Shortcuts for directories using Windows Explorer

[Max]

I have a number of shortcuts on my task bar to various directories on
the c drive. All seem to behave as I expect, except one. This one has

C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe /e, C:\Downloads

in the "target" field of the properties box. The problem is that this
one displays the Downloads directory in the folders pane without the +
in front of it, and without the subdirectories showing. The right-hand
pane looks fine. When I double-click on a sub in the rh pane, that sub,
but no others, now shows up in the folders pane, but now the + also
shows up, so that I can finally expand the directory in the folders pane.

If I change the target to

C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe /e, C:\Downloads\Current

then there is a functional + in front, but it shows just the Current
subdirectory and its subdirectories in the folder pane.

Other shortcuts, eg

C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe /e, "c:\program files"

look fine. They have all the - in front of the directory, and all the
subs are shown in the folders pane.

The unusual behaviour of the Downloads shortcut slowly changed with
time. Originally, a few months back, it was fine. Then it went through
an intermittent phase where it would be fine some of the time, and now
it is always "unique".

I have been keeping everything "patched".

Can anyone explain why Downloads is different? TIA

Max

 

[GateKeeper]

I'm just guessing, but are any of the subfolders or files compressed
(Zipped folders)? This might account for the weird behavior. Windows XP
is supposed to show the compressed folders as if they were regular
folders and not zip files. This functionality is lost when Winzip (a
compressed file utility) is installed and associated with compressed
archives. However, I did not notice a gradual change; I lost that
function immediately when I installed Winzip.

 

[Max]

Thanks for that. I do indeed have Winzip installed and associated with
zip files. There are zip files scattered all about the disk, but as a
test I moved the zip files out of the Downloads root. No change. I'll
just live with it. I also have 7-zip installed but it's associated with
other compressions.

FWIW, XP only sometimes shows a zip file as a folder in the folders pane.

Thanks again.

Max