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General discussion

Pet Peeve: When opening folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state

Feb 6, 2004 10:22AM PST

(I wonder if that made any sense...)

Anyway, the same way that you can have an IE window open fully "maximized", "normal"
or "minimized", I am not finding the method to have my folders open the way I want
them to.

When it comes to the IE quick launch shortcut, you can go to it's properties & decide
the size in which to to launch it (as mentioned above). However, if you're launching
a web page from anywhere else, it won't open fully maximized unless you manually
do so. The closest you can get it is by incorporating a special method which I was
told about on this message board a while ago [1. While depresing Ctrl, drag the bottom
right corner of the window to the outermost point at which you wish the window to
reach 2. Close the window, and only close that window, by pressing File, Close.]
but you can't apply the same tactic to opening folders, & that's what is irritating
me at the moment.
So, anyone know how to force folder windows to open each time in a state that I choose,
not a default size & location?

The following suggestion from another support forum, did not do the trick:
"be sure that you have checked the "remember view options" box checked (windows explorer
window; tools; folder options; view tab) then you might try this:

open an explorer window and make it JUST the way you want it (size, relative position
on the desktop, column head order etc.).

When it's JUST the way you want it, close it by holding down the "alt" key and clicking
on the big "X" in the upper right corner of the window.

When you re-open that window, it should be just the way you left it."

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

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Re:Pet Peeve: When opening folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state
Feb 6, 2004 10:02PM PST
The closest you can get it is by incorporating a special method which I was told about on this message board a while ago [1. While depresing Ctrl, drag the bottom right corner of the window to the outermost point at which you wish the window to reach 2. Close the window, and only close that window, by pressing File, Close.] but you can't apply the same tactic to opening folders, & that's what is irritating me at the moment.

From your scenario, it appears your process is out of order.

a. Once IE is open and another window has been opened. Then structure that window to the way you like.

b. Close the originally opened IE window, not this second window.

c. Close IE altogether and open IE again from the QuickLaunch icon. See if the process of restructure for this subsequent window held. If not, then try it a second or third time until it does work.
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Re:Re:Pet Peeve: When opening folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state
Feb 7, 2004 8:51AM PST

Cursorcowboy, this post is regarding windows explorer FOLDER windows...
Still looking for assistance on this one...Thanks.

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'Windows Explorer'
Feb 7, 2004 10:10PM PST
When opening folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state

1. I'm sorry. I guess I don't/didn't understand the scenario. I also assume you're really concerned with how and the means with which the Windows Explorer module opens -- example (click to see an example screenshot), and not a folder?

2. There are several methods and others besides of how a user can access Windows Explorer, or My Computer for that matter. I for one simply ignore "My Computer" since Windows Explorer has always furnished the functions I use on a daily basis.

3. I find there are two basic ways -- either from the right-click Start, select Explorer, and Windows Explorer opens to the C:\ drive, Windows, Start Menu (which is default and cannot be changed), or by using the Windows Explorer shortcut by clicking Start, Programs, and selecting it (can be changed to open in any manner you want, [Q130510]), and the size of the Explorer window opened by configuring the shortcut Properties.
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Re: Pet Peeve: When opening (windows explorer) folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state
Feb 10, 2004 5:52PM PST

No.

Just so there isn't any more confusion, here's a screenshot of what a folder looks like when double-clicked from a short-cut on my desktop: http://www.chinkii.com/uploads/album/misc/Folder_size_DEFAULT_for_pcmag.jpg

This is an example of the preferred size & location of a folder: http://www.chinkii.com/uploads/album/misc/Folder_size_PREFERRED-SIZE_for_pcmag.jpg

and I've employed the various key combinations that have been suggested to me (mentioned in my 1st post) to ensure that those settings are remembered after closing the folder [similar to the method used when sizing IE windows] yet it hasn't worked...

