xplorer2 v2.0

[Kilmatead]

By All Things Holy, Win7 has way too many nonsense column options.

Here's a healthy suggestion for x2 V2:

[profess]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

As for the "filter" checkbox:

"One man's rubbish is another man's treasure"

[Kilmatead]

"One man's rubbish is another man's treasure"

Well, then you can be quite welcome to "Assistant's Name", "Assistant's Phone", "Hobbies", "Optional Attendee Address", "Car Phone", "Gender", "Middle Name", "Nickname", and so on.  I mean, come on - the label "Part of a Compilation" is actually 5 times longer than any practical data it might contain.  Nuke 'em, Nuke 'em all I say!

[pablo]

While the FolderSize site does say "Folder Size 2.5 is for Windows 2000 or XP.   Sorry, Vista and 7 changed Explorer so it can't support this column anymore", however this column does work in Windows 7 when using x2.  The author of the utility is aware of this, but chooses not to acknowledge that his application is still useful for Windows 7 users who also use xplorer2, so it will work just fine.

Thanks for the info. I finally got it working in Win7 x64 after fooling around with the settings in the Control Panel. Looks good (I opted for the Explorer format--all sizes in KB). No more DD and the sizing for large folders is done quickly compared to that of native X2.

Two questions:
1) Some folders show a + after the size; e.g., C:\Windows is 13,573,435 KB+. What does the + mean?
2) How do I set up FolderSize for all folders? I'm sure this is basic stuff, but I can't find the procedure. So far, I've had to change folders one at a time; the FolderSize choice doesn't hold for every folder in the pane. There must be a faster way.

[RightPaddock]

If I clip a folder (Ctrl/C) and paste it (Ctrl/V) to another location, then the folder, its contents, their attributes AND the folder attributes are copied to the other location.

But if I do a Hardlink copy (Ctrl/Alt/H), then the folder and contents (as hardlinks) and content attributes are copied but NOT the folder attributes.

Could the folder attributes be copied for Hardlink copies just as they are for regular copies.

Thanks RP

[bmolony]

RightPaddock, thanks for the reply. However, Nikos had already pointed that out to me. Never to old to learn something new!

[RightPaddock]

By All Things Holy, Win7 has way too many nonsense column options.

Here's a healthy suggestion for x2 V2:

I'd settle for x2 displaying the list in alphabetical order, as is done Windows Explorer 7.  I also wish there was a universal properties editor, e.g. I have a use for Location, Date Acquired and Date Released - but not on pictures or movies, but on SCADA data sets - but I'm not looking to x2 to do that.

@bmolony - I discovered nikos's post, so I set about changing my post into something more useful, but meantime you thanked me

RP

[RightPaddock]

I would love to have an option to save the current X2 windows that are open and then automatically restore them after a reboot. That would include all of the current screen positions, folder panes that are open, folders/files currently selected, etc. As close to everything exactly the same as is reasonably possible.

If you check "Tools->Options->Save Program State on Exit" I think it does what you're looking for.

[bmolony]

RightPaddock, thanks again for thinking about me!
However, I already had that option checked.
Unfortunately, that is not what I was looking for.

What I wanted was, IF X2 is open before I reboot,
then when the restart happens and Window reappears,
X2 should automatically reopen to the same state(s).

If X2 is not open before reboot, then it should not auto reopen.

Hope I did a better job this time.

[RightPaddock]

RightPaddock, thanks again for thinking about me!
However, I already had that option checked.
Unfortunately, that is not what I was looking for.

What I wanted was, IF X2 is open before I reboot,
then when the restart happens and Window reappears,
X2 should automatically reopen to the same state(s).

If a program is still running when the user or the system decides to do a restart or shutdown it gets a message from Windows which effectively says "shut down right now, or I will kill you".  I'm not sure if x2 saves its state in that circumstance, possibly not.  Consider what would happen if x2 got killed whilst saving the state, it would have to be able to access "last known good state" when it restarted.

To do what your asking dynamically would require x2 to save its current state information every time something changed.  I suspect that it is not easy given the nature of x2, and it would add overhead.

The "Actions->Save Settings Now" menu item forces the current state to be saved, it can be useful in some situations.

If X2 is not open before reboot, then it should not auto reopen.

What programs get started at boot time is essentially a static list.

An application could put itself into the autostart list when it starts, and take itself out when exited by the user.  Then if Windows terminated the program it would autostart on reboot, whereas if the user terminated the program it would not.  

I can think of one program that did do something like this, and that was Windows Explorer under XP or was it 2000, but I'm not sure it can do it any more - most people I know hated it, and preferred to have it turned off.

RP

[bmolony]

RightPaddock, I believe you are correct in that was a behavior used many years ago. I am not sure whether it was an older Win Explorer or another app, but I sure miss it whatever it was.

And I agree, it is probably not something everyone would like. That is why I would want it to be a user selectable option. And among the options should be for the user to make it happen either permanently or temporary--i.e., optionally, do this everytime X2 is open before a reboot, or do it only this one time.

As for when to save the current state, that would not need to be updated continuously. On any ShutDown, Windows notifies all apps to close gracefully and allows time for apps to write stuff before closing and then notify Windows the app is done.

As for method, I know there is a RunOnce option located in the Windows Registry. That might be the correct hook for X2 to use. Save the current state data somewhere in Users\<username>\ folders and write a call in RunOnce. Then on Startup, if X2 finds something there, run X2 with that state. If not, then don't run X2. Then clean up the RunOnce and Users... stuff.

And that should also be setup to work regardless of whether the restart is going to be an immediate Shutdown/Restart or a Shutdown for now and a Restart tomorrow or whenever.

[fastlane]

Oh oh please another small request..

If I accidentally press F1 instead of F2 (I rename alot and some times hit F1), the help file dialog box appears if it's missing.. I then want to press ESC to close the dialog INSTEAD of having to click "yes" or "no" to close it, then so I can press F2 and get back to what I"m doing.. renaming a file/folder/etc.

Actually, I reckon pressing the F1 should ask you if you want to open the PDF if it exists (as well as allow you to download it).. not just straight open the pdf if it exists..

Get my meaning? It's really annoying to have to use the mouse or even use 2 keyboard presses (right key + enter key) to close the dialog.. while you could just press ESC which is right next to F1

Peace.

[bmolony]

When I use Find and it opens a Scrap Container listing the matching files/folders, if I double click on a folder, that folder opens in Windows Explorer. I know I must hold down the CTRL key when I click to open the folder in X2.

It seems to me if I am calling it from X2, that should be reversed. If I am using X2, the default double click should be to open it in X2. To open it in Windows Explorer make it something else like adding the CTRL key.

[nikos]

RightPaddock, instead of hard linking a folder, use folder junctions from the same Edit > Paste special menu

[bmolony]

Add X2 to all various and appropriate Windows, Win Explorer, and X2 context menus such as Send To... and Open With.... Make this an automatic or user option as part of installation. Also include in X2 Customization so user can choose to do this at a later time such as when another naughty app changes these.