Refresh Desktop.

[toonboon]

I need to refresh my desktop without closing explorer.exe

I am trying to change the desktop folder, I did this through a registry key, but for the change to happen, I need to restart explorer.exe. Is there another way to do this?

[jbc1]

Have you tired the EnvUpdate( ) function?

[toonboon]

I did just now, and it doesn't work. thanks anyways.

Edited November 19, 2008 by toonboon

[FireFox]

I did just now, and it doesn't work. thanks anyways.

F5 refresh all windows so have you tried :

send("{F5}")

[oMBRa]

F5 refresh all windows so have you tried :

send("{F5}")

this is better:

ControlSend('Program Manager', '', '', '{F5}')

[toonboon]

This just refreshes it. I need to reload the entire data in the desktop, since the folder has changed. The entire path has changed. F5 doesn't accomplish this, I already tried that a 100 times.

[Richard Robertson]

You probably have to restart explorer because it won't know to look for a new value. I'm sure it's written that way for a reason.

It's not hard to ProcessClose("explorer.exe") Run("explorer.exe").

[toonboon]

I know it's not hard. I don't even need to insert the Run("explorer.exe") code. But I don't like the fact that when closing explorer.exe I can't use the taskbar for about 3 seconds, AND all open folder windows close.

[youknowwho4eva]

so save all folder windows to an array and reopen them apon reload of explorer

[toonboon]

Yes I already thought of that, implemented it already, but I'm just not happy with the five second delay it brings into my work.

[BinaryBrother]

Wanna share some code? Maybe there is a better method of accomplishing what you need.

[zorphnog]

If this can be accomplished without restarting explorer, it will most likely be using _SendMessage. Now as to what message and what window...I haven't a clue.

[Nahuel]

Try this:

$Hwnd = WinGetHandle("classname=Progman")
DllCall("user32.dll", "long", "SendMessage", "hwnd", $hWnd, "int", 0x111, "int", 28931, "int", 0)

[toonboon]

Try this:

$Hwnd = WinGetHandle("classname=Progman")
 DllCall("user32.dll", "long", "SendMessage", "hwnd", $hWnd, "int", 0x111, "int", 28931, "int", 0)

No, that is not working. And the code I have so far is relatively simple.

$RegKeyFolder = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\"
$Folder = FileSelectFolder("Select a folder to use as desktop...","My computer")
RegWrite($RegKeyFolder,"Desktop","REG_EXPAND_SZ", $Folder)
ProcessClose("explorer.exe")
WinMinimizeAll()

[rasim]

I need to refresh my desktop without closing explorer.exe

I am trying to change the desktop folder, I did this through a registry key, but for the change to happen, I need to restart explorer.exe. Is there another way to do this?

Hmm... maybe this will helps?

Const $WM_SETTINGCHANGE = 0x001A
Const $HWNDBROADCAST = 0xFFFF
Const $szParam = "Environment"

DllCall("user32.dll", "int", "SendMessage", _
                             "hwnd", $HWNDBROADCAST, _
                             "int", $WM_SETTINGCHANGE, _
                             "int", 0, _
                             "int", $szParam)

Run("rundll32 user32.dll,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters")

[toonboon]

Nope, thanks for the try though =).. I'm beginning to think that closing explorer.exe is the only way..

There must be some way around it though...

[Richard Robertson]

There isn't always a way around it. How many programs do you know of that will check for settings updates at runtime? They usually don't unless they have a settings window for you to use.

[toonboon]

Ok, I understand this, but I feel like there must be some way around this... Can't I make explorer.exe recheck those values?

Not that this is a big problem for the functionality of my script, it's just something I'd like to have perfectioned.

[Richard Robertson]

If the above "update" methods didn't work, I doubt there is a way to do it.

[toonboon]

Ok, thanks for the help anyways, but I will not stop my search for a solution that easily. I will continue to search for a way to solve my problem.