Add Dopus "find" command to XP Start Menu

Help & Support
1

Hi - I'd like to be able to start Dopus' Find Command to the XP start menu in place of the default one that opens explorer.

I've narrowed it down to this key.. possibly... but am unsure of how to modify it or which command switch to use to invoke just the find tool

The key is

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartMenu\StartPanel\ShowSearch

Any help would be appreciated.

2

I don't believe that registry key is going to help you... I could be wrong, but there doesn't seem to be any sort of 'system command' in there that you could 'replace' with an Opus call.

But you could certainly drag a shortcut to dopusrt.exe to someplace on your programs menu, then pin it to the start menu after modifying it to run:

"C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" /cmd find

3

Thanks - That's a good idea and I'll use it in the meantime. But I'd like it to look more integrated.

I've done a little searching in the meantime and found an article about modifying the link that OEM's put on the start menu. I could put it there and simply hide the Search button.

I'll post back with the results.

4

Well, I've been able to add a button to the start menu, however it won't accept any switches on the command line. For example, I can start

"C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe"

but not

"C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" /cmd find

It simply says that the file cannot be found.

Seems this will require I bit more research.

5

Maybe it's choking on the spaces after the executable. Try:

""C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" /cmd find"

...or try just putting the 'previous' command in a batch file and call it instead of the executable.

6

[quote="steje"]Maybe it's choking on the spaces after the executable. Try:

""C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" /cmd find"

...or try just putting the 'previous' command in a batch file and call it instead of the executable.[/quote]

I can't get either of those ways to work. Opus just starts without the find function.

.

7

@dforrest & markheus:

I'm not sure exactly what either of you are doing, but I don't think it's the same as what I tried to describe because what I'm talking about here is a plain old normal windows shortcut to dopusRT.exe. So if you:

  • go to the Opus program directory
  • select and drag the dopusRT.exe file using the right mouse button, and hover it over the Start menu to expand it; following it to the 'All Programs' menu, then dropping it on the 'All Programs' menu and selecting 'Create Shortcuts Here'... you will get a shortcut to dopusRT
  • right click on the newly created shortcut, and select properties
  • in the 'Target' field on the 'Shortcut' properties tab, you should see "C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" already there, simply append a space followed by /cmd find to the end of it
  • hit Ok to accept the change and close the Properties dialog
  • right click on the shortcut again and select 'Pin to Start menu'

... and you should have an Opus Find button.

If this doesn't work for either of you, then my explanation is complete trash and I'm nuts, or there's something tragically flawed in either your interpretation of the steps or your Opus installation :slight_smile:. Make sure you're creating a shortcut from dopusRT and not just dopus.exe...

8

Your suggestion works fine for me steje. :smiley:

It pins to the start menu the way it should too. (I don't have a good name for it, but it works).

9

My apologies. I omitted the "rt" in dopusrt.exe.

10

I don't have any problems creating the shortcut. And it works just fine when I do that. It's simply when I add the new item on the right side of the start menu. Apparently to do that you have to add the item via the registry.

Not really important though. I've got Dopus open all the time anyway and I put a link to the find command on my "desktop sidebar" as well. I've been using the start menu less and less lately.