The Magic Folder

What a GREAT VISTA GADGET - created by an internal employee here at Microsoft to help organize files !!!

Description: You can drag files to this Gadget and they are moved to a different folder (based on the file extension). You can also customize folder and file extensions recognized by the Gadget. Additionally, you can click the gadget and select a folder to open.

 David’s Vista Gadget!

https://davecra.spaces.live.com

https://gallery.live.com/liveItemDetail.aspx?li=0ed6a06a-6782-41a7-b68c-2753fad412a5&bt=1&pl=1

The Magic Folder Gadget

So I have been playing around with the Windows Vista Sidebar and found that the gadgets are amazing and not so difficult to create. I knew there was a Gadget I could make that would be needed. I looked at how I used my own desktop and found that there are two common things I am doing with Windows:

  1. I am dragging certain files to certain folders (moving them around)...usually form the desktop to somewhere else.
  2. I am always opening specific folder to access files.

So the idea for The Magic Folder was born. With this gadget there are actually several cool things you can do:

  1. You can drag a file to the folder and if it already recognizes the file extension (like .doc or .xls) it will move the file to the folder where that extension is currently registered to move files.
  2. If it does not recognize the file extension, you can register an existing folder for the extension type to be moved to, or you can specify a new one.
  3. You can also manage both the folder and extensions very easily from the Gadget Settings.
  4. Additionally, if you just click on the Gadget, you can select a folder form the list and click Ok to have it open in Windows Explorer.
  5. Finally, you can pull the gadget off the sidebar and place it anywhere on the desktop, so it will look just like another folder.