Windows Explorer expands folders inappropriately, jumping the folder you expand to the bottom of the navigation pane

Hi Blaqsmith,

 

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This behavior is by design and is working as intended. If you want to make a suggestion or give feedback on a Microsoft product follow the link below.

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Supreeth - Microsoft Support.

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I think that's a weird "by design" option. It's been bugging me for months. Typically when I expand folders, it's very distracting to have the expanded folder jump to the bottom of the left pane. It just requires me to constantly scroll down whenever I want to enter several sub-folders deep.

Anyway, I found something that seems to fix it for me.

I hit the Start Button...and type "edit group policy". In the Local Group Policy Editor, I went to:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer

Then I enabled "Turn on Classic Shell".

So far I'm not sure what else this changes in Windows Explorer, but at least for the time being, my folders aren't jumping to the bottom when I expand them.

Aaron

*edit* - On second thought, I guess it is still jumping on folders that I haven't been in before. I realize you said that in your post, but prior to changing that setting, it was jumping on me regardless of if I'd been in the folder previously. =[

I suspect is is a similar problem to the one discussed in this thread:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7files/thread/b969f208-45d8-4061-919b-ae5186f4421d

... and if this is a "feature" I want my money back. How come MS still calls most of its bugs or shortcomings "it is intended to work that way"?

I don't think Supreeth B understood the original post.   To clarify:

If you expand any folder in the left-hand pane without first clicking on the folder to display the contents in the right hand pane, the folder will remain in its current position and expand as it has in past versions of Windows.  I.E. - The folder stays in its position under the mouse curser unless there are a sufficient number of sub-folders to force the folder to scroll up.

However, if you first click on the folder to display its contents in the right-hand pane and THEN click to expand the folder, it will jump (or scroll) to the bottom of the left-hand pane.  This will occur even if there are enough sub-folders that it would normally scroll UP.

But, this action will only happen the first time you click through the sequence of displaying the contents and then expanding.  After that (until you open Explorer again) it works correctly -- the folder will maintain its location in the left-hand pane (under the mouse cursor) unless there are enough sub-folders to force it to scroll up.

So, if this action only happens when if you first click the folder to display the contents in the right-hand pane and then doesn't happen again (with that folder) in the current Explorer session, it can't possibly be by design or working as intended.  How could it be?  It's inconsistent, doesn't make sense in the context of how Windows Explorer has worked in the past, and doesn't offer any value to the user's experience.  I'd argue that it is a major inconvenience because you are forced to continually move the folder back to where you are working.

I noticed the exact same issue and it has bugged me enough to search for a solution. I have to agree that it does not make a lot of sense to include something like this "by design". It wouldn't be the first time, though, that something like this gets introduced into new software (not only MS...).

IMO the way to go would be to acknowledge and admit that it is unintended or at least bad design and fix it.

This 'feature' has been driving me nuts ever since I tried the Windows 7 RC. I guess some people may find this useful, although I honestly can't imagine what purpose it serves. Is there any way to get the folders to completely stop jumping around? There should be an option in Windows Explorer folder options setting for this to be turned off if you want.

Not only that, but the fix above seems to work only on a folder the second time until you close windows explorer. When reopening explorer to the same file, you have to go thru the same thing again

Yeah, this is super obnoxious and makes it tough to search through a bunch of folders.

+1

I find this behavior disconcerting and disruptive to normal navigation.  Some things should be left alone and not 'improved' for improvement's sake.  At least give us an option to enable 'stable browsing in the navigation pane' somewhere.  Sanity is not overrated.  Thanks.

+1

You open folder tree, and it moves to bottom of page so you don't see what you've opened?
I don't think this is a feature.
Older versions of Windows do not have this "feature".