Cannot open multiple documents

More precisely, cannot open more than 15 documents at once.

Here's the scenario. You've got a folder with say, 42 text files. In XP, you would select them, then hit enter, and they all pop up, one after another. The order would be that the last file would open first, then the remaining files would open in the order they are listed in Explorer.

Windows 7 is not like that. Here's what happens.

Pick all 42 files, hit enter. Nothing. No error, no warning, just nothing happens.
Pick 2 files, hit enter. Opens just like normal.
Pick 20 files, nothing.
Pick 10 files, works fine.

Pick 15 files, works fine.
Pick 16 files, nothing.

More oddness. When multiple files open, they open in a random order. More more oddness. Close them, then open then again. Random, but in a different random order!

My thought on this is that it is just a bug. That the number of files is (16) or (2^4) or (hex f), suggests to me that the programmer didn't allow for numbers large than (hex f). Although that number could mean nothing and is simply a coincidence.

Can you please try it? If I am the only one that can't open more than 15 files, it's a problem on my end and I'll address it as such. But if everyone else has the problem, I think we've found a bug. Or even better, if you have a solution, post it here.

PuddinPie said:

More precisely, cannot open more than 15 documents at once.

Here's the scenario. You've got a folder with say, 42 text files. In XP, you would select them, then hit enter, and they all pop up, one after another. The order would be that the last file would open first, then the remaining files would open in the order they are listed in Explorer.

Windows 7 is not like that. Here's what happens.

Pick all 42 files, hit enter. Nothing. No error, no warning, just nothing happens.
Pick 2 files, hit enter. Opens just like normal.
Pick 20 files, nothing.
Pick 10 files, works fine.

Pick 15 files, works fine.
Pick 16 files, nothing.

More oddness. When multiple files open, they open in a random order. More more oddness. Close them, then open then again. Random, but in a different random order!

My thought on this is that it is just a bug. That the number of files is (16) or (2^4) or (hex f), suggests to me that the programmer didn't allow for numbers large than (hex f). Although that number could mean nothing and is simply a coincidence.

Can you please try it? If I am the only one that can't open more than 15 files, it's a problem on my end and I'll address it as such. But if everyone else has the problem, I think we've found a bug. Or even better, if you have a solution, post it here.

Interesting! I'd never noticed that but I've never tried to open so many files at once. Win windows explorer, I went to a folder with umpteen .txt files and if I selected more than 15 of them then the rt-click menu changed and eliminated the "Open" option.

Well cool. I guess that's my answer.

Shame. I can see where MS is going with that. Trying to stop a system being flooded with new windows. But how about the system ask me, the administrator if I really do want to open multiple files?

And the random opening order? Just weird. I'm generally happy with Win7, but little things like this really irk me.

But thanks for the answers guys. Just what I needed to know.

Btw: Hex F = 15, not 16 which is 1F

whs said:

Btw: Hex F = 15, not 16 which is 1F

If Decimal 15 is (Hex F), than Decimal 16 would be (Hex 10), actually. (Hex 1F) would be Decimal 31.

But yeah, I just meant that they were similar. I'm not even sure it's more than coincidence, really. For HTML files, I can only open 14. So maybe that whole Hex/Dec thing is applying a logic that doesn't really exist.

Wouldn't be the first time I did that.

PuddinPie said:

whs said:

Btw: Hex F = 15, not 16 which is 1F

If Decimal 15 is (Hex F), than Decimal 16 would be (Hex 10), actually. (Hex 1F) would be Decimal 31.

But yeah, I just meant that they were similar. I'm not even sure it's more than coincidence, really. For HTML files, I can only open 14. So maybe that whole Hex/Dec thing is applying a logic that doesn't really exist.

Wouldn't be the first time I did that.

Correct. I realized my error when I was in bed last night but did not feel like correcting it then. It's done now.

Could this help?

Unable to open Multiple Files at once - Tech Support Forum

(Unfortunately a bit too technical for me - another frustrated user on a quest for the opening multiple files at once feature)

karlsnooks, that post about 15 files tops has solved the problem for me. Cheers homie.