21 replies to this topic

[Cre8tivet]

Hi, I am a photographer and as such find myself consistently trawling through many many folders. On a photo shoot I use a laptop to view photographic results instantly.My problem is that not so long ago I found a reg tweak that automatically placed an explorer bar on the left side of every folder opened. I thought this could be useful. Having said this, I find I use windows explorer rarely and prefer to navigate by use of shortcuts directly to my most used folders and once there, navigate to the desired folder/folders. This explorer bar on the left side of every folder opened, "can" be closed manually by all the usual methods (using the small x at the top right of the bar, using view/explorer bar/ untick folders) Then using tools/ folder options/ view/ apply to all folders, one would think the bar would go away system wide, but no. In the registry I have tried changing the remember folders view settings from the default 400 up to 8000 but still this bar persists. Every time I open a folder the first two inches on the left side of the folder is always taken up with this explorer bar and every time I finally reach my desired folder, to regain space, I am forced to manually close this bar (just for clarity and even though I feel stupid saying it, this is a windows explorer bar and not anything related to IE - please see attached folderXP.jpg).
Space to view the thumbnails, as I discovered too late, is my main priority, not easy folder navigation. I am fairly certain it was a 0 or 1 switch in a particular reg key that caused this always recurring explorer bar - but I can't for the life of me remember which one.
Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Laptop OS: Xp home sp2
Attached: folderXP.jpg

Attached File(s)

•  folderXp.jpg (35.05K)
  Number of downloads: 16

[Mudhi]

I don't understand what you want, but here is some info:

The left pane is either folder view or common task view, the size of the folder view is applied to every folder, you can drag the bar left of right, it is not per folder setting.

There is another tweak, that is control panel > system properties, or winkey + pause, or right click my computer > properties, then click advanced tab > performance' settings button > scroll down and uncheck "use common tasks in folders", and then windows explorer will not show common tasks nor folder view.

[Flevokiwi]

Mudhi, on Mar 31 2009, 05:14 PM, said:

I don't understand what you want

Quite simple: the poster wants this as default view/layout:



...and not this:

[Wingman]

In Folder Options... select Show common tasks in folders... that puts the display like the first image Sjoerd imbedded.
Then you should be able to "Apply to all folders."
Then in Folder Options...View tab... make sure the "Remember each folders view settings" is checked.

[Flevokiwi]

Forgot to say to Cre8tivet... welcome to TEG!

[managed]

In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY CLASSES ROOT\Folder\shell\ explore\ ddeexec
Double-click on (Default) and change the string to [ViewFolder("%l", %I, %S)] (including the brackets)
To revert to the double-pane window, set (Default) to [ExploreFolder("%l", %I, %S)]

[Guitar Man]

I agree with Sjoerd's tip in post #4, though Allan's registry change may also give the same results. Hopefully we'll get a 2nd post from the topic starter to confirm either method works.

[Cre8tivet]

Thanks for the input but my setup for performance settings has always been as you suggested - as per attached performance.jpg

Mudhi, on Mar 31 2009, 11:14 AM, said:

I don't understand what you want, but here is some info:

The left pane is either folder view or common task view, the size of the folder view is applied to every folder, you can drag the bar left of right, it is not per folder setting.

There is another tweak, that is control panel > system properties, or winkey + pause, or right click my computer > properties, then click advanced tab > performance' settings button > scroll down and uncheck "use common tasks in folders", and then windows explorer will not show common tasks nor folder view.

Attached File(s)

•  Performance.jpg (34.68K)
  Number of downloads: 5

[Cre8tivet]

Also Flevokiwi - Thankyou for your efforts with the captures - You nearly got it right - what I was after was a completely clean folder, no explorer bar and no quicktasks. Just to save confusion see attached PlainFolder.jpg

Flevokiwi, on Mar 31 2009, 11:42 AM, said:

Mudhi, on Mar 31 2009, 05:14 PM, said:

I don't understand what you want

Quite simple: the poster wants this as default view/layout:



...and not this:

Attached File(s)

•  PlainFolder.jpg (50.97K)
  Number of downloads: 14

[mph]

did you try what Allan [managed] suggested?

