Yeah I was a little bugged by this too so I made a BATCH program to handle it.
I mostly only made it cause the auto-loading extensions wasn't working but it seems to be fixed now or something so I removed that part of it but it still works as an extension manager. It also allows you to make Chrome enable extensions when loading it as your default browser (from start menu, url links in IM applications, etc).
It gives you the option to move it to the Chrome folder, but it's not necessary, don't think you have to, it's just an organisation thing.
Download (right-click -> save-as):
http://logicplace.com/pc/projects/ch...ionManager.bat
EDIT: This has been updated to work on WinXP, Vista, and Win 7.
Functionality includes:
* Disable and Enable any extension
* Uninstall an extension (only opens chrome://extensions/ so you can do it from there, now. :S)
* Create a new extension
** Has a manifest editor for easily maniupulating your manifest.json. Type help for details.
** Generates all files necessary for your extension, with a basic template to start you off.
** Now with "theme" support.
* Pack an extension
** Packs any of your projects using the new (Chrome ver. 3.0.189.0) method (meaning no need for python or that script anymore).
** Automatically stores your pem file, and uses it when packing the project next time.
** Gives you the option of installing your extension right away for testing.
* You can test a project before packing and installing it, so you don't have to bother with Chrome not being able to overwrite old files during installing the extension.
* Allows you to set-up your system to run Chrome with --enable-user-scripts and --enable-extensions by default from:
** Selecting your default browser (Chrome) in your start menu.
** Loading an html or htm file from your desktop.
** Clicking a hyperlink in any program that loads with your default browser.
** Start->Run
http://website.tld
** etc etc
* Allows you revert those changes
Updates:
July 30, 2009: Now compatible with Italian, German, and Spanish XP installations as well.
June 30, 2009: Started logging updates. O: Fixed it so systems without tskill don't error on trying to pack an extension.
July 1, 2009: Fixed a bug causing Chrome to crash when you tried to disable a crx theme. Added support for using taskkill instead of making you manually do it if you don't have tskill. If you don't have either, it will make you do it manually.