Shortcuts to Device Manager and Services in Control Panel, How?

**Breckon** · 02-03-2008

I am running Windows XP with SP2 and finally after a long time I got around making 2 shortcuts in Control Panel, one for Device Manager and one for Services, but later found out that Control Panel will not let me add shortcuts. I have added the shortcuts on my desktop which is working fine, but I can neither add a shortcut nor copy one to Control Panel. Can anyone tell me how to add these shortcuts in Control Panel? Thanks.

**absolute55** · 02-03-2008

I think that you can add them to the Tools tab on the system configuration utility (msconfig) and a shortcut to msconfig any where you want, including the Quick Launch bar. As I recall the device manager is a snap in on the MMC so perhaps that's why you cannot create the shortcut. For adding the Tool tab and adding new tools to it, see:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906569

**Breckon** · 02-03-2008

Thanks for the reply, the method you have given me is an alternative and I will consider if getting them into Control Panel fails or not. I still want them in Control Panel and it surely seems to be possible to add them because it is managed by third party tools like Java, Quicktime. Does anyone have any other ideas?

**jigu902003** · 02-03-2008

I guess that the dependency on MMC is at the root of your issue doing that.

**Gusgr8** · 02-03-2008

You can try an alternative instead of adding it to control panel, you can add device manager to the right click context menu of My Computer icon with a simple registry edit. Just try to copy and paste the below in notepad and then save it as .reg file format. After that double click on the same file to merge its contents:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell]
@="none"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\DevMgr]
@=hex(2):40,00,25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,\
00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,64,00,65,00,76,00,6d,00,67,00,\
72,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,34,00,00,00
"SuppressionPolicy"=dword:4000003c

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\DevMgr\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,\
00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6d,00,6d,00,63,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\
65,00,20,00,2f,00,73,00,20,00,25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,64,00,65,00,\
76,00,6d,00,67,00,6d,00,74,00,2e,00,6d,00,73,00,63,00,00,00

**PeterAGASSI** · 02-03-2008

And if you want to add services to contest menu, then copy and paste the below:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Services]
@=hex(2):40,00,25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,\
00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,72,00,73,00,76,00,63,00,\
2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,34,00,00,00
"SuppressionPolicy"=dword:4000003c

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Services\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,\
00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6d,00,6d,00,63,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,\
65,00,20,00,2f,00,73,00,20,00,25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,\
00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,65,00,\
72,00,76,00,69,00,63,00,65,00,73,00,2e,00,6d,00,73,00,63,00,00,00

**GoodGuy98** · 11-02-2009

I know this thread is old, but I thought I would add this information so anyone who searches can find another solution.

Create a command file such as "Services.cmd" and add it to a folder in the system path. I created a folder called C:\Bat and added it.

Services.cmd contains one line:

start /max services.msc

Next I created a shortcut to the Services.cmd file and placed it on my Desktop. The Target text box contains:

C:\Bat\Services.cmd

Just double-click on the shortcut and it will start up services.msc. It creates a DOS Run box, but it closes within a second and the services.msc starts as normal. Just follow the same procedure for any other of the Run commands.

Group policy editor: gpedit.msc
Computer management window: compmgmt.msc
Device manager: devmgmt.msc
Storage manager: diskmgmt.msc
Event viewer: eventvwr.msc

**Breckon** · 11-02-2009

Thanks for the two .reg files, that will indeed work for me. Also, can you tell me whether control panel be added to the same right click context menu?