What happened to the 'Up one folder' button in the Windows Explorer??

Anonymous
2010-02-17T17:23:04+00:00

Starting with Windows Vista, the 'up one folder level' button has been removed!!  I found this button to be HIGHLY useful and am VERY disappointed it is not there any more... This has drastically slowed down my production speeds!

In the following image from Windows XP Explorer, near the top right between the 'Back/Forward' buttons and the 'Search' button, you see a folder with a green arrow pointing up.  Clicking that button makes the Windows Explorer go "up one folder level" bringing you to the parent folder of your current location:

http://www.daleisphere.com/wp-content/uploads/windows-xp-windows-explorer-folders-view.jpg

In the next image from Windows 7 Explorer, you can see that the 'up one folder level' button has been removed:

http://www.winsupersite.com/images/win7/win7_m3_explorer_01.jpg

Is there any way at all to get that button back PLEASE?  This will drastically improve my production speeds...

(Whenever I click a 'browse for file' button in Windows 7, the explorer starts at the last folder I was looking at and I often just want to go one or 2 folder levels higher than that, but the only way to get there is to start completely at the beginning from the C: drive and navigate through all the folders to get there which can get VERY time consuming since I find myself browsing for folders 50 times/day simply cuz the 'up one folder' button is missing...)

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2014-09-03T18:55:24+00:00

Where they returned on Windows 8. I haven't seen it! Would be great!

I have Windows 8.1 and it is definitely there.  8.1 is free if you have 8.  Just Google it. :)

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-03-12T12:53:16+00:00

    I desperately need that "up one level" button!

    So I installed ClassicShell, finally the world is a better place.

    For dummies: 

    http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/add-up-one-level-or-click-to-return-button-in-windows-7-explorer/

    Link to ClassicShell on sourceforge:

    http://sourceforge.net/projects/classicshell/

    And what's the bloody use of that "was this helpful?" thingy here on this site if you can't press NO!

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-02-28T09:18:25+00:00

    Agreed! What a royal Pain-in-the-****!! The keyboard shortcut "Alt+Up" doesn't even work from a search!

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-12-06T03:37:23+00:00

    ALT+UP ARROW = UP ONE LEVEL

    But how were we supposed to know this?

    And what if you're not a "shortcut-key" person?

    Oh well, MS keeps burning themselves, let Apple take over the world.

    Bye

    Doesn't work if you have performed a search, goes back to a search of the original target folders with no keywords.

    They really are the F in Ridiculous, microsoft, aren't they?

    The workaround for search results is to use the method mentioned byNikosGewrgiou

    If you locate a file or folder through "search" you can right click on the item in the search result and select "open folder location". That way you get the path on the address line and you can click on any of the subdir along the path.  This is not as elegant as the up button but will get you there.

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-02-26T02:45:44+00:00

    The answer below doesn't help out as when you do a search for a file/folder, the explorer bar does not show directory list; instead it shows 'Search Results in Local Disk (c:) > [Keyword]'. Problem still unsolved...Just add the up one folder button back!!!!!!

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