Classic Shell: Forum

I've just installed Classic Shell on W7 Pro 64.

I don't like 'wide screens', because they are also 'low height' screens. My main desktop is XP Pro with twin Hanns·G 5:4 aspect ratio monitors - 1280 x 1024. I've setup my wife's laptop with W7 Home - 1600 x 900 and I can just about cope with two open folders to display files for moving between folders.

But setting-up my new laptop, a Panasonic laptop with 4:3 aspect ratio touch screen, running W7 Pro 64, I'm having problems displaying two folders for moving files between two folders. (One on an external HHD and the internal.)

The problem is the loss of the 'Folders' icon in the toolbar, which can quickly switch between two pane (folder tree & files) and a single pane for files.

The folder tree pane just wastes too much screen width.

Can Classic Shell overcome this problem?

Classic Shell's Explorer toolbar can't have a button to toggle the folder tree pane because MS didn't allow it.

But you can use this third party free app to put the command to toggle the navigation pane directly on the 'Command Bar': http://winaero.com/comment.php?comment.news.16 Click Add Buttons in that app and check "Navigation Pane" command and add it for each of the 5 folder types and each of the 5 Library types and for both cases (File or folder selected and Nothing selected).


Disclaimer: Any third party app recommendations are only for your convenience. Classic Shell bears no responsibility whatsoever for third party apps.

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Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Thanks GauravK.

I've had a look on the link and it suggests that it's what I need, so downloaded it. A word of caution for others: the large green 'Start download' button is an advert for other software. One needs to use the light grey 'DOWNLOAD' button below.

After using 'Explorer Toolbar Editor' and learning how to use it, it does not solve the original problem of the lost 'Folders' icon.

The text button to click on is too far to the right, so is not visible when two folders are open side-by-side. As I've been unable to learn how to remove existing unwanted buttons to the left, or remove them I stopped using it.

ETE has no advantage over the normal display. It still requires extra clicks just like the renamed and relocated 'Folders' icon - 'Organize | Layout | Navigation Pane'

Today I discovered 'Explorer++' which solves the problem. It also removes many of the other irritations in W7 when compared to XP. It's also got an 'up' icon.

After only a few minutes use, I'd recommend others to try it, especially as it does not need to be installed, so deleting the .exe removes it! Look here:-

http://sourceforge.net/projects/explorerplus/

and here:-

http://explorerplusplus.com/

Yeah ETE help you put them on the Command Bar but if 2 folders are snapped side by side, the button can go into chevron menu as the first few commands (Organize, Share with, Burn etc) are hardcoded. It's frustrating how they reduced the customizability of Windows Explorer after XP.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Good news. The latest Classic Shell 4.0.6 has a built-in button now to toggle the folder/navigation pane as well as the Details pane and the Preview pane.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.