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Preserving CustomToolbars

When you create, or edit, your toolbars for AutoCAD the changes, or new toolbars, are written into your ACAD.MNS file (assuming your menu file is ACAD.MNU). As soon as you recompile your ACAD.MNU, AutoCAD will write over these changes when it creates a new MNC, MNR and MNS file for the associated ACAD.MNU. To preserve your new, or customized, toolbars follow these easy steps:

  • Using any text editor (Notepad or Write will work) open up the 
    ACAD.MNS, or whatever menu's associated MNS file you are 
    using.
  • Use the SEARCH or FIND utility to go to the TOOLBARS section of 
    the ACAD.MNS. The Toolbars section starts with the following 
    couple lines:

    ***TOOLBARS
    **STANDARD_TOOLBAR
    **TB_STANDARD_TOOLBAR

  • Go to the toolbar(s) which you've either added or customized, 
    highlight it, then copy it to your clipboard. Usually any *new* 
    toolbars created will be at the end of the TOOLBARS section. For 
    example, if you've created a new toolbar named, MOSTUSED, 
    then go to the TOOLBARS section and search for MOSTUSED and 
    copy this portion to the clipboard.
  • Open up the ACAD.MNU file in your text editor.
  • Find the TOOLBARS section of the ACAD.MNU file using the 
    SEARCH/FIND utility. The TOOLBARS section starts with the 
    following lines:

    //
    // Begin AutoCAD ToolBars
    //

    ***TOOLBARS
    **STANDARD_TOOLBAR

  • Now PASTE the contents of the clipboard into the TOOLBARS 
    section of the ACAD.MNU. By putting your customized, or new, 
    toolbars in the ACAD.MNU you will preserve them forever, even 
    when you recompile the ACAD.MNU.
  • If you've editted, or changed, the HELPSTRINGS section you will 
    need to cut and paste these changes from the HELPSTRINGS 
    section of the ACAD.MNS to the HELPSTRINGS section of the 
    ACAD.MNU.
  • Now that you've successfully cut and paste your customized 
    toolbars into the ACAD.MNU save the file, and exit.
  • Whenever you need to recompile the ACAD.MNU now in AutoCAD, 
    the changes you've made will carry along without being overwritten 
    or lost. 
 
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