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How do you set up your view of Windows?

Muse

Muse

Lifer
I'm used to XP Pro mostly lately. I have a Vista Home Premium machine since yesterday (laptop), upgradeable to Windows 7 in October.

Whenever I install Windows I face some choices. I started with 3.1 (and studied DOS even before that), so I have been used to some very classic features in Windows Explorer and like to see my files, extensions, file size, date modified, attributes, maybe a few other basic things.

I go into the Tools menu in Windows Explorer and make these changes:

Use Windows Classic Folders (instead of Show classic tasks in folders - I don't know what that even does!)
Turn off Hide protected operating system files
Turn off Hide extensions for known file types

The other settings I mostly leave as default (there are many), but most of those I have little idea what the consequences would be if I changed them.

Not having checked out other options in Windows Explorer and some other to-me confusing optional configurations in Windows, I have to wonder if I'm not sacrificing some interesting if not great functionality by opting for Classic view. What to you do and why?

 
I keep the Classic View - saves me time because I don't have to read the screens looking for something. In Classic, I know where everything is. Windows 7 is worse than Vista - no Classic option. 🙂
 
I have stayed with the classic view also. I installed Win7 on another machine so that I could get used to the new stuff before converting over at some point in the future.

I use PowerDesk instead of Windows Explorer and have done so for probably 10 years or so. It would drive me mad to have to go back to Win Explorer.
 
Originally posted by: corkyg
I keep the Classic View - saves me time because I don't have to read the screens looking for something. In Classic, I know where everything is. Windows 7 is worse than Vista - no Classic option. 🙂
Click to expand...
:Q Argh! I may have to look for a 3rd party file program. 😕

 
Originally posted by: SkyDiver
I have stayed with the classic view also. I installed Win7 on another machine so that I could get used to the new stuff before converting over at some point in the future.

I use PowerDesk instead of Windows Explorer and have done so for probably 10 years or so. It would drive me mad to have to go back to Win Explorer.
Click to expand...
Aren't there different versions of PowerDesk? Maybe a free version? I seem to remember trying it around 10 years ago. My boss (at one point) was a big devotee, IIRC.

Edit: Here's a site that discusses and links some freeware file managers.
 
I think that there is still a free version, but I haven't checked in a while. I use version 6. They came out with a v7, but didn't have enough features to cause me to upgrade. I'm betting that they are working on a Win7 version.

I use these features of the pro version all the time: Sync: It will duplicate the directory and optionally subdirectories, from the top window to the bottom window. Synching options are Duplicate, Copy Newer (one way or both ways), Copy Older and Move Newer or Older.

The other thing I like is the Layout Manager. I can go to the directories that I want in both windows and then save that as a layout. So, I can go to a directory on my work network that I want to back up and in the other window, I go to the place on my flash drive. Then I save that as a Layout. I click on the icon to go to that layout and then launch Sync to do my backup.

There are lots of other handy tools too.
 
After installing Windows I turn on file extensions, set up my column headers (I used detail's view for everything 'cept Libraries), turn off the Navigation Pane and that's about it. I set my Details Pane to "Medium", too. I'm quite fond of the Vista era Explorer so I run it nearly at default settings though I know it doesn't rub off quite well with some people.

That said, nothing everything is rosy between Explorer and I. Many metrics (line spacing, which has been padded in Windows 7) are not configurable and there's no keyboard shortcut for "Invert Selection".
 
I run in nearly default settings also. I cannot stand classic view. I didnt like it when it wasnt classic 😛 Its terrible IMHO.

edit: One exception: I run Control Panel in classic view.
 
I was a classic view user too, but since I made the switch to Win 7 I have been using a some of the new features - I like the new taskbar and the search bar in the menu.... I still keep my trusty main Icons on the desktop
 
Poking around in my downloads tree I came upon this:

2xExplorer

"Lightweight and powerful, fully shell integrated and extremely usable for increased everyday productivity, 2xExplorer is an ideal dual-pane replacement for explorer, compatible with all 32-bit windows platforms."

Looks like the latest release of this was in 2004, though!

Seems like I might like it when I install Windows 7 in a couple months. In fact I might like it now. So far, I'm squirming with Vista's version of Explorer (maybe I just haven't figured out how to configure it to my satisfaction 😕 ). Seems like with every new version of Windows they make it harder to tell what the heck is going on in Explorer. Is it MS's mission to make the underpinnings of the OS obscure to the user? Sometimes I wonder.
 
I have been using Vista for about a day...

Is there some way I can get Vista's Windows Explorer to behave like the one in XP Pro? What I'm seeing in my new Vista installation is very far from what I'm used to. The XP one is very similar to the one I've been used to using since the early 1990's. Am I going to have to seek a 3rd party file manager now that I'm using Vista (soon Windows 7)?
 