So I hope it's clear now: this thread is simply about my wanting all (windows explorer) folders to open up a certain way & in a certain location every time they're opened, yet they don't - as evidenced in the images, and I'm requesting assistance from this board on how to get XP to remember the position I set the folder to right before closing it...

Thanks again.

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Re:Re: Pet Peeve: When opening (windows explorer) folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state
Feb 10, 2004 6:57PM PST
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Re:Re:Re: Pet Peeve: When opening (windows explorer) folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state
Feb 14, 2004 6:59PM PST

I have actually, sheilakmcd - thanks, & it turned out not to affect this issue...

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Re:Re:Re:Re: Pet Peeve: When opening (windows explorer) folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state
Feb 14, 2004 10:03PM PST

Have you tried this one? Open Windows Explorer via Start-Programs-Accessories-Windows Explorer. Click Tools-Folder Options-View-Reset All Folders-OK- and close it. Open it again the same way-via start menu-Set the window size, position, everything the way you want it. Then do folder options-Apply to All Folders-via this custom window. Then recreate your shortcuts by dragging to desktop from this explorer window the ones like your D drive that will create shortcut when dragged to desktop and by right clicking, create shortcut, and then drag the shortcut to the desktop for the other folders you want shortcuts on desktop. Do not create the shortcuts via the desktop right click menu.
Then delete your old desktop shortcuts.
I have read that doing it exactly in this manner has fixed folder view for desktop shortcuts for others.
A lot of people do not realize you can have different folder views depending on how you access the folder. Right now I can click Start-My Pictures and it opens a normal window in Thumbnail View. I can click Start-My Computer-Local Disk C-Documents and Settings-My User Name-My Documents-My Pictures- and it opens a normal window in Icon view. I can click Start-My Computer-My User Name's Documents-My Pictures and it opens a maximized window in Filmstrip View.

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Re:Re: Pet Peeve: When opening (windows explorer) folders, folder always opens in mid-maximized state
Feb 14, 2004 9:22PM PST

I was able to change the default size when opening additional IE, Outlook Express and Windows Explorer pages/windows by manually stretching them to fit the size of my screen. Once I did one for each program, all additional pages/windows opened to that size. I just used the arrows you find at the corners, sides or top of the window.

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Re:Pet Peeve: Based on your pictures, I think
Feb 15, 2004 12:19AM PST

what you want is to do this....

Find Windows Explorer in the Start\Programs menu, and right drag a shortcut of it to the QuickLaunch area...now right click the shortcut, choose Properties, and in the TARGET path, change it to the following:

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n,/e,

Click Apply, and OK...now Open Windows Explorer from that shortcut, click Tools, Folder Options, and click LIKE ALL FOLDERS or whatever the button is that forces all folders to be like this one.

If you want a specific folder to be the default folder that opens, add C:\and the path to the folder at the end and Windows Explorer (or the actual drive letter if C:\ isn't where the folder is located) will open to that folder from now on instead of being collapsed for all My Computer.

TONI

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Re:Re:Pet Peeve: -> Solved the issue! Turns out it was due to a Tweak-app setting.
Feb 16, 2004 5:44PM PST

Finally!
I appreciate the subsequent effort that all of you put into assisting me - after trying all of the tips w/out any success, I was still pretty frustrated.

Later on & completely by coincidence, I was cleaning my registry using the application "RegSeeker" (v1.35 build 1203). There's a section in there called "Tweaks", & it turns out that either a bunch of the settings are checked by default, or I wasn't paying attention while tweaking a few weeks ago. Anyway, the setting "Save Explorer window settings" seems to have been the culprit (either that and/or "Window Animation", whatever that means), because after unchecking it/them, all I have to do is customize the size & location of a particular folder (by existing desktop shortcut) and then close (no special steps need to be made) & it's remembered the next time it's opened.

So, all's well that ends well - and again, thanks for the help (I just don't know what to tell people who've got a similar predicament either here or at other forums where I've brought this up, who don't have any RegSeeker "Tweaks" settings enabled...)