Windows 7 Windows Explorer Filter Drop Down Lists

Balmforthk · 01 Oct 2013

Hi,

I am testing Windows 7 for my own use and don't like the default Explorer window very much. I'm using the Windows Classic Theme and in the right hand pane of Windows Explorer, next to the column headings, there are what's best described as Filter drop down lists, with items such as A - H, I- P, Q - Z.

Is there any way to get rid of these filters please?

Also, in XP, in the right hand pane of Windows Explorer, the "Name" column had a slightly darker background than the other columns, making it more obvious. Is there any way to do that with Windows 7 Explorer please?

Thanks,

ICIT2LOL · 03 Oct 2013

Hello and welcome Balm just a few suggestions follow my pics and see what you can do with them and you can default if you need to.

Oops that last pic is the second one

Balmforthk · 03 Oct 2013

ICit2lol said:

Hello and welcome Balm just a few suggestions follow my pics and see what you can do with them and you can default if you need to.

Oops that last pic is the second one

Hi,

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll have a look and see what I can do.

I think that might help with the colours but not the filter drop down lists.

Does anyone else have any ideas about the filter drop down lists please?

Thanks,

ICIT2LOL · 03 Oct 2013

Ok Balm mate I have had a a look around and to be honest I am having a job to see what it is that you want to get rid of. After a few Googles I came up with this List of features removed in Windows 7 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia now I cannot for the life of me see what it is you are seeing here.

Do you mean when you do a search in Explorer say in doc you get a drop down list? I do but it is headed Authors Type Date modified Size - see my pic and if possible could you send back a pic of what it is you see on your machine

Balmforthk · 03 Oct 2013

ICit2lol said:

Ok Balm mate I have had a a look around and to be honest I am having a job to see what it is that you want to get rid of. After a few Googles I came up with this List of features removed in Windows 7 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia now I cannot for the life of me see what it is you are seeing here.

Do you mean when you do a search in Explorer say in doc you get a drop down list? I do but it is headed Authors Type Date modified Size - see my pic and if possible could you send back a pic of what it is you see on your machine

Hi,

It's the filter drop down lists, an example of which is pointed to by the arrow in the picture. I want to get rid of them to make Windows Explorer look more like the classic Explorer. Does this help :) ??

Thanks,

ICIT2LOL · 04 Oct 2013

I think I see what you mean now on mine I click on that down arrow and just make sure the filters are all switched to on .
If you click on the Subfolders at the bottom ALL files will be listed in alpha order. When you shut - or at least mine does - that Explorer window the filter listings clear them selves.

Those files in your picture I don't think there is any way to arrange them other than what Windows will do for you - again mine don't.

For a tip if you want to add arrows and stuff to pics snip the screen save to a file say desktop and then right click on the pic and Paint will appear use what colours and symbols you like:)
Screenshot with Paint

Balmforthk · 04 Oct 2013

Hi,

I think I'm not explaining myself very well. I've added two pictures to this post. The first is Windows Explorer in XP, the second is Windows Explorer in Windows 7.

As you can see, the XP Explorer doesn't have the filter drop down lists and the Windows 7 Explorer does. Also the XP Explorer has a darker background in the "Name" column.

I'd like to change the Windows 7 Explorer to have no filter drop down lists and have a darker background in the "Name" column, like XP does.

Thanks for your help,

mitchell65 · 04 Oct 2013

Forgive me for jumping in here but I have just opened WE in XP and Win 7 to view the problem. I think you will need to edit a system file to "get rid" of that arrow head so why don't you just ignore it if you don't want to use the facility that it offers. Remember if you will, Windows XP was XP but this is Windows 7.

Balmforthk · 04 Oct 2013

mitchell65 said:

Forgive me for jumping in here but I have just opened WE in XP and Win 7 to view the problem. I think you will need to edit a system file to "get rid" of that arrow head so why don't you just ignore it if you don't want to use the facility that it offers. Remember if you will, Windows XP was XP but this is Windows 7.

Hi,

Thanks for your suggestion. I was hoping that the Windows Classic theme would be just that, a Classic theme in all aspects, but it doesn't quite seem to be so with regard to Windows Explorer.

I was just trying to get WE to look like the Classic Explorer, but I appreciate there are limits to what can be done.

Regards,

mitchell65 · 04 Oct 2013

Balmforthk said:

mitchell65 said:

Forgive me for jumping in here but I have just opened WE in XP and Win 7 to view the problem. I think you will need to edit a system file to "get rid" of that arrow head so why don't you just ignore it if you don't want to use the facility that it offers. Remember if you will, Windows XP was XP but this is Windows 7.

Hi,

Thanks for your suggestion. I was hoping that the Windows Classic theme would be just that, a Classic theme in all aspects, but it doesn't quite seem to be so with regard to Windows Explorer.

I was just trying to get WE to look like the Classic Explorer, but I appreciate there are limits to what can be done.

Regards,

I apprecate your point of view but I have a certain sympathy for those who might suggest that getting Win 7 to be more like XP would be a retrograde step. Just my thoughts, you understand!