Folders in Windows Explorer

[Guest]

How do I get Windows Explorer to open with the folders showing on the left by
default? (save me having to press the "Folders" button every time I open an
Explorer window)

 

[Wesley Vogel]

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 | 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

-----
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
-----

You can also assign a shortcut key to that shortcut.

Right click the shortcut | Properties | Shortcut tab |
[[With the cursor in the Shortcut key box, select the keyboard key you
want to use in combination with CTRL+ALT. Shortcut keys automatically start
with CTRL+ALT. The Shortcut key box will display None until you select the
key and then the box will display Ctrl+Alt+the key you selected. You cannot
use the ESC, ENTER, TAB, SPACEBAR, PRINT SCREEN, SHIFT, or BACKSPACE keys.

Note
Once you assign a shortcut key combination for a specific program, you will
not be able to use that key combination with other programs.]]

I use Ctrl + Alt + E.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Most helpful and informative... just what I wanted. Thank you.
Marty

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 | 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

-----
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
-----

You can also assign a shortcut key to that shortcut.

Right click the shortcut | Properties | Shortcut tab |
[[With the cursor in the Shortcut key box, select the keyboard key you
want to use in combination with CTRL+ALT. Shortcut keys automatically start
with CTRL+ALT. The Shortcut key box will display None until you select the
key and then the box will display Ctrl+Alt+the key you selected. You cannot
use the ESC, ENTER, TAB, SPACEBAR, PRINT SCREEN, SHIFT, or BACKSPACE keys.

Note
Once you assign a shortcut key combination for a specific program, you will
not be able to use that key combination with other programs.]]

I use Ctrl + Alt + E.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

How do I get Windows Explorer to open with the folders showing on the
left by default? (save me having to press the "Folders" button every
time I open an Explorer window)

 

[Guest]

Very helpful with the tree view, but my explorer window still defaults to
"C:\Documents and Settings\jsto\Start Menu" regardless of what is in the
Target field. What am I missing?

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 | 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

-----
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
-----

You can also assign a shortcut key to that shortcut.

Right click the shortcut | Properties | Shortcut tab |
[[With the cursor in the Shortcut key box, select the keyboard key you
want to use in combination with CTRL+ALT. Shortcut keys automatically start
with CTRL+ALT. The Shortcut key box will display None until you select the
key and then the box will display Ctrl+Alt+the key you selected. You cannot
use the ESC, ENTER, TAB, SPACEBAR, PRINT SCREEN, SHIFT, or BACKSPACE keys.

Note
Once you assign a shortcut key combination for a specific program, you will
not be able to use that key combination with other programs.]]

I use Ctrl + Alt + E.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

How do I get Windows Explorer to open with the folders showing on the
left by default? (save me having to press the "Folders" button every
time I open an Explorer window)

 

[Wesley Vogel]

There are several ways to open Windows Explorer.
Win key + E opens to My Computer.
WINDOWS EXPLORER shortcut on Desktop will open however the Target is set.
WINDOWS EXPLORER shortcut on Start Menu will open however the Target is set.
Whatever you type or paste into the Run command; Start | Run, i.e.
EXPLORER
EXPLORER /e
EXPLORER /e,c:

You can experiment with the Run command, get it opening the way you like,
then copy and paste that command in the Target box of your shortcut(s).

To open Windows Explorer you do *not* right click the Start button.

Start button right click menu.

You cannot change this. These are all shortcuts to the 2 Start Menu folders
for the user that is logged on. The User and All Users.

The Start button right click menu contains:
Open
Explore
Search
Properties
Open All Users
Explore All Users
And others depending on what software you have installed.

When right clicking the Start button and selecting Explore, you are not
opening Windows Explorer per se. You are opening a Start Menu folder.

You have four choices of how to open two folders; Open, Explore, Open
All Users and Explore All Users. These are just shortcuts to the two
folders.

Depending on a bunch of settings, but generally...
Explore opens folders with Folders pane on the left.
Open opens folders with common tasks showing on the left.

Right click Start button | Open defaults to %userprofile%\Start Menu with
the
Common Tasks pane showing.

Right click Start button | Explore defaults to %userprofile%\Start Menu with
the Folders pane displayed.

Right click Start button | Open All Users defaults to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu with the Common Tasks pane showing.

Right click Start button | Explore All Users defaults to
%allusersprofile%\Start Menu with the Folders pane displayed.

The %userprofile%\Start Menu folder is the Start Menu folder for whoever
happens to be logged on, i.e. the Current User.

The whole context menu is for the Start Menu and nothing else.

How any folder opens depends on how different options are set on your
machine. Basically Open will open a folder with Common Tasks displayed and
Explore will open a folder with the Folder Pane displayed.
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Very helpful with the tree view, but my explorer window still defaults to
"C:\Documents and Settings\jsto\Start Menu" regardless of what is in the
Target field. What am I missing?

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 | 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

-----
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
-----

You can also assign a shortcut key to that shortcut.

Right click the shortcut | Properties | Shortcut tab |
[[With the cursor in the Shortcut key box, select the keyboard key you
want to use in combination with CTRL+ALT. Shortcut keys automatically
start with CTRL+ALT. The Shortcut key box will display None until you
select the key and then the box will display Ctrl+Alt+the key you
selected. You cannot use the ESC, ENTER, TAB, SPACEBAR, PRINT SCREEN,
SHIFT, or BACKSPACE keys.

Note
Once you assign a shortcut key combination for a specific program, you
will not be able to use that key combination with other programs.]]

I use Ctrl + Alt + E.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

How do I get Windows Explorer to open with the folders showing on the
left by default? (save me having to press the "Folders" button every
time I open an Explorer window)