Explorer Tips

Removing Right-Click Items

When you right click on a folder or file with the Explorer, a list of options is available.
As more applications get installed, this list may get too large for you.

To remove items from the list:

  1. Note the text of the item you want to remove

  2. Start Regedit

  3. Go to the following sections in the Registry and delete the subkey with the string you noted in Step 1.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\file
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell

Explorer Tips

Changing the Default Sound in Explorer

You can change the default sound heard when navigating to folders in the Explorer.

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ AppEvents \ Schemes \ Apps\ Explorer \ Navigating\ .current
  3. Change the default value to the wav file you want to use.
  4. Leaving it blank will turn off the sound.
  5. This also changes the default sound when opening a page in the Internet Explorer.

Running the Explorer in Separate Process (NT/XP Only)

By default, the Windows Desktop, Taskbar, and Explorer run in a single process using multiple threads. You can modify the registry so that the Taskbar and Desktop will run in one process with each instance of Explorer in a separate process.

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer
  3. Create a DWORD value called DesktopProcess
  4. Give it a value of 1

Changing Drive Icons in Explorer

To change the icon used for specific drives in Explorer

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Explorer
  3. Create a key called DriveIcons
  4. Within DriveIcons, create another key with the drive letter you want to change (..\DriveIcons\K)
  5. Create another key within the drive letter key called DefaultIcon
  6. Set the default value equal to the icon you want to use.
  7. If you have a file that has more than one icon in it, such as a DLL file, use the standard C:\full_path\icon_file.dll,x
    where x is the number of the icon within the file icon_file.dll.

Changing Drive Labels in Explorer (Windows2000 and XP)

Normally the Explorer shows drive labels as "Compact Disk", "Removable Disk" ect.

To change the name of this label for specific drives:

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Explorer
  3. Create a key called DriveIcons
  4. Within DriveIcons, create another key with the drive letter you want to change (..\DriveIcons\K)
  5. Create another within the drive letter key called DefaultLabel
  6. Give the Default Value for this key the label you want to appear for that drive letter. (Jazz Drive etc.)
  7. Restart the computer

Resetting Graphics PreView in Explorer

For Windows98, ME or Windows 2000, if you have View as Web Page enabled but do not see a picture preview in Explorer:

  1. Start Regedit

  2. Go to Registry key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ file type \ ShellEx \ {BB2E617C-0920-11d1-9A0B-00C04FC2D6C1}
  3. Make sure the Default Value "{7376D660-C583-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}"

Keeping Filenames in the Case You Want

To stop Windows from changing the case of your filenames to upper or lower case:

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced
  3. Double-click DontPrettyPath (or create this key with a type of REG_DWORD if it doesn't exist)
  4. Set the value to 1 to keep the case as you type it or 0 to adjust the case as Explorer requires
  5. Click OK
  6. Close Regedit

Changing the Explorer's Web View Background

If you use Web View for your Internet Explorer, you can change the background that appears.

Edit or recreate the file >C:\Windows\Web\Wvleft.bmp

Make sure you keep the file dimensions the same 182x237 pixels

Moving Up and Down Directory Levels

Hiding the File Menu in the Explorer

To hide the File Menu in Explorer:

  1. Start Regedit
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  3. Create a new Binary Value
  4. Name it NoFileMenu
  5. Give it a value of 01 00 00 00
  6. Reboot the computer

Explorer Session from the Start Menu

To open the Explorer with a session on the Start Menu,
you can just right click on the START button and choose EXPLORE

Most avid windowers know that "Start | Settings | Taskbar | Start Menu Programs | Advanced..."
will start an Explorer session focused on the Start Menu directory.
This allows you to easily and quickly add/modify your Start menu.

To immediately access this Explorer session from the Start menu itself,

  1. Open Explorer and open the Windows directory.
  2. Right-drag EXPLORER.EXE to the desktop, then select "Create shortcut here."
  3. Open the properties to this shortcut, select the Shortcut tab and add the following switches to the command line in Target: "/e,/root,c:\windows\Start Menu".
  4. Double-click on the title of the shortcut and change it to "Configure Start Menu."
  5. Open "Start | Settings | Taskbar | Start Menu Programs | Advanced..." and drag the shortcut just created into the window on the right.
  6. This will place a configuration item in the first level of the Start Menu.

These command-line options will allow a similar Explorer session to be started with any folder as the root.

Automatically Adjusting Right-Panel Column Widths

The column widths in the right hand panel of the Explorer might not be the correct sizes to display all the file information.
To automatically adjust all the columns at once to show all the information,

  1. Click somewhere on the right-hand panel
  2. Simply press the Ctrl-+ key.
  3. The Name, Size, Type and Modified columns will automatically adjust themselves to display all their information.

