ShellFolderFix - Manage folder window positions/size

[alihor]

Did you increase the memory from the default of 500 folders?
I set mine at the max 10,000, and I never have that happen.

Thank you draper, iI will test, observe and report.

 

[PeteMc]

Can someone help me out with a correct description....



I'm starting to work with a new program that I think I'll like once they've had a chance to tweak it a bit (DejaOffice PC CRM - desktop companion to their phone App.) But the program does not allow SFF to remember the position I've closed it in. One of only a handful of programs I use that does not seem to work.



So the question is, can someone give me a more technically correct description of what may be going on where SFF cannot remember the window placement. I'd really like to see if they'll take the suggestion and get it working "correctly" (IMHO) in the future.


Thx

 

[kazink]

A ling time ago the author of the SFF wrote that it remembers size and position of the folder (explorer) windows only. Some people reported it working for application windows, but it's not possible, unless your program's name is "Explorer.exe". Some programs remember their window positions internally, and I suspect that may be the case for you. I.e. SFF not remembering the application windows positions is the correct behavior. On the other hand, I haven't used SFF for several years now, and all my Windows (Windowses?) remember their opened folders, while others say they still have to use SFF for that. I suppose with Windows anything can happen.

 

[PeteMc]

I always thought the issue was if the program used a "standard" MS Windows protocol then it would be remembered. Which is why some non MS programs remember their location while others do not. It may just be that they just actually use Explorer to create their program windows.



And I've not heard of anyone with Windows 7 or later where there program windows will reopen in the position where they were last closed. Or on the correct screen in a multi-monitor setup. So is there something specific that you've done?


I have heard of lots of tricks to get the Internet Explorer window to be remembered, but that's not much help with all the Windows windows or the various programs.

 

[kazink]

As far as I know there is no such thing as "standard MS Windows protocol" for remembering the window position and size. Using Explorer to create own program window doesn't make much sense too. Explorer is just a program, like any other. It's like a program used MS Paint to create it's window. I don't think that's even possible. A program may use Explorer to run another program (or another copy of itself), but that wouldn't make its window remembered either. Some programs remember their window position and size simply because their authors implemented such feature. That's all there is to it. I am a programmer myself, and I've done it many times. A long time ago I also played with catching other programs' windows and forcing them to resize (I had a program that didn't allow to resize its window, but I wanted it to resize, so I wrote a little tool for that). The right windows are found by the window title or by executable name. I think SFF does the latter, and catches all windows that belong to the explorer.exe program. It wouldn't work, by definition, on any other program, unless it's named explorer.exe. And if SFF also checks the file path, that wouldn't work too. I have genuinely no idea what is going on with my Windows folders. I use some helper programs, like Classic Shell and 7+tt, so maybe one of them does that as a side-feature. Next time I do a reinstall I will have to check at which point of system setup the folders start being remembered. P.S. This post system is horrible. How do you split the paragraph here?

 

[apoklyps3]

does this support automatic workspace load on start?
so we can portabily start same windows on multiple computers in the same postion only by opening the app?

 

[jouster]

since the latest windows OS update, Ive found that SFF now longer remembers folder lcoations...no updates in a long time so Im guessing the latest windows changes have brokjen something....anyone else seeing the same

 

[jayteee]

since the latest windows OS update, Ive found that SFF now longer remembers folder lcoations...no updates in a long time so Im guessing the latest windows changes have brokjen something....anyone else seeing the same

Can you be a little more specific? What exact Windows 10 version and OS build?

ie. ver 1803 build 17134.984

^^^
That is my current version/build and I have no issues other than the occasional failure of ShellFolderFix... quitting and restarting SFF usually fixes it.

You can find the Windows 10 version/build info in settings/system/about.

 

[bilofsky]

I hope you don't mind a newbie question (if a grateful user of many years can be a newbie).

I keep five folders of program icons permanently open on my desktop, and Shellfolderfix restores them on restart. Occasionally Windows 10 closes them, and they reopen in different sizes and positions. Sometimes running Shellfolderfix repairs that; sometimes it just brings up the options dialog box and nothing changes.

