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Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 20th 20, 09:13 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
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Posts: 1,302
Default Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?

Hello all,

This morning I again took a look at the, rather cluttered, "recent
documents" folder, and asked myself if I could not simply stop certain
filetypes from being stored in there (it makes no sense to me to see stuff
like folders and auto-run scripts in there).

A bit of googeling turned up the "EditFlags" entry in the registry, and some
more of the same the needed value for it, 0x40000 (FTA_NoRecentDocs).

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...attributeflags

Alas, when I applied that value to both the "folder" as well as the
"vbsfile" registry entries and clearing the "recent documents" folder (and,
for good measure, a reboot) showed that both still where being stored.

tl;dr:
Can anyone tell me if it is possible to stop a certain filetype from being
stored in the "recent documents" folder, and if so, how.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


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  #2  
Old November 21st 20, 10:29 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
JJ[_14_]
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Posts: 46
Default Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?

On Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:13:21 +0100, R.Wieser wrote:
Hello all,

This morning I again took a look at the, rather cluttered, "recent
documents" folder, and asked myself if I could not simply stop certain
filetypes from being stored in there (it makes no sense to me to see stuff
like folders and auto-run scripts in there).

A bit of googeling turned up the "EditFlags" entry in the registry, and some
more of the same the needed value for it, 0x40000 (FTA_NoRecentDocs).

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...attributeflags

Alas, when I applied that value to both the "folder" as well as the
"vbsfile" registry entries and clearing the "recent documents" folder (and,
for good measure, a reboot) showed that both still where being stored.

tl;dr:
Can anyone tell me if it is possible to stop a certain filetype from being
stored in the "recent documents" folder, and if so, how.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


Uh... FTA_NoRecentDocs is 0x00100000. Not 0x40000.
  #3  
Old November 21st 20, 11:41 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
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Posts: 1,302
Default Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?

JJ,

Uh... FTA_NoRecentDocs is 0x00100000. Not 0x40000.


I just did a google for "#define FTA_NoRecentDocs", and see all four(!)
results agree with you.

No wonder it wouldn't work. I applied that value, and now it does.
Thanks.

Don't you just *love* MSDN "documentatation" (the link I provided) which
doesn't actually document anything ? Apart from an "enumeration" thats
actually a set of bitflags they seem to have left out a few of them.

Though I have to kick myself. Starting with giving FTA_None a value of 0x1
is not the smartest thing I ever did ...

Regards,
Rudy Wieser



  #4  
Old November 21st 20, 12:24 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
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Posts: 1,302
Default Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?

I applied that value, and now it does. Thanks.

Ho hum ... I spoke a bit too fast : I gave both the "folder" as well as
"the vbsfile" registry entries that EditFlags value. When I now open a .vbs
file for editing neither it nor its folder appears in the list, but when I
do the same for a .txt file its folder still gets added.

Its still an improvement though. :-)

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #5  
Old November 23rd 20, 07:36 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
JJ[_14_]
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Posts: 46
Default Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?

On Sat, 21 Nov 2020 12:24:45 +0100, R.Wieser wrote:
I applied that value, and now it does. Thanks.


Ho hum ... I spoke a bit too fast : I gave both the "folder" as well as
"the vbsfile" registry entries that EditFlags value. When I now open a .vbs
file for editing neither it nor its folder appears in the list, but when I
do the same for a .txt file its folder still gets added.

Its still an improvement though. :-)

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


But that flag is for documents. Not folders.

I don't know if there's a built in method to prevent folders from being
addin into the recent folders list.
  #6  
Old November 23rd 20, 08:37 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
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Posts: 1,302
Default Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?

JJ,

But that flag is for documents. Not folders.


Where did you read that ?

Yes, I did read the words "file type" in the explanation to the
FTA_NoRecentDocs flag, but did so in context - both knowing that the
"folder" registry entry works 'rather similar' to any other file type as
well as seeing a number of other flags that could easily be referring to
both*.

