Windows Vista Tip: Customizing the Common File Dialog

Do you find yourself navigating to the same folders over and over again? Do you have a folder that you want to have quick access too from the open dialog of most applictions? This is a quicker way to get to that folder (or any location) that wasn’t included in the default "links" pane for Windows Explorer.

For me I find that I am using the new “Downloads” folder a lot so I added it to the list.  Here is how you can do the same.  The menu that is displayed on the left hand side of explorer or in the common file dialog is loaded with shortucts from a folder under your profile.  You can manage this list from the following folder C:\Users\[logon name]\Links.  Adding a shortcut here makes it appear no only in explorer but also any app using the common file dialog.

As you can see I have added “Downloads” to the links folder and it now appears on the left hand menu.

It also now appears in the common file dialog.

Another way to customize the menu is to drag items onto the links pane in explorer, but there is no way to delete them directly from that view, so knowing where these are located on your system can be important.

I had been thinking of starting a tips series on Windows Vista for a while now and so I figured I should kick it off sooner, rather than later.  This was my first attempt at something you might not know and to also solicit you, yes you, yeah you reading this, for tips to add to future editions. You can add them to the comments below or if you prefer email them to me.