How to Add a Control Panel Tool to a Category (292463)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
This article was previously published under Q292463
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY

The Control Panel in Windows XP includes a Category view that divides specific tasks and Control Panel tools into different categories. This article describes how to add a Control Panel tool to a specific category.

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

A Control Panel tool can be included in a particular category by adding a registry DWORD entry for the tool in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2

The allowed values of category IDs are as follows:
  • 0x00000000 : Other Control Panel Options (any tool that does not specify a category ID is placed in this category)
  • 0x00000001 : Appearance and Themes
  • 0x00000002 : Printers and Other Hardware
  • 0x00000003 : Network and Internet Connections
  • 0x00000004 : Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices
  • 0x00000005 : Performance and Maintenance
  • 0x00000006 : Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options
  • 0x00000007 : Accessibility Options
  • 0xFFFFFFFF : Do not put the tool in any category (for special tools such as Add/Remove Programs which only start directly)
For example, this is how the Accessibility tool would be registered:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2
"%SystemRoot%\System32\access.cpl"=[DWORD] 0x07

For tools that are implemented as shell namespace extensions (for example, Fonts and Scheduled Tasks), the category ID is specified in the registry under the CLSID entry. For example, the registry entry for the Administrative Tools folder is:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D20EA4E1-3957-11D2-A40B-OC5020524153} "{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2"=[DWORD] 0x05

NOTE: There is no method for creating a new category or adding a task to a category.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/15/2006
Keywords:kbenv kbhowto KB292463
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