Note: The + is the one on the numeric keyboard

Inserting the Name of a File into a Document

When you need to insert the exact name of a file into a document:

  1. Open the Explorer
  2. Right click on the file you want to reference
  3. Select Rename. You can either right click and select Rename or press the F2 key.
  4. Instead of renaming it, right click on it again, and select Copy.
  5. Then you can paste the exact file name into your document

Added Non-Expanded Explorer when Right Clicking on a Folder

Adding a second Explorer to the menu that pops up when right clicking on any folder or the Start Button.
This is handy to be able to open Explorer non-expanded and also for being able to open a second Explorer (non-expanded) while already in Explorer.

  1. Open My Computer
  2. Choose View-Options-File Types
  3. Select the File Folder file type
  4. Click Edit
  5. For ACTION, type EXPLORER2
  6. For APPLICATION USED, type C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE /n,/e,/select,C:\
  7. Click OK and close all windows
  8. Run REGEDIT
  9. Expand HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
  10. Locate and expand DIRECTORY
  11. Locate and expand SHELL
  12. Locate and expand EXPLORER2
  13. Select COMMAND
  14. On the right window RIGHT CLICK on DEFAULT
  15. Select MODIFY
  16. Remove the space and %1 at the end of the line
  17. Click OK and close REGEDIT

EXPLORER2 will show up and launch a non-expanded view of Explorer whenever you right-click on the START BUTTON or any folder, even if you are already in Explorer.

The whole procedure can be done in REGEDIT, but this may be safer for users not experienced with REGEDIT

Finding Files from Explorer

To find files from a particular directory:

  1. Start the Explorer
  2. Go to the directory you want to search
  3. Press the F3 key
  4. The Find File dialog box will come up with the initial directory being the one you highlighted

Printing a Directory from Explorer

To make a Print Directory option from a right-click in Explorer:

  1. In Explorer, choose View / Options / File Types
  2. Highlight Folder (not File Folder)
  3. Click on the Edit button
  4. Click on the New button
  5. In the Action box, type &Print Dir
  6. In the Application use to perform action box type C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.COM /C DIR %1 /S /A /O:N > PRN

You can use other switches for COMMAND.COM (COMMAND.COM /?) or DIR (DIR /? | MORE) to customize to your preference.

Opening a DOS Prompt in the Directory You Want

You can use the Explorer to easily open up a DOS window to a specific directory.

  1. From Explorer Option Menu select File Types
  2. Highlight the object for Folder - NOT File Folder
  3. Click the Edit button
  4. From the 'Edit File Type' panel click the 'New' button
  5. Action is '&Goto DOS Prompt'
  6. Application used is C:\windows\command.com /k cd %1
  7. Select OK, then Close and Close.
  8. Now from Explorer secondary (right) click the folder you want to go to in DOS
  9. From the menu select 'GotDOS Prompt' (or hit G) and you are in that directory with a DOS windows
  10. For Win NT 4.0 same tip, but substitute cmd.exe for command.com)

Starting Explorer with No Drives Expanded

Normally when you start the Explorer, it expands the folders on the root of the C: Drive.
For those computers with multiple hard drives plus CD ROM Drives, this might not always be what you want.
If you want it to start without expanding any drives, use the following switches:

EXPLORER /n, /e, /select, c:\

This will work with NT 4.0 as well

Opening Explorer and System Properties from My Computer

By holding Shift key and double-clicking My Computer you get anExplorer view of My Computer.

By holding down Alt and key and double-clicking My Computer you get the System Properties of Control Panel.

Undo Last Command in Explorer

When you use the Explorer to Copy, Move, Rename or Delete Files or Folders,
you can Undo your last action by pressing Ctrl-Z

File Copying in Explorer Without Opening Two Sessions

There was a previous tip regarding opening two Explorer sessions, tiling them, and drag and dropping files from one to the other.
An another way to copy files without needing to open a second Explorer session is to:

  1. Highlight the file(s) you want to copy
  2. Right click on the mouse
  3. Select Copy
  4. In Explorer, move to the target directory
  5. Right click on the mouse
  6. Select Paste
  7. The files will now be copied

Easier File Copying with Explorer

One difference between Explorer and File Manager is that with File Manager
you could open up two windows to more easily copy files between drives.
To do the same thing with Explorer:

  1. Close all running applications
  2. Start two copies of Explorer
  3. Press Ctrl-Esc to bring up the task bar
  4. Right click on an open space
  5. Select Tile Horizontally or Vertically depending on your preference

Your two Explorer sessions will now split the screen and you can copy between them by
dragging files like before.

Expanding All Subfolders in Explorer

To quickly have Explorer expand all subfolders for a selected drive or folder,
simply press the asterisk (*) key on the numeric keypad.

Starting Explorer when opening a Folder

To have an Explorer window be the default when you open up a Folder:

  1. Open up any folder.
  2. Select View / Options
  3. Select File Types
  4. Go down to Folder
  5. Click on Edit
  6. Highlight Explore
  7. Click on Set Default
  8. Click on Close
  9. Click on Close again

Now when you open a folder, you will get an Explorer window with the programs or shortcuts in the right panel
and the regular explorer window in the left panel.

Explorer Shortcut Keys