*no idea what a flag like FTA_NoEditIcon is supposed to do though. Just
tried, but I can't, thru rightclicking, change a .png filetype icon anyway.

Also, is there a reason, let alone a good one, to handle files and folders
different for this flag ?

Man, I really start to hate MSDN pages. If its not enough that, in this
case, their "enumeration" isn't anything of the kind and missing items, it
also doesn't include this kind of different handling in a clear way (a
column with a "D"irectory, "F"ile or "DF" in it perhaps ?).

I don't know if there's a built in method to prevent folders from
being addin into the recent folders list.


Luckily its not really a problem. Folders are not shown in the "run" -
"recent" list, and on shutdown I have-been-and-still-do scrub the "My Recent
Documents" folder.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #7  
Old November 24th 20, 12:40 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
JJ[_14_]
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Posts: 46
Default Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?

On Mon, 23 Nov 2020 08:37:23 +0100, R.Wieser wrote:
JJ,

But that flag is for documents. Not folders.


Where did you read that ?

Yes, I did read the words "file type" in the explanation to the
FTA_NoRecentDocs flag, but did so in context - both knowing that the
"folder" registry entry works 'rather similar' to any other file type as
well as seeing a number of other flags that could easily be referring to
both*.


Also, is there a reason, let alone a good one, to handle files and folders
different for this flag ?


My statement was based on the illogical fact of what Microsoft does.

First of all, files are not folders, and vice versa. Documents are files,
not folders. But Microsoft lump both of them together as documents. Perhaps
they do that for simplicitic sake. Proper or not.

Regarding the `FTA_NoRecentDocs` flag...

In Windows Shell, there are two types of folders: Folder and Directory. i.e.
`HKCR\Folder` and `HKCR\Directory`. Directory refers to file system
directories, and Folder refers to both file system directories and virtual
directories. Virtual directories e.g. `My Computer`, `Control Panel`, etc.

That flag doesn't affect any of both folder types. That's expected, because
folders/directories are not documents.

*no idea what a flag like FTA_NoEditIcon is supposed to do though. Just
tried, but I can't, thru rightclicking, change a .png filetype icon anyway.


I haven't actually tested it yet, but I believe that flag is for preventing
Shell Icon Handler extensions from overriding the icon specified by
`DefaultIcon` registry, or the Shell's default icon handler.

Luckily its not really a problem. Folders are not shown in the "run" -
"recent" list, and on shutdown I have-been-and-still-do scrub the "My Recent
Documents" folder.


Well, that good then.
  #8  
Old November 24th 20, 01:19 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
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Posts: 1,302
Default Recent documents - how to exclude a filetype ?

JJ,

My statement was based on the illogical fact of what Microsoft does.


:-) I wanted to wait with that remark until the end of the thread.

First of all, files are not folders, and vice versa.


Granted, but you're stepping outside the current context.

Also, as my mind was nagging me, I checked a few other EditFlags that where
specified for a "folder" registry entry:

0x002 - FTA_Show Shows file types, such as folders, that are not associated
with a file name extension.
0x010 - FTA_NoRemove Prohibits deletion of the registry entries associated
with this file type.
0x040 - FTA_NoEditVerb
0x080 - FTA_NoRemoveVerb
0x100 - FTA_NoEditDesc Prohibits the modification or deletion of the
description of the file type.
0x200 - FTA_NoEditIcon Prohibits the modification or deletion of the icon
assigned to the file type.

Of the above six four of them have "file type" in their explanation - even
though they are applied to a folder.

In Windows Shell, there are two types of folders: Folder and Directory.
i.e. `HKCR\Folder` and `HKCR\Directory`.


Thanks for mentioning that. I just added the flag to the EditFlags inside
the "Directory" registry entry but alas, no change (hey, I had to try).

I haven't actually tested it yet, but I believe that flag is for
preventing Shell Icon Handler extensions from overriding
the icon specified by `DefaultIcon` registry, or the Shell's
default icon handler.


Possibly. The "explanation" is too terse to me to be sure in any direction.
Might just check that out sometime.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


 




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