Odd behavior in Windows Explorer

I'm having a little problem with Windows Explorer on my XP Pro desktop.

When I click on a folder in the left pane (classic view, details), the contents of the folder are displayed in the right pane, which is normal behavior.

If one of the items in the right pane is a folder, double-clicking on it should just display the contents of the folder in the right pane, but that doesn't happen. Instead, a new "normal-size" (à la MS IE new window) single-pane Explorer window opens, displaying the folder contents.

Initially, I thought it was a new "feature" in XP, but it's not present on my XP Pro laptop, and others have told me that their systems do not exhibit this behavior.

I cannot find anything in Folder Options to correct this unwanted behavior, and neither XP-compatible version of TweakUI offers a fix. Nor can I find anything in the registry that seeems to be related.

Also, before anyone suggests it, I do have "Open each folder in the same window" selected in Folder Options.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome.

Jim

 

ViewFix from PC Magazine will fix all your folder problems.

Windows Explorer's ability to remember how you want your file lists sorted and what view you prefer is limited. It only remembers the last-used settings for a fixed number of folders. Each time Explorer saves the settings for a new folder, it forgets the settings for the oldest one in its memory. ViewFix solves this problem by applying your preferred view settings and sort order every time you open an Explorer window. You can specify distinct settings for the three main types of Explorer windows (two-pane Explorer, one-pane Explorer, and file dialog), and you can apply the current settings to all open

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,30559,00.asp?

 

I had the same problem start suddenly on either my work or home XP-pro system (can't remember which right now). Never did find the cause.

I am now starting WE from a shortcut on the quickstart bar and using %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e,/select,c:\ to start it up. Problem seems to have gone away and I think that was the "fix ".

 

Barbara-Ann from Montreal (sung to the tune of Mademoiselle from Armentières), thanks for the link to ViewFix.

Unfortunately, Neil Rubenking, who wrote the program for PC Mag, didn't take it far enough, in that he didn't allow the forcing of a two-pane Explorer window and, more to the point, didn't allow for the exclusion of a single-pane window.

Consequently, the situation remains unchanged; double-clicking on a folder in the right pane still opens a new single-pane window. The only way I can force a folder in the right pane to open in that pane is to right-click on it and select Explore from the context menu.

Brett, I tried applying your suggestion to the properties for the Explorer icon on my Start Menu, but all it did was open a two-pane window at the My Computer level, rather than C: (to make certain I had the syntax correct, I opened the BBS page source and copied it). And, the basic problem remains as described earlier.

Anyway, thanks to both of you for your replies. I know the answer is out there somewhere ... it's just a matter of finding it.

 

Newt, my sincere apologies! I had just read a post by Brett elsewhere on the forum and, apparently, his name was fresh in my mind. Sorry 'bout that!

 

Just checked the shortcut properties to my Windows Explorer....it's:
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE ,/n, /e,/root,c:\select, c:\

Wonder if it makes any difference at all?

Daizy

 

Hi Daizy,

My shortcut properties are C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe /n, /e, c:\. I just tried yours and, no, it makes no difference.

 

Well - I just double-checked mine and using the switch settings I gave, mine actually opens with "my computer" as the focus and the drives all shown unexpanded on the left and on the right. Lucky for me that I like it this way.

It does behave "properly" when I start drilling down though and will display the proper stuff on the right without opening a new window.

Check under tools~folder options~view and see what options you have checked there.

 

Change Window To Double-Paned View
Want to switch a folder window from single to a double-paned view (as if you opened the folder inside Windows Explorer)? All it takes is one click.

Open any folder window and look for the Folders icon on the Standard Buttons toolbar. Click it once to jump to a double-paned window. Click it again, and you're back to a single pane.