Active Desktop Tutorial

I'm really bummed to find out that the admins discarded most of the attachments. Especially in this thread, the attachments were an integral part of the discussion. I have a hard time understanding most of what people are talking about in the parts where the attachments were lost.

Would it be feasible for people to re-attach files if they still have them? Probably most people don't have them anymore, but I guess it would be worth a try. This would probably mean the admins would have to make allt he posts editable again, but it seems like the least they could do.

Sorry if this has been discussed in this thread, but I couldn't bring myself to keep reading about desktop screenshots that weren't there.
 
In the past I always dumped my downloads to the desktop because it was easy to access them with the show desktop or on the places bar in save as or to drag them to the recycle bin. However, my desktop got to cluttered this way. So I came up with a way of keeping them accessable on the desktop without the clutter.

I started putting them in another folder, and put that folder as and object on the desktop. Then I made an entry for that folder in the places bar. Then, I made an html template for the folder that hid all the icons by default until you clicked a button to unhide them. Attached is a zip file with all you need including a readme I whipped up to explain how to do everything.

//EDIT: I've included another method of implementing this that is simpler and easier to use if you still want to see your background image, and I've updated the zip to reflect this.
 
Help Active desktop for xp spanish version

Hello,
I have error with vbs take look images..please help me...i think xp spanish version does not understand english from vbs something.
 
Alright, I have a bar on my desktop that has a bunch of search boxes for google, ebay etc. What I've been trying to do is have an address bar that you type in a url and it pops up that page in a new window.

I tried an onsubmit javascript function but it didn't seem to work.

I've also tried a php solution. Now, the odd thing about the php solution I have is that if I just open the page with the form in a normal browser window, it works fine, I type in an address and a new window pops up with that address. However, as soon as I put it on my AD, for some reason i get 'undefined index' which means that the php script is not getting the variable from the form passed to it. My only thought is that AD has some kind of limit on variables being passed from form data, but then all my other search bars use data passed to scripts as variables, so I'm at a loss. Below is some of the code I've used:

Form Code:
HTML:
<form id='web' action='http://127.0.0.1/address.php' target='_blank' onsubmit="window.location.reload(false);">
Web:<input id='addr' type="text" name='addr' value="" size="18" /></form>

Then I have address.php hosted locally as indicated in the form code, very simple stuff:
PHP:
<?
echo("<html><head><script type='text/javascript'>location.href='http://".$_POST['addr']."'</script></head><body>hello</body></html>");

?>

Now, I've also tried the depreciated $HTTP_POST_VARS method, and it changes nothing. Again, this script works perfectly when it's not being submitted from the Active Desktop.

Does anyone have any ideas why this is happening?? Or any other methods of putting an address bar on the desktop (I've tried the address toolbar that you get by right clicking on the taskbar, but I don't like it)

BTW I'm running Windows 2000 sp4 (also happend in sp3) with IE v. 6.0.2800.1106

I've tried with and without admin. priviledges, with and without norton antivirus enabled, i even set up an account on a remote server that ran php just to verify, again it worked from normal browser but not from desktop.
 
Re: lock/unlock active desktop button

Originally posted by sacred2nite
I have just started playing with active desktop so I am constantly adding and removing objects. I find it really annoying having to do this, "right-click>properties>desktop>customise desktop>web> click 'lock desktop items' ", every time I want to add or remove something.
Does anyone know how to create an active desktop link that will automatically lock/unlock desktop items? I would like it as a discrete button hidden in the corner of my screen. This would make my life a lot easier.
Thanks

What you do is always have your desktop items locked, then when you want to move or change something all you have to do is hold down <alt> and then click on the item you want to change. The only drawback is when you want to change items, you have to wait for the first one to deselect before you can select another one. A way to speed this up is to click in the taskbar.

I got this from one of the tutorials, can't remember which
 
I have been waiting for somebody reply or help me at all....and also i did private msg to madmatt...i gave up with win xp spanish version sux....and also i'm not happy with you.....

i have question...active desktopwill work win98? Gimme site of win98 active desktop for spanish version...thank you.
 
madmatt hasn't been around for a few months speedrayo... don't expect a reply from him.

Hopefully another member can answer your question
 
Proneax are you trying to submit back to the same page use "echo $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];" for the action instead, otherwise do ./address.php or something like that, I think it might be reparsing the address.php file as you are using a http:// address to it.
 
Geffy: The form submit page is just standard html that I have on my active desktop. The thing that is weird is that sites like google etc. seem to be getting the variable from the forms, but my script isn't. Then again, when I open the form page in a normal browser instead of on my active desktop, it works.
 
I need help with my Desktop.
I've been following parts of this guide and it's kind of left my desktop with patches of white boxes - where the individual html files go, like the calendar and launch programs.
I, like many other people, have pictures as a desktop wallpaper and would like to know if it would be possible to make the background of those html files become transparent?
 
