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
    2014-12-02T15:27:35+00:00

    Excellent post FurryBear - sums up my thoughts precisely. Such a shame about Microsoft. They've taken their eye off the ball and lost a lot of respect and loyalty from their customers.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-12-01T20:40:56+00:00

    5 year followup - Has this ever been fixed or addressed?

    It doesn't appear so.

    How is it that something as important as Windows Explorer receives such little attention from Microsoft?  Five years have passed since this thread, and Windows Explorer still works the same horrible way.  I can only deduce, the 40 hours of engineer time required to solve this major time waster for many of us is too expensive to Microsoft.  Apparently advanced users where this is a problem are not important to Microsoft. 

    Windows Explorer in XP worked well.  Windows 7, not so much. 

    And now, at the end of 2014, my clients do not want to move to Windows 8, but we still can't get the basic features of Windows 7 fixed.  It is as if Microsoft does not do anything to repair bugs in their OS.  Can that be true?  Is it possible someone could call this a "feature" and not a "bug"?

    Microsoft folks: I am disappointed in your company.  Failures like this to repair basic important features make many of the good things you have done irrelevant, because these types of bugs make us (read me) less effective in our jobs.  We do not want to play with our computers, we want them to do the job for which we purchased them.  I would have preferred to stay with XP so as not to have to deal with the "improvements" which make my life more difficult and waste my time.

    This lack of proper software maintenance is so sad.  It would not take much for Microsoft to improve their quality to the point where we all sing the virtues of Microsoft.  Instead, what is happening now in my office, at least two or three times a day I hear someone cry out in frustration "I Hate Microsoft!"  With a few hundred hours per years fixing these types of problems, that wouldn't be the case.

    Do I really need to change my company and clients to Linux workstations and servers before you realize your mistake?  By then it will be too late, as I will not return to Microsoft.

    I think of some of the outstanding programs Microsoft has in place.  And my last support experience was with an amazingly intelligent engineer.  These are excellent things, but are overshadowed with daily problems, especially those that are easy to fix if someone wanted to fix them.

    I'm Frustrated with bad Microsoft software, and I don't believe anyone at Microsoft listens or cares.  This is not the way it should be.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-10-13T13:35:39+00:00

    A true fix is here - also fixes one or two of the other annoying "Features" added to Explorer in Win7

    http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/disable-full-row-select-explorer-windows-7/

    Thanks for this.

    I just installed Win7 on my laptop and use Classic Shell (classicshell.net), which has fixed this for me.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-10-12T16:15:11+00:00

    A true fix is here - also fixes one or two of the other annoying "Features" added to Explorer in Win7

    http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/disable-full-row-select-explorer-windows-7/

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