Windows 7 - Automatically Expand to Current Folder: half-finished?

MacGyvr,

"I don't need the folder open unless it is the actual folder I'm going to, and one click on the folder name does that. I don't double-click anything in the left panel, ever."

We don't understand each other.
Yes, I want the folder that I open to expand at the same time as it opens.
I want to do this with one click in the left-hand pane.

Are you saying this happens for you? If so, my system is not set up right or is malfunctioning.

I think I am with MacGyvr on this one. In Windows 7 there are three things I can do in the left pane:

1. I can single-click on the arrow. The tree expands to show which folders are present in the folder I am clicking at. Nothing happens in the right pane.

2. I can single-click on the folder icon (or name). The right pane shows the content of the folder. Nothing happens to the tree in the left pane.

3. I can - although I never do that - double-click on the folder in the left pane to achieve both of the previous results simultaneously, i.e. expand the tree in the left pane, as in 1. and at the same time show the folder content in the right pane, as in 2.

Just as MacGyvr said, I use arrows to navigate to the folder I want and then click on the folder to show its content. I am not sure why would anyone care whether Explorer shows the content of all intermediate folders in the process.

Yet, it seems that people want just that, and thus are asking to change the Windows Explorer behavior to have the above option 3. working with a single click. Those who are interested in that can look for the Microsoft answer to exactly this question here.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Unifex, that's clear.

So what used to be possible with a single click (in the L-H pane) is now only possible with double-clicking.

The question seems less 'why would you want to see the contents of the intermediate folders?' than 'why wouldn't you want to?' - ie. what is better about *not* seeing that? (Presumably from XP to 7 it's meant to be an improvement of functions...?)

Your point that you simply navigate through the folders by clicking the arrows in the L-H pane presupposes that you remember the contents of these folders. If you are *looking for something* or just browsing, then you do not know the destination in advance.

I just mentioned this to my wife, and she would agree with you guys, ie. who cares? I think the point here is that unless you got used to the previous way of doing it (which was very easy and efficient), you won't miss it.

Hey ho, what can you do? I call it dumbing down.

PS - Unifex, the link you cite doesn't seem to address the issue exactly... but here is another discussion of the topic: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...1-5163dd2c370e

I don't think most of the people understand here. You're all using your mouse for this, but a lot of people only use their keyboard. The option allows the left pane to reflect what the right does, but not the right pane to reflect the left, using only the keyboard. I don't disagree that this feature is nice for certain applications.

I think their should be an option for both, so the OS is more personal. There are times where I have to go through multiple folders to find something. I hate having to hit down enter down enter down enter. Or click, click, click, click. I completely agree with the orginal post. There should at least be the option.

Why not just search for it? 7 is not useless old obsolete XP.

There should be more options to vote on.

There are so many different ways to navigate it's not even funny.

I typically double click folders in the right pane, but I also use breadcrumbs as well.
I love breadcrumbs.

However,, i would love to see double navigation panes in a single window like FreeCommander
FreeCommander is nice,, but has stability issues.