Comments on: Make ‘Folders View’ the Windows Explorer Default in Windows XP

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:12:48 +0000

Thanks much. One of the things I HATE about windows is that they do not seem to like you to customize the product. For instance favorites in the file dialog box. I really like being able to choose my own.
Once again thanks for the help. Explorer worked for me!
Rick

By: Francine

Francine — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:41:12 +0000

You are a Rock Star! I also have hit the 'folders' button a million times. This worked perfectly. I love you forever!
Francine
Chicago IL

By: Kristy

Kristy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:45:29 +0000

Good Grief.. Thank you so much for that. I had the opposite problem.. I hate the folder view and I couldn't make it stop defaulting; even after I kept unchecking it in the Explorer Bar setting.. This fix worked for me. Explore was set as default and so I set open to default and now I have back my beloved “Common Task View” LOL.. It worked and I'm thrilled , but there must be a registry fix too?? Now I can sleep!!

By: hans

hans — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:51:46 +0000

Dale,

Your my hero

I had exaclty the opposite problem, windows kept popping up when I disabled the FOLDERS button so I was forced to turn of the “FOLDERS” button and close the previous window.

Thanks for your article.

I have been searching for quite some time until I found your solution.

By: Chrtisopher Harker

Chrtisopher Harker — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:14:35 +0000

Absolutely Brilliant!! Such an improvement. Thanks so much

By: Tracy Hall

Tracy Hall — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:32:00 +0000

Thank you! I finally found the right search terms (“folders view” shortcut options) that led me to your solution.

By: John

John — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:12:47 +0000

Finally, after years of frustration with the default uselessness of Explorer and more years wasted on searches trying to find an answer, there is a solution. Someone at MS must have known about this. Apparently MS is so disconnected from what we want and use that they never noticed. In any case, thank you, Dale.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:34:31 +0000

Thank you so much Steve. I was looking all around for a way to open the folders as normal again. I have an win explorer shortcut in the quick launch toolbar and use it all the time [a shout out also to Lisa L for that superb link on how to target the opening folder!]. Sometimes, however i don't need the exporer view when i click on a folder and was horrified to see new windows popping up when i changed the default back to (or so i thought) open. Deleting the data from the default reg key did the trick.
You saved me a lot of grief – I'd buy you a beer if i could ^^

By: Kenny

Kenny — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:36:34 +0000

Thanks Dale (and Ricardo)!

After years of thinking, “Why do I keep pressing the Folders button?” I decided to look for a solution. Perfect.

By: Dale Dietrich

Dale Dietrich — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:37:33 +0000

Your my kind of reader!

By: JR

JR — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:22:07 +0000

THANK YOU!!!
(turning off adblock and clicking away)

By: Gord

Gord — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:01:13 +0000

Dale,
Just a note to say Thank you! Easy simple solution, no command line stuff. KISS.
Gord

By: Dale Dietrich

Dale Dietrich — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:44:36 +0000

Good idea Truth:

If others want to chime in with their O.S. specs that could be useful. I've long since moved past XP to Vista and now to Windows 7, so I have nothing more to contribute personally.

What bugs me is that in Windows 7 the default view is the damned, useless library. However, there are other useful features in Windows 7 like pinning directories to the Windows Explorer icon so I rarely go in to the default directory any more.

...Dale

By: Dale Dietrich

Dale Dietrich — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:44:36 +0000

By: Dale Dietrich

Dale Dietrich — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:44:36 +0000

By: Dale Dietrich

Dale Dietrich — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:44:36 +0000

By: Truth

Truth — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:41:23 +0000

Great post!

I remember using an XP tweaker program some years back that had an option for this but I really hate using those programs as there is often a costly learning curve associated with discovering how these tweaks effect your system in often irreversible manners and in ways that can be very damaging to the functionality.

Regarding the curiosity of why for some people the default should be “open’ and for others “explore” I will submit my O.S. details so that maybe we can figure it out.