Originally posted by: Muse
I have been using Vista for about a day...

Is there some way I can get Vista's Windows Explorer to behave like the one in XP Pro? What I'm seeing in my new Vista installation is very far from what I'm used to. The XP one is very similar to the one I've been used to using since the early 1990's. Am I going to have to seek a 3rd party file manager now that I'm using Vista (soon Windows 7)?
Click to expand...

I wondered the same thing about 2 years ago when I installed Vista; however, what I would recommend is just use it for awhile. You may find you like it much better (like I and many others have). Sometimes change is good 😉 I use XP at work and despise it now actually. Its terrible. Just to note a few things I prefer: the search bar..OMG its wonderful. Preview pane...customizable favorites for each window...having checkmarks available for file copy or moves...built in indexing of nested folders...among others.

But to answer your question....the XP explorer is not compatible with Vista. Here is a wiki list of file managers if you havent seen it.
 
Originally posted by: blackangst1
Originally posted by: Muse
I have been using Vista for about a day...

Is there some way I can get Vista's Windows Explorer to behave like the one in XP Pro? What I'm seeing in my new Vista installation is very far from what I'm used to. The XP one is very similar to the one I've been used to using since the early 1990's. Am I going to have to seek a 3rd party file manager now that I'm using Vista (soon Windows 7)?
Click to expand...

I wondered the same thing about 2 years ago when I installed Vista; however, what I would recommend is just use it for awhile. You may find you like it much better (like I and many others have). Sometimes change is good 😉 I use XP at work and despise it now actually. Its terrible. Just to note a few things I prefer: the search bar..OMG its wonderful. Preview pane...customizable favorites for each window...having checkmarks available for file copy or moves...built in indexing of nested folders...among others.

But to answer your question....the XP explorer is not compatible with Vista. Here is a wiki list of file managers if you havent seen it.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll try to figure out what's up with Vista's file manager. I already discovered this morning how to make it look pretty much like XP's, haven't seen the stuff you talk about above yet. Hopefully I don't have that turned off in my options.
 
Was finalizing a Win 7 installation yesterday, and made great strides towards "classicism." 🙂 I got rid of Libraries and Homegroup. Yea!
 
I prefer classic view too, after a new install I change the control panel, start menu and windows explorer to the classic view. One of the irritating problems I've been having with Vista is the issue of windows explorer not saving my settings for folders. It's very annoying to have to constantly change the file view and other settings whenever I'm looking for certain info inside of my folders.
 
Finished my Win 7 installation this PM, and it is as close to "classic" as I can make it. Note no Homegroup or Libraries icons. When you get rid of Libraries, Windows Explorer reverts back to its good old ways - it opens on the drive hierarchy and not those silly folders. 🙂

Win7

Except for some of the taskbar functions and Start Menu methods - it looks like my Vista machines.
 
2xExplorer has been replaced with: xplorer² .. which will work with Vista and Windows 7 Cost is $29.95 and it has a 21 day trial period
I also prefer the Classic views

http://zabkat.com/
 
Originally posted by: lxskllr
Classic View sucks. Expanding folder trees ftl.
Click to expand...

See? I come here to learn. Maybe lxskllr is right. I use Classic View because I'm used to it. MS must have had a reason for some of the things they're doing. I figure if I just knew what they were up to I might like some of the _improvements_. Maybe not, though, dunno... 😕

BTW, ftl means what???
 
For the lose.

I recommend NexusFile V as a file explorer. I was a 10 year user of Powerdesk until I tried this one out. It's frickin amazing and free too.
 
According to Internet slang definitions, "ftl" means Faster Than Light." Not sure how that applies, however. 🙂
 
The Windows Explorer "upgrades" they put in Vista are horrible. They really dumbed it down so much that it's much more difficult to get anything done. I want to hit something every time I use it. XP's explorer is familiar, and works well, but it's just so plain looking. Win7 is substantially better than Vista's and I find it pretty easy to use.

I've been using Directory Opus for years and it's very good, but very complicated. It does just about everything. After seeing Nexusfile, I think I'm going to try that one out.
 
Classic view, urgh. There's one XP machine left in the house and I have to suppress vomit every time I use it.

Ever since I got Vista, I really can't use XP anymore. It's ugly, boring and it doesn't work like I expect it to (like Vista/Win7).
 
Originally posted by: corkyg
Windows 7 is worse than Vista - no Classic option. 🙂
Click to expand...

Pull an Office 2007? I dislike having to learn a new interface with every Windows release. If not for games and certain proprietary applications I need that are Windows exclusive, I would be on GNome / openSUSE in a heartbeat.
 
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