Random Photo to Drive Letter

[LazyFox]

I'm very new to programming, I appreciate some help with a command script I have:

echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set folder="c:/photos"
set count=1
set x=1
for /r "%folder%" %%a in (*.ico) do (
    set !count!=%%~a
    set /a count+=1
)
set /a x="%random% %% count"
set chosen=!%x%!
Reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\C\DefaultIcon" /d "%chosen%" /f >NUL

This will add a set of random icons to an assigned drive letter to \C\
I need to call a vbs script for upto 26 drives, each from A - Z and with random Photos each and no repeated photos on the same drive letter
currently only works as on %chosen% as above command script

looking to replace this drive number A-Z to the registry HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\A - Z\DefaultIcon

example,

Drive Letter
A > Random photo1
B > Random photo2
...
Z > Random photo26

Currently trying to do this with a "Reg add ..." but will not work with Command scripts (I'm bad at scripting!)
Any help to write a vbs script to be called to replace the Reg add command.

Many thanks

[LazyFox]

I was able to find this extra command script:

echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set folder="c:/photos"
set count=1
set x=1
for /r "%folder%" %%a in (*.ico) do (
set !count!=%%~a
set /a count+=1
)
set /a x="%random% %% count"
set chosen=!%x%!

for /L %%C in (0x44,1,0x5A) do (
    cmd /C exit %%C
    for /F %%D in ('
        forfiles /P "%~dp0." /M "%~nx0" /C "cmd /C echo 0x%%=ExitCode:~-2%%"
    ') do Reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\%%D\DefaultIcon" /d "%chosen%" /f
)

Now I've tried to combine them together but with no luck... anyone with coding skills can help? ty

[dday9]

I apologize because I can tell you put a lot of effort into describing your problem, but I don't fully understand what it is that you're wanting to accomplish.

P.S. - I updated your posts, but there are [code][/code] tags that format code and should be used over [quote][/quote] tags.

[LazyFox]

I basically wanted to automate a script to choose any random photo icon's (no repeats) to add to this registry:

KLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\A\DefaultIcon
.
.
KLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\Z\DefaultIcon

From Drive A-Z with a DefaultIcon of a random photo icon.

The 2 scripts works independently, I'm not sure how to combine them as one scripy for automation,

So Drive Letter:
A > Random photo1
B > Random photo2
C > Random photo150
... and so on...
Z > Random photo26

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\C]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\C\DefaultIcon]
@="%SystemRoot%\\system32\\imageres.dll,1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\D]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\D\DefaultIcon]
@="c:/photos/photo99"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\Z]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\Z\DefaultIcon]
@="c:/photos/photo26"

Hope this make sense...

[dday9]

OK, that makes more sense. Typically, what you'd do in this situation is:

1. Store the files in a collection
2. Randomly order the collection
3. Loop over the collection

Think of it like shuffling a deck of cards where each card represents an individual photo, the deck represents the collection, and shuffling represents randomly ordering.

Take a look at this example, you will need to run it as an administrator:

Option Explicit

Dim fso, folder, file, filesArray(), count, i, j, temp, letter, filePath
Dim WshShell
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

Dim folderPath
folderPath = "C:\photos"

If Not fso.FolderExists(folderPath) Then
    WScript.Echo "Folder not found: " & folderPath
    WScript.Quit
End If

Set folder = fso.GetFolder(folderPath)

count = 0
For Each file In folder.Files
    ReDim Preserve filesArray(count)
    filesArray(count) = file.Path
    count = count + 1
Next

If count = 0 Then
    WScript.Echo "No files found in " & folderPath
    WScript.Quit
End If

Randomize
Dim ub
ub = UBound(filesArray)
For i = ub To 1 Step -1
    j = Int((i + 1) * Rnd())
    temp = filesArray(i)
    filesArray(i) = filesArray(j)
    filesArray(j) = temp
Next

Dim iterations
iterations = 26
If count < iterations Then iterations = count

For i = 0 To iterations - 1

    letter = Chr(Asc("A") + i)
    filePath = filesArray(i)

    Dim regKey
    regKey = "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\" & letter & "\DefaultIcon\"
    
    On Error Resume Next
    WshShell.RegWrite regKey, filePath, "REG_SZ"
    If Err.Number <> 0 Then
        WScript.Echo "Error writing registry key for drive " & letter & ": " & Err.Description
        Err.Clear
    Else
        WScript.Echo "Set drive " & letter & " icon to " & filePath
    End If
    On Error GoTo 0
Next

I generated the code using a bit of ChatGPT prompting. It is untested, namely because I don't want to futz with my registry, but going over it, it looks like it should work well.

