Moving desktop and Programs folders

I am working on PB5. I am considering how to install/deploy software updates
for our users. Our OS uses a RAM/ROM FS but our device does power off often.
Therefor, I loose everything which is not in the OS nk.bin, BUT if I put all
of our software in NK.bin, I get a large image which takes over a minute to
boot. I'd like to have a lean NK.bin and load our software into our
\\Mounted Volume\\ flash storage. CAB installers seem like a good way to
install our software, except that if I install desktop or start menu links,
they are lost on power-cycle. I found
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Explorer\Shell Folders] and thought I could
override the two paths in my project.reg. This leads to the questions:
a) Sure, this would let me move where the OS looks for desktop/start menu
items, but it won't help me change where apps install too. For example,
wordpad and media player icons are forced into \\Windows\LOC_DESKTOP_DIR,
etc. Obviosuly I could change the public source but that doesn't feel right.
Is there a trick here, or am I way off in what I'm attempting?
b) If I ever want to localize my OS, I'm stuck cause I just hardcoded the
paths. I can't figure out how to combine the LOC_PATH_* definitions with the
\\Mounted Volume path because of the quotes in LOC_PATH_*. Is there a way to
override the root path but keep localized names?

Bruce
Tue Jul 08 10:55:34 PDT 2008

See if this helps:
http://geekswithblogs.net/BruceEitman/archive/2008/06/04/platform-builder--managing-the-registry.aspx
or:
http://geekswithblogs.net/BruceEitman/archive/2008/06/20/platform-builder-fmerge-tips-and-tricks.aspx

Without researching your specific case, I don't know what the issues are, or
what your specific concerns are. But:

1. You can change your project.reg or your platform.reg, no need to change
the public folders
2. You can change your own str file to set the localization strings.

--
Bruce Eitman (eMVP)
Senior Engineer
Bruce.Eitman AT EuroTech DOT com
My BLOG http://geekswithblogs.net/bruceeitman

EuroTech Inc.
www.EuroTech.com

"Talbot" <Talbot@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:928CDE98-1C82-481C-9063-B426C185D917@microsoft.com...
>I am working on PB5. I am considering how to install/deploy software
>updates
> for our users. Our OS uses a RAM/ROM FS but our device does power off
> often.
> Therefor, I loose everything which is not in the OS nk.bin, BUT if I put
> all
> of our software in NK.bin, I get a large image which takes over a minute
> to
> boot. I'd like to have a lean NK.bin and load our software into our
> \\Mounted Volume\\ flash storage. CAB installers seem like a good way to
> install our software, except that if I install desktop or start menu
> links,
> they are lost on power-cycle. I found
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Explorer\Shell Folders] and thought I could
> override the two paths in my project.reg. This leads to the questions:
> a) Sure, this would let me move where the OS looks for desktop/start menu
> items, but it won't help me change where apps install too. For example,
> wordpad and media player icons are forced into \\Windows\LOC_DESKTOP_DIR,
> etc. Obviosuly I could change the public source but that doesn't feel
> right.
> Is there a trick here, or am I way off in what I'm attempting?
> b) If I ever want to localize my OS, I'm stuck cause I just hardcoded the
> paths. I can't figure out how to combine the LOC_PATH_* definitions with
> the
> \\Mounted Volume path because of the quotes in LOC_PATH_*. Is there a way
> to
> override the root path but keep localized names?
>
>

Bruce
Tue Jul 08 10:58:31 PDT 2008

You can also run an app at startup that copies things to RAM. Of course you
would do that from within your OS image, but configure it from your install.

--
Bruce Eitman (eMVP)
Senior Engineer
Bruce.Eitman AT EuroTech DOT com
My BLOG http://geekswithblogs.net/bruceeitman

EuroTech Inc.
www.EuroTech.com

"Talbot" <Talbot@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:928CDE98-1C82-481C-9063-B426C185D917@microsoft.com...
>I am working on PB5. I am considering how to install/deploy software
>updates
> for our users. Our OS uses a RAM/ROM FS but our device does power off
> often.
> Therefor, I loose everything which is not in the OS nk.bin, BUT if I put
> all
> of our software in NK.bin, I get a large image which takes over a minute
> to
> boot. I'd like to have a lean NK.bin and load our software into our
> \\Mounted Volume\\ flash storage. CAB installers seem like a good way to
> install our software, except that if I install desktop or start menu
> links,
> they are lost on power-cycle. I found
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Explorer\Shell Folders] and thought I could
> override the two paths in my project.reg. This leads to the questions:
> a) Sure, this would let me move where the OS looks for desktop/start menu
> items, but it won't help me change where apps install too. For example,
> wordpad and media player icons are forced into \\Windows\LOC_DESKTOP_DIR,
> etc. Obviosuly I could change the public source but that doesn't feel
> right.
> Is there a trick here, or am I way off in what I'm attempting?
> b) If I ever want to localize my OS, I'm stuck cause I just hardcoded the
> paths. I can't figure out how to combine the LOC_PATH_* definitions with
> the
> \\Mounted Volume path because of the quotes in LOC_PATH_*. Is there a way
> to
> override the root path but keep localized names?
>
>