Getting to Windows Explorer

Hi All,.................... I'm in the process of getting acquainted with Windows XP and I'm confused as to how to get to Windows Explorer. In former systems I always made it part of the Start Menu. After following the directions in the manual and Help, the procedure from Start, All Programs, Accessories brings me to Windows Explorer. When I try to open I get My Documents. Can you give me a better roadmap? Thank You.

 

Quite a few ways but I opted for the lazy method.

- shortcut with the switches to get me just my drives and unexpanded (since I hate the default behavior).

- drag said shortcut to the quick launch section of the tool bar.

- now a single click on my toolbar starts it.

Shortcut I use is:

%windir%\explorer.exe /n,/e,/select,c:\ (and note there is a space after explorer.exe but none after that)

 

Start>All Programs>Accessories
right click on Windows Explorer and "send to" desktop.
Then drag to Quick Launch

(to enable QL, right click on taskbar and check QL under "toolbars ")

Then I delete the desktop shortcut. You can do any program this way.

To make shortcuts to specific drives, click the choice from WE and drag to the QL. Right click and choose "properties" to change the icon.

If you don't use QL:
after creating a desktop shortcut, hold your mouse button down and drag it into the left side of the Start menu. Some options (My Docs, Music, Pics, Network Places) are available from Taskbar, Properties, Start Menu, but WE isn't one of them.

Handy thing to know: Pressing Control and Escape at the same time immediately brings up Start (nice during an install that has seized your full screen, for example)

Prob more than you wanted to know...
Johanna

 

I want Windows Explorer on the Start menu, also.

Navigate your way to the Windows Explorer shortcut in C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories and copy the shortcut to the Start Menu folder.

You can make Explorer open anywhere you wish. To set it the way you want it, right-click on your Explorer shortcut and select Properties. Newt's suggestion will open Explorer in the C: folder (he could also have used %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, c:) If, for example, you wanted it to open in the Windows media folder, it would be %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, c:\windows\media. Personally, I open Explorer in My Computer (%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e,).

Hope this helps.

 

Right click on the "Start Button" choose Explore.

You can do this on any folder also.

Just another option. Different strokes for different folks.

By the way the hitting the key combination of the winkey[key with flag] plus the E will also get ya' there.

 

Johanna, Newt, goddez1, and JSS3rd

Hi all, ............. Maybe its me and the new XP operating system, but I cannot get the Windows Explorer that I remember.

When I click to open any Windows Explorer as mentioned in my first post or the explorer icon at C:\Windows what opens is My Documents. When I use the command line instructions of Newt and Jim I can end up in My Computer. Using Ann's suggestion of the Windows flag key plus "e" opens My Computer and it looks like I'll have to work from there and vertically expand the tree.

If I'm missing something, please let me know so I can complain to HP, the supplier of the new computer. Thank all of you for your interest.

 

Xp's defaulted to start/open explorer in the "My Documents" directory.

Right Click Explore defaults to open in the directory of the folder your exploring.

Winkey Shortcut Is defaulted to open in "MyComputer" in a non expanded view.

All others suggestions in this post are customized or edited shortcuts.

You also will have to edit or customize the shortcut to open in your own prefered way. See:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q307856

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If you have any problem doing this perhaps you can give a more detailed description of the quote "Windows's explorer I remember ". I or another member will be able to give the command syntax you will need.

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I just noticed that there is an option in "folder view" settings that enables or disables simple folder view in explorer perhaps something in there needs a check ticked or unticked.

 

goddez1

Hi Ann, ............ Thanks for the additional post. By the term "Windows Explorer I remember" I recall that in Windows 98 The WE has in the title line Exploring C: or Exploring Control Panel, etc. So far I get the impression the Windows Explorer is somehow different in Windows XP and must appear as part of another folder.

But on to the good news. I now have Windows Explorer as part of the Start Menu. After stumbling around and using all of the inputs you supplied, I eventually was able to drag the Explorer icon to the Start button. My thanks to all who replied.