Classic Shell: Forum

Hey guys,

loving Classic Shell!

One thing I'm missing: From my old XPSP3 PC I'm used to use the "Ctrl" key when changing folders in the Explorer to (sometimes) open the new folder in its own window. That is still supported by the win8 Explorer by pressing "Ctrl" while double clicking a folder. However, the Classic Shell "UP" button does not support "Ctrl". It would be great if you could add support for that. Should be quite easy to do. Just when pressing "Ctrl" when the "UP" button is activated (either through mouse-click or keyboard shortcut) please open up a new Explorer window for the "UP" action and leave the current Explorer window untouched. This way I could restore the behaviour I'm used from XPSP3.

Thanks!!

In Windows 8, the Up button next to Back/Forward buttons is added by Microsoft so Classic Shell doesn't add it. But you can use the "Up" button from the Explorer Toolbar. That will open the parent folder in a new window with Ctrl+Up clicked.

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I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Ooops, I thought the "Up" button next to the Back/Forward was added by Classic Shell, haha!

Anyway, I've enabled the Classic Shell "Up" button and I can confirm that holding the "Ctrl" key while clicking this button with the mouse works as expected. *However*, I can not make this work in any way with keyboard shortcuts. Having setup "Backspace" as the additional keyboard shortcut for the Classic Shell "Up" button, pressing Ctrl + Backspace doesn't work at all. Nothing happens. Even if I define "Ctrl + Backspace" as the shortcut for the "Up" button, it still doesn't work as expected: In that case the "Up" action is performed - but in the same window. So the "Ctrl" + "UP" works only with the mouse, but not with the keyboard.

So one half of my feature request still stands: Basically all I want is to have identical behaviour to XP: When pressing Backspace I want the current Explorer window to switch to the parent folder. When pressing Ctrl+Backspace, I want the parent folder to open up in a new window. This is currently not possible to achieve with Classic Explorer, as far as I can see.

Thanks!

Still not implemented in 4.0.2...

not all request are met with haste, some not at all

Btw the one with final say on any request is IVO

I understand. The key thing here is that no GUI changes are necessary which keeps the development time low. Basically the keyboard shortcut for the "UP" key just needs to support "Ctrl", too, and react as if the button had been pressed with the "Ctrl" key pressed. So it's a rather simple change and should be easy enough to implement.

There is no built-in way for a shell extension like Classic Explorer to handle keyboard. The only way I know how is by installing a keyboard hook. Dealing with keyboard hooks is dangerous. I don't believe this feature is so important to justify it.

I'm not sure I understand. I already have a keyboard shortcut active for "UP". It's in the Classic Explorer 4.0.2 settings:

Title Bar -> Additional shortcut for the Up button [BACKSPACE]

I've set this up so that the key [BACKSPACE] activates the "UP" functionality, like it used to be in XP. It works well, so no complaints there. The only thing that doesn't work is Ctrl+Backspace. In XP it opened up the parent folder in a new window. All I'm asking for now is that if an "additional shortcut for the up button" is defined, that you also support the "Ctrl" key, too, to open the parent folder in a new window. You already need a keyboard hook to support the current option, right? So supporting "Ctrl", too, should not be any more dangerous, or am I wrong?

Yes, you are right. I forgot about that feature.
Now how about this? Since you can define any shortcut, what if you have a shortcut that contains Ctrl?

I would guess the logical solution would be to then open the parent folder in the same window, despite "Ctrl" being pressed.

But please consider the current behaviour:

(1) Press "Up" button with the mouse, without Ctrl: Parent folder is opened in the same window.
(2) Press "Up" button with the mouse, with Ctrl: Parent folder is opened in a new window.

(3) Press "Up" keyboard shortcut, without Ctrl: Parent folder is opened in the same window.
(4) Press "Up" keyboard shortcut, with Ctrl: With the current version there's a beep sound, and nothing happens.


All I want is for (4) to work identical to (2).

This is not really anything fancy. I just want to get the XP behaviour back, where Backspace went to the parent folder, and Ctrl+Backspace opened the parent folder in a new window.

In Classic Shell 4.0.4, if you set a hotkey in Classic Explorer settings for the Up button which doesn't involve Ctrl already, then Ctrl+that hotkey will open the parent folder in a new window.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Works great - thank you so much for this feature, I'm quite happy now!!

(Not important, but FWIW, the update checker claimed I was up-to-date, although I was still on 4.0.2. Had to manually download and install 4.0.4.)

That's right. I'm waiting for a few days to see if any issues pop up before I flip the switch on the auto-updater.

Makes sense, of course. Will go make a small donation now. Thanks again.