I am running a modified version of XP Pro known as BlackXPDVD405FINAL. It is not perfect but it is better than any other O.S. I have ever used including many varieties of Linux, Mac OSX, and all the windows except for 7. The installation is awesome because this version has a ton of extra drivers most importantly SATA drivers and it is automated.
From explorer clicking on “help” and then “about windows” you get:
Microsoft Windows XP Pro Ver. 5.1 build 2600.xpsp_sp2_qfe.090206-1239 : Service Pack 2

And what works on this one is “explore” set as default.

By: Truth

Truth — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:41:23 +0000

Great post!

I remember using an XP tweaker program some years back that had an option for this but I really hate using those programs as there is often a costly learning curve associated with discovering how these tweaks effect your system in often irreversible manners and in ways that can be very damaging to the functionality.

Regarding the curiosity of why for some people the default should be â€œopenâ€™ and for others â€œexploreâ€ I will submit my O.S. details so that maybe we can figure it out.

I am running a modified version of XP Pro known as BlackXPDVD405FINAL. It is not perfect but it is better than any other O.S. I have ever used including many varieties of Linux, Mac OSX, and all the windows except for 7. The installation is awesome because this version has a ton of extra drivers most importantly SATA drivers and it is automated.
From explorer clicking on â€œhelpâ€ and then â€œabout windowsâ€ you get:
Microsoft Windows XP Pro Ver. 5.1 build 2600.xpsp_sp2_qfe.090206-1239 : Service Pack 2

And what works on this one is â€œexploreâ€ set as default.

By: Truth

Truth — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:41:23 +0000

Great post!

I remember using an XP tweaker program some years back that had an option for this but I really hate using those programs as there is often a costly learning curve associated with discovering how these tweaks effect your system in often irreversible manners and in ways that can be very damaging to the functionality.

Regarding the curiosity of why for some people the default should be â€œopenâ€™ and for others â€œexploreâ€ I will submit my O.S. details so that maybe we can figure it out.

I am running a modified version of XP Pro known as BlackXPDVD405FINAL. It is not perfect but it is better than any other O.S. I have ever used including many varieties of Linux, Mac OSX, and all the windows except for 7. The installation is awesome because this version has a ton of extra drivers most importantly SATA drivers and it is automated.
From explorer clicking on â€œhelpâ€ and then â€œabout windowsâ€ you get:
Microsoft Windows XP Pro Ver. 5.1 build 2600.xpsp_sp2_qfe.090206-1239 : Service Pack 2

And what works on this one is â€œexploreâ€ set as default.

By: Truth

Truth — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:41:23 +0000

Great post!

I remember using an XP tweaker program some years back that had an option for this but I really hate using those programs as there is often a costly learning curve associated with discovering how these tweaks effect your system in often irreversible manners and in ways that can be very damaging to the functionality.

Regarding the curiosity of why for some people the default should be â€œopenâ€™ and for others â€œexploreâ€ I will submit my O.S. details so that maybe we can figure it out.

I am running a modified version of XP Pro known as BlackXPDVD405FINAL. It is not perfect but it is better than any other O.S. I have ever used including many varieties of Linux, Mac OSX, and all the windows except for 7. The installation is awesome because this version has a ton of extra drivers most importantly SATA drivers and it is automated.
From explorer clicking on â€œhelpâ€ and then â€œabout windowsâ€ you get:
Microsoft Windows XP Pro Ver. 5.1 build 2600.xpsp_sp2_qfe.090206-1239 : Service Pack 2

And what works on this one is â€œexploreâ€ set as default.

By: ryan

ryan — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:39:21 +0000

awesome!! thank you.

By: ryan

ryan — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:39:21 +0000

awesome!! thank you.

By: ryan

ryan — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:39:21 +0000

awesome!! thank you.

By: ryan

ryan — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:39:21 +0000

awesome!! thank you.

By: Dale Dietrich

Dale Dietrich — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:03:41 +0000

Felipe, as you can read in the comments above, “open” works for some people and “explore” works for others. I don't know why one works sometimes and the other works at other times. Anybody who reads through the comments will understand that. You make a good point. I will update the post to reflect that either works.