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Submission details

23 +24/-1 votes

Windows explorer (left pane) : ability to expand folders with a single click

Submitted by Frosty on March 1, 2010 to Annoyance, Usability

In Windows 7 / Vista, unlike Windows XP's explorer, a "heavy" action is required each time I want expand a folder in the folder tree : either double clicking, striking the '+' key, or pointing more or less successfully at the tiny arrow.

In Windows XP folders were expanded in the left pane by clicking just once (much easier and faster browsing).

Please add the ability, in the folders options, to switch back to XP behavior (expand folders with a single click on their name, in the folders pane).

High

High

Not fixed

Discussion (7 comments)

Frosty wrote on March 1, 2010, 11:28am

Changed problem description.

Frosty wrote on March 1, 2010, 11:28am

Changed problem description.

Nime wrote on March 13, 2010, 12:34pm

Yeah please someone at Microsoft put a button to pin or unpin the tasks pane / folders tree, etc. It's no too hard, huh? It's such a torture that continues for years...

PlancksFlashlight wrote on March 26, 2010, 2:23pm

Try this: In Explorer, click Organize, Folder Options, and at the bottom of the General tab, click "Automatically expand to current folder."

acastro wrote on August 4, 2010, 1:36am

I understand that you foun that the automatic expansion of folders in the rigth pane when the focus in the left pane is moved with the up/dow arrows does not work in Win7.

I think this is a bug in the navigation options. I have Win7 v6.1 build 7600, in a brand new computer. The option is in <Alt> >tools>General tab>navigation pane>"automatically expand to current folder".
However when you activate this feature the right panel subfolders do not open as expected. Instead, if the subfolder list is long, the focus folder will end up below the bottom of the explorer window!,

Not only that. The behavior is not consistent and seems to depend on the security authorizations of the diferent folders.

I strongly suggest that the Windows 7 team produce a patch to allow the automatic expansion of folders in the rigth pane when the focus in the left pane is moved with the up/dow arrows. The new restriction (bug?) causes a heavy overhead when one has to navigate up or down very large lists of subfolders.

costinel wrote on November 12, 2010, 11:32pm

TO EVERYBODY WATCHING THIS TOPIC

Please open this address (http://mymfe.microsoft.com/Windows%207/Feedback.aspx?formID=195 ), select "enterprise" (maybe it gets more attention than other versions) and paste the following text:

"Please reconsider getting back the XP way of expanding folder tree, as described here:
http://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsServerFeedb...ree-the-windows-xp-way

Thank you!"

Also anyone with a live id can sign in and vote for this issue here:

http://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsServerFeedb...ree-the-windows-xp-way

I reported this back in 2007 and they CLOSED as WON'T FIX

Let's hope they could reconsider! Let's vote where they really listen, on their own website!

Wayne wrote on April 12, 2012, 6:10pm

Whenever I expand the currently selected folder in the left pane, it jumps away, out from under the mouse and I have to scroll it back. Whenever I try to navigate to a "deep" folder, my blood's boiling by the time I get there.

Wayne wrote on April 12, 2012, 6:11pm

When I navigate to a folder using the right pane, the left pane doesn't stay in sync.

xpclient wrote on June 26, 2012, 7:16am

Just install Classic Shell's Explorer component and set navigation pane style to "Simple Folder View" and you will get back your single click expand in navigation pane (left pane).

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