ShellFolderFix - Manage folder window positions/size

[samurize]

It's basically Windows 7 with a crazy tablet/smartphone user interface slapped on top of it. I would hold off on installing it. Windows 8 is no better in remembering folder information than Windows 7 was. It's too bad that ShellFolderFix doesn't work. I am tempted to reinstall SFF, just to see if that will make it work properly.

Hey Jabloomf1230, just to let you know it does work with 'Windows 8 Pro 64 Bit' because I'm using it right now and don't have one single problem with it at all.

 

[jabloomf1230]

Well, I tracked down the problem, but I can't fix it. For some reason, having ShellFolderFix in the Start folder in Windows 8 (which was just left over from Windows 7) doesn't automatically start SFF at boot. The more bizarre thing (which makes me think that there is something corrupt in my Win 8 installation) is that putting the shortcut in the registry (either in the HKLM or HKCU Windows Run keys) does nothing. I should add that I am running Windows 8 x64 and SFF x64.

I never realized that SFF wasn't running at boot with /autostart.

 

[jabloomf1230]

Solved Startup programs won't start

The only way to get executables to run at startup is to completely turn off UAC (see the above link). This disables all the Metro UI apps, but does anybody really care? What was Microsoft thinking? Were they even thinking?

 

[jetset900]

Solved Startup programs won't start

The only way to get executables to run at startup is to completely turn off UAC (see the above link). This disables all the Metro UI apps, but does anybody really care? What was Microsoft thinking? Were they even thinking?

The tool "Elevated Shortcut" could help in some cases if you don't want to completely shut UAC off...

 

[gl0]

Just a quick thank you tweaker, seems to be running fine on my Win8 Pro x64 too (haven't tried rebooting yet).

This has been a huge headache for a long time that I just put up with, superb.

 

[wzvhyz4gm]

I downloaded and installed the 64 bit ShellFolderFix.

Can you send me instructions how to set this to remember windows 7 window size and position?

Thank you.

 

[thomasa569]

Thank you, looks like i'll be swearing a lot less now..............:shock:

 

[ftlpilot]

Great utility (and I've been a programmer for a while) - but - pretty please - can you save window size/pos for Device Mangler (er manager) as well

Thankx

 

[xiandavis]

I'm running v1.1.4 under x64 Win 7 Enterprise SP1 with an i7-3770 3.4GHz and 32GB RAM. I'm experiencing a bug where a cannot have more than 16 saved workspaces. If I attempt to add a 17th, it eliminates an existing workspace from the saved list. I just tried adding a new one again, and instead of adding it to the saved list, an existing workspace that had previously disappeared took it's place. Shouldn't I have the ability to have 500 saved workspaces?

 

[sfuller55]

Shellfolderfix works in Windows 7 & 8 with this method.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11949-elevated-program-shortcut-without-uac-prompt-create.html

 

[psteege]

Hi,

I am getting "could not read environment variable "APPDATA"

Why?

I am getting the same thing when I try to run ShellFolderFix. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[KBL]

Hi guys,

Is this what I need to enable each folder to remember it's original size and position when opened again???
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.

 

[John877]

I'm running v1.1.4 under x64 Win 7 Enterprise SP1 with an i7-3770 3.4GHz and 32GB RAM. I'm experiencing a bug where a cannot have more than 16 saved workspaces. If I attempt to add a 17th, it eliminates an existing workspace from the saved list. I just tried adding a new one again, and instead of adding it to the saved list, an existing workspace that had previously disappeared took it's place. Shouldn't I have the ability to have 500 saved workspaces?

That looks like 500 folders not workspaces.

 

[jabloomf1230]

Recent updates to the Windows 8 app compatibility checker has killed ShellFolderFix permanently. There is now no way to use it, if you keep Windows 8 up to date.

 

[gl0]

I've been using v1.1.4 for a while now on Win8 Pro x64, and it seems to have a bug.

I set a few Explorer windows positions as I like them, saved them as a workspace, and then disabled state recording (Disable ticked), so I can move them around but they always open in the original positions.

This works for a while, but sooner or later the window positions are no longer restored, or one is but another isn't. In the past I could just reload the saved workspace to get them back where they were, but now even that doesn't restore the original position.

Maybe the disabled-state-recording scenario hasn't been tested much? I've got a hunch that reboots cause this problem, or at least some of it (maybe the settings aren't saved right if the app exits/exits due to a reboot?). Would be great if you could look at it, as it's just so damn useful .

 

[gl0]

Things got weirder. I setup my windows again, saved to a new workspace, and most of them work now as expected. But one of them completely ignores its position, even if I leave state recording enabled. That window worked previously.

Update: closing ShellFolderFix and restarting it has fixed that issue. So it definitely can get confused.

 

[jabloomf1230]

Recent updates to the Windows 8 app compatibility checker has killed ShellFolderFix permanently. There is now no way to use it, if you keep Windows 8 up to date.

Something must have happened to corrupt my original exe file, because I reinstalled it and now it works fine again. Sorry for the misinformation.

 

[SteveMak]

Hello Tweaker,

I'm new to Windows 7 (3 weeks), being a long-time XP fan. I thank you kindly for writing ShellFolderFix. It's one of the things that makes the difference between Windows 7 feeling broken and usable. I depend on your product daily. I can't thank you enough for your contribution to Windows 7, and to us users.

I have a question, though. One of the issues I ran into in XP, was the OS's finite capacity to remember folder sizes/positions. The limit is 8,000 folders in XP. Every year or so, I'd hit that limit, and XP would start forgetting folder sizes/positions. My only option was to run a "fix", which would reinitialize its "memory" of all folders (folder database?), causing it to forget all folder positions/sizes, and then I could start again, and be good for about another year.

I'm aware that your app has a Folder Database setting, and I've set it to the maximum value of 10,000.

My question: Will ShellFolderFix's database eventually fill up? If so, please consider the following ideas, which would make ShellFolderFix appear NOT to reach its limits as quickly, or possibly ever:

(1) Periodically (perhaps weekly, monthly, or at user request), verify that the entries in the folder database point to folders that still exist. If they don't, delete the entry from the folder database. XP doesn't do this, and it hits its limit and becomes "forgetful".

(2) Date/Time stamp each record in ShellFolderFix's database with the time when a folder was opened by the user. When ShellFolderFix reaches its database limit and the user create a new folder, delete the oldest folder reference from the database in order to preserve the settings for the most recently used folder. This way, if you must forget a folder's size/position, let it me one that hasn't been accessed the longest. Frequently used folders will always be remembered. This option is much better, if you were to implement only one.

Thank you again for creating ShellFolderFix, and for your consideration on these ideas.

Best regards,
-Steve

 

[Protium]

I haven't seen Tweaker around for a while now. I hope he/she is OK. Their profile says last message was posted 13 Feb 2010 and last activity was 12 Jun 2011.

 

[SteveMak]

@Protium: Dang Thanks for letting me know.