Classic Shell is looking for testers once again

[Ivo]

Hi, everybody

After 3 months of coding, I am finally ready to unveil the latest version of Classic Shell. I just released Classic Shell 2.9.0 on Source Forge. The main new feature is that you can now edit all settings from the GUI. See the attached screenshots. Gone are the ini files that confuse so many people. You can customize your start menu or toolbar by just dragging and dropping pretty pictures. The new menu also comes with a shutdown submenu that you can enable from the settings.

The new version hasn’t been yet well tested, so I need a few brave souls to try it out. If you are up for it, download it from here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/classicshell/files/
Look for the file called ClassicShellSetup_2_9_0.exe. Do not use the main green Download button. It still gives you the old version 2.8.3 (so people don’t accidentally grab the new unproven build by mistake).

The new settings UI is in English by default, but you can download additional translations from the main page Welcome to Classic Shell. Currently only Bulgarian and Russian packs are available for version 2.9.0. If you'd like to contribute a translation for another language, drop me a line.

Please report any problems either in this forum, or on the Source Forge site.

Thanks
Ivo

 

[Lykho]

is it possible with this program to change nothing except the status bar, or does have to make old-style start menu and the like?

also, does it restore the old style 'search' itself, which allowed for more narrow search constraints? (I've heard there is a third party search program, but I don't know if there's one to effectively restore the old Windows search ?shell?)

 

[GEORG]

It's better is cool i liked !!!


PS: HAPPY HELLOWEEN !!! (d)

 

[Ivo]

Lykho - if you want nothing but the status bar fixes, uncheck "Classic Start Menu" in the installer. After the installation finishes, go into the Settings and disable any feature you don't want. Besides the status bar, I would recommend you leave on at least "Fix folder scrolling" and "Enable Alt+Enter in the navigation pane".

 

[Lykho]

I would recommend you leave on at least "Fix folder scrolling" and "Enable Alt+Enter in the navigation pane".

what exactly are those? (and why are they important?)

 

[Ivo]

The folder scrolling bug happens when you expand a folder that is already selected. Here's a 1-year old, 50-page thread on the matter: Bug: Windows Explorer expands folders inappropriately, jumping the folder you expand to the bottom of the navigation pane

The Alt+Enter lets you press Alt+Enter in the folder pane to view the folder's properties.

I'm saying you should leave those enabled because they have no negative effect on any feature of Windows 7. Turning them off also doesn't gain you any performance.

Most other features of Classic Shell are subjective. But these, and the status bar features, are not. Nobody wants their folders to jump around unpredictably. Just like nobody wants their status bar to be broken.

 

[Lykho]

The folder scrolling bug happens when you expand a folder that is already selected. Here's a 1-year old, 50-page thread on the matter: Bug: Windows Explorer expands folders inappropriately, jumping the folder you expand to the bottom of the navigation pane

ah. I never use the panes. looks like function is perfectly fine so long as you don't click on the folder before you click on the expand button, anyway, so not a big deal for me.

 

[Orbital Shark]

Thought i'd give it a try

Takes me back to the good ol' days of Windows 95. I like it, although I like the normal Windows 7 style but it's nice, crisp and simple

 

[jerrytom]

Item Names for Buttons on Classic Explorer Bar

Classic Shell has always been fantastic, and keeps getting better. Thanks. One question, is there a way of getting the Item Names to show on the new version?

 

[Ivo]

What do you mean by "Item Names" and where do you want them to show?

 

[jerrytom]

Item Names for Buttons on Classic Explorer Bar

The names like Settings, Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, Properties, etc.

They are not showing up underneath the icons, nor on the side when I check the box for "Text is on the Side" under Toolbar Settings.

 

[Ivo]

The text for the buttons is not provided by default. You have to enter it yourself. Double-click on each button in the Toolbar Buttons tab and enter something for the Label.

 

[jerrytom]

Item Names for Buttons on Classic Explorer Bar

Thanks very much. This may sound silly since there is no reason you have to do all the work for the user, but it might pay to have a default label for the buttons.

Congratulations on all of your efforts to continuously improve an already great program, and to always respond so courteously to everyone's inquiries.

 

[Ivo]

No, that's not possible.

If the label is there it will show in the toolbar. I want the default toolbar to have no text, so it can't have labels by default.

The old version of Classic Shell technically shipped with 2 preset toolbars - one default, and one customizable that you can enable from the ini file. The customizable one had text and the default didn't. The text was just an example for you to understand the format of the ini file. It wasn't supposed to be used as is, particularly because it wasn't localized.

In the new system there is no place for 2 toolbars. It is a tradeoff - I had to sacrifice some of the flexibility that the ini files had for more accessible Settings UI.

 

[mikedl]

Sorry, I don't get to this section of the forums very often, Ivo, so I just noticed the other day you had an update for Classic Shell (2.9.0).

I Love it!

Awesome job on the GUI. I had fun going through the myriad settings and playing around a bit. Very, very stable. I played with the ini files prior but the new GUI, of course, is much more intuitive with most changes occurring immediately.

Thanks, Ivo! Keep up the good work!