Windows Explorer Startup

  • Thread starter Thread starter TJRL
  • Start date Start date
T

TJRL

When I open windows explorer in either XP or Vista it opens the "My Document"
folder as the default. However I only want "My Computer" to be expanded and
everything else left unexpanded.

Can this be set as an option if so how?

Many thanks for any help, this has been driving me mad for years!
 
windows - E
--
John the West Ham fan

(e-mail address removed)
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TJRL said:
When I open windows explorer in either XP or Vista it opens the "My
Document"
folder as the default. However I only want "My Computer" to be expanded
and
everything else left unexpanded.

Can this be set as an option if so how?

Many thanks for any help, this has been driving me mad for years!
Click to expand...

windows - E
 
TJRL said:
When I open windows explorer in either XP or Vista it opens the "My
Document"
folder as the default. However I only want "My Computer" to be
expanded and
everything else left unexpanded.

Can this be set as an option if so how?

Many thanks for any help, this has been driving me mad for years!
Click to expand...

In Explorer drag the 'Computer' folder to the desktop to get a shortcut
or
you can create a desktop shortcut with the target

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n,/e,C:\

or any further folder path you require after the C:\.

Tom
 
Tom,

Thanks for your reply but this does not do it, because it only gets to a
folder in the C:\ drive or the C:\ drive itself, whereas I want "My Computer".

When I created the shortcut you suggested and placed it on the desktop and
then activated it I end up with a view without the "folders" showing, these
can be shown by selecting "View, Explorer Bar, Folders" but this setting is
lost each time you close so I am no better than just opening Windows
explorer, closing "My Documents" and then clicking on "Desktop"!!

Rather than a shortcut what I was after was a way of having Windows Explorer
open with "My Computer" expanded (and everything elso not expanded) rather
than the default of "My Documents" or the C:\ drive (achieved by
"%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e"). It seems such a simple request to change
what the default item that is expanded is but I just cannot find out how to
do it.

Still looking for the solution.
 
TJ,

sorry it didn't help. For me the dragged shortcut does exactly what you
are asking for and the Folder view remains. It is just the same as the
'Computer' from Personalise > Change Desktop Icons and can be moved
to anywhere in Start > Programs if that's how you normally start Windows
Explorer and don't want a desktop shortcut.

Tom
 
When I open windows explorer in either XP or Vista it opens the "My
Document"
folder as the default. However I only want "My Computer" to be expanded
and
everything else left unexpanded.

Can this be set as an option if so how?

Many thanks for any help, this has been driving me mad for years!
Click to expand...

Try this
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, /select, C:\
Q
 
TJRL said:
When I open windows explorer in either XP or Vista it opens the "My
Document"
folder as the default. However I only want "My Computer" to be expanded
and
everything else left unexpanded.

Can this be set as an option if so how?

Many thanks for any help, this has been driving me mad for years!
Click to expand...

Does this do what you want?

%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e, C:\
MLD
 
MLD,

Sorry that also puts me in the root of the C:\ drive with the C:\ drive
expanded.

What I was aiming for was one level up (My Computer), so if I use the /e,
C:\ switch as suggested I then have to collapse the C:\ drive and then click
the "My Computer" in order to get the desired result.

I know this is a small thing but these two extra key clicks each time I use
Windows Explorer has been bugging me for years and I just want to be able to
get it (WE) to start where I want it to rather than where Microsoft think I
should want to start.

Thanks anyway
TJRL
 
Two solutions:

1) No shortcut:
Press Windowskey + "E" simultaneously. This opens Explorer with MyComputer
as target

2) Modify your Explorer shortcut in Start menu (in my case it's SO
frequently used, I created a Quicklaunch button):
Rightclick on shortcut and go into properties.
Then click "shortcut" tab.
Then modify default target.

Now how you modify target I really forgot, I set it up once and forgot, and
it's not important - simply Google for "Windows explorer, open in specific
folder" or something to that effect.
Many people have asked your question and Google is filled with answers all
over the place.

For example try this:
explorer /e,

Copy the above into "target" field in shortcut properties.

Here're exampoles from my own laptop:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e, C:\zJOBS\zNEWEST-zReducedContr - Everytime I
run Explorer it opens in "Contracts" folder.

I have another shortcut modified as:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e, /root, C:\zJOBS\zNEWEST-zReducedContratcs -
This removes left-side pane in Explorer and is excellent for working in a
specific folder being isolated from the rest, but it's not what I use for
global work involving entire harddisk.

There's a Microsoft Knowledgebase article about explorer options.

There's very FEW switches and it's damn simple. Unfortunately. I wish
there were more switches/options
 
TJRL said:
Tom,

Thanks for your reply but this does not do it, because it only
gets to a
folder in the C:\ drive or the C:\ drive itself, whereas I want
"My Computer".

When I created the shortcut you suggested and placed it on the
desktop and
then activated it I end up with a view without the "folders"
showing, these
can be shown by selecting "View, Explorer Bar, Folders" but this
setting is
lost each time you close so I am no better than just opening
Windows
explorer, closing "My Documents" and then clicking on "Desktop"!!

Rather than a shortcut what I was after was a way of having
Windows Explorer
open with "My Computer" expanded (and everything elso not
expanded) rather
than the default of "My Documents" or the C:\ drive (achieved by
"%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /e"). It seems such a simple request to
change
what the default item that is expanded is but I just cannot find
out how to
do it.

Still looking for the solution.
Click to expand...

This is as close as I can get to what you want.
Windows Explorer Properties -- Target [%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe
/e,/n,/select,/root,c:]
no brackets.
 
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