Help needed to open Favorites shortcuts in same Explorer window

I do realize there's a couple extremely old threads on this already, but...


Immediately after installing a new printer (Canon MG3520, if relevant), this computer's started giving me trouble with everything shortcut-related.

All shortcuts under the "Favorites" section of windows explorer now open in a new window. And because they can't open in the same window they're clicked from, it also means they can't open at all when I'm trying to upload files to websites. ("Favorites" itself can be opened, but then treats them as files instead of folders...)

I understand a system restore should, in theory, fix everything, but at the same time it would require installing the printer again, which will then more than likely cause the same problems, so I'm really looking for a way to not end up in that infinite loop.


So. For the basic extent of my own troubleshooting. "Open each folder in the same window" is checked, and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell currently looks like this:



Any help would be super appreciated!

Hello and welcome to the sevens forum...

Have you tried to reset your browser. I would do that to see if it will correct it's self also have you tried sfc /scannow.

americancritic said:

Hello and welcome to the sevens forum...

Have you tried to reset your browser. I would do that to see if it will correct it's self also have you tried sfc /scannow.

At the risk of sounding extremely stupid, Is there a way to reset it? I mean Task Manager probably will let me end explorer.exe, but it doesn't sound... Healthy.
I have turned the computer itself off multiple times, however. Which I would hope should be the same?

In case you meant internet browsers, I've restarted Firefox and left Chrome alone, but both of them (and additional programs like Notepad, VLC, etc) are still getting this useless folder with all six shortcuts being unclickable:

...Even uploading these screenshots from my desktop, I'm having to scroll down and start from the C drive instead.



Anyway. Just tried out the scan. I'm not really sure if no result is a good thing or not in this case?

carwiz said:

Click on Organize then click on Folder and Search Options and see how it's set.

This image shows Folder Options from Tools in the Menu Bar (Your menu bar is turned off) but the window is the same.

Y-yeah, I already said in the first post that that's been done. It has no effect.

I did just try your route anyway, but it looks like "Tools > Folder options..." and "Organize > Folder and search options" lead to the exact same place, so there's nothing available to change.


Keeping in mind, this whole problem affects only the shortcuts under Favorites. Regardless of whether they were there prior to the printer, or added after.

ThrashZone said:

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
Right click the Favorites listing and click on Restore favorites links,

Not sure why you going through a registry editor to mess with this what changes have you made ?
You can also restore defaults as Carwiz images shows,

Then shut down your machine and re-start.

As expected, that unfortunately did nothing.


For the registry thing, I'd been searching for answers before posting, and came across this thread in the process.
. . . Which never comes to a conclusion.
So since "look at the registry" was a potential request, I just figured it might help save time to have mine ready to view right from the start.



On a separate note, a friend was trying to help me out as well and we noticed our shortcuts have extremely different properties windows.

Unlike the one on the left, mine has no "Shortcut" tab.

There probably could be normal reasons for that, but, it definitely seems like something to mention, since opening shortcuts is the entire issue.

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
You properties are from different location left is for downloads and the right is on favorites,

Click Start and click on your user name listed near the top right under your user image,
forget about the navigation pane right click the favorites folder on the main page.
See if there's any difference

Well,
yes there's a huge difference, because the Favorites heading in the left pane doesn't have properties to begin with.


But yeah, for an example, "My Documents" from my user folder comes up with regular folder properties and stuff.
"Documents" from either the left pane's Favorites or the right pane's Links folder still turns out the same as the screenshot.

The folders are all fine. It's all my .lnk files that are screwy.


EDIT:
Screenshot from Downloads because why not. Left window's the shortcut, right window's the folder.