is Windows Explorer a defunct name?

broiyan

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First there was Internet Explorer. Then there was Windows Explorer which is 5 syllables and too long for something that just does a "dir". Worse, it shares "Explorer" with the internet browser.

Since I don't see the name mentioned anymore, does the folder viewer no longer have a name and if not, when did it lose its name?
 

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AFAIK it's still called Windows Explorer...
 

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Brought to you by the letter E
Name may not show up when it is open, but it is still the in the Start menu,
 

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Hmm... a Canadian dominated thread. Way to go folks!
 

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First there was Internet Explorer. Then there was Windows Explorer which is 5 syllables and too long for something that just does a "dir". Worse, it shares "Explorer" with the internet browser. ...
I'd be willing to bet that first there was Windows Explorer and then came Internet Explorer.

Windows Explorer goes well beyond "just does a 'dir'." If all you use it for is for directory content, you're using only a small fraction of what it is capable of doing. It's a pretty powerful file manager with the ability to do virtually all the file management you ever need to do.
 

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Built my first computer (8Mhz 8088cpu, 640K RAM, 20MB HDD, 2 360K floppy drives) in 1985 and have been building them for myself, relatives and friends ever since.
I'd be willing to bet that first there was Windows Explorer and then came Internet Explorer.
And the winner is... strollin. Give that man a cigar!

You are correct, if I'm not mistaken and my dementia isn't clouding my memory.
 

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Realtek HD Audio on MB. Sounds great.
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MSE, Malware Bytes for scanning
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Firefox
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Corsair VOID USB headphones.

A Mellon Labs X-1 - LCD Smartie driven system status display.

Brought to you by the letter E
Internet Explorer 1 was released on Aug 16, 1995 and Win 95 which was the first with Windows Explorer was released on Aug 24, 1995. So IE preceded but not by as much as I had thought.
 

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Windows 7 Professional 64 bit4 GB DDR2 1066GeForce 8400 DVI and Analog, EGA 8400 Analog
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
mix and match
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Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
Motherboard
Asus MA 770 UD3
Memory
4 GB DDR2 1066
Graphics Card(s)
GeForce 8400 DVI and Analog, EGA 8400 Analog
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2 portrait Samsung 2243, 1 landscape Asus 222
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300 GB
PSU
500 Watt
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Antec 500 Sonata III
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dasKeyboard USB, the original loud click version
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Logitech TrackMan Wheel
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Flip a coin Mellon Head, seeing as both came with Windows 95,

Internet Explorer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Internet Explorer 1 debuted on August 16, 1995. It was a reworked version of Spyglass Mosaic, which Microsoft had licensed, like many other companies initiating browser development, from Spyglass Inc. It came with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 and the OEM release of Windows 95. It was installed as part of the Internet Jumpstart Kit in Plus!.[10] The Internet Explorer team began with about six people in early development.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer#cite_note-autogenerated1-10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Explorer

Windows Explorer is a file manager application that is included with releases of the Microsoft Windows operating system from Windows 95 onwards. It provides a graphical user interface for accessing the file systems. It is also the component of the operating system that presents many user interface items on the monitor such as the taskbar and desktop. Controlling the computer is possible without Windows Explorer running (for example, the File | Run command in Task Manager on NT-derived versions of Windows will function without it, as will commands typed in a command prompt window). It is sometimes referred to as the Windows Shell, explorer.exe, or simply “Explorer”.
 

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I simply call it Explorer.
 

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Flip a coin Mellon Head, seeing as both came with Windows 95,
Heh heh. I did mention dementia, didn't I?

Oh wait... I can't remember now. :)

Thanks for the correction.
 

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Mellon Labs (custom build)
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Win 7 Pro x64/Win 10 Pro x64 dual boot
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16 GB Mushkin Blackline DDR3-2400 @ 1866 (9-10-10-10-31)
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XFX Radeon R9 280 Double D Black Edition
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Realtek HD Audio on MB. Sounds great.
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Coolermaster Seidon 240M Liquid AIO. 6 case fans
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Logitech G710+
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Logitech G500s
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Much better since I got fiber, but still way overpriced.
Antivirus
MSE, Malware Bytes for scanning
Browser
Firefox
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Corsair VOID USB headphones.

A Mellon Labs X-1 - LCD Smartie driven system status display.

Brought to you by the letter E

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Internet Explorer 1 was released on Aug 16, 1995 and Win 95 which was the first with Windows Explorer was released on Aug 24, 1995. So IE preceded but not by as much as I had thought.
Aaaccckkk! I lost my bet!? 8 whole days, huh?

I guess MS could go back to using File Manager (only 4 syllables) as in Win 3.1:
win31.png
 

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AMD Radeon RX580, RTX 3060, Intel Iris Plus
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CM 212+
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IBM Model M - used continuously since 1986
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Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse
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400M down 8M up
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Windows Defender
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FireFox
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Built my first computer (8Mhz 8088cpu, 640K RAM, 20MB HDD, 2 360K floppy drives) in 1985 and have been building them for myself, relatives and friends ever since.
I think broiyan has WAY too much free time, given the nature of these many threads. Seriously, your pondering points that no one really thinks about anymore.

In this example, Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer are two completely different entities, despite how many times the non tech-savvy confuse them. I'm also not sure how you could be using any Windows computer and think Windows Explorer is defunct or named something different. Windows Explorer is the very first thing I open up whenever I boot any of my computers.
 

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Yes, too much time. I didn't suggest Explorer was defunct, just the name Windows Explorer, and a poster has shown it not to be.
 

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Windows 7 Professional 64 bit4 GB DDR2 1066GeForce 8400 DVI and Analog, EGA 8400 Analog
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
mix and match
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Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
Motherboard
Asus MA 770 UD3
Memory
4 GB DDR2 1066
Graphics Card(s)
GeForce 8400 DVI and Analog, EGA 8400 Analog
Monitor(s) Displays
2 portrait Samsung 2243, 1 landscape Asus 222
Hard Drives
300 GB
PSU
500 Watt
Case
Antec 500 Sonata III
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dasKeyboard USB, the original loud click version
Mouse
Logitech TrackMan Wheel
Internet Speed
DSL
That's also what I was referring to. It's called Windows Explorer still, all the way up through Windows 7.
 

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Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P-B3
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Nvidia GTX 470
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Dell UltraSharp 2209WA
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OCZ Agility3 240 GB, WD5001AALS, WD7501AALS
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OCZ ModStream 700W
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CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced
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CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus
I still think of Windows Explorer as File Manager, that's what it was in Win 2.11, 3.xx etc, and maybe in early NT.

MS may have changed it to Windows Explorer because IBM persisted with the name File Manager in OS/2.

I don't think there were any Explorer's in Xerox Star, at Parc Place they were mere pioneers.

pjd
 

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Windows Explorer is still a far better name than Finder. :shock:
 

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Nvidia GTX 470
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Dell UltraSharp 2209WA
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OCZ Agility3 240 GB, WD5001AALS, WD7501AALS
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OCZ ModStream 700W
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CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced
Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus
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