Why no folder merge prompt for cross-volume operations?

[Jerry]

When I move or copy a folder into another location on the same drive that contains a folder of the same name, I get a prompt notifying me of the fact and asking me whether to merge or not. But this does not happen when I do the operation to a different drive. Is there a reason or unavoidable limitation for this inconsistent behavior?

[admin]

Tried to reproduce on Win8 but not able to get that type of message at all. Neither with Custom Copy nor Shell copy. Neither intra volume not cross volume.

How do you do it?

[Jerry]

Tried to reproduce on Win8 but not able to get that type of message at all. Neither with Custom Copy nor Shell copy. Neither intra volume not cross volume. How do you do it?

It seems the cross-volume merge prompt is suppressed when custom copy is enabled for cross-volume moves. Try this:

• 1. Run XYplorer /fresh (Custom Copy not enabled)
  2. Go into some folder Foo, create a subfolder X and put a file in there.
  3. Back in folder Foo, create subfolder A, and under A, another subfolder X and put a file in there.
  4. In the tree, drag Foo\X onto A. The merge prompt appears. Cancel.
  5. Copy A\X to another drive.
  6. In the tree, drag Foo\X onto A on the other other drive. Merge prompt appears.
  7. Now, enable Custom Copy and check on For cross-volume moves only. Leave everything else as is.
  8. Repeat steps 4-6. In Step 6, the merge prompt will no longer appear.

[admin]

You mean this prompt? This is what I get (with shell copy only). It's not the folder merge prompt I remember from XP.

[Jerry]

You mean this prompt? This is what I get (with shell copy only). It's not the folder merge prompt I remember from XP.

No. I always get this one first (under Windows 10 Pro):

Clipboard-20160923.png

[admin]

Yep, that's the one I expected. But I don't get it. Neither with Explorer.

[Jerry]

Yep, that's the one I expected. But I don't get it. Neither with Explorer.

Now that's really odd. Can you look in your Explorer folder options and see if there's anything there which might be inhibiting it? I didn't see any relevant option under Windows 10. Perhaps you have a group or local policy in place? I was definitely getting this prompt under Windows 7 because I first posted the issue in April, and didn't switch to my current Win 10 machine until June.

[admin]

Ha, bingo! It was this one, I needed to untick it, now I do get the merge prompt. (I'm not aware of ever ticking it.)

2016-09-23_165837.png

Now I can go bug hunting...

[admin]

Well, the answer is simple: This merge prompt is owned by the shell. It will never appear when Custom Copy/Move is used.

[Jerry]

Well, the answer is simple: This merge prompt is owned by the shell. It will never appear when Custom Copy/Move is used.

What about having CC/M optionally do it's own check and show its own prompt? I do these kind of moves a lot, usually cross-volume, and I like seeing the prompt because it reassures me that I dragged to the right place.

In Windows 10, it seems that they removed that File Explorer option you have under Windows 8.

[admin]

Hmm, another prompt to click away, another option, another text to be translated. And do you ever click "No"?

[Jerry]

Hmm, another prompt to click away, another option, another text to be translated. And do you ever click "No"?

I usually click Yes. But if I don't see the prompt, I would cancel the move operation. And without the prompt, I don't discover the wrong move until much later. I understand the extra baggage to support this, but to me, the inconsistency is a more of a problem.

[admin]

I think about it.

[admin]

Next beta has a native folder merge prompt.

[Jerry]

Next beta has a native folder merge prompt.

Yay! Thank you.