Windows Explorer expands folders inappropriately, jumping the folder you expand to the bottom of the navigation pane

Anonymous
2009-10-28T18:12:01+00:00

When using a left-side Navigation pane, if there are enough folders in the navigation pane such that you have a vertical scroll bar, if you click on a folder with the mouse (so as to see the contends in the right pane), then expand the folder (either by clicking on the + symbol or with the arrow key), then the left pane will automatically scroll up as far as it can such that the folder you expanded is still in view at the bottom of the pane. This removes the folder from under your mouse, where it would be expected to stay.

This is certainly a bug, as it only happens the first time you attempt to expand a folder in the manner. After doing it once, you can scroll the navigation (left) pane so that the folder in question is back in the middle of the pane, and it will expand and contract as expected, remaining under the mouse.

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

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Anonymous
2011-06-30T22:14:30+00:00

Because many people seem to be interested in this issue, I'll post some info on my recent contact with Microsoft regarding this issue.

It seemed that everywhere this issue was talked about, all anybody would get from a Microsoft employee was a boilerplate "Thanks for your feedback" response. Never was the validity of the issue discussed or even acknowledged. I decided to write an email to the man in charge, Steve Ballmer, clearly laying out the problem with links to a walkthrough of the problem, this discussion, and the bug report with 220 votes (at the time). I realized that Steve would never read it himself, but I figured his email must get auto-forwarded to someone who might actually read it.

Two days later I got an email from an Advocacy Specialist from Microsoft saying a "grace case" has been created and the Windows Escalation Team would get in touch with me. The next day an Escalation Engineer emailed me asking when would be a good time to talk on the phone about the issues. So that he would be completely clear with what I was talking about, I recorded a screencast that walked through precisely what the issue was.

Edit: I've made a more condensed video demonstrating the "folder jump bug", view it here.

The end result of our talking was this:

  1. The engineers are aware of this issue.
  2. They may or may not provide a fix for it.

Nothing groundbreaking, but it's one more little push in the right direction. In my opinion, posting in this thread about the problem is virtually worthless. I would suggest:

  1. Voting up and commenting on the bug here:

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

He said that site is closely monitored by the dev team.

  1. Writing intelligent, profanity-free complaints that mention how the bug negatively affects your everyday file-management workflow. Email these up the Microsoft food chain until you get a response. You are a paying customer and you deserve to be heard.

I got tired of dealing with it, so am now using XYplorer when doing heavy file management. It stings to have to pay for a decent file manager, but that is life. If this issue bothers you at all, please comment and vote on the bug, and write an email.

UPDATE 9/13/11: Bug is still present in Windows 8 Developer Preview, see it here.

UPDATE 1/30/12: Finally we have a public acknowledgment that this is in fact a bug that needs to be addressed, and it will apparently be fixed in the upcoming Windows 8 Beta. This is good news, but I know I will be using Win7 for at least another year or two, as will many, many others. We deserve a patch to fix this issue in Win7. Until that happens, keep bugging Microsoft about it.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is a real bug with 645! votes on their feedback page, however MS has no plans to fix it for their Windows 7 users. The bug is fixed in Windows 8, which means nothing for a vast number of us who have no plans to upgrade. If this bug really gets under your skin, I suggest installing Classic Shell, which has been recommended a few times in this thread. You can choose to only install the 'Classic Explorer' feature which fixes this bug among others, and even brings back the old File Copy UI which is so nice to have back. I've been using it for many months now without any troubles.

Also, to those of you who think they find a solution to this problem by simply changing a few options settings somewhere... thank you for your desire to help all of us, but you must not be having the same problem, and please don't post your 'solution' here. If you read some of the 29 pages of this thread, you'll see every solution imaginable has been suggested. This is a bug in Explorer itself. If you use Windows 7 and plan to keep using it, your options are 1) use Classic Shell, or 2) use a third party file management tool, such as XYplorer. If you stumble across this thread because you just noticed this bug, please vote up the bug, and do either 1 or 2.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-12-27T23:31:06+00:00

    I new of it but I had no idea it was that inexpensive. Thanks for that. I will try it out.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-12-27T20:41:16+00:00

    On Fri, 27 Dec 2013 17:04:01 +0000, PatrickLibby wrote:

    Yeah, I'm telling everyone about it. Also in the new Windows 8. It makes Windows 8 go straight to the desktop "TILE" and takes over and makes it act the way we like it. Us without Touch Screens like to have a little productivity in our lives instead of scratching our head and wondering who through all of our stuff around and we have to hunt for where they put it.

    Classic Shell is a good choice, but as far as I'm concerned, Start8 is
    even better. Unlike Classic Shell, it's not free, but it's very
    inexpensive--only $4,99 US--and well worth it.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-12-27T17:04:01+00:00

    Yeah, I'm telling everyone about it. Also in the new Windows 8. It makes Windows 8 go straight to the desktop "TILE" and takes over and makes it act the way we like it. Us without Touch Screens like to have a little productivity in our lives instead of scratching our head and wondering who through all of our stuff around and we have to hunt for where they put it. They can take their Charms and sit on it for all I care.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-12-27T17:01:53+00:00

    So glad I found this thread because I finally could not take it anymore.

    I have been programming for over 35 years and simply cannot excuse this level of neglect.

    There simply is never any reason to make the user have to anticipate where the UI will decide to move the current focus.

    People who comment that this will take 10 minutes to fix are RIGHT.

    Why is this still an issue now going to 4 years after posting the issue?

    Yes, me too. Programming since the early 70's, ended up Engineering Director in charge of multi-million dollar projects, nearly all of which were delivered on-time, within specifications and bug-free.

    It was only when I seriously started using Windows that I realised what a fool I'd been all my life producing perfect, bug-free software when I could have joined the likes of Microsoft and produced garbage that didn't do what people expected, wanted or were told and yet still make a fortune.

    Ah well, it's too late now but at least I can sleep well at night.

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