Classic Shell: Forum

I request two features to be added to Classic Shell for context menus. I realize that the current Classic Shell does not include context menus in its scope, but I thought I would try for these anyway. The requested capabilities were NOT inherent in "vanilla" Windows XP; instead, they were added via Power Toys upgraded from the Windows 98 Power Toys.

One feature was a context menu item on a folder, including a shortcut to a folder. It was "Explore From Here". Selecting it would open Windows Explorer with the navigation tree on the left. Unlike the usual Windows Explorer navigation tree, however, the "root" would be the selected folder or the folder to which the shortcut pointed. That is, I would not see the navigation tree all the way back to Desktop, Libraries, Homegroup, Computer, etc.

The other feature was a context menu item only on a shortcut. It was "Target", which had a submenu with "Copy", "Cut", "Create Shortcut", "Delete", "Properties", and "Open Container". (The latter was the equivalent of "Open folder location" in the "vanilla" Windows 7.) Aside from "Open Container", the submenu items allowed the indicated operations on the shortcut's target without opening the target or the target's container.

I found both of these very useful in Windows XP and severely miss them with Windows 7.

I remember those Windows 95 powertoys very well having used both of them myself.

Explore from here is still possible with a simple registry tweak:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\RootExplore]
@="E&xplore from here"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\RootExplore\Command]
@="explorer.exe /root,%l"

To remove it, just delete the RootExplore value at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\. Unfortunately, even though the folder acts as the root, the other junk in the navigation pane can't be hidden on-the-fly in modern versions of Windows. That's just then way Vista/7/8 Explorer behaves - can't be changed.

As for "Target", install WOW64Menu from here: http://www.gasanov.net/WOW64Menu.asp When you install it and right click a shortcut, you will another entry in the menu called WOW64 (32-bit) menu. When you click WOW64 menu, Windows automatically resolves the shortcut so the menu you get that acts directly on the target. There you can Cut, Copy, Create Shortcut, Delete, Open Properties - pretty much do anything with the target.

Another option is to install Shortcut Target Properties: http://free-sk.t-com.hr/T800soft/softwa ... etprop.htm but at the moment, it only supports opening Properties, not other verbs.

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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.

I tried the registry modification suggested by GauravK relative to "Explore From Here". However, it does not really replicate the Power Toy capability. I generally used Windows Explorer in Windows XP without the navigation tree, and I have that set as my default in Windows 7. "Explore From Here" would nevertheless show the navigation tree without changing my default. With the registry modification, I do not get the navigation tree without explicitly requesting it after Windows Explorer opens the requested folder; but that changes my default to always display the navigation tree until I change it back.

Furthermore, the navigation tree does not start at the selected folder. In addition to the selected folder, I also see Favorites, Libraries, Homegroup, Computer, and Network. With the Power Toy capability, I would only see the selected folder and its children in the navigation tree.

I have downloaded WOW64 menu. I will try it over the coming weekend.

The navigation tree's root does change to show the selected folder but the rest of your observations are correct, unfortunately, Microsoft hardcoded those changes, I don't think anything can be done about it. Explore and Open verbs are the same in Vista and later which means the navigation pane can either be off on on. Also, other stuff like Favorites, Libraries, Homegroup, Computer, Network can be hidden using Windows 7 Navigation Pane Customizer: http://www.door2windows.com/windows-7-n ... tion-pane/ but they can't be hidden on-the-fly conditionally without restarting the whole Explorer.exe process. You either always hide them or always show them.

_________________
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.