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MS Access VBA Open Explorer.exe window to thumbnails/extra large icons view

I have a button on an MS Access 2003 form that opens a Windows Explorer window at a specified folder location.
The code works perfectly.
The folder contains JPG images.
The window opens in Details view.

I want it to open, or be changed to, thumbnails view in XP or Extra Large Icons in Windows 7
I have some familiarity with Windows API coding -- not a lot -- and not enough to figure out how to do this.

As this is a database application run on 13 units, with 10's of thousands of folders, no suggestions of going into Folder Options | View will be entertained. It must be coded. I have looked at Bags and BagsMRU in the registry and can't figure out how to make that work.

Any suggestions will be welcome.

Thanks,

Nick67

Private Sub cmdOpenFolder_Click()
Dim db As Database
Dim rs As Recordset
Dim WindowState As Integer
Dim mypath As String


Set db = CurrentDb
Set rs = db.OpenRecordset("select distinct Path from tblPictures where [JobID]=" & Me.JobID & ";", dbOpenDynaset, dbSeeChanges)
'Bail on an empty recordset
If (rs.EOF And rs.BOF) = False Then
    rs.MoveFirst
    If rs.RecordCount > 1 Then
        WindowState = vbNormalNoFocus
    Else
        WindowState = vbMaximizedFocus
    End If
    Do While rs.EOF = False
        Shell "explorer.exe " & Chr(34) & rs!Path & Chr(34), WindowState
        mypath = rs!Path
        rs.MoveNext
        
    Loop
End If

End Sub

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Rey Obrero (Capricorn1)

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Scott McDaniel (EE MVE )

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Nick67

ASKER

SendKeys and Windows 7 are an evil mix.
I had to get rid of all the SendKeys code I had when Win7 came into the environment because the NumLock bug reared it's head.

SendKeys would work, in theory, but I can't use it.

Nick67

ASKER

I don't do a lot of Windows API stuff -- but I dabble in it when needful -- which in this case it is
I can get the handle, and set the window to the foreground.

Now, how do I PostMessage or SendMessage...

Declare Function PostMessage Lib "user32" Alias "PostMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Integer, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long

... that I want thumbnails or extra large icons.
Thumbnails is related to &H702D& or 28717
Extra Large Icons ... don't know

Dim hWnd As Long
'all right, give 'er
'FnFindWindowLike(Something as String)is an API call that returns a windows handle
'to a window whose caption contains the string passed in, or it returns 0 if it fails

mypath = Left(mypath, Len(mypath) - 1)

MsgBox mypath
hWnd = FnFindWindowLike(mypath)
MsgBox hWnd

'similarly FnSetForegroundWindow (Something as String) is an API call that
'Brings a window whose caption contains the string passed in to the foreground
FnSetForegroundWindow (mypath)

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Nick67

ASKER

@LSMConsulting

The code for that question looks good -- but it just opens two windows instead of one for me.
And changes neither of them from details no matter which of the possible constants I send in.

It also takes quite some time to time out before giving up on chnaging either window.

Nick67

ASKER

And I am definitely getting the right window when I look for its handle because if I call it via...

Shell "explorer.exe " & Chr(34) & rs!Path & Chr(34), vbNormalNoFocus

...so I can move it around...

Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal nWidth As Long, ByVal nHeight As Long, ByVal bRepaint As Long) As Long
Dim retval
retval = MoveWindow(hWnd, 200, 0, 800, 600, 1)

...it moves. So there is something I am not getting!

Scott McDaniel (EE MVE )

Can you post the full code you're using?

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Nick67

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Nick67

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Scott McDaniel (EE MVE )

Glad you got this fixed. I got busy earlier, sorry I bailed on you.

Nick67

ASKER

No Biggie.
Sometimes the act of having to post it gets the juices flowing.
That, and making sure the code I post is going to work for someone else.
I knew I was getting the right handle because I could reposition the window.

That left child windows and trial-and-error
What would you like for points for your time, and how do I get them to you while accepting my own posting as the solution.

Nick67

Scott McDaniel (EE MVE )

You can select your own comment as the Solution, and close this. If you used any of my suggestions, then you can certainly award points to my posts, but if you didn't then please don't feel obligated to award any points.

Nick67

ASKER

SendKeys technically could work, but the known Sendkeys bug makes that unworkable. LSMConsulting pointed in the right direction that there could be child windows involved