Copyright: 12Ghosts DeskTOP Help. Copyright © 1993-2000 12Ghosts, Inc. All rights reserved.


PACT DeskTOP
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 12Ghosts DeskTOP
Desktop Simulator and Application Launcher

Did you ever have the problem of an active program blocking the way to the desktop? Or of a topmost window you were unable to minimize?

12Ghosts DeskTOP provides you with a window simulating the desktop and displaying your desktop icons in the layout you are used to. One click and you have your desktop icons accessible!

Hey, pay attention! To give the user more and faster control, 12Ghosts DeskTOP behaves differently in very particular ways: A left-click brings DeskTOP on top of all other windows, the next click sets it back behind all other windows! To minimize DeskTOP you can just right-click anywhere in the background.

In addition, you can shift to a hidden area for placing unwanted icons (My Computer, etc.), move icons per pixel (!) with CTRL+arrow keys, and select whether you want to keep the icon layout synchronized with the Windows desktop.

• NEW Now supports background images, BMP, GIF, or JPG!

• The looks and feel of the desktop in a window!

• Bring your desktop icons TOPMOST

• One click activation, hover select (with comctl32.dll, version 4.72 or higher)

• Drag icons to a hidden area

• Move desktop icons by arrow keys pixel by pixel

• Optional taskbar button, tray icon, or movable icon.

• User defined hotkey

Frequently Asked Questions

When I press Alt+Tab, DeskTOP is always the last one to be accessed?

Since DeskTOP is always behind all other windows while inactive, you can always press Alt+Shift+Tab or Alt+Shift+Esc to access it. In addition, you can specify a user defined hotkey or click on the taskbar, tray, or movable icon.

Since DeskTOP and the real desktop look quite similar, how can I differentiate between them?

- Use a background image on the Windows desktop

- Try right clicking on the background - DeskTOP would minimize, the Windows desktop displays a context menu

- Left-click on the background: DeskTOP jumps to the front or back, but the Windows desktop does not

- Depending on your Windows version, hovering over an icon might select it in DeskTOP, but not in the Windows desktop.

I have created a new file on the desktop. How can I make it appear in DeskTOP?

Activate DeskTOP and press F5 or select Refresh Icon Display in the tray icon menu.

Sometimes when DeskTOP starts I get the error message "SL does not stop.  Continue waiting?"

DeskTOP actually contacts SL to get the icon layout from the Windows desktop. This error message appears only if SL does not respond after 10 seconds. This could happen at startup when a lot of programs are starting at once and the processor is busy.

The default value of 10 seconds should be sufficient in most cases, however, you can raise the value by adding a registry key, a DWORD value named "WaitForSL" under

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\PACT Software\Desktop

The value can be between 1000 and 60000, that is, 1 to 60 seconds. The default is 10000 = 10 seconds.

Can I change the icon text color?

Yes, DeskTOP looks for the registry key "TextColor" under HKCU\Software\PACT Software\DeskTOP. This is a DWORD value, the hexadecimal data for the red, green, and blue colors in reverse order: BBGGRR. For example 800000 is a dark blue, 0000FF a shining red, and 808080 a noble silver.

You might want to try 12Ghosts SetTextColor. This Ghost changes the desktop item text color and background color, even to transparent!

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