Cusrtomize Windows Explorer Tree Views

Each time I view Windows Explorer I'm treated with what Windows wants me to see. ie., "MyDocuments, MyDataSources, MyEbooks,MyPictures,My Music and all other stuff below that.

I DON'T WANT SO SEE this - EVER!

If I delete it it just comes back.

How can I get rid of the items viewed in the Explorer Tree permenently, or customize this view?

Thanks . . . Rick

 

Try this:

1. Right-click the shortcut you're using to load Windows Explorer.
   
   
2. Under the Shortcut tab, change what's in the Start in: box from:
   %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%​
   to:
   C:\​
   (or to whatever other drive and path you like).
   
   
   
3. Click Apply | OK.

 

hmmm ... be very careful w/ the delete part ... while u may not like seeing it, the answer isn't deleteing it.

 

Hello Spyware . . .

Thanks for the tip, however, this makes no changes at all, even when I perform a reboot.

All of the unwanted folders and defaulted selection to the MS MyDocuments folder on the Desktop is highlighted.

I have a 200 Gig Drive D:\ where all of my working files are stored to allow easy backups.

BTW . . . I have Windows XP Pro with SP2 already installed by the OEM.

Thanks . . . Rick

 

RickinSoCal--What are the entries in your Windows Explorer Shortcut tab "Target" and "Start in" lines?
Also if you click Windows View|Explorer Bar|and uncheck any checked items in the list, that should get rid of the left hand panel, which where I suspect you are seeing all the stuff you do not want.

 

Did you check the link that Steve posted? It's just a matter of creating a shortcut with the proper switch. What view do you want when you open it?

 

Target / Start In . . .

"What are the entries in your Windows Explorer Shortcut tab "Target" and "Start in" lines? "

Target C:\Windows\Explorer.exe
Start In "D:\My Documents" (This is correct)

"Also if you click Windows View|Explorer Bar|and uncheck any checked items in the list, that should get rid of the left hand panel . . "

Where is Windows View|Explorer Bar . . ?
I select Explorer/Windows View Explorer Bar . . .

None of this shows any checked items. Just the Windows folders and sub directories.

I'm lost here!

I select Windows Explorer.exe . . .

This is what I see . . .

Desktop (Don't need this)
MyComputer (This is the ONLY folder I wish to see)
MyDocuments (On the Desktop, don't need this)
MyNetworkPlaces (Don't need this either)
RecylnBin (Don't need to see this either)

Ideas . . ?

Thanks . . . Rick

 

Once again, it's all in the switches you use on the command line for the shortcut. It's all in the link that Steve posted. Try this. Create a shortcut to explorer.exe and then right click on it, choose properties and copy and paste the following line into the box next to where it says "target ".

Then click apply and then OK. Now double click on the shortcut and you'll see that it opens differently than your other shortcut does. From here it's just a matter of knowing how you want it to open. If you don't understand the MS article let us know how you want it to open and we can help you with it.

 

To expand a bit on that, try this:

Create a new shortcut on your Desktop named MyDocs1 and use the command line (in the Target: box) of:

%systemroot%\explorer.exe /e, "D:\My Documents "​

Create another new shortcut on your Desktop named MyDocs2 and use the command line (in the Target: box of:

%systemroot%\explorer.exe "D:\My Documents "​

Double-click your new MyDocs1 shortcut and you'll see a Windows Explorer window similar to this:

​

Double-click your new MyDocs2 shortcut and you'll see a Windows Explorer window similar to this:

​

The only difference between the two shortcuts is the "/e," on the command line (in the Target: box).

 

RickinSoCal--My guess is that you want your Windows Explorer shortcut to be set as follows:
Target C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE /e,
Open in C:\WINDOWS

 

This worked sort of . . .

 

RickinSoCal--Just a little more info than the reference suggested by Steve R Jones
http://www.aviransplace.com/index.php/archives/2005/10/30/tip-customize-windows-explorer-view

 

%SystemRoot% is an environmental variable. The system root is your Windows folder. When %SystemRoot% is used in the path it means the same thing as if you typed the path out in the normal way. You can change the shortcut's path to c:\windows\explorer.exe /e,d:\ if that's where your windows folder is and it'll work the same. I used the environmental variable because some people have windows installed in a windows folder and some in a winnt folder. Also, it could be installed to a drive other than c.

This is where the %SystemRoot% variable comes in kind of handy. I can give you that path and no matter where you have windows installed it'll still work for you.

The /e switch tells it to open in an explorer style window (two panes). The ,c simply designates where you want it to open. In this case it would open to the c drive. As you found out, you can change it to open to wherever you choose. If you left the /e out, it would open in a My Computer styled window. To see what I mean create another shortcut to explorer.exe and in the path in the properties put the following.

 

Excellent Page . . .

I went to this page and printed it.

Thanks much.

This is a great forum.

Rick

 

RickinSoCal--You are most welcome. Hope your post means you have solved the problem!!

 

http://www.v-com.com/product/PowerDesk_Pro_Home.html

Check out PowerDesk at the above site.

It it FAR, FAR, FAR better than Windows Explorer every even thought of being.

By being able to have view of two different places on the screen it make it VERY easy to transfer stuff from one place to the other.

It is not free. But WELL worth the cost.

BillyBob

PS.
I have used it on all version of Windows from 95 on up to and including XP Pro.

BB