Desktop Icon Restore

[Davey126]

I will throw this out there for consideration. Perhaps a new tool or maybe someone knows how to skin this kitty already ...

Like many others I often remote into my primary workstation from a machines with a different screen resolutions. This has the side effect of messing up desktop icon positions on the host. I use a couple different strategies to save and restore preferred icon layouts for various screen resolutions which work pretty well. But all require user action to manually restore icon positions (just a couple clicks but still annoying). I know there is a way to programmatically detect screen resolution changes so it would seem a simple matter to scan a database for a matching entry of previously saved icon positions for a specific resolution and then restore that layout. But none of the free/paid tools I have tried do this reliably (most don't even try) so there must be a complication.

Currently I use DeskTopOK to automatically save icon positions for various resolutions. Nice compact tool that quietly runs in the system tray. What I am looking for is a complementary tool that can detect a screen resolution change and then call DeskTopOK to perform a restore for the current resolution. Obviously this does not have to depend on DeskTopOk - the interface could allow any command to be called passing the current screen resolution as a parameter. 

[Shane]

Perhaps it would be better (And dang fast for me to make) a program that detects the screen resolution and lets you set a command to run

So small window, with what command to run on which screen sizes. Be simple to make and give users control.

Hit me up on later this week and I can see what I can pump out in a few hours time.

I will be updating my simple port forwarding program this week so I will be focused on that first.

Shane

[Davey126]

Perhaps it would be better (And dang fast for me to make) a program that detects the screen resolution and lets you set a command to run

So small window, with what command to run on which screen sizes. Be simple to make and give users control.

Very close to what I was thinking. Flushing out requirements, I see this tool polling for screen resolution changes every few seconds and passing the new (current) resolution as an argument. For maximum flexibility I would see the command structure being as follows:

  - executable name
  - parameter string #1
  - screen width
  - parameter string #2
  - screen height
  - parameter string #3

With these six fields I could pass something like the following: cmd p1 1680 p2 1080 p3 where p1, p2, p3 are various switches used by the external command.

While this is a specialized for screen resolution a more generic version of this tool might have broader application and potentially be a candidate for a 'pro' version.
 

[Shane]

After I get SPF updated this week I will look into making this tool.

I don't think it warrants a pro version. I see very few people wanting or needing this.

It will be techs like us that need it. So I am thinking it will find its home on my toolbox page

Shane

[Shane]

Actually I just came up with an idea that would do what you want and then some, and I could make a free/pro version for $5.

Think of this, in my cleanmem mini monitor, one of the pro features is the advanced rules list.

What if I made a new program where it is a advanced rule list.

When one of the rules is hit then it does its command.
So I could have it watch ALL kinds of things. Screen res. Memory, cpu, certain processes running, services, time, day, user login, just about anything you can think of.

When one of those hits we can give it a command to run. Like a program to run and other things.
Example: resolution changes - run specified exe with these arguments
Example: certain program has started - command: kill other porgrams (Good for gaming)
Example: certain program has closed - command: start other programs (You closed your game)
Example: certain date and time has hit - command: what ever the frick you want.

You get the idea. And it is something we could build to cover every command and rule we could think of.

Something like this I can see being a very useful program because it could cover such a large range of uses. Including yours.

Thoughts?

Shane

[Davey126]

Wow - exactly what I was thinking about for a 'pro' version! A nice selection of watched items could be included in the base (free) version with more exotic items going the pro route. I think such a tool would be useful for both techs and end users provided it was reasonably easy to use/configure.

BTW - detecting screen resolution changes probably belongs in the 'pro' section. As noted in an earlier post - it is not a common request.

[Shane]

Well you know me by now lol

Let me get spf updated and all that and I will make this my next free/pro app.

Dont see it being as popular as spf or cleanmem, but do seeing it doing well if I do it correctly.

Now need to think of a name for it lol.

I will get started soon on it

Up to you, but if your up for testing the hell out of the new app t will be a lot better for us to be on msn or yahoo instead of posting a million posts.

Feel free to email me and we can work through chat instead

Shane

[Davey126]

I also have upcoming commitments so would not be able to spend much time on this until the weekend. Agreed chat or direct email is more efficient during development when changes are fast/furious. I will pop you an email later this week to work through the details.

[Shane]

Sounds good

Shane