Separate System from Hidden attribute

[timtr]

I have two feature requests, that currently are annoying me to the point of not using TC much of the time. These seem simple to me, and probably supporting only the first one is plenty.

1) Allow an option to not view "hidden" files but still view "system" attribute files. There is a VERY good reason for this. My music, pictures, favorites and other directories are constantly marked as system folders by Windows - but I *definitely* want to see them listed. Why on earth wouldn't I? But I still don't want to see "ntldr" or the pagefile on my computer. Enabling the viewing of system files/directories will let me use my computer the way it is intended, but hide the nonsense that is hidden for good reason.

2) A second thing that would be nice, but certainly not as necessary, is to show all the attributes of a file, not just read only or archive - show me hidden and system as well. This is very useful as I can turn on or off hidden with a macro, make a bunch of backups hidden, then turn off visibility again. As I said, #2 isn't as important as #1.

It is highly annoying when I keep going into directories only to find that I have to unhide to find my music or favorites. It is equally annoying to see my pagefile. It seems silly I know, but it seems equally silly to not separate these two attributes (hey, they are 2 attributes, not 1, for a reason!)

Thanks!
~Tim

[SanskritFritz]

You have my support very well. Same problem here.

[pdavit]

On point number 1.

To me it’s really annoying that M$ is “forcing” us to use a predefined folder or structure of folders for music files, pics etc. So what I do is to recreate those (usually multimedia related) folders on my second partition and leave my C:\ drive untouched just as a purely system and installed software drive (you get performance advantages in this way and defragmentation becomes a rare task). I then redirect all my favourite applications to point to those folders on the D:\ drive. In this way you eliminate having Windows make decisions without asking you first plus you get the aforementioned speed advantage!

Then again tastes differ so as working behaviours and depth of IT knowledge. Your suggestion is valid but my “workaround” above has many positive levels that extend a lot further from this minor TC limitation. To be honest with you, since I always have being using this method, I wasn’t aware of the problem you’ve described. See? Another positive level! God, I hate M$!!! The OS is treating your data as if it’s M$’s property!!! Wakeup people! The OS is your property not my data!

[timtr]

While I agree with you assessment of the situation with Microsoft, there are some real advantages to using MS's defined folders concepts. I actually redirect the specific location of those folders using TweakUI. I have none of this information in Documents and Settings, and have pictures and music on root directories of one of my drives. However, as soon as you tell Windows that those are the locations of your pictures or favorites or home for your documents, the OS makes them into System directories.

This has the benefit of having them show up as the detault at the right times (like when savind documents or songs or pictures.) It has the drawback of TC not being able to see the things unless I turn off the hidden files as well. It seems like such a trivial fix, and I told myself for days "this can't be right, they must have a separate on/off switch for system and hidden attributes." But unless I'm missing something, this is indeed a problem.

[Lefteous]

2pdavit

To me it’s really annoying that M$ is “forcing” us to use a predefined folder or structure of folders for music files, pics etc. So what I do is to recreate those (usually multimedia related) folders on my second partition and leave my C:\ drive untouched just as a purely system and installed software drive (you get performance advantages in this way and defragmentation becomes a rare task). I then redirect all my favourite applications to point to those folders on the D:\ drive. In this way you eliminate having Windows make decisions without asking you first plus you get the aforementioned speed advantage!

You can use junctions and reparse points to save your files on a different partition but let directory structure unchanged. For example, all my programs are stored in %PROGRAMFILES%, but they are not stored on the system partition.

[pdavit]

2 timtr

Yes, you are right attributes of a specific folder are not location related but application related. I guess I keep running away from M$ apps so I keep having fewer problems!


2 Lefteous

How do I define and use junctions and reparse points? I find your suggestion really interesting but at the same time new to me!

[Lefteous]

2pdavit

I have a german Windows XP, but I'll try to translate the used terms.
The above used term "reparse points" is not used accurate, both junctions and moint points are actually reparse points.

