Hide icons in programs and settings panel

[Houser]

How can I hide icons in the programs and settings panel.
In the programs panel they are links to applications,
have found the link files in \windows\startmenu\programs
folder but cannot delete them.
Is it possible to hide there icons?

Houser

[vijay555]

If you want to remove them, try unregistering the dll.
If you want to hide it, one crufty hack I just tried is to parse into

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ControlPanel\

find the name of the icon you want to remove, and read its current group number (eg 0 = personal).

Now map Group to a non existent tab like 5, and it won't show up.

Let me know if smoke comes out of your phone!

V

[Houser]

Thanxs vijay555,

with unregistering the dll you mean the cpl file?
But not all have such a file.
It would be enough to hide them. Will try your hack.

Do you know how to remove links in the programs panel?

Houser

[nothin]

programs panel? /windows/menu start/programs....
--
hiding things in settings may work with empty key named "Redirect", but did not test it to be sure...

[Houser]

programs panel? /windows/menu start/programs....
--
hiding things in settings may work with empty key named "Redirect", but did not test it to be sure...

Hiding icon in controlpanel works with the reg hack.

Yes I mean /windows/menu start/programs.
There are link files to the app but they I cannot delete them
cause they are in rom.

Houser

[vijay555]

Houser - the reg hack worked ok?

Which .lnks in the \start menu\ can't you delete? Can you list them by name - I think they can all be deleted can't they?

V

[Houser]

vijay555, the reg hack worked fine, nearly deleted all icon
in control panel ;) coool

I mean the link files in the \windows\startmenu\programs directory.
Links from programs that are installed from user can be deleted
but not the links from programs that are in rom.

Houser

[vijay555]

Houser - can you give an example of a .lnk that you can't move?
I can delete all of them, as far as I can see... Maybe I don't understand?

What's the name and path of a lnk you can't delete, and which app does it point to?

V

[Houser]

Hmmm strange I will try this tomorrow at work again.
Have tried to delete the file with ActiveSync connection
from desktop and got an error message file is protected or so.
Thanks so far, get back tomorrow.

Houser

[vijay555]

Do it from the PPC using GSfinder etc.

V

[Houser]

Thanks that works! :)

Houser

[nothin]

vijay555, thanks for tip with "Group".

[Houser]

So when I change the Group entry how can I update the control panel
so that the icon is hidden immediately?

Houser

[vijay555]

Generally can't, control panel is loaded and stays loaded in the system AFAIK. I imagine the control panel items only get parsed on the first load or an update. Closing the control panel crashes the shell.

Perhaps there's an API to send a sytem update, I can't remember...

V

[Houser]

Generally can't, control panel is loaded and stays loaded in the system AFAIK. I imagine the control panel items only get parsed on the first load or an update. Closing the control panel crashes the shell.

Perhaps there's an API to send a sytem update, I can't remember...

V

I have tried an update with:
SendMessage(HWND_BROADCAST, WM_WININICHANGE, 0xF2, 0)

But this had no effect on the control panel, only on today plugins.

Houser

[letsgoflyers81]

I use Resco Explorer to hide the shortcuts, and it work great. It doesn't work for Settings either, but I'm not really concerned about hiding those icons.

[Houser]

I have managed it now not by hiding the icons but to protect the settings
behind the icons. So a user cannot access the settings that are protected
by an admin. Thanks.

Houser