[Cre8tivet]

Wingman - You said:
In Folder Options... select Show common tasks in folders... that puts the display like the first image Sjoerd imbedded.
Then you should be able to "Apply to all folders."
Then in Folder Options...View tab... make sure the "Remember each folders view settings" is checked.

I messed about with all the settings you suggest much earlier (when I still had some hair to pull out) but what I want is plain folders with neither common tasks nor an explorer bar. Every time I open a folder I still always get an explorer bar grrrrrrrr
Have a look at my first post to see what Ive tried. And don't forget - even when I close the explorer bar and get the folder like I want it - then in Folder Options...View tab... make sure the "Remember each folders view settings" is checked, windows ignores this... and every subsequent folder I open still has an explorer bar down the left.
See the attached PlainFolder.jpg to see what Im after

Attached File(s)

•  PlainFolder.jpg (50.97K)
  Number of downloads: 5

[Wingman]

What about the other settings mentioned?
Also check... in same Folder Options ... then View... see that the "restore previous folder windows at logon... is NOT checked.

Do the problem folders have a (normally hidden) desktop.ini file?
You may have to show hidden files and folders... in order to see it.

Edit: I posted after you posted and I didn't see your post...

[Cre8tivet]

Mph-
Yes I did, although with a bit of a strange result. I followed Alan's suggestion to the letter and when I first went to the suggested registry entry, there was only one value there - ie. the one called default. That's not the strange bit. After entering Alan's code (at that point there was nothing in the string) and getting out of regedit (and rebooting just to be safe), the problem was still there so just to be safe and on re checking the path and my entries in regedit, discovered there was now a second entry. I wouldn't bet my house on it but I would swear blind that second entry wasn't there before. Anyway I have attached Regedit1.jpg to this post to show the second entry.

Attached File(s)

•  Regedit1.jpg (31.71K)
  Number of downloads: 9

[Wingman]

I posted after your post back to me... check the "restore folder window... setting and...

You may want to check these registry settings...
when set to 0 (zero) changes made will be saved when you logoff
when set to 1 (one) changes made will NOT be saved when you logoff

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoSaveSettings"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoSaveSettings"=dword:00000000

[Cre8tivet]

Restore previous folders at logon is not checked and the folders definitely do not have desktop.ini files in them (hidden files showing)

Wingman, on Apr 4 2009, 02:21 PM, said:

What about the other settings mentioned?
Also check... in same Folder Options ... then View... see that the "restore previous folder windows at logon... is NOT checked.

Do the problem folders have a (normally hidden) desktop.ini file?
You may have to show hidden files and folders... in order to see it.

[mph]

it's ok,i have NoActivateHandler as well

[Cre8tivet]

Wingman, neither of the values you suggested checking are currently present. Should they be there or are you suggesting I add them?

[Flevokiwi]

Mate, at the risk of drifting away from the topic... some beautiful pictures you have there in your attachment PlainFolder.jpg in post #9! I am amazed by the picture in the middle of Hunua Falls. I used to live less than 20 minutes drive from there! Did you take these pics yourself?

Here's a picture of Hunua Falls I took:

[Wingman]

You should not have to ADD the NoSaveSettings... only if they were present and set to one (1) would any change be needed. I believe the default is to save settings on exit.

Wingman, on Mar 31 2009, 01:41 PM, said:

In Folder Options... select Show common tasks in folders... that puts the display like the first image Sjoerd imbedded.
Then you should be able to "Apply to all folders."
Then in Folder Options...View tab... make sure the "Remember each folders view settings" is checked.

Change the Folder Options setting to "Use Windows Classic Folders" ... then repeat the other instructions. Look closely at the little icon in the setting window...you'll see it change to a full screen of icons or with common places.... as you toggle the settings.
Also... (maybe this needs to be done as well) when you have the folder view the way you want it... create a new shortcut to it. Remove the old shortcut.

[managed]

Please look at my post #6 again, it says change the value to ViewFolder... not Explorefolder...

(I too have the NoActivateHandler entry so I think it's normal and can be left alone.)