SOLVED Change Winows7 Explorer back to XP style

[Hansengelhardt]

Call me oldfashioned, but I am used to and like the XP Explorer layout and file tree. I am not thinking only a cosmetic change, as I can implement the "Classic" look, but I am thinking more along the line of a deeper change. Have previously made changes in XP in the Registry. Any advise (advice)???????

 

[TrainableMan]

Since you asked for advice, this is what I would advise you to do - for the most part just get used to it.

OK what is it you do not like? Don't like Favorites - remove it, Don't use Homegroup - remove that too. Libraries can be deleted but are a nice feature I would advise you try a month or so before killing them off. Miss the +s and the lines between like level branches, sorry that's gone. Wish it would always open to the folder it was on when last used, sorry that's gone, however you can change the default folder from Libraries to Computer. Want it to scroll either frame the mouse is over even if you have not clicked to give it focus, can be done with a little application, such as Katmouse or similar, that is loaded at startup and runs in the background. Want to be able to drag the the files around in any order and have Windows Explorer keep that order and also remember that order the next time the folder is opened, if you find out please let me know! (there are sort orders you can apply by field such as alphabetical but just dragging them around and having them stay seems to be gone - they instantly resort).

There are also 15 or more replacements for Windows Explorer but most of them actually started to replace XP's Windows Explorer so they won't look like XP's or they would have had no value when they were first created. THIS is an old list of replacements so verify they still work in W7 before you try or buy.

So what did you have in mind?

 

[Hansengelhardt]

Since you asked for advice, this is what I would advise you to do - for the most part just get used to it.

OK what is it you do not like? Don't like Favorites - remove it, Don't use Homegroup - remove that too. Libraries can be deleted but are a nice feature I would advise you try a month or so before killing them off. Miss the +s and the lines between like level branches, sorry that's gone. Wish it would always open to the folder it was on when last used, sorry that's gone, however you can change the default folder from Libraries to Computer. Want it to scroll either frame the mouse is over even if you have not clicked to give it focus, can be done with a little application, such as Katmouse or similar, that is loaded at startup and runs in the background. Want to be able to drag the the files around in any order and have Windows Explorer keep that order and also remember that order the next time the folder is opened, if you find out please let me know! (there are sort orders you can apply by field such as alphabetical but just dragging them around and having them stay seems to be gone - they instantly resort).

There are also 15 or more replacements for Windows Explorer but most of them actually started to replace XP's Windows Explorer so they won't look like XP's or they would have had no value when they were first created. THIS is an old list of replacements so verify they still work in W7 before you try or buy.

So what did you have in mind?

Thank you for your imput, I guess the hardest part for me was how unfamiliar the whole page/system looks. I am thinking positive here, "yes, I WILL get used to it, and NO I can not go backwards." So I will take your advise and perservere and and if everything goes to the dogs whilst I am stuffing around, I do have a clone of the current system.

 

[TrainableMan]

Personally I miss the lines and +s in the directory tree; I use a high res so the items are pretty small and it's sometimes difficult to tell what are on the same level.

But the worst thing they ever did and I curse Microsoft for this, is removing the ability to have it opened to the same folder where it closed.

Now if you are used to single panel windows instead of a the file structure on the left and contents on the right ... well that is still available in options. Or you can go the other way and have 3 panels by enabling the preview pane. I also like the Menu bar and I turned that on. All these things are available under Organize ... Layout, so play with that a bit. (To have the menus on by default go to Organize ... Folder and Search options ... View tab ... and check Always show menus)

And in Organize ... Folder and Search options try the Show all folders option under the General tab. While you are there check out the rest of the settings in the View tab. For example (even in XP): I personally detest Hide extensions from known file types as I feel it encourages malicious files - I have seen files named beautiful.jpg.exe and if the .exe is hidden you may think it's a picture not an evil program.

 

[Hansengelhardt]

Personally I miss the lines and +s in the directory tree; I use a high res so the items are pretty small and it's sometimes difficult to tell what are on the same level.

But the worst thing they ever did and I curse Microsoft for this, is removing the ability to have it opened to the same folder where it closed.

