The 'back' button

Olly · 23 Nov 2009

Hello,
in windows xp, the backspace button used to take you 'up' a level.
i.e. in the explorer, you'd be in :

c:\program files\winamp

and you'd press backspace

c:\program files

and again, and it'd go to:
8
c:\

now with windows 7, its

c:\program files\winamp
then
c:\program files
then it goes back to
c:\program files\winamp
if you press it again.

this is somewhat annoying, any way to change it so backspace takes you up, not goes back and forth like a schizophrenic yo-yo?

harpua · 23 Nov 2009

I don't know about that, but as an alternative, you can just click on C: in the explorer window at the top that shows the path and it will take you directly to C: or to whatever other level you click on in the path that is displayed.

Kari · 23 Nov 2009

Hi Olly, welcome to the Seven Forums.

The backspace in Win7 Explorer works just as it did in XP. It takes you back one level as long as there is an earlier level to go.

A test: Open My computer, double click C:, double click Users, double click Olly (your user folder?), double click Favorites. You are now in C:\Users\Olly\Favorites. Now when you press backspace once it takes you back one level to Olly, next backspace takes you back to Users and next to C: and once more takes you back to My Computer.

If you now press backspace once again Explorer does not know where to go because there are no earlier levels to show. In this case Explorer tries to guess what you want to do and takes you to Desktop. Pressing backspace again and same thing happens: Explorer does not know what to do and takes you back to My Computer. Now you are in loop but only because Explorer logically does not know what to do, pressing backspace continuously moves you back and forth between My Computer and Desktop.

Kari

Olly · 23 Nov 2009

Hi, thanks for the quick responses.
Appears there's something wrong with my windows 7.
Seems like it occasionally takes me back to root, but other times doesn't, and will cycle between two folders.
its got a few other quirks too. such as windows button d shows the desktop, as it should, but apparently that includes hiding the start menu. looks like I've got an operating system with personality.

Olly

Kari · 23 Nov 2009

One confusing thing is that a Windows based computer has basically two definitions for root. Root for a HD is not same thing than Windows Explorer root. Root of your system HD is C:\ but Explorer thinks the root of the system is Desktop. Using these two different methods, you can say your system root is C:\ or Desktop > My Computer > C:

You can test this by opening My Computer. Both navigation buttons are greyed out because as the Explorer window was only just opened, there still aren't any navigation options. If you now press the backspace, Explorer is confused and does the only logical thing it knows: it takes you to the "root", to the Desktop.

I hope you can fix your other issues.

Kari

MacGyvr · 23 Nov 2009

Kari said:

One confusing thing is that a Windows based computer has basically two definitions for root. Root for a HD is not same thing than Windows Explorer root. Root of your system HD is C:\ but Explorer thinks the root of the system is Desktop. Using these two different methods, you can say your system root is C:\ or Desktop > My Computer > C:

You can test this by opening My Computer. Both navigation buttons are greyed out because as the Explorer window was only just opened, there still aren't any navigation options. If you now press the backspace, Explorer is confused and does the only logical thing it knows: it takes you to the "root", to the Desktop.

I hope you can fix your other issues.

Kari

That is not correct. Desktop is never considered or referred to as a "root." I can see how you would arrive at this conclusion, but it isn't good to throw terms out there that simply don't apply. The root(s) and only root(s) are C:\ D:\ E:\ etc.

Kari · 23 Nov 2009

MacGyvr said:

Kari said:

One confusing thing is that a Windows based computer has basically two definitions for root. Root for a HD is not same thing than Windows Explorer root. Root of your system HD is C:\ but Explorer thinks the root of the system is Desktop. Using these two different methods, you can say your system root is C:\ or Desktop > My Computer > C:

You can test this by opening My Computer. Both navigation buttons are greyed out because as the Explorer window was only just opened, there still aren't any navigation options. If you now press the backspace, Explorer is confused and does the only logical thing it knows: it takes you to the "root", to the Desktop.

I hope you can fix your other issues.

Kari

That is not correct. Desktop is never considered or referred to as a "root." I can see how you would arrive at this conclusion, but it isn't good to throw terms out there that simply don't apply. The root(s) and only root(s) are C:\ D:\ E:\ etc.

I stand behind my words though I fully understand your meaning. Anyway, for Windows Explorer the Desktop is the root, the top of it's logical hierarchy.

Kari

antt · 23 Nov 2009

my understanding of the explorer behaviour was that it went to the last folder you viewed, like web pages. An example would be to browse to a deep level folder (something in Program Files) and then click on one of your libraries. When you press backspace from that library, it will take you back to that Program Files folder that you were viewing before.
It might be that explorer is behaving that way because of how you got to the winamp folder? and it is just cycling between the two options it knows?

FOUND AN EXAMPLE!!!
click start> all programs> and right click on one of your folders, then click open. Now press backspace, it will go to the folder up. Pressing backspace again will take you back to the folder you were in, making that infinite loop.

PeterMinin · 23 Nov 2009

Yes, Backspace now works like the Back button. The Up button is now Alt+<arrow up>. I find it a little annoying too, but that's what MS decided...
Kari's test doesn't show this because there are no manual jumps up or to an absolutely different folder e.g. via the left side panel.