Explorer Left Pane -> Navigate to Favorites Automatically

frustrating · 08 Apr 2011

Whenever explorer opens, I can never find the folders I want easily. Therefore, I put them in the Favorites part of the navigation pane. However, still, when I open explorer, the left pane goes somewhere so low down that I can't even see my the favorites folder. Every single time I have to scroll all the way up to the top to find basic things like "Desktop." Is there ANY WAY to be able to always have the favorites bar showing on the left? To never have it disappear, no matter what folder in the tree Windows has opened? This was fine in XP. Its just AWFUL in windows 7. Takes time and is totally frustrating, and there seems to be no way to fix it as far as I have researched? Can anyone help me fix this?

On a side note, which is not nearly as important as my issue above, (because this one frustrated me to the point of no longer caring), is there any way to have the desktop fill up the space of a removed icon, but yet not reorganize the entire screen to where the last organization of your files is totally reorganized the next time you check? I want to be able to save things to the desktop and always have them come up AFTER everything else on the desktop. I want them to stay there, in that order when I shut down the computer, if I move something, I want all the files in front of that thing I moved to move back one space. What I do not want is "holes" in icon locations on my desktop, and I don't want the desktop to be reorganizing itself when I select automatically align to stop the holes. Here's the problem, when those holes are there and I go to save something, it gets saved in a hole, and I can't find it. And when I autoalign, it gets saved at the end, but then moves later when windows reorganizes it all. Oh, the frustration!!! This is so dumb. Just allow me to save things on the desktop in the order that I want, and don't make holes that hide my stuff, and dont reorganize it.

Fixes anyone? I will love you if you can solve either of these problems.

-Frustrating (because somebody else already had the user name Frustrated)

Mike Connor · 08 Apr 2011

Go to your navigation pane. Click on favorites. now right click on a blank space in the pane. Select "Expand to current folder".

Once the pane has expanded to favorites, right click again on an empty space in the pane and uncheck the box "Expand to Current Folder". Explorer should now automatically open at that location.

This might help you with your other problem;

Software DesktopOK 2.39 Save and restore the desktop icon positions.

Regards....Mike Connor

frustrating · 08 Apr 2011

Hi Thank you for your response. However, I am having trouble following what you wrote. I go to favorites (which I have navigated to in multiple places to test) and I go to check expand to current folder. But its already checked. So I uncheck it and the check it to follow your directions. Then you say, once it has expanded to favorites, but its not really expanding favorites...maybe its going to favorites. And then I uncheck it, close explorer open it, and its just not working.

Can you explain very step by step a little more clearly so that I can follow exactly?

I have attached my screen below

Mike Connor · 08 Apr 2011

I can try. What happens depends on how you have things set up.

The sequence of how you do this is important.

In the navigation pane collapse all the folders to the view you want. Now click on favorites, right click on an empty space in the pane, and uncheck both options.

Explorer will now open the pane in that state. If you move to other folders in the pane, it will not jump away from the view you have set. You can collapse or expand other folders, but the view you have set will not be changed.

Regards....Mike Connor

Mike Connor · 08 Apr 2011

Also, if you are having a lot of trouble with various Explorer navigation views, you might like to try this;

QTTabBar - Browse /1.5.0.0 Beta 1 at SourceForge.net

This allows you to use tabs in your explorer. It will save whatever tabs you open, and restore them at the next sesssion. So if you want to start with your favorites folder, just open it in a tab, ( You can "Lock it as well), and it is always there, just with your favorites in it.

This is what it looks like. I have all the folders I constantly use in the tabs;

I just need to click on the tab and I have exactly what I want. I can also drag and drop to tabs, open another tab etc etc. Lots of possibilities.

You can also use; http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ this will also allow you to add a folder or a program in your explorer menu bar which is always there. You no longer need to navigate to it.

This will also allow you direct access to folders etc;

http://alastria.com/software/7stacks/

There are lots of ways to get to any folder you want immediately, without any navigation at all.

Regards....Mike Connor

Explorer Left Pane -> Navigate to Favorites Automatically

Explorer Left Pane -> Navigate to Favorites Automatically

Thank you but Im not understanding