Is there a way I can save a copy of the database so that if this happens I can manually reinstall that copy and restore the folders' sizes and positions?

Where is the database stored?

Thanks for the program and any help you may give.

 

[paulmc]

I'm experiencing a similar problem with regularly lost folder configurations, on wake up after hybernation.

 

[digbrown]

NoWhereMan

Windows 10 64bit, Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.657), Ryzen 7:


I've been painfully using SFF for 11 months, and it seems to loose its

database every few weeks causing me to resize windows and re-save

the database. It remembers windows positions on my 2nd monitor, but

never the size of the 1st folder opened on the 2nd monitor (the dual
monitors have different resolutions). I have just installed WinSize2

(from SourceForge) and it seems to work for now (with a few quirks

like windows jumping around before snapping into their proper places).

Will test it out for now.

 

[jayteee]

...it seems to loose its

database every few weeks causing me to resize windows and re-save
11 months, and it seems to loose its

database every few weeks causing me to resize windows and re-save

the database.

Have you set the database size to the max (10000) in the SFF options?

 

[MystaMagoo]

win10x64 here v20H2
doesnt work at all anymore
my bad
something wrong with my install,portable
will faff around to see whats what.....

 

[digbrown]

NoWhereMan

Apparently there was no problem with SFF. My problem was that when the computer went to sleep, the folders would all shift to the other monitor of my dual monitor system. I thought SFF was simply loosing its database. Instead it was apparently a Rapid Hot Plug Detect problem that Microsoft appears to be finally trying to fix after 10 years of users dealing with this intractable problem for DisplayPort multi-monitor systems. I will see if they fix this problem in October (2021) when the new update comes out. For now, I have increased the database size to the max (10000), and I use WinSize2 to recover folder position and sizes when the Rapid HPD problem occurs (a rare occurrence since I rarely let my computer go to sleep).

Update: It looks like Windows 11 will have a new option for multiple displays: "Remember window locations based on monitor connection". Looks like I will be upgrading to Windows 11 as soon as it comes out.

 

[XP1]

Anyone experience slowness after opening a workspace?

I've been using ShellFolderFix for years. Since modern versions of Windows 10, I thought my computer was just slow. Until recently, when I upgraded to a clean install of Windows 11 on new generation hardware, I had also noticed the slowness being reproduced. I have narrowed the problem down to ShellFolderFix.

I was able to reproduce the problem by opening a saved workspace of maybe several windows. File operations are really slow, like it takes over 10 seconds to rename a file on the desktop. Then, when I close all Explorer windows, file operations are normal again.

 

[p0k3m0n]

Great software, but in last months one real problem appear: Easy Anty Cheat. The point is that ShellFolderFix.dll is not signed, and for EAC it is "crime". Is it possible to fix it somehow?

 

[bobbyboe]

I am using this useful peace of software for years now, in the moment on Win 10 pro. Thank you!
My Feature Wish: "update workspace"
It would be so helpful to modify my windows in a workspace while working, and in the end update it, instead of saving a new and deleting the old one..

Upgrade strongly suggested for anyone using a version older than 1.0.9


Current release 1.1.5:




ShellFolderFix Installer - View attachment 397581 (1.73 MB)


Archives without installer:

ShellFolderFix 64-bit - View attachment 397579 (1.13 MB)
ShellFolderFix 32-bit - View attachment 397580 (927.8 KB)

 

[aycolumbia]

I love this tool but it's not working properly in UHD resolution of 3840x2160. Still works great up to HD at 1920x1080. Am on Windows 10 Pro with latest build of 22H2. Is this still being developed? If not, any chance of making this open source and dropping it on GitHub and allowing the community to continue enhancements/bug fixes? Thank you.

 

[martboro]

thanks a lot. Its a short solution for a big problem on windows.

 

[Lisa9]

Moving placements to new USB disc

Can i take window placements with me to new USB disc?

Tried to trick Window by giving the new disc the letter of the old one, but that confuses Windows and results in endless allerts during back-up.