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.

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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
    2011-09-14T18:19:14+00:00

    It is true this happens in any folder you are using (not just using the explorer, but working in the folder itself). For example, in My Documents folder, I scroll down to a wanted sub-folder so that it is at the top of the window and open it. If I hit the "back" button, it moves the scroll bar automatically so that the sub-folder is now at the bottom of the window. This is really, really annoying because I work in thousands of folders every day. I have to scroll much, much more than I did in XP. Why on earth did they change this? What good does it do to always have the folder at the bottom of the window instead of where the user leaves it. Its obviously possible since all versions of Windows that I have used could do it.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-08-22T04:28:44+00:00

    Please see the following:

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-files/expanding-folders-in-explorer-scroll-to-bottom/fe8e11f8-7ed6-4a4c-b681-fba94c097515

    Thank you for your response Lisa M. but please take note that this question was marked with this answer but we all disagree. If you follow each of the posts and also view the videos posted on line with this issue, you will get the picture.

    Please take note of our frustration, most of the posts here are from long time professional users, developers and it specialists and we all cry out - "We do not agree with this answer!"

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-08-20T17:56:38+00:00

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-08-15T00:33:49+00:00

    It seems MS are trying to lose their customers. I'm an XP, Vista and Win7 user. I seriously think XP is the best. The only problem with XP is it's a little outdated and not many companies support it meaning I had to upgrade.

    Anyway the folder clicking then going to the bottom is driving me crazy as well. At first I thought Vista was bad but now it has migrated all those problems that Vista had and made them worse in Win7.

    These are also the worst things I can think of that has truly annoyed me.

    • Thumbnails keep changing and never stay the way I like them. In XP, never a problem.
    • MS disallow third parties to add extra columns in Vista and Win7, instead you get a wider choice but are totally useless. Such as 'Anniversary' or 'Conversation ID'. It would be nice have an option at least to hide the columns you may need later and delete the ones you will never need ever. XP allow third parties to release programs that can use different columns in windows explorer.

    -Searching is another annoying problem, not only does it have an annoying 5000 files limit in that I then have to click a top tab that restarts the search, I sometimes I run a search and it doesn't find what I have looked for? With or without indexing. Although the little dog or wizard got annoying at times at least XP found what you were looking for. And I find XP searches quicker. Work that one out.

    • The mouse scroll doesn't work on explorer as it did XP. I could scroll through XP folders and then scroll on the folder/files without losing focus in that I don't have any extra clicks. Now in Vista and Win7 I have to click on the folders view to scroll through folders and then I have to click again to scroll through the folders/files in the connecting window or another window.

    Normally in XP I can open up a windows explorer page, click on a file and while holding down right click on the mouse I can drag the file to which ever folder while scrolling at the same time and still be holding the file ready to drop into the desired folder. However the mouse wheel disables itself and I can't scroll down the folders while the right click mouse button is held down in Vista or Win7. I use this function a lot to quickly drag a file and scroll through directories mega quick get to a folder in folders view (on the left side of explorer) then drop the file that I wish to archive. I am really used to it in XP and miss this probably the most as it really did help a speedy workflow. The only way to do it in Vista or Win7 is hold the file at the top or bottom inside window edge so the folders view in windows explorer make the folders move up/down/left/right and this takes forever. I have to move the scroll bar instead and this is tedious to do all the time. Just more mouse positioning and clicking.

    Just for the record I've tried a few different types of mouse controllers and they don't solve the issue. And yes I've been searching forums ever since for solutions to all these listed issues but never have found one that works properly although there are a few that either claim to sort these pain in the backyard problems out but either not the same, create more problems or just don't work at all. Furthermore I waste time trying to find a solution, waste time writing to MS (and yes it's a pain being sent somewhere else by MS in that I end up being told to ask MS), waste time typing too much on forums like this, waste your time having to read all these annoying things I have to say, as I think they won't get fixed ever, but I keep on trying (I really don't know why).

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