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happycamper88

Join Date 06/2007

How Do I Create A Control Panel Shortcut

....that points to a specific area within the control panel?

I'm trying to use Desktop X to create a simple shorcut to - Control Panel\System and Security\System - and I can't seem to get it to work. Is this possible? If so, could someone clue me in on how to do it?

I would really appreciate it.

Thank you [e digicons]:karma:[/e]

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2210

Looking into it.

Making a shortcut to the control panel as a whole is easy. Specific parts of that may not be.

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Yeah, that's kinda what I've discovered. It must be possible, but I can't seem to figure it out.

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If You can do a shortcut with arguments it would be something like this in windows 7

Path: c:\windows\system32\control.exe

Arguments : /name Microsoft.System < For System Window

/name Microsoft.WindowsFirewall < For Windows Firewall

/name Microsoft.WindowsUpdate < For Windows Update etc.

what OS are you working with?

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Google says most of this stuff is in C:\Windows\system32, such as control panel (%systemroot%\system32\control.exe) But I couldn't find any in there leading directly to System. But Windows Help and Support had a link to System, and viewing the source to the page, revealed this

%25systemroot%25\system32\control.exe /name Microsoft.System

So, I tried this in DX, and it seemed to work:

In the File shortcut field, enter: %systemroot%\system32\control.exe

In the Arguments field below that, enter: /name Microsoft.System

ETA: WinMonster wins that race.

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That works! Thank you so much WinMonster2 & Sviz!

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I may have spoken too soon. It works as long as DX builder is open, but when I try to export it as a stand alone gadget (DX Pro) it fails to work. It seems to export fine, but the gadget doesn't function.

I'm on W7 64bit. Maybe that's the issue(?)

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2210

I was able to go to control panel, then to system, right click it and choose create shortcut. It puts a working shortcut on the desktop. Dragging it into a drag and drop menu doesn't work.

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Skarny

Join Date 10/2002

+45

Try turning on the 'Windows 7 Control Panel God Mode' (make a new folder with this name: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
This gives you a comprehensive list of control panels that you can make shortcuts to.

Then make a shortcut to whichever control panel you want, and put the shortcut somewhere easy to find.

Then make a DesktopX object.

Then make it a Shortcut Type Object

Then go to the Object Summary tab and Custom Files

Add the shortcut you created as a custom file.

Then in the Object Shortcut target point it to the name of your shortcut with .lnk at the end.

The object should now trigger that control panel.

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Uvah

Join Date 05/2006

+874

Quoting Skarny,

reply 8

Try turning on the 'Windows 7 Control Panel God Mode'

How do you do that?

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Quoting Uvah,

reply 9

Quoting Skarny, reply 8Try turning on the 'Windows 7 Control Panel God Mode'

How do you do that?

Skarny posted how, but this explains it a bit better. LINK

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I'll give it a try. Thanks Skarny!

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No joy, it's doing the same thing as before. The shortcut object works while DX Pro is loaded, but when I export it as a gadget it breaks.

I may have to try this on a 32 bit OS and see if that fixes this issue.

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Skarny

Join Date 10/2002

+45

Tried running your gadget as an Administrator?

I'm using Windows 7 x64. DesktopX Pro 3.5

Just tried it with an export to gadget myself, and apart from having to point it to a full path e.g. d:\test.lnk as the shortcut, it works.

I tried it with UAC on and off and both work.

What version of DesktopX are you using?

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Quoting Skarny,

reply 13

Tried running your gadget as an Administrator?

That or in compatibility mode.

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Just did that and it doesn't do anything. The cursor indicates *something* is happening, but nothing ever does.

Odd thing is that is shows up in my list of processes, but not in applications via task manager.

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Skarny

Join Date 10/2002

+45

Go to my skyDrive: https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=ff1faf74706c5bbc&resid=FF1FAF74706C5BBC!152

Download MouseControlPanel.zip

Unzip it and copy the MouseControlPanel *shortcut* to your c:\

Run the MouseControlPanel.exe and click the little pink star.

Let us know if that works to open Mouse Pointer control panel.

If someone else could test too, then we know if it's just happycamper's computer.
The above process works for me.

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Tested on Win7 Ultimate/64bit, works fine. UAC off.

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I just dropped down into W7 Pro 32 bit, installed DX pro and had the same results.

I noticed upon installation that there is no way to enter a serial number for the program though. Could it be that this isn't activated and that's why it won't export correctly?

The link Stardock sent me is for a stand-alone DX Pro installer. I was never prompted for key to unlock it. (But everything else seems to work fine)

@Skarny - I get the little pink star but nothing happens when I click on it.

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Vista 32 bit, UAC off. Error: c:\MouseControlPanel.lnk The parameter is incorrect.

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Skarny

Join Date 10/2002

+45

Well, unfortunately I'm outta ideas - being that my little pink star is a Pro gadget, it should theoretically run without DesktopX installed at all.

It's worked for me and one other person using x64 Windows 7 (sViz, did you copy the shortcut to c:\ ? or maybe the shortcut locations are different for Vista 32bit) - so this seems to indicate that there could be something on your system interfering with DesktopX functions.
Maybe a virus scanner or anti-malware is blocking it silently?

The version of DesktopX most developers would be using is most likely from installing Impulse, entering their account details, and selecting DesktopX Pro from the Software tab. The licensing is automatic usually based on your Wincustomize login and Stardock account.

All other download locations tend to have v4.0 (Regardless if the link says it's 3.5, like on this page: https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products). That may be your last option if you think your DesktopX installation/installer is bad.

Does DesktopX Pro show up on that stardock store link above for you?

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I downloaded a gadget from https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/desktop_gadgets/271/ and it runs fine.

DX Pro *is* activated on the 64 bit W7 through Impulse.

I just don't get it. I don't know if this is something my computer is causing or what.

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2210

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Yes, I copied the shortcut. Even clicking directly on the .lnk shortcut wouldn't open it, until I opened its properties and clicked 'Open File Location'

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Skarny

Join Date 10/2002

+45

What are you grinning about RND?

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RedneckDude

Join Date 04/2009

+2210

Quoting Skarny,

reply 16

Go to my skyDrive: https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=ff1faf74706c5bbc&resid=FF1FAF74706C5BBC!152

Download MouseControlPanel.zip

Unzip it and copy the MouseControlPanel *shortcut* to your c:\

Run the MouseControlPanel.exe and click the little pink star.

Let us know if that works to open Mouse Pointer control panel.

If someone else could test too, then we know if it's just happycamper's computer.
The above process works for me.

Works fine here. DX Pro 3.5 Win 7 64 bit.

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