Solved Ctrl+Click to open folder in new window in Windows Explorer

janitoronmars

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Hello. I know this has been covered elsewhere before and before coming here to ask this question, I scoured Google and multiple forums and threads and I can't seem to get a straight answer. I have two PCs, one is running Windows 7 Professional x64 and the other one is running Windows 7 Professional 32bit. On the 64 bit machine, when I am in Windows Explorer, if I hold down the Ctrl key and click on a folder in the left navigation pane, it opens that folder in a new window. This is behaviour similar to right clicking on the folder and selecting
"Open in New Window" but I like the keyboard shortcut and that's my habit. As far as I can remember, this is the way it has always worked on this particular computer and although I do have Classic Shell installed that is only to get back the Up button that I liked from Windows XP. I don't think I modified the registry and I don't have AutoHotKey installed. My mystery is that no matter what I do (Folder Options, registry etc) I cannot seem to replicate this behaviour on the other computer which is running the same operating system in 32 bit mode. It's odd because sometimes on computers running Windows 7 at work I will try to do the same thing and it won't work and I would just think, that's odd, perhaps there is a setting somewhere. And now it doesn't work on one of my own computers and I can't see what the difference is in the settings between the two computers.

I saw that someone had asked this question in the past and the suggestions given were to either do Ctrl+N to open new window and then click on the folder you want or right click and say Open in New Window. It is much easier to just quickly hold down Ctrl and then click on the folder. I use it all the time and it definitely works in Windows 7 on at least my main 64 bit machine. Can anyone explain what I am missing here? It's a small thing and probably something very obvious, but help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom build
OS
Windows 7 Professional x64
Well, I guess I had answered my own question above! Sorry for wasting anyone's time that did bother to read but apparently that Ctrl+Click is a feature of Classic Shell, just not one that is obvious among the settings. I installed Classic Shell on the other PC and bingo, it worked like I wanted. Mystery solved. I guess for others looking for the same functionality, Classic Shell is the way to go.
 

My Computer My Computer

Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom build
OS
Windows 7 Professional x64
Hello and thank you for the information that I have also been looking for for a while.
I also installed Classic-Shell on my old PC.
So I reinstalled Classic-SHell but the Control tab only offers shortcuts with the "start" key.
Is "crtl+click" hiding somewhere else?
Thank you for your response, JJDai

- - - Updated - - -

I've found:
I had installed the "open Shell" fork which can be found here:
Release 4.4.191 . Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu . GitHub
But it seems that this option is not possible with this version, at least I didn't find.
I uninstalled and reinstalled "Classic Shell 4.3.1" problem solved.
the "Classic Shell" icon must be displayed in the explorer toolbar to benefit from the "ctrl+click" shortcuts
JJDai
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
    Dell
    OS
    Windows 11
  • Computer type
    PC/Desktop
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