Customize the appearance of a specific folder

In Windows 2000 each folder can have a different background, which not only lets you customize the interface to your tastes but also gives you a visual clue as to the folder location. For example, you might apply a specific background to each drive folder so you can quickly identify the drive you’re currently browsing. You can use graphics files in .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tif , or .dib formats as the background.

In addition to specifying a background for a folder window, you can specify an HTML template to use to structure the appearance of a folder. Windows 2000 provides four sample HTML templates to customize the appearance of a folder that you can use as-is or modify. You can also create your own HTML files to use to define the folder appearance, though doing so naturally requires a strong understanding of HTML.

Finally, you can add a folder comment. This optional comment, structured in HTML, appears in the left pane of the folder window.

Customize folder appearance

Windows 2000 provides a wizard to step you through the process of setting folder appearance. Some of the potential tasks in customizing a folder—such as HTML programming—are outside the scope of this book. The following procedure explains where to go in the Windows 2000 interface to customize a folder:

  1. Open the folder you want to customize and choose View → Customize This Folder to start the wizard, then click Next.

  2. You can select any of three options that enable you to specify or edit an HTML template for the folder, specify a background image, and add the folder comment. Select the desired options and click Next.

  3. Windows 2000 prompts you to select a template. After you select a template, you can select the option “I want to edit this template,” and Windows 2000 will open the HTML code in a text editor so you can edit it. Click Next to continue.

  4. The wizard next prompts you for an image to use for the background. Browse to the location containing the desired image and select it.

  5. Specify the foreground and background colors for icon text using the Text and Background buttons, respectively, then click Next.

  6. If you’re specifying a folder comment, Windows 2000 provides a text box for you to type the HTML code for the comment.

  7. Click Next, then Finish to complete the customization.

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