How do I disable windows explorer closing when removing usb device

Hi Ernestus,

... But this feature is by design.

Was it by design that I kept hitting the power switch to reboot the computer before I found out that this was a bug and Explorer really didn't crash the computer?

Was it by design that when looking through a stack of camera cards it now takes and extra three minutes PER CARD to reopen Explorer to both the camera card folder and to the My Pictures subfolder three levels deep and 150 folders down to copy pictures?

Was it by design that I now have to go to my Windows XP machine any time I want to work with camera cards, CDs, or DVDs?

There's no intelligence in the Microsoft marketing department.  If I went in there, I'd probably see them all using Macs or *nix.

The best way to do this is...

If I click on a removable drive with nothing in it, display "Please insert a disk into Removable Disk (d:)." on the file (right) side of the window, and don't pop up a box like you do now.  If the drive requires files to be burned, add a section to the files on the right saying Files To Be Burned, and leave it empty when there are no files.  Currently you get the popup and when you dismiss it, the removable drive on the right is still selected and the section on the right is still displaying the previous folder's files so it looks like it contains the files you were previously looking at on the C: drive.

If I remove the drive, do the same thing as if I clicked on it with nothing in the drive.  Show the "Please insert a disk..." message after clearing the file list on the right.

Now in case you think that this bug is still "as designed", insert a thumb drive (or CD, or whatever), open Notepad, and do File->Open.  Click on the drive you just inserted (it doesn't matter if there are no text files, just get the File Open dialog to display the contents of the removable drive).  Now remove the drive.  The File Open dialog (which is run by Explorer) doesn't close, it changes the folder to My Computer one level above.  Why can't a normal Explorer window do this???  Oh, I see, as designed.  Just like the Folder Jump Bug.  Sheesh!

Thank you all for your responses.

Unfortunately, it is clearly a non-modifiable default setting.

When a USB storage device, and a CD/DVD,  is removed the focus should move to the next hierarchically superior available location in the tree, rather than closing the file manager.

Therefore:

Since my question was HOW to change this behavior, and I CANNOT change it, NO true answer is available.

Hi,

The issue you posted is more complex than what is answered in the Community forums and would be better suited in the MSDN. This forum is looked at by other developers who would more than likely be able to assist.

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsdesktop/en-US/home?forum=vbgeneral&filter=alltypes&sort=lastpostdesc

Hope this information is helpful. Please do let us know if you need further assistance with Windows, we’ll be glad to assist you.

Regards,

I understand this is the coded default behavior. It is clever, but annoying.

I want it to perform just like when a folder is deleted. The focus moves up to the next available folder. But the explorer does not close.

Should be an option, at least.

It's the simplest and most logical option & should be the default.

I found a workaround!  I almost answered the question in a previous post.

Open Notepad.  You can reduce the size of the window to almost nothing if you want.  Just leave the File menu.

Do File->Open.  You'll get the Open dialog box which is a mini Explorer with folders on the left and files on the right.  At the bottom, select All Files in the dropdown menu.

Use that as an Explorer window!  It won't close when you pop the USB drive out.  You can copy, move, and delete files.  Open a second Notepad window if you need to have a second Explorer window to drag stuff to.  Just don't double click on a file since that will open it in Notepad.  Right click on the file and use Open With....

Unfortunately, you can't minimize or maximize the window.  But you can resize it.  And if it gets covered up by other windows, go to the Taskbar and click Notepad and your mini Explorer pops right back up again!

Also no previews available.  But images can be previewed by changing the view to Extra Large Icons.

It's not the best solution (see a previous post of mine for one that is), but it works a heck of a lot better than the current Close-Window-And-Irritate-User problem.