[LazyFox]

OK, that makes more sense. Typically, what you'd do in this situation is:

1. Store the files in a collection
2. Randomly order the collection
3. Loop over the collection

Think of it like shuffling a deck of cards where each card represents an individual photo, the deck represents the collection, and shuffling represents randomly ordering.

Take a look at this example, you will need to run it as an administrator:

Option Explicit

Dim fso, folder, file, filesArray(), count, i, j, temp, letter, filePath
Dim WshShell
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

Dim folderPath
folderPath = "C:\photos"

If Not fso.FolderExists(folderPath) Then
    WScript.Echo "Folder not found: " & folderPath
    WScript.Quit
End If

Set folder = fso.GetFolder(folderPath)

count = 0
For Each file In folder.Files
    ReDim Preserve filesArray(count)
    filesArray(count) = file.Path
    count = count + 1
Next

If count = 0 Then
    WScript.Echo "No files found in " & folderPath
    WScript.Quit
End If

Randomize
Dim ub
ub = UBound(filesArray)
For i = ub To 1 Step -1
    j = Int((i + 1) * Rnd())
    temp = filesArray(i)
    filesArray(i) = filesArray(j)
    filesArray(j) = temp
Next

Dim iterations
iterations = 26
If count < iterations Then iterations = count

For i = 0 To iterations - 1

    letter = Chr(Asc("A") + i)
    filePath = filesArray(i)

    Dim regKey
    regKey = "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\" & letter & "\DefaultIcon\"
    
    On Error Resume Next
    WshShell.RegWrite regKey, filePath, "REG_SZ"
    If Err.Number <> 0 Then
        WScript.Echo "Error writing registry key for drive " & letter & ": " & Err.Description
        Err.Clear
    Else
        WScript.Echo "Set drive " & letter & " icon to " & filePath
    End If
    On Error GoTo 0
Next

I generated the code using a bit of ChatGPT prompting. It is untested, namely because I don't want to futz with my registry, but going over it, it looks like it should work well.

Great, it works... thanks

[Zvoni]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\C]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\C\DefaultIcon]
@="%SystemRoot%\\system32\\imageres.dll,1"

On a sidenote:
look at the 3rd line in above quote closely.

Especially this part:
"imageres.dll,1"

Have a guess, what the "1" stands for......

[LazyFox]

On a sidenote:
look at the 3rd line in above quote closely.

Especially this part:
"imageres.dll,1"

Have a guess, what the "1" stands for......

thats an icon located in imageres

[Zvoni]

thats an icon located in imageres

Correct. Specifically it's the Index of the Icon within that dll
And noone is preventing you to compile your own dll.

In a nutshell: You could write all 26 entries into the Registry, with pretty much the same Key

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\C]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\C\DefaultIcon]
@="c:\\Icons\\MyIcons.dll,37"                      

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\D]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons\D\DefaultIcon]
@="c:\\Icons\\MyIcons.dll,17"

and then it's just pulling random numbers

[LazyFox]

As I know, using a folder to store the icons (as many as i want) and applying to registry is the way I've worked with.

I know that editing imageres.dll is not the way as windows will not allow system resources to be changed and also stored icons is for the systems use, as this will break the system icons...

With your advice, can you elaborate with a another way todo this?

[Zvoni]

As I know, using a folder to store the icons (as many as i want) and applying to registry is the way I've worked with.

I know that editing imageres.dll is not the way as windows will not allow system resources to be changed and also stored icons is for the systems use, as this will break the system icons...

With your advice, can you elaborate with a another way todo this?

I meant to CREATE your own DLL containing the icons.
NOT editing imageres.dll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDdiEASQJJU

[LazyFox]

I meant to CREATE your own DLL containing the icons.
NOT editing imageres.dll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDdiEASQJJU

OK thanks, I got you.
After checking the guide, its a great way to store icons in a single file, but randomly plucking the icons to use is another bit of scripting process... mmm