they couldn't do anything with later?, and obviously have decided that they want to use them in WMP11. They put them there in the first place, so why shouldn't they use them?

kinmel · May 25, 2008, 10:39:49

I see your point.