Others may disagree with my methods, but I would put everything in one html file and make it span the entire desktop.
 
I have tried to come up with a way to make AD items transparent to the wallpaper, but I haven't been successfull.

Now, there are several things you could do here. You could determine where the boxes are sitting on the background, and cut and paste those areas of the background as the backgrounds for each box, making them seem transparent. To do this you could get and application to determine the xy coordinates of the top left corner of each box and use that to map your area, or you could do a printscreen and make a mask from that.

Another option is to integrate each box into one file, as ketchup suggested. To do this you would again need the xy coordinates of the topleft of each box. Then, make each box and iframe in the background image, and position it with css using:
{position:absolute;top:xx;left:xx;} where top and left are the number of pixels from the top and left of the screen to the top left corner of the iframe. You'll need the frameborder='0' attribute to get rid of the ugly 3d borders for the iframes.

If anyone knows how to make the backgrounds of files transparent on the desktop, let me know!!! I hope there is an easier way to do this!
 
I had that in mind about cutting the wallpaper and using it in the html, but then again, I do plan to use the html files on another machine.
 
hi! i got a problem with my active desktop. My launch program was working when i have 3-4 links, but when i added about 7 more shortcuts my ad launch program stop working. i tried clicking on the .vbs files but thats stop working too. how can i fix this?

here the script. tell me it what im doing wrong.

<html>
<head>
<title>Active Desktop: Program Launch</TITLE>

<script>
function exec (command) {
if (document.layers && navigator.javaEnabled()) {
window._command = command;
window.oldOnError = window.onerror;
window.onerror = function (err) {
if (err.indexOf ("User didn't grant") != -1) {
alert('command execution of ' + window._command +
' disallowed by user.');
return true;
}
else return false;
}
netscape.security.PrivilegeManager.enablePrivilege
('UniversalExecAccess');
java.lang.Runtime.getRuntime().exec(command);
window.onerror = window.oldOnError;
}
else if (document.all) {
window.oldOnError = window.onerror;
window._command = command;
window.onerror = function (err) {
if (err.indexOf('utomation') != -1) {
alert('command execution of ' + window._command +
' disallowed by user.');
return true;
}
else return false;
};
var wsh = new ActiveXObject('WScript.Shell');
if (wsh)
wsh.Run(command);
window.onerror = window.oldOnError;
}
}
</script>

</head>
<STYLE>
a:link {
color: #FFFFFF;
font-weight : none;
text-decoration : none;}

a:active {
color: #FFFFFF;
font-weight : none;
text-decoration : none;}

a:visited {
color: #FFFFFF; /*replace with color of your choice*/
font-weight : none; /* this to make bold font*/
text-decoration : none;}/*this to get raid of the underline*/


a:hover {
color: #FFFFFF;
font-weight : bold;
text-decoration : none; }
</STYLE>
<body bgcolor="#000000">
<font face=snap size=-1>

<font color=#0099FF face=snap size=-1>INTERNET</font><br>

<a onClick="exec('emule.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-EMULE</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('aim.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-AIM</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('trillian.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-TRILLIAN</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('kazaa.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-KAZAA</a><br>

<font color=#0099FF face=snap size=-1>GAMES</font><br>

<a onClick="exec('armyops.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-AMERICA'S ARMY</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('steam.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-STEAM</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('frozenthrone.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-WARCRAFT FROZEN THRONE</a><br>

<font color=#0099FF face=snap size=-1>PROGRAMS</font><br>

<a onClick="exec('coreplayer.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-COREPLAYER</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('winamp.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-WINAMP</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('nero.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-NERO BURNING ROM</a><br>

<font color=#0099FF face=snap size=-1>UTILITIES</font><br>

<a onClick="exec('ad-aware.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-AD-AWARE</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('jv16powertools.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-JV16 POWERTOOLS</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('rc.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-REGISTRY COMPACTOR</a><br>
<a onClick="exec('reg1aid.vbs'); return false;" href="java script:void(0)">-REGISTRY FIRST AID</a><br>

</body>
</html>

example of a vbs file

Dim oShell
Set oShell = WScript.CreateObject ("WScript.shell")
oShell.run "aim"
Set oShell = Nothing

Change Path %SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;D:\Program Files\Shortcuts

all my shortcuts and vbs files are in D:\Program Files\Shortcuts
 
Hi all-have been happily lurking on this site for many months now and I've learned a lot. The AD tutorial has inspired me to make my own. Not really having any trouble as most of my desktop now works, however, have looked long and hard through this MASSIVE thread for any hints on adding a media player/media player controls. Has that been covered? TIA.
 
I suppose I could finally get around to releasing the WMP controls I came up with. I'll see what's going on this weekend and try and fit it in.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Latest profile posts

Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

Forum statistics

Threads
62,015
Messages
673,494
Members
5,621
Latest member
naeemsafi
Back