Is the "Up Folder" icon gone forever?

[Guest]

In the new Windows Explorer of Vista, I've noticed the absence of the "Up
Folder" icon (the one that let you move up to the next level of the directory
tree with one click). Is it gone forever? Was the functionality replaced by
the "Back" arrow or the "Folders" pane?

 

[Nick]

In the new Windows Explorer of Vista, I've noticed the absence of the "Up
Folder" icon (the one that let you move up to the next level of the
directory
tree with one click). Is it gone forever? Was the functionality replaced
by
the "Back" arrow or the "Folders" pane?

It's been replaced by the enhanced address bar... you can now just click on
the name of the parent folder to go up to that, or any other parent to "go
up" multiple times in a single click.

 

[Guest]

OK! I get it. Now I'll see if I like it.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

It's really a great feature called "Bread Crumbs". You can go up 1, 2, 3, 4,
or more folders with a click. Each subsequent folder has a drop down arrow
that you can hover and see all of the folders in that parent folder and
click a folder to go there. If you want to see the path to the current open
folder, click a blank spot in the Address Bar.

 

[Guest]

I understand the usefulness of the bread crumbs feature but I know a lot of
users do and will want an older style up arrow. I'm sorry, but when 95% of
my navigating is back up just one directory I would like to have a single
button right there that I don't have to think much about. It is always there
and always in the same place relative to the window space. Yes, I know about
the keyboard shortcut ALT-UP. This is great but to use it you have to move
your hands back to the keyboard.

I'm not a UI designer but I know that when I am doing keyboard things I want
keyboard shortcuts and when I am doing mouse things I want mouse shortcuts
that are quick and easy to use and require no thought whatsoever. For
example, I would love to have a temporary number assigned to the top 10
folders in my current view and then hit Alt-0 or Alt-9 to navigate to this
directory. This would enable a keyboard only navigation.

Either way, SP2 for vista would be greatly enhanced with an option to have
the old up arrow returned. I'm all for progress but only when it's progress.
I suppose I'll have to live with the bread crumbs and perhaps I'll get used
to them but it seems like a such a simple thing to add optionally.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Besides ALT+UP, you can select the just the Up Arrow to go up one folder in
the tree or the Left Arrow to go to the Parent folder. 2 clicks on the Left
Arrow will take you to the Parent Folder and collapse the tree to that
folder. If you select a collapsed folder, the Right Arrow key will expand
the folder, etc.

Try something different, besides these there are all kinds of clicks that
can make browsing folders much faster.

I just don't see any usefulness for a button that does exactly what a click
on the bread crumb does?

 

[Guest]

The up button is a psycho-motor skill. That means it requires almost no
thinking. Your neurons have grown that way. The bread crumb requires
thinking and decision making. It is slower. People's sense of time slow when
they are thinking and making decisons so bread crumbs are a bad idea.

I always set Explorer to show full path in address bar, If I wanted to jump
up two levels then I swiped the mouse over the end of the path selecting the
sub folders, right click the selected text, Delete, click Go button. So the
"bread crumb feature" offers nothing new.

But I would normally just hit the Up button 4 times. Lot quicker.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

I actually felt the same way when we first started beta testing, old habits
die hard.

Once the initial shock was over, I found that bread crumbs work very well. I
like the idea of being able to return to a previous folder that may be
several steps back from whatever folder I'm current in, with a single click.
Also, there is a small arrow wedged in between the Forward button and the
Path bar that gives you a way to go back to any previous place, in the
current session. You can also get the full path in the address bar by simply
clicking an empty spot there and return to the bread crumb view by hitting
escape or clicking anywhere in the current folder.

I just find the whole setup to be faster, much more intuitive, and
versatile, once you get used to it.

 

[Guest]

Hi Ronnie,

Try copying and pasting a folder like this:

C:\Program Files\ComPlus Applications\{86269A1B-CF38-11D1-AADD-00C04FA30E92}

into you're Start->Run window. On my new vista laptop this window will pop
up and I cannot see the parent folder. And there is no history to browse
through. I have to maximize my window and then evaluate where on the
screenspace is the parent folder and then click it.

Every time I click on the bread crumb links I have to think about
<i>where</i> to click. Every time I click on my history back button (or the
middle arrow drop-down) I have to think about where I came from. Or I just
click on it and it might not take me where I want to go. The back button
will work a lot of the time but not always.

I don't know if you have any real sway with Microsoft on this issue but I
know of enough users who would like the option of the old up arrow. Why is
that such a difficult thing? The bread crumbs feature and history buttons
might be the easiest way for you to navigate but I can logically see flaws in
this interface. At least from a productivity standpoint.

Either way, it appears Microsoft hasn't listened to complaints from users
who miss the old way. And I believe it's just not missing old habits but a
serious downgrade in simplicity. Let's keep the bread crumbs but have the
option of having an "up folder" arrow.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. I will keep trying not to hate it this
new OS and try and stop looking for ways to downgrade without paying more
money.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Feltstone

I understand what you are saying and don't worry, your concerns and
preferences are being heard. Usually changes to the UI are changed as part
of a service pack, as opposed to a hotfix.

 

[Guest]

Hi Ronnie,

This is great news and I appreciate your quick replies. To see an option
like this available in a future service pack would be a great thing. It's
obviously not a critical thing, just one of those small frustrating things.

Thank you!

Feltstone

 

[Daniel Noll]

I always set Explorer to show full path in address bar, If I wanted to
jump up two levels then I swiped the mouse over the end of the path
selecting the sub folders, right click the selected text, Delete, click
Go button. So the "bread crumb feature" offers nothing new.

But I would normally just hit the Up button 4 times. Lot quicker.

Normally I would press backspace four times. Even quicker still.

Daniel