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General discussion

I need an Icon builder

Jun 20, 2005 4:36AM PDT

Help !

My mother used to call all the time about the vcr but now she calls about the demon box sitting on top of her desk ( 2 year old dell 2400 pos running sp2 pos).

The most common complaint is she loses track of where programs are on her desktop. She has even caused a few to disapear (don't ask me, I couldn't tell ya how).

What I was thinking would be great is if I could find a custom icon program for XP that creates a large button that has the label directly printed on it. This way we can make her desktop look more orderly and less like the cereal aisle at the grociery store.

Free would be the right price but I would pay a little more to avoid those panicked phone calls at 10 pm.

Grim

Discussion is locked

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Try this instead
Jun 20, 2005 5:59AM PDT

create a few new folders on the desktop (right click/New/folder) and give them GROUP names, such as GAMES, GRAPHICS, OFFICE, etc. and then drag the shortcuts that start those programs from the Start Menu (right click, and drag them, choose COPY HERE) to the appropriate folders. Then when she wants to do some photo editing, just click the Graphics folder and all programs relating to that type of thing will be in there without all the rest of the clutter).

Something else that is really handy is a side toolbar and that's free and very customizable regarding icon size.....here's how.

INSTANT TOOLBAR:

Left click and drag the MY COMPUTER icon to the left and drop it. Instant Toolbar with all your drives, etc.

Now, right click in the gray area and configure it the way you want (no text, small icons, auto hide, etc.).
Now go into Windows Explorer and in the C: drive make a new folder and call it Utilities or whatever and drag shortcuts to your main tools like scandisk, defrag, backup, System Information Tools, anything you want into that folder.

Now go back to the toolbar that you made, right click in the gray area again, and choose New Toolbar... scroll to the new folder you made, and choose it. You now have another toolbar separated by a divider bar underneath the first one.

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Thanks Toni, what about...
Jun 20, 2005 9:52AM PDT

Good suggestions all. I am more used to win98, Linux and Panther than I am with XP so all help is appreciated.

I was talking with a friend this afternoon and asked him if it was possible to make your own icons in Photoshop or Illustrator and import them to the icons file...He said he didn't see why you couldn't but wasn't sure how to go about it. The only thing he seemed sure on was a limit of 60 pixels square and that the graphic should be saved as a .gif.

Toni or anyone have input on this idea?

Grim

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do a google search
Jun 20, 2005 10:39AM PDT

you can find icon makers and icons already made.

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To answer one of my own questions
Jun 20, 2005 10:39AM PDT
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Some program icons wouldn't go in group folder
Jun 23, 2005 2:37AM PDT

Hi Toni
I used part of your suggestions to rebuild my mom's desktop...getting rid of icons she didn't need or use ( "do you use this one mom?" "I don't know, what does it do?") and grouping others into GROUP files as you mentioned and renaming others as needed.

Some programs would not go in to the folder such as Internet Explorer and Network Favorites and I could not rename the Garbage Can which is labled Norton AutoProtect yadayada since I loaded System Works on her pc for virus protection and maintanence...anyway around these little annoyances?

Grim