migratable Windows Explorer settings

Question

The default appearance settings of Windows irritate me with its dumbing down of the interface and I always modify Windows Explorer with

• launch by default to My Computer %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
• Always show icons, never thumbnails
• Show hidden files and folders
• Display the full path in the title bar
• uncheck Hide extensions for known file types
• uncheck Hide protected operating system files
• uncheck Remember each folder's view settings
• uncheck Use sharing wizard

I also customise the Start menu

• System administrative tools - Display on the All Programs and the Start menu
• Control Panel - Display as a menu
• Number of recent programs to display = 12 - 24

Even multiple settings in Task Manager

• Processes with PID (and Command Line) columns; columns rearranged
• uncheck Always on Top
• Hide on minimize
• Minimize on Use
• Networking show Bytes sent per interval, Bytes Received per interval
• View graph as Bytes Sent and Bytes Received, but not Bytes Total

That is just a subset of alterations I make to every Windows system i bring up. I was wondering if there is a scriptable manner to this. Does anybody know where WE and Start settings are stored and edited?

Answer 1

Below is my default set, I run this reg file at the T-13 phase of Windows 2003 setup so that it can be run as the default user, that way every subsequent user inherits the settings. I build all of my systems via a scripted Windows install DVD/ISO. You could do the same with a disk image. I prefer the scripted approach as just one DVD will work with every systems I own and the changes I need can be stored in an SCM system. If you use ImageX as your disk imaging tool you can store versions of sort.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Set the default Windows Explorer Settings
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"StartMenuAdminTools"="YES"
"Hidden"=dword:00000001
"ShowCompColor"=dword:00000001
"HideFileExt"=dword:00000000
"DontPrettyPath"=dword:00000000
"ShowInfoTip"=dword:00000001
"HideIcons"=dword:00000000
"MapNetDrvBtn"=dword:00000000
"WebView"=dword:00000000
"Filter"=dword:00000000
"SuperHidden"=dword:00000000
"SeparateProcess"=dword:00000001
"StartMenuInit"=dword:00000001
"IntelliMenus"="No"
"StartMenuFavorites"=dword:00000000
"StartMenuLogoff"=dword:00000001
"CascadeControlPanel"="NO"
"CascadeMyDocuments"="NO"
"CascadeNetworkConnections"="NO"
"CascadePrinters"="NO"
"StartMenuScrollPrograms"="NO"
"ShowSuperHidden"=dword:00000001
"ClassicViewState"=dword:00000000

; Open dual paned view by default in Explorer
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell]
@="explore"

; Disable Visual Effects
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"IconSpacing"="-1440"
"IconVerticalspacing"="-1140"
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics] 
"MinAnimate"="0"
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop] 
"UserPreferencesMask"=hex:b0,12,01,80
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced] 
"ListviewAlphaSelect"=dword:00000000 
"TaskbarAnimations"=dword:00000000 
"ListviewWatermark"=dword:00000000 
"ListviewShadow"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop] 
"DragFullWindows"="0"
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop] 
"FontSmoothing"="0"
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects] 
"VisualFXSetting"=dword:00000002

; Don't highlight newly installed programs
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"Start_NotifyNewApps"=dword:00000000

; Automatically search for network folders and printers
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"NoFileFolderConnection"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NoNetCrawling"=dword:00000001

; Disable restoring mapped network drive connection on startup
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Network\Persistent Connections]
"SaveConnections"="no"

; Disable Prefix 'Shortcut to'
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"link"=hex:00,00,00,00

; Show Statusbar in all windows
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Show_StatusBar"="yes"
"Show_URLinStatusBar"="yes"
"StatusBarOther"=dword:00000001

Answer 2

You can also use reg.exe to make changes.

What I do when I really want to find, how/where this settings are kept is, I use process monitor from Sysinternals website and check for any registry setting changed by explorer or whatever is associated process. That way you can 99% percent find the setting you want.

Answer 3

Most of the things you list here are registry tweaks at lower levels, and you can script registry tweaks. Telling you everything would take a very very long time, so I will link you to a couple websites that should help. The first is a list of registry tweaks, and where the values are and what to change them to to get the desired effect. The second is a Msoft KB article on scripting registry changes. Good luck, hope this helps.