Windows explorer moves the selected folder to bottom of folders list. How do I stop this?

Anonymous
2009-12-27T19:25:21+00:00

THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT HAVE AN ANSWER.    I DID NOT MARK ANY REPLY AS SUCH.

BEWARE MODERATOR ANSWER ABUSE!!!

Open a windows explorer

show folders on left

Double Click Computer

Double Click C disk

Scroll to windows   Double Click 

Double Click diagnostics  (example)

The folder is now moved to the bottom of the folder list.

This also happens when any folder is clicked once and the the open gadget is clicked once.

This is increadably annoying.  How do I stop it?

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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2010-03-22T08:24:10+00:00

Hi j1234567890j - and everyone else that repsonded to this post. 

I also expierence this problem and like with everyone that replied on this post an many others that this is driving me insane. To make matters worse, this problem presents itself also on the Open or Save file dialogs in any application that relies on the Windows File Dialog.

In my case I also found that the behaviour is inconsistent. Sometimes the problem presents itself and sometimes it does not. - This is why it is difficult to zero in on the behavior and some folks cannot replicate the problem. So, I believe other replies on various posts where this problem cannot be replicated. As a developer I understand this, since we often have the response: "...but it works in my computer..." - And yes it does, because typically a dev/support machine is set up for ideal circumstances. I am digressing...

Trying to understand the Problem

I have noticed a pattern, however. I have found that if I collapse the folder in question and expand (double click) again, that the navigator moves again, this time exposing all sub-folders that are direct descendants of the folder in question. I have also noticed that if the sub-folders are too many to display in the navigation panel, that the selected folder is scrolled to the top of the panel, exposing as many folders that can be viewed. 

I think the intention of the navigation behavior is that when the user expands the folder, it will show as many as possible sub-folders in view - but I also think that this is where there is a bug - or at least where some other setting has an impact on the behavior. - For some reason, when a folder is expanded the navigation pane only finds the first sub-folder and exposes that one - hence the anoying movement of the selected folder away from the current mouse pointer position.

Finding an answer

And yes - even though I think I understand the problem - I agree with everyone elses user experience - This must be fixed!

I am not sure that a moderator will pick this up as this post is marked as awnsered - even though in my opnion it is not.

But if someone does: I think providing an option on the General tab of the Folder Options dialog for a user to turn off this behavior and just expand the folder without attempting to present all viewable folders in the navigation pane.

Regards

Andre Coetzee

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-01-30T00:39:27+00:00

    How is it that my post was marked as an answer???????

    I did not do it.

    And the UNMARK button is gone.

    Prolly some "moderator" is tired of hearing about this problem.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-01-29T13:19:32+00:00

    How did this question get marked as answered?

    I did not mark it so.

    I find this happens a lot to threads that are obviously not answered. Do the moderators get points for "answers?"  For closed threads?

    Yo Andre::::

    As you have described it, it is consistent. I double click a folder, it expands and drops as far toward the bottom as possitble. I double click it again and it collapses. Double click again and it opens, moving up, if need be, to display as many folders as possible. Happens all the time.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-01-27T15:13:47+00:00

    I am sorry to tell you this, but no answer page in the world can make this problem go away.

    The only way is to fix the flaws in the general implementation of the Explorer in Windows.

    Yes, you can fix this left pane scroll bug by using Classic Shell. Classic Shell mostly eliminates the bug in Windows Explorer, but it will still exist in the open/save dialogs.

    Left pane scroll bug (and other fixes):

    Using Classic Shell To Restore Some Features To Windows Explorer

    After installing the free Classic Shell you can customize Windows Explorer closer to how you want it, the quote below is just one way to do so. Click here to see some of the options you can customize, and here is the FAQ page for Classic Shell.

    A solution which does work for restoring some features.

    1) Install the free Classic Shell.  This is very customizable, and works as a mod for Windows Explorer rather than a full blown replacement. You don't need to install the Classic Start Menu option, but you can if you want.

    2) Reboot the computer.

    3) Launch Windows Explorer (Start - Computer) and turn on "Always Show Menus" (Organize - Layout - check Menu Bar). This is just for configuration, you can turn it off again afterwards if you want.

    4) Right click on the menu bar and turn on the "Classic Explorer Bar." This adds a series of cut/copy/paste icons to Explorer. Crucially, it also adds the "Configuration" icon.

    5) Go into the configuration and from here you can tweak things to your heart's content. To kill the horrible Windows 7 folder-jumping, switch the "Navigation Pane Style" to Vista. You can even knock it back to XP mode if you want (this adds in the lines to the folder tree and adds a classic "+" icon for expanding folders). The Windows Vista style folder view looks pretty much the same as the Windows 7 view, but gets rid of the horrible jumping.

    6) Tweak any other settings you want.

    After this, you can turn the toolbar and menus back off in Explorer if you wish. Windows Explorer looks largely the same, but folders no longer jump around. Vote for Microsoft to fix this bug.

    Now, if only MS could code properly so that we don't have to mess with third party apps to get Windows to actually work properly...

    Tell Microsoft you want it fixed by voting at the Microsoft Connect website:

    **http://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsServerFeedback/feedback/details/621426/bug-when-expanding-folders-in-explorer-server-2008-r2-and-windows-7**

    Watch the left pane scroll bug: Video evidence of the left pane scroll bug using Windows Explorer in Windows 7

    This shows one way to reproduce it, clicking the triangle to expand a folder you're currently viewing also reproduces it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-01-27T15:08:11+00:00

    I agree. It drives me mad. The wheel in my mouse has never been so busy, "lifting" the folders up from the bottom of the left-hand pane every single time I double-click on a folder.

    Shame that Microsoft are seeming to ignore this issue, it must drive so many people up the wall.

    Also on Explorer is the problem of not being able to access Favorites from the keyboard - in XP you just typed ALT-A on the keyboard and the favorites were displayed in a menu, then you typed the first letter of the one you wanted. Now you have to use the mouse to scroll up to the favourites section.

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