Now if you are used to single panel windows instead of a the file structure on the left and contents on the right ... well that is still available in options. Or you can go the other way and have 3 panels by enabling the preview pane. I also like the Menu bar and I turned that on. All these things are available under Organize ... Layout, so play with that a bit. (To have the menus on by default go to Organize ... Folder and Search options ... View tab ... and check Always show menus)

And in Organize ... Folder and Search options try the Show all folders option under the General tab. While you are there check out the rest of the settings in the View tab. For example (even in XP): I personally detest Hide extensions from known file types as I feel it encourages malicious files - I have seen files named beautiful.jpg.exe and if the .exe is hidden you may think it's a picture not an evil program.

Yeah, cool, I am printing all this so I can have it in front of me instead of flicking screens. Must be old age setting in, it's easier for me that way, you know the old saying, "If it's not written down, it did not exist" so I'm writing (printing) it for when I get home from work tonight.
Thanks again.

 

[catilley1092]

Thank you for your imput, I guess the hardest part for me was how unfamiliar the whole page/system looks. I am thinking positive here, "yes, I WILL get used to it, and NO I can not go backwards." So I will take your advise and perservere and and if everything goes to the dogs whilst I am stuffing around, I do have a clone of the current system.

I believe that you'll be OK. I was a XP Pro user from early 2002 through Nov 2009, a few months short of eight years. Vista didn't impress me the first bit, so I skipped it, and went with Windows 7 in Nov 2009. It was a much easier transition than I thought it would be, and I also went from 32 to 64 bit at the same time.

I still have a 32 bit notebook around, but when it goes, 32 bit computers will be forever gone for me. Not that I didn't enjoy my years with XP (and Win 2K), but they seem so ancient now. And I'll never use it for purchasing, emailing, or anything high priority. But it still has a purpose for me, which is folding. Us folders are doing a lot to help find cures for many diseases. There are several threads on the topic on this forum. If you still have a extra computer laying around, folding@home would be a good use for it.

Folding@home can be found at:

http://folding.stanford/edu/

Best of luck in your new journey with Windows 7. If you have any questions, or want to help others, always feel free to come back.

And while you're here, our recently created Free Software Database has many useful apps, many that we all use daily. It's worth checking out.

And Welcome to the forum, I see that you haven't been here long. You'll like it here, there's more help, plus not having to put up with the snobs at some of the other forums, which I won't call by name. They know who they are.

Best of Luck,
Cat

 

[Hansengelhardt]

I believe that you'll be OK. I was a XP Pro user from early 2002 through Nov 2009, a few months short of eight years. Vista didn't impress me the first bit, so I skipped it, and went with Windows 7 in Nov 2009. It was a much easier transition than I thought it would be, and I also went from 32 to 64 bit at the same time.

I still have a 32 bit notebook around, but when it goes, 32 bit computers will be forever gone for me. Not that I didn't enjoy my years with XP (and Win 2K), but they seem so ancient now. And I'll never use it for purchasing, emailing, or anything high priority. But it still has a purpose for me, which is folding. Us folders are doing a lot to help find cures for many diseases. There are several threads on the topic on this forum. If you still have a extra computer laying around, folding@home would be a good use for it.

Folding@home can be found at:

http://folding.stanford/edu/

Best of luck in your new journey with Windows 7. If you have any questions, or want to help others, always feel free to come back.

And while you're here, our recently created Free Software Database has many useful apps, many that we all use daily. It's worth checking out.

And Welcome to the forum, I see that you haven't been here long. You'll like it here, there's more help, plus not having to put up with the snobs at some of the other forums, which I won't call by name. They know who they are.

Best of Luck,
Cat

Hi Cat, thanks for the welcome and yes the Folding Project looks like something really worthwhile. Just by chance I do have another fully operational XP sitting under my bench, Unfortunately I can remember back as far as the double "real" floppy computers. I have allways only ever upgraded my hardware when I could double the speed and the parts were cheap enough, so the disadvantage of this is that there is a lot of "obsolete" hardware sitting around that no-one wants to buy. So yeah, I will talk to you in the near future about hooking it up, after I checked the box out, it has been sitting around for a while.
Now that I found this "treasure trove" that helped me allready, I will do an Arnie and "I'll be BAAACK"
Hans