replace windows explorer

[Stretto]

My windows explorer is extremely slow(relatively) XYplorer and I would like to use it as the default when opening folders, etc... I still want to keep the windows shell even though it also has issues with performance I just haven't found a good shell that I like.

In any case, I remember reading somewhere that I could replace windows explorer with a registry change. In fact, some explorer replacements have a configuration option to take control over such things(XYplorer should add this option).

Any ideas how?

Basically I have some shortcuts on the desktop to folders I would like to open using XYplorer rather than windows explorer. I do not want to change the short cuts. Also, when I open a folder such as "open" on the all programs button(takes you to the folder containing program shortcuts) I want to use XYplorer.

P.S. When ever I start XYplorer for the first time it minimizes. Quite annoying. Didn't see anything about "minimize on start" in the options.

[admin]

Hi and welcome,

The related Help entries are:
- Default File Manager
- Startup minimized

Don

[Stretto]

Ok, The startup minimized is a bug. It was unchecked but still minimizing. Check it, exited, it minimized, then unchecked it and now it works.

The Default File Manager is working but I had to enabled shell context integration. Maybe not as bad as it sounds but it seems from the descriptions it's requiring adding shell context handlers which I already have to many.

Thanks though, everything seems to be working.

[Stretto]

It's still minimizing. Seems to only remember the settings temporarily and then revert(but not update the settings page).

Note I'm running it from the quicklaunch bar... not that it means anything. I also have minimized to tray and minimize on close.

[admin]

The app always starts as it was closed, unless you force it to start minimized. There is no way to force it to start maximized.

[Stretto]

That's not good! I have it minimized to the try most of the time and when I shut down the computer it is almost always minimized... which means it will almost always start minimized which I never want.

[j_c_hallgren]

That's not good! I have it minimized to the try most of the time and when I shut down the computer it is almost always minimized... which means it will almost always start minimized which I never want.

But it's doing what almost everyone expects which is to resume in its last used state so if you left it minimized, it will restart as such...what other apps do you have that resume maximized that were minimized before? I don't have any.

Of course, I run XY maximized 99+% of the time because it's how I access most all files.

[TheQwerty]

But it's doing what almost everyone expects which is to resume in its last used state so if you left it minimized, it will restart as such...what other apps do you have that resume maximized that were minimized before? I don't have any.

Of course, I run XY maximized 99+% of the time because it's how I access most all files.

This isn't the behavior I'd expect, and I have very few apps that do not start up in a windowed state (not maximized) even when they were closed while in the tray. At least if you ignore the utilities that sit in the tray, do things in the background, and really only have a main window for configuration.


Stretto, what hasn't been mentