XP (or earlier) style folder view in explorer - can you?

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
Is there any way of getting the folder tree a la XP or 9x on the
left
of a Windows Explorer window (with the [+], [-] etc.)?

I don't know if SC Tom's tip gives you what you want, but I use
Classic Shell to reproduce the classic Start menu and Explorer
look.
http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/

Thanks; I already had Classic Shell, I just didn't realise it had
the option to show [+], [-], and the like.

(Now, you don't know a way to make the left pane follow what the
right pane's doing, do you?)

Try this registry setting on for size: In
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced,
set "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" to DWord value of 1 (you may have
to create the key, I can't recall if it exists by default). It is a
per-user setting so you'll need to do it for each user - although,
it might work if you made the change in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, some of
the per-user settings can be done that way, I haven't tried with
this one.

Or if you like, you can copy the following three lines into a file,
save it as somefilename.reg, then double click it to merge:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder"=dword:00000001

I use that registry tweak on systems I configure, I don't know if
there is a GUI method to do the same thing or not.

Also forgot to mention you may have to log out / log back in for the
change to take effect - many of the Explorer settings are only read
from the registry when you log in if they are not made though the GUI.

 

[Char Jackson]

In message <[email protected]>, Char Jackson


Beautifully-produced video. I don't think anyone could think the
behaviour is intentional after seeing that - certainly I loved it when
you got to the "why?" point.
I haven't looked at the thread, since you say it's long: does your video
appear in it before the MS statement? (I presume MS ignore the thread
after the statement.)

Yes, the link to the video is right up near the top, but I need to
clarify that I didn't produce the video. It was simply the first hit
when I Googled the issue. The guy who created it started by writing a
detailed email to Steve Ballmer and actually got an answer back from
an MS engineer who asked for more information, so he produced the
video as a way to ensure the engineer saw what he and the rest of are
seeing.

The thread also includes detailed workarounds for the issue, most
involving tweaks to ClassicShell that allow you to keep using the
standard Win Explorer, but with improved functionality. There's also a
link to a 'voting' page where you can vote on whether you think this
behavior should be fixed by MS. When I checked, the count was 272-0 in
favor of fixing it. I couldn't vote since it required a LiveID login,
or similar.

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

In message <[email protected]>, "Dave \"Crash\" Dummy"
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
Is there any way of getting the folder tree a la XP or 9x on
the left of a Windows Explorer window (with the [+], [-]
etc.)?
I don't know if SC Tom's tip gives you what you want, but I use
Classic Shell to reproduce the classic Start menu and Explorer
look. http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
Thanks; I already had Classic Shell, I just didn't realise it had
the option to show [+], [-], and the like.

(Now, you don't know a way to make the left pane follow what the
right pane's doing, do you?)

Try this registry setting on for size: In
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced,
set "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" to DWord value of 1 (you may
have to create the key, I can't recall if it exists by default).
It is a per-user setting so you'll need to do it for each user -
although, it might work if you made the change in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, some of the per-user settings can be done that
way, I haven't tried with this one.

Or if you like, you can copy the following three lines into a file,
save it as somefilename.reg, then double click it to merge:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder"=dword:00000001

I use that registry tweak on systems I configure, I don't know if
there is a GUI method to do the same thing or not.

Also forgot to mention you may have to log out / log back in for the
change to take effect - many of the Explorer settings are only read
from the registry when you log in if they are not made though the
GUI.

Okay, that worked. My next question (which applies to a lot of similar
fixes) is, why doesn't MS include this value in the first place, even if
it were set to zero? Where do people get these mystery values that are not
included in the default installed MS software?

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

message In message <[email protected]>, "Dave \"Crash\" Dummy"
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
Is there any way of getting the folder tree a la XP or 9x on
the left of a Windows Explorer window (with the [+], [-]
etc.)?
I don't know if SC Tom's tip gives you what you want, but I use
Classic Shell to reproduce the classic Start menu and Explorer
look. http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
Thanks; I already had Classic Shell, I just didn't realise it had
the option to show [+], [-], and the like.

(Now, you don't know a way to make the left pane follow what the
right pane's doing, do you?)
Try this registry setting on for size: In
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced,
set "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" to DWord value of 1 (you may
have to create the key, I can't recall if it exists by default).
It is a per-user setting so you'll need to do it for each user -
although, it might work if you made the change in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, some of the per-user settings can be done that
way, I haven't tried with this one.

Or if you like, you can copy the following three lines into a
file,
save it as somefilename.reg, then double click it to merge:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder"=dword:00000001

I use that registry tweak on systems I configure, I don't know if
there is a GUI method to do the same thing or not.

