Alternative to Win7 Explorer--Yet Again

[Char Jackson]

I'm 82 and my hands are not the Rocks of Gibraltar they once were. As I
can't turn the clock back, I need a software solution. Also, every M$
wireless mouse that I've used is too slick. and I've never been able to
get the settings just as I want them on any other brand--so you can say
that my problem are software, age and pickiness related. Thanks for the
reply, Char.

It's no crime to be 82, (I doubt I'll make it that far), but what
about the last question I asked above? Are you trying to drag & drop
versus the separate steps of cut (or copy) and paste? If so, don't,
and see how it goes.

 

[Char Jackson]

I think I have seen that problem - meaning from your description, it
seems like what has happened to me.

I associate the behavior with Explorer's Libraries feature, which seems
on occasion to have a different idea of what is marked (BTW, I also
thought that term was perfectly clear!) than what I think I have marked.

My own workaround is to avoid using Libraries, and as I've posted
recently in this newsgroup, I might even disable the feature. Still
wavering on that question, but I live in earthquake country, so wavering
is par for the course.

What steps did you take to arrive at the conclusion that this behavior
was associated with Libraries? That's a curious connection.

 

[Char Jackson]

And I just found this one. I'm shocked I didn't know about this!

"Control-click for random multiple selections"

http://basictech.wordpress.com/2006/10/30/how-to-select-multiple-files-in-windows-explorer/

See, that's why I like newsgroups. Forced to learn new things, all the time

Paul! Say it ain't so. If such basic functionality was new to you
after all these years, I can't imagine how amazed you'll be to
discover what's hiding behind the Start Orb. ;-)

Also, try right clicking sometime. More good stuff awaits.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

It's no crime to be 82, (I doubt I'll make it that far), but what
about the last question I asked above? Are you trying to drag & drop
versus the separate steps of cut (or copy) and paste? If so, don't,
and see how it goes.

I have to agree with you, Char. It is far and away the safest method,
since the slightest inattention or tremor (or mouse minor malfunction!)
can cause a mouse unclick (click release, I mean), which you might not
even realize until the screen goes wild. Ugh.

Ugh.

 

[Char Jackson]

To expand on that, CTRL+Click actually "toggles" the item under the
cursor, so IF it was selected, it becomes "UNselected", so for instance
"CTRL-A" selects All items, then "CTRL+click" the 3 or 4 you didn't want
and they will become "UNselected"

To further expand on that, Ctrl-Click and Ctrl-Shift-Click can be
intermingled within the same file selection exercise. Ctrl-Click works
as described above, while Shift-Ctrl-Click allows you to select a
contiguous range without deselecting what you've previously selected.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

What steps did you take to arrive at the conclusion that this behavior
was associated with Libraries? That's a curious connection.

Because I *saw* it. Several times while I was navigating in Libraries, I
was selecting things, I chose an action, and what I saw highlighted in
one window wasn't what turned out to be highlighted in a different
window.

And then the *other* highlight controlled the action.

On other occasions I saw the inconsistent highlighting before I clicked
an action, and thereby save a bit of pain.

I have never seen that happen when not using Libraries.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Because I *saw* it. Several times while I was navigating in Libraries, I
was selecting things, I chose an action, and what I saw highlighted in
one window wasn't what turned out to be highlighted in a different
window.

s/window/panel/g

I meant *panel* both times I said window.

 

[Char Jackson]

Because I *saw* it. Several times while I was navigating in Libraries, I
was selecting things, I chose an action, and what I saw highlighted in
one window wasn't what turned out to be highlighted in a different
window.

And then the *other* highlight controlled the action.

On other occasions I saw the inconsistent highlighting before I clicked
an action, and thereby save a bit of pain.

I have never seen that happen when not using Libraries.

I believe you, but I haven't seen it myself. I can't wait for it to
manifest itself.

 

[Leon Manfredi]

I'm 82 and my hands are not the Rocks of Gibraltar they once were. As I
can't turn the clock back, I need a software solution. Also, every M$
wireless mouse that I've used is too slick. and I've never been able to
get the settings just as I want them on any other brand--so you can say
that my problem are software, age and pickiness related. Thanks for the
reply, Char.
Allen

AWE...... Go back to your high chair... I'm pushing 90 in 2012..
God Bless....

 

[Leon Manfredi]

Downloaded for trial. Thanks, Bill.
Allen

Great program.... similar to DOS Qfiler....

