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

Anonymous

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.

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Anonymous

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:

The engineers are aware of this issue.
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:

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.

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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Anonymous

2013-07-13T16:34:30+00:00

Fascinating thread. Got drawn into it and spent the last few hours on it, reading every post. As an average computer user, I find the fact that Microsoft has practically ignored this thread, through all the years it's been going, very disturbing indeed. It's as if they are trying as hard as they can to prove their total indifference to their customers.

I phoned Microsoft 'Support' in the US because Windows 7 would not recognise my old Canon multifunctional. A few seconds into the call, the guy started telling me he could resolve the issue for $100 "with satisfaction guaranteed." But at the same time he was telling me that the error code for the lack of communication between laptop and printer was not a Microsoft code. (Canon denied that it was a Canon code.) So how would he have been able to help me?

I politely declined to pay $100 since I could buy a Windows-7-compatible new printer for less. But I subsequently learned (here) that they are obliged at 'Support' to first try to resolve your problem before starting to ask you for money.

Another major turn off was when I became the proud owner of a brand new MSI laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium (32-bit) SP 1 installed and started to go through the set up. Apparently Norton had or has some deal with Microsoft since one of the first things that happened was Norton urging me to install it. Since I dislike having my arm twisted I declined. Next thing that came up was a box offering only two alternatives: Install Norton on my computer and I do not want to protect my computer.

The bare-faced cheek of that little message in bold, which of course I was obliged to click on as if Norton was the only security system available, was a grim initiation into Microsoft and company.

So I guess it's fair to say that Microsoft is simply one of a multitude of organisations that has grown arrogant and indifferent through its enormous wealth and power. Damn pity.
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Anonymous

2013-07-13T09:26:51+00:00

Thanks. If I can find a Win 8 machine, I'll certainly test it.
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Anonymous

2013-07-13T09:01:33+00:00

As you are running Windows 8, can you confirm that the problem is still present?

Your answer may affect my decision to upgrade to Windows 8, or not.

I get the problem intermittently. I have not been able to reproduce it consistently. It seems to vary depending on the state of the folder tree and scrollbar.
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Anonymous

2013-07-13T07:31:29+00:00
I do not think it is by design. I think they have made a programming mistake and they just don't have a clue how to fix it, or they just don't care. They'd rather you go and buy Windows 8.

It's not a programming mistake, it's a registry setting error. It's fixed on my computer without an update.

Open a Windows Explorer window.

Select "Folder Options..." under the Tools menu. There on the General tab you see "Click items as follows".

Select "Single-click to open an item" and click Apply.

After the screen refresh finishes, select "Double-click to open an item" and click Apply.

After the refresh, click OK and close Explorer.

Then re-open and try the folders.
Sorry, this solution did not work for me. Thanks for the idea though. I was hoping you'd actually found the fix for this annoying problem.
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