This will create a shortcut to C: with the Folders Pane showing.
Right click the Desktop | New | Shortcut |
Type or copy and paste this in the box:
%windir%\EXPLORER.EXE /e,c:
Click Next | Type or paste WINDOWS EXPLORER in the Type a name for this
shortcut box | Click Finish
Or change the Target of your existing shortcut to
%windir%\EXPLORER.EXE /e,c:
-----
Or create a shortcut to explorer.exe with this as the
Target: %windir%\explorer.scf
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Explorer.exe Command-Line Options for Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314853
HOW TO: Customize the Windows Explorer Views in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307856
HOW TO: Have Windows Explorer Default to the %SystemRoot% Drive When
Started
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=257518
HOW TO: Change Windows Explorer Default View to My Computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=221878
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Or....
Set Explore as default for (NONE) Folder in Folder Options.
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
File Types tab | Scroll down to and Select: (NONE) Folder |
Advanced button | Highlight: explore | Set Default | Click OK |
Click Apply | Click 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.]]
Open and Explore are different.
Explore opens folders with Folders pane on the left.
Open opens folders with common tasks showing on the left.
Again that depends on all the settings above.
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In
Dan said:
When I open windows explorer the folders list is not on. I have to
press the button to show it. How do I get it to show every time I open
a new window explorer?