Using moint points
Use moint points whenever you are start from an empty directory or a direcory where you can temporarily move the whole content.

1. Open "computer management" (%SystemRoot%\system32\compmgmt.msc /s) as administrator. Moint points can be managed by admins only.
2. Select disk management.
3. Choose the desired volume.
4. Right click "Add/change drive letter. You can remove assigned drive letters here, too.
5. Click "Add"
6. Select "Make available in the following empty NTFS directory"
7. Click "Browse" and choose an empty directory of your choice or create a new one -> job done.
   Consider that you can add as many directory as you want.

Using junctions
Use junctions for example if you are not able to temporarily move the whole content of a directory, but many of the subdirectories. In this case you don't want to create a volume for every subdir. The create folder access right is required to create junctions in the target directory.

1. Download Junction from Sysinternals and extract the archive.
2. Create a button:
   Command: cmd /c "C:\yourpath\JUNCTION.EXE"
   
   Parameters: ?%T%N %P%N
   Iconfile: %WINDIR%\system32\shell32.dll
   Icon: 41

Junctions example:

1. Here we want to move C:\Program Files\Gimp, which is on the system volume to another volume.
2. We have a volume called "Programs" which has a hidden directory somewhere on your harddisk; example: C:\Apps.
3. Now move Gimp to C:\Apps\.
4. On one side navigate to C:\Program Files. Change the panel and navigate to C:\Apps on the other side and select Gimp here.
5. Now press the new "Create Junction" button. Press ok -> Job done.

[pdavit]

Thanks a lot for the info, I'll give it a try!

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 13-06-2004 00:37:22 +0000 Lefteous wrote:

L> You can use junctions and reparse points to save your
L> files on a different partition but let directory structure
L> unchanged. For example, all my programs are stored in
L> %PROGRAMFILES%, but they are not stored on the system
L> partition.

Well, junctions and mount points are a nice thing, but in this case one can change system "Program Files" folder location completely:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Value "ProgramFilesDir".

As well as any other virtual folder location, actually. E.g. I started using "My Documents" virtual folder only after the day I found I can make it point to my real home directory. From that time virtual folders are just another kind of environment variables for me, rather convenient, actually.[/face]

[Sheepdog]

From that time virtual folders are just another kind of environment variables for me, rather convenient, actually.

Convenient also for viruses which use M$ virtual folders - in my opinion.

sheepdog

[Lefteous]

2Black Dog

How did you move all the existing files to another directory?

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 14-06-2004 00:14:13 +0000 Sheepdog wrote:

S> Convenient also for viruses which use M$ virtual folders -
S> in my opinion.

Oh, what a surprise!!! My "brother" decided to add his 5 kopeyek... %) So, what about an answer, my little brother? Or you just "can't stand it" anyway? %) Be a man (or try at least %).[/face]

[Black Dog]

[face=courier]On 14-06-2004 00:23:52 +0000 Lefteous wrote:

L> How did you move all the existing files to another
L> directory?

I'm sorry but can you be more specific? There exactly is the problem here?[/face]

[Boah]

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
Value "ProgramFilesDir"

Also, in the following place:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

You can find the path setting for many other special shell folders.

If you use TweakUI these are the keys it modifies.

Cheers,
Svein.

[Lefteous]

2Black Dog

but in this case one can change system "Program Files" folder location completely

I forget to point out that you have understand something completely wrong. Reparse points are used here tto let the given directory structure unchanged. Of course you can change folder location, but it's another topic.

I'm sorry but can you be more specific? There exactly is the problem here exactly?

OK step by step
You have installed Windows, right? There are many nice dirs and files in your %PROGRAMFILES% directory. Now you want to set %PROGRAMFILES% to another dir. In consequence you'll have to move the existing dirs and files to your new %PROGRAMFILES% dir. I wasn't able to move some files...