Folders Option

[Robert Ginn]

Can WindowsXP be trained to open all Windows Explorer views with the
Folders option already selected? I've gotten rid of Folder Tasks by
selecting "Use Windows Classic Folders," but the views still do not
contain the folder tree on the left and the selected folder's contents
(files and subfolders) on the right. I'm tired of having to click on
the Folders icon or use View / Explorer Bar / Folders in the menu every
time I open the file manager

This has been driving me crazy. Any help will be much appreciated.

Bob

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Open and Explore are different.

Explore opens folders with Folders pane on the left.
Open opens folders with common tasks showing on the left.

If you want Explore...
Set Explore as default for (NONE) Folder in Folder Options.

Start | Run | Type: control folders | OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button | Highlight: explore | Set Default | OK |
Apply | OK

Set Default
[[Sets the selected command as the command to be carried out when the file
is invoked.
The default command for the file is shown in bold on the shortcut menu for
the file.]]

This may change some other things that you may not like.

Remember what you did so you can change the default back to Open.
===

How folders open depends on a number of things.

Depends on the combination of...

Show common tasks in folders
[[Specifies that hyperlinks to common folder tasks and other places on your
computer are displayed in folders. These links appear in the left pane of
the folder window.]]

Use Windows classic folders
[[Specifies that folder contents are displayed like classic Windows folders,
which means that folder contents do not look and work like Web pages.]]

Open each folder in the same window
[[Specifies that the contents of each folder open in the same window. To
switch back to the previous folder, click the Back button on the toolbar, or
press BACKSPACE.]]

Open each folder in its own window
[[Specifies that the contents of each folder open in a new window. The
previous folder content still appears in a different window, so you can
switch between the windows.]]

Under...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
General tab |

Whether Explore or Open is set as default.

Under...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button |

This effects how double click or single click handles opening a folder.

Single-click to open an item (point to select)
[[Specifies that you want to open items in folders and on the desktop by
single-clicking them, just as you would click a link on a Web page. To
select an item without opening it, rest your pointer on it.]]

Double-click to open an item (single-click to select)
[[Specifies that you want to single-click an item to select it and
double-click an item to open it.]]

Or try Simple Folder View FriendlyTree ...

Description of Simple Folder View in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282002

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Robert Ginn]

Thank you, thank you, ... I followed your directions
(Start | Run | Type: control folders | OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button | Highlight: explore | Set Default | OK |
Apply | OK), but the Apply button was greyed out, so I thought I had
changed nothing. I clicked on OK anyway, and now folders open as
desired. Something worked.

Thanks again.

Bob

Open and Explore are different.

Explore opens folders with Folders pane on the left.
Open opens folders with common tasks showing on the left.

If you want Explore...
Set Explore as default for (NONE) Folder in Folder Options.

Start | Run | Type: control folders | OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button | Highlight: explore | Set Default | OK |
Apply | OK

Set Default
[[Sets the selected command as the command to be carried out when the file
is invoked.
The default command for the file is shown in bold on the shortcut menu for
the file.]]

This may change some other things that you may not like.

Remember what you did so you can change the default back to Open.
===

How folders open depends on a number of things.

Depends on the combination of...

Show common tasks in folders
[[Specifies that hyperlinks to common folder tasks and other places on your
computer are displayed in folders. These links appear in the left pane of
the folder window.]]

Use Windows classic folders
[[Specifies that folder contents are displayed like classic Windows folders,
which means that folder contents do not look and work like Web pages.]]

Open each folder in the same window
[[Specifies that the contents of each folder open in the same window. To
switch back to the previous folder, click the Back button on the toolbar, or
press BACKSPACE.]]

Open each folder in its own window
[[Specifies that the contents of each folder open in a new window. The
previous folder content still appears in a different window, so you can
switch between the windows.]]

Under...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
General tab |

Whether Explore or Open is set as default.

Under...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button |

This effects how double click or single click handles opening a folder.

Single-click to open an item (point to select)
[[Specifies that you want to open items in folders and on the desktop by
single-clicking them, just as you would click a link on a Web page. To
select an item without opening it, rest your pointer on it.]]

Double-click to open an item (single-click to select)
[[Specifies that you want to single-click an item to select it and
double-click an item to open it.]]

Or try Simple Folder View FriendlyTree ...

Description of Simple Folder View in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282002

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Glad to hear it, Bob. Keep having fun.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Thank you, thank you, ... I followed your directions
(Start | Run | Type: control folders | OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button | Highlight: explore | Set Default | OK |
Apply | OK), but the Apply button was greyed out, so I thought I had
changed nothing. I clicked on OK anyway, and now folders open as
desired. Something worked.

Thanks again.

Bob

Open and Explore are different.

Explore opens folders with Folders pane on the left.
Open opens folders with common tasks showing on the left.

If you want Explore...
Set Explore as default for (NONE) Folder in Folder Options.

Start | Run | Type: control folders | OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button | Highlight: explore | Set Default | OK |
Apply | OK

Set Default
[[Sets the selected command as the command to be carried out when the
file is invoked.
The default command for the file is shown in bold on the shortcut menu
for the file.]]

This may change some other things that you may not like.

Remember what you did so you can change the default back to Open.
===

How folders open depends on a number of things.

Depends on the combination of...

Show common tasks in folders
[[Specifies that hyperlinks to common folder tasks and other places on
your computer are displayed in folders. These links appear in the left
pane of the folder window.]]

Use Windows classic folders
[[Specifies that folder contents are displayed like classic Windows
folders, which means that folder contents do not look and work like Web
pages.]]

Open each folder in the same window
[[Specifies that the contents of each folder open in the same window. To
switch back to the previous folder, click the Back button on the
toolbar, or press BACKSPACE.]]

Open each folder in its own window
[[Specifies that the contents of each folder open in a new window. The
previous folder content still appears in a different window, so you can
switch between the windows.]]

Under...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
General tab |

Whether Explore or Open is set as default.

Under...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button |

This effects how double click or single click handles opening a folder.

Single-click to open an item (point to select)
[[Specifies that you want to open items in folders and on the desktop by
single-clicking them, just as you would click a link on a Web page. To
select an item without opening it, rest your pointer on it.]]

Double-click to open an item (single-click to select)
[[Specifies that you want to single-click an item to select it and
double-click an item to open it.]]

Or try Simple Folder View FriendlyTree ...

Description of Simple Folder View in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282002