Also forgot to mention you may have to log out / log back in for
the
change to take effect - many of the Explorer settings are only
read
from the registry when you log in if they are not made though the
GUI.

Okay, that worked. My next question (which applies to a lot of
similar
fixes) is, why doesn't MS include this value in the first place,
even if
it were set to zero? Where do people get these mystery values that
are not
included in the default installed MS software?

I struggle with much the same thing when I have to figure out how to
deploy a new MS OS version. In this case, I think I actually found a
GUI method to set it and just compared the difference between before
and after snapshots of the registry. If not, then I somehow found the
setting through Google. However, since it was shortly after Win7 was
released that I did so, and since I have to automate *everything*,
once I find the appropriate registry entry I can rarely remember *how*
I came across the info...

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

This video seems to sum up the situation:
<http://cnanney.com/video/win7-1/>

The creator of that video did an excellent job. I didn't realize all of
the aspects of the behavior until now.

In my case, I was more aware of the bottom feeding behavior when I
opened a folder by double clicking inside the right-hand pane.

I'll have to look into the cited thread later (have an appointment
soon). Nice to have a potential workaround.

And this long Answers thread seems to be a place where many people are
trying to get Microsoft's attention on this bug:
<http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...y/50a81b05-da98-4d55-821d-55ffbbd0e998?page=4>

Unfortunately, toward the beginning there's a response from MS saying
it's a feature that "works as intended", so a fix may not be coming
anytime soon.

Who the heck *intended* that? He should go back to the fast food place
where he used to work

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

In message <[email protected]>, Gene E. Bloch
On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:47:53 +0100, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

Is there any way of getting the folder tree a la XP or 9x on
the left of a Windows Explorer window (with the [+], [-] etc.)?

They have been replaced by little triangles that serve the same
function, but in my Windows Explorer, the triangles are invisible
when the cursor is outside the left (navigation) pane.

When they are visible, a hollow triangle pointing right replaces
the + and a solid triangle pointing 45 degrees down corresponds
to the -.

Thanks! I _think_ that's what I was looking for - so it's there all
the time, though as you say they're not always visible. Although
it's not _quite_ the same: in XP, the left pane opens and tracks
what you're doing in the right pane, which it doesn't in 7. But
this still is useful, so thanks again.

Like you, I think they should be visible all the time, and I think
the navigation pane should track the folder pane.

I also hate that when the navigation pane does track the folder pane,
the thing you're looking at jumps to the bottom of the left pane, so
you can't see the tree.

Who designs these things?

I think they put these annoyances in on purpose so dweebs like us can
bitch about them and feel important.

Thanks. All is now clear

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

In message <[email protected]>, Gene E. Bloch
On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:47:53 +0100, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

Is there any way of getting the folder tree a la XP or 9x on the left of
a Windows Explorer window (with the [+], [-] etc.)?

They have been replaced by little triangles that serve the same
function, but in my Windows Explorer, the triangles are invisible when
the cursor is outside the left (navigation) pane.

When they are visible, a hollow triangle pointing right replaces the +
and a solid triangle pointing 45 degrees down corresponds to the -.

Thanks! I _think_ that's what I was looking for - so it's there all the
time, though as you say they're not always visible. Although it's not
_quite_ the same: in XP, the left pane opens and tracks what you're
doing in the right pane, which it doesn't in 7. But this still is
useful, so thanks again.

Like you, I think they should be visible all the time, and I think the
navigation pane should track the folder pane.

I think Classic Shell is better in that respect (not on the W7 machine
at the moment so can't be sure).

I also hate that when the navigation pane does track the folder pane,
the thing you're looking at jumps to the bottom of the left pane, so you
can't see the tree.

There's more to it than that - see Char's excellent video.

Who designs these things?

Hmm. At work I was saying to a colleague that a piece of equipment we
were working on was not "designed for manufacture" (i. e. it's a right
pain to disassemble and reassemble). Or I intended to say that, but he
stopped me after "designed" (-:.

Thanks. All is now clear

 

[SC Tom]

Who the heck *intended* that? He should go back to the fast food place
where he used to work

I don't know, even fast food dudes (and dudettes) put the Big Macs at the
top of the slide Maybe that's why he doesn't work there any more, and
Bill decided to give him a try.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

message news:[email protected]... []

Try this registry setting on for size: In

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Ad
vanced,
set "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" to DWord value of 1 (you may have
to create the key, I can't recall if it exists by default). It is a

It wasn't there.
[]

Also forgot to mention you may have to log out / log back in for the
change to take effect - many of the Explorer settings are only read
from the registry when you log in if they are not made though the GUI.

I didn't have to - worked as soon as I quit regedit and opened a new
Explorer window. Thanks!

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Me too.

[]
Zaphod's registry hack worked for me!

