Opening Directory Links From Email in TC

[huckdogg]

Hi,

Please excuse me if this has been asked before, but as much as I have searched, I can't seem to find the correct search terms to get the answers I need.

In Windows XP, I have set Total Commander to be the default file manager for most operations. The one thing that I can't do is make directory links from email in Outlook, MS Word, Excel, and Access open in TC. These MS applications automatically turn folder locations into hyperlinks that are clickable and take you straight to the directory. These links still open in Explorer instead of TC, though.

Is there a registry entry or setting that I can change to make hyperlinks to local directories and network directories open in Total Commander instead of Explorer?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[braedel]

I have made some changes to the registry and can get TC to launch from a directory link, but it just opens to a random location, not the path of the link. It works in Excel with hyperlinks.


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\command]
@="\"C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE\" \"%1\""

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec]

It appears Outlook calls the 'shell\open' and Excel calls the 'shell\explore'.

This is the last function I need to make TC a complete replacement for Explorer.

Here is the complete registry changes to replace Explorer. Even the Win+E key launches TC now.


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;This will associate Folders, Directories, and Links with total commander

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\command]
@="\"C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE\" \"%1\""

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drives]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drives\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drives\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drives\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\TOTALCMD\\totalcmd.exe\" \"C:\\Documents and Settings\\mds00\\Desktop\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\TOTALCMD\\totalcmd.exe\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\shell]
@="open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\TOTALCMD\\totalcmd.exe\" \"::{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\""

[ghisler(Author)]

Try to remove all the ddeexec subkeys.

[braedel]

Thanks for the response. I did remove all of the ddeexec keys (see below). Still doesn't work. I am guessing that outlook isn't passing the links to TC in the proper format. Is there a way to view what was passed?

The log file only shows when it is shut down or started. as I mentioned, it works great with Excel, but most of the folder links are sent via Outlook.

We have a huge user group here at Bosh that would be very happy to have a fix for this issue.

Thanks again,
Brad

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec]

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddeexec]

[ghisler(Author)]

It will not work with virtual folders, but normal directories should work just fine...

[braedel]

The links that I'm using are not virtual. They are typically locations on our network. Also, they are working via Excel. Outlook seems to be the last hurdle.

Examples:
\\fh1data01.us.bosch.com\data\Dept\CC_ESC_NA\Restricted\
file://fh1data01.us.bosch.com\data\Dept\CC_ESC_NA\Restricted\

[ghisler(Author)]

\\fh1data01.us.bosch.com\data\Dept\CC_ESC_NA\Restricted\

This will work.

file://fh1data01.us.bosch.com\data\Dept\CC_ESC_NA\Restricted\

This will not.

[braedel]

Neither of the examples work with TC. TC launches to the root of C:.

Clicking on either of the examples from Excel launches TC in the right path. The issue is only in Outlook.

Thanks,

[ghisler(Author)]

The question is what exactly is passed to TC. Can you try this with a batch file containing
echo %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
pause

Maybe TC gets an URL passed to it which it cannot handle?

[Flint]

Just FYI: you can use %* to pass all parameters at once.

[braedel]

I'm not sure how to implement this echo function. Can I do it in the command line with a registry edit?

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE\" \"echo %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9\""

Thanks again, I really appreciate all the help.
Brad

[speller2]

I'm not sure how to implement this echo function. Can I do it in the command line with a registry edit?

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@=""C:\\totalcmd\\TOTALCMD.EXE" "echo %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9""

Thanks again, I really appreciate all the help.
Brad

You should create a batch file with provided echo comand and replace path to the TC in the registry with path to created batch file. Next, when you will try to open a link with folder you will see the console window. Copy text from console and paste it here.

[braedel]

First off... I'm very impressed! Nice Work!

Here is what we are after: Regardless if the link type, Outlook seems to be adding the 'file:///' to the parameter.

Link:
\\fh1data01.us.bosch.com\DATA\Dept

Returns to bat file:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033>echo \"file:///\\fh1data01.us.bosch.com\DATA\Dept\""\"file:///\\fh1data01.us.bosch.com\DATA\Dept\""

Link:
file://fh1data01.us.bosch.com\DATA\Dept

Returns to bat file:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033>echo \"file:///\\fh1data01.us.bosch.com\DATA\Dept\""\"file:///\\fh1data01.us.bosch.com\DATA\Dept\""

The question is, how to prevent Outlook from adding the 'file:///' to the link?

Thanks again!

[braedel]

I did another test and found that Windows Explorer will resolve the path in the format sent from Outlook.

file:///\\fh1data01.us.bosch.com\DATA\Dept\

Is there a way to make TC resolve the above path like Explorer?

[braedel]

Well, I ended up writing a little program (16k) that strips the 'file///' and replaces the '%20' with a space. It then shells TC with the correct path format.
I'm sure it can be done in a batch file, but it only took a few minutes in VB.
If the command line argument doesn't contain those strings, it just passes what was sent off to TC.

Just drop the exe in the root of C: and run the reg file. I can provide compiled exe or source if someone else needs it.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\TCPathCleaner.exe\" \"%1\""

Code: Select all

Public Sub Main()
    InputArgument = Command                                          
If InStr(1, InputArgument, "file:///", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then              
    OutputArgument = Replace(InputArgument, "file:///", "")
End If
    OutputArgument = Replace(OutputArgument, "%20", " ")      
    Shell "C:\totalcmd\TOTALCMD.EXE " & OutputArgument, vbNormalFocus       'Shell Total Commander with modified path
End                                                                         
End Sub