 

[Leon Manfredi]

Of course Windows Explorer does that as well.

Now way..... extremely limited.... Not totally functional as FC.

 

[Allen]

I believe you, but I haven't seen it myself. I can't wait for it to
manifest itself.

You will not be happy if or when it does happen to you.
Allen

 

[Allen]

It's no crime to be 82, (I doubt I'll make it that far), but what
about the last question I asked above? Are you trying to drag& drop
versus the separate steps of cut (or copy) and paste? If so, don't,
and see how it goes.

Usually drag & drop, which gave me no trouble in other versions--even
Vista. I've done cut/paste and have also had some problems; I hate
copy/paste because I have to come back and do a delete. Win7y is far,
far, far away from the perfect operating system that some M$ shills try
to make us believe. I hope against hope that 8 is actually an
improvement as I can't afford to switch to Apple now--a prospect that I
wouldn't have even given any thought to until the onslaught against
common sense called Vista.
Allen

 

[Miles]

* Allen wrote, On 22-Oct-11 19:24:

Usually drag& drop, which gave me no trouble in other versions--even
Vista. I've done cut/paste and have also had some problems; I hate
copy/paste because I have to come back and do a delete. Win7y is far,
far, far away from the perfect operating system that some M$ shills try
to make us believe. I hope against hope that 8 is actually an
improvement as I can't afford to switch to Apple now--a prospect that I
wouldn't have even given any thought to until the onslaught against
common sense called Vista.
Allen

Win7 & XP click on 1 or several files right click and copy, then paste
where you want with a right click choose "move" not "copy." No need
to go back and delete.

 

[Char Jackson]

Usually drag & drop, which gave me no trouble in other versions--even
Vista. I've done cut/paste and have also had some problems; I hate
copy/paste because I have to come back and do a delete.

I'm on your side, but I have to call you on this. When you want to
move a file, you use cut/paste. When you want to copy a file, you use
copy/paste. You don't use copy/paste/delete as a substitute for
cut/paste. At least, I don't.

Win7y is far,
far, far away from the perfect operating system that some M$ shills try
to make us believe. I hope against hope that 8 is actually an
improvement as I can't afford to switch to Apple now--a prospect that I
wouldn't have even given any thought to until the onslaught against
common sense called Vista.

You could continue to use XP, of course. Most of the systems in my
house are running XP.

 

[Char Jackson]

* Allen wrote, On 22-Oct-11 19:24:

Win7 & XP click on 1 or several files right click and copy, then paste
where you want with a right click choose "move" not "copy." No need
to go back and delete.

I know what you mean, even though you sort of said it wrong. If you
start by right-clicking, then your initial (source) options are cut or
copy and your destination option is paste. But if you start by
dragging with the right mouse button, then you'll get the context menu
that allows you to select move or copy. Dragging with the left mouse
button will simply perform the default action.

For people who have trouble with drag and drop, (I see it most often
with older users, medicated users, and trackball users), I recommend
replacing drag/drop with copy/paste or cut/paste, depending on whether
they want to copy or move the selected files.

 

[Ant]

I have my own issues with Win 7's Windows Explorer, but I'm not having
a problem like you describe and I don't know of any Explorer
alternatives that require confirmation prior to copying or moving.

What are your issues? I don't like Windows 7's Explorer either
especially its Find/search.
--
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[Jim Laurent]

Great program.... similar to DOS Qfiler....

You can can do that with WE. Open 2 versions of explorer, snap one
left and one right, change the what folders your looking at in each one
and move or drag files back and forth. Jim

 

[XS11E]

Now way..... extremely limited.... Not totally functional as FC.

Limited how? It does exactly what you've described above.

 

[Char Jackson]

What are your issues? I don't like Windows 7's Explorer either
especially its Find/search.

For me, the burr under my saddle is that I want to be able to select
files by only clicking directly on the filename, not by clicking in
the white space in the filename field and certainly not by clicking
elsewhere on that row. You know, how XP did it.

The feature I'd like to disable is called Full Row Select. There was a
single Registry key that would disable it in Vista, but that hack
doesn't work in Win 7 and no other workarounds have been discovered so
far, from what I can tell.

For Find/Search, I look no further than the awesome (and awesomely
fast) Everything <www.voidtools.com>. The moment I tried that little
jewel, all other search utilities became dead to me.