XP Music Folders for Windows 7

As much as I like the "active" folder view, when it comes to the My Music folder I much prefer the old WinXP style flat album cover view. It's a man thing, how can you show off a CD? But years ago, carrying a 12" square carrier bag with your latest "This'll rip 'er kecks off" piece of vinyl wrapped in paper and a perdy printed card sleeve was the ultimate badge of honour!

Aah, sweet memories!! But I digress.



The flat album view isn't available in Windows 7 so here is a work around I put together. The one pre-requisite to this work-around involves the need to have Photoshop installed. But its worth it even if only for the trial period.

The package contains a folder called Album Art. Inside this folder are some png folder images, 2 Photoshop droplets and a Photoshop action set.


The Re-size Album Art droplet removes the background property from the image and re-sizes them to 440 x 440 pixels. This is only there because, well, it is!!

The main droplet is the Merge Album Art droplet. This will re-size your original image to 440 x 440 pixels, remove the background property if it is present, place the flat folder png named FD 512 behind the image, add a highlight over the image and finally deliver you a 512 x 512 pixel png file, sequentially numbered, so multiple "folder.***" images do not present a problem.

All you need to do then is batch process your png files to icons. I personally use Axialis IconWorkshop but I've also used IcoFX (free) for batch processing. Others, no doubt, are available. Then the really fun bit is swapping over all your music folders to their new icons, which, actually, doesn't take that long if you split them into batches.

So, now winter drawers on, if you wanna keep yourself busy and out of trouble, get my Album Art Here!!

Are kecks like knickers? And I never picture Annie like that - I always remember her bald from the music videos of my youth.

BTW, for me I delete all album art; I use detail views on W7 folders so I don't see it anyway and then my 4GB Walkman is completely filled as is without including album art.

Yes, only looser!!

Nice suggestions, don't like Photoshop though. Why should one have to install Photoshop to use these modded folder icons.

Its the "droplets" that need Photoshop.

The icons don't give a monkeys where they go! Bit like meself really!! I've been trying to suss out if Gimp has the same sort of make a "droplet" set-up to automate repetitive tasks. Anyone know?