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I don't know, even fast food dudes (and dudettes) put the Big Macs at the
top of the slide Maybe that's why he doesn't work there any more, and
Bill decided to give him a try.

I guess I'm just not cynical enough

Thanks for the help

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

message news:[email protected]... []

Try this registry setting on for size: In
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Ad
vanced,
set "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" to DWord value of 1 (you may
have
to create the key, I can't recall if it exists by default). It is
a

It wasn't there.
[]

Also forgot to mention you may have to log out / log back in for the
change to take effect - many of the Explorer settings are only read
from the registry when you log in if they are not made though the
GUI.

I didn't have to - worked as soon as I quit regedit and opened a new
Explorer window. Thanks!

Glad I could help!

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

in message message In message <[email protected]>, "Dave \"Crash\" Dummy"
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
Is there any way of getting the folder tree a la XP or 9x on
the left of a Windows Explorer window (with the [+], [-]
etc.)?
I don't know if SC Tom's tip gives you what you want, but I use
Classic Shell to reproduce the classic Start menu and Explorer
look. http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
Thanks; I already had Classic Shell, I just didn't realise it
had
the option to show [+], [-], and the like.

(Now, you don't know a way to make the left pane follow what the
right pane's doing, do you?)
Try this registry setting on for size: In
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced,
set "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" to DWord value of 1 (you may
have to create the key, I can't recall if it exists by default).
It is a per-user setting so you'll need to do it for each user -
although, it might work if you made the change in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, some of the per-user settings can be done
that
way, I haven't tried with this one.

Or if you like, you can copy the following three lines into a
file,
save it as somefilename.reg, then double click it to merge:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder"=dword:00000001

I use that registry tweak on systems I configure, I don't know if
there is a GUI method to do the same thing or not.


Also forgot to mention you may have to log out / log back in for
the
change to take effect - many of the Explorer settings are only
read
from the registry when you log in if they are not made though the
GUI.

Okay, that worked. My next question (which applies to a lot of
similar
fixes) is, why doesn't MS include this value in the first place,
even if
it were set to zero? Where do people get these mystery values that
are not
included in the default installed MS software?

I struggle with much the same thing when I have to figure out how to
deploy a new MS OS version. In this case, I think I actually found
a GUI method to set it and just compared the difference between
before and after snapshots of the registry. If not, then I somehow
found the setting through Google. However, since it was shortly
after Win7 was released that I did so, and since I have to automate
*everything*, once I find the appropriate registry entry I can
rarely remember *how* I came across the info...

Follow-up: You can set this in the GUI through

Folder Options -> General -> Navigation pane -> Automatically expand
to current folder

 

[Dave \Crash\ Dummy]

Zaphod Beeblebrox wrote:
"Zaphod Beeblebrox" <[email protected]>
wrote in message message In message <[email protected]>, "Dave \"Crash\"
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
Is there any way of getting the folder tree a la XP or
9x on the left of a Windows Explorer window (with the
[+], [-] etc.)?
I don't know if SC Tom's tip gives you what you want, but
I use Classic Shell to reproduce the classic Start menu
and Explorer look. http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/
Thanks; I already had Classic Shell, I just didn't realise
it had the option to show [+], [-], and the like.

(Now, you don't know a way to make the left pane follow
what the right pane's doing, do you?)
Try this registry setting on for size: In
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced,
set "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" to DWord value of 1 (you
may have to create the key, I can't recall if it exists by
default). It is a per-user setting so you'll need to do it
for each user - although, it might work if you made the
change in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, some of the per-user settings
can be done that way, I haven't tried with this one.

Or if you like, you can copy the following three lines into a
file, save it as somefilename.reg, then double click it to
merge:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder"=dword:00000001

I use that registry tweak on systems I configure, I don't
know if there is a GUI method to do the same thing or not.

Also forgot to mention you may have to log out / log back in
for the change to take effect - many of the Explorer settings
are only read from the registry when you log in if they are not
made though the GUI.
Okay, that worked. My next question (which applies to a lot of
similar fixes) is, why doesn't MS include this value in the first
place, even if it were set to zero? Where do people get these
mystery values that are not included in the default installed MS
software?

I struggle with much the same thing when I have to figure out how
to deploy a new MS OS version. In this case, I think I actually
found a GUI method to set it and just compared the difference
between before and after snapshots of the registry. If not, then I
somehow found the setting through Google. However, since it was
shortly after Win7 was released that I did so, and since I have to
automate *everything*, once I find the appropriate registry entry I
can rarely remember *how* I came across the info...

Follow-up: You can set this in the GUI through

Folder Options -> General -> Navigation pane -> Automatically expand
to current folder

Thanks. That works. If the box is checked, the
"NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" value is created.