Add Administrative Tools Icon to the Desktop in XP/2003

How can I add the Administrative Tools icon to the desktop in Windows XP/2003?

The administrative Tools folder is in fact a sub-folder of the Documents and SettingsAll UsersStart MenuPrograms folder, but dragging it or moving it around your computer might cause it to stop functioning.

There are 2 methods of adding the Administrative Tools folder to the Quick Launch toolbar:

  • One method is by dragging it from the Control Panel folder, and NOT from the Programs folder.
  • The other method is by editing the registry.

Follow these steps to add the Administrative Tools icon to the Windows XP/2003 desktop by editing the registry:

  1. Open Registry Editor.
  2. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
  1. Create the following key:

{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-0C5020524153}
(just copy/paste, including the brackets)

Note: As always, before making changes to your registry you should always make sure you have a valid backup. In cases where you’re supposed to delete or modify keys or values from the registry it is possible to first export that key or value(s) to a .REG file before performing the changes.

  1. Close Registry Editor.

There is no need to reboot. Just wait a few seconds and see how the icon appears:

Done!

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