The ABSOLUTE safest way to rename one item or virtual item ak (IshellItem)

[nebeln]

This IS THE MOST reliable and safest way to rename an item (physical or virtual) within the Shell's Namespace (From Desktop and down to whatever level of drives and everything in there between)'

Put this code into a BAS-module or into the public section of a form.

*You need a typelib that handles IShellFolder and IShellItem Interfaces (write one on your own if you can so you don't have to be bound.)

Public Declare Function SHCreateItemFromIDList Lib "shell32.dll" (ByVal pidlAbsolute As Long, riid As GUID, ByRef ppv As IShellItem) As Long

*Public m_cShell32 As New cShell32
Public pidl As Long

Private Sub Command2_Click()
  
  pidl = m_cShell32.GetPIDLFromSpecialFolder(CSIDL_BITBUCKET)
  
  If m_cShell32.SetNameOfFromPidlItem(pidl, "'THE WAIST BUCKET'") <> 0 Then
    MsgBox "Your Recycle Bin has now successfully changed name to 'THE WAIST BUCKET'"
  Else
    MsgBox "Your Recycle Bin Failed to rename to 'THE WAIST BUCKET'"
  End If
  
End Sub

Public Function IID_IShellItem() As GUID
  Dim lpIID As GUID
  
  
  '43826D1E-E718-42EE-BC55-A1E261C37BFE
  lpIID.Data1 = &H43826D1E
  lpIID.Data2 = &HE718
  lpIID.Data3 = &H42EE
  
  lpIID.Data4(0) = &HBC
  lpIID.Data4(1) = &H55
  lpIID.Data4(2) = &HA1
  lpIID.Data4(3) = &HE2
  lpIID.Data4(4) = &H61
  lpIID.Data4(5) = &HC3
  lpIID.Data4(6) = &H7B
  lpIID.Data4(7) = &HFE
  
  IID_IShellItem = lpIID

End Function

Public Function SetNameOfFromPidlItem(ByVal pidlItem As Long, ByVal sNewName As String, Optional ByVal hWnd As Long = 0) As Long
  Dim hr As Long
  Dim pISI As IShellItem
  Dim pISF As IShellFolder
  Dim pIPAI As IParentAndItem
  Dim pidlNew As Long
  
  If pidlItem = 0 Then Exit Function
  
  hr = SHCreateItemFromIDList(pidlItem, IID_IShellItem, pISI)
  
  If hr <> S_OK Then Exit Function
  
  If pISI Is Nothing Then Exit Function
  
  Set pIPAI = pISI
  
  If pIPAI Is Nothing Then Exit Function
  
  pIPAI.GetParentAndItem 0, pISF, 0
  
  If pISF Is Nothing Then Exit Function
  
  hr = pISF.SetNameOf(hWnd, pidlItem, StrPtr(sNewName), SHGDN_INFOLDER, pidlNew)
  
  If hr = S_OK Then
    SetNameOfFromPidlItem = pidlNew
  Else
    MsgBox "IShellFolder.SetNameOf Failed! #" & Hex(hr)
  End If
End Function

*cShell32 is my own written class module for Shell32.

AS YOU CAN SEE NO ERROR HANDLING ADDED TO THIS SAMPLE - JUST BREAKS IF SOME ERROR SHOULD OCCURE IN ONE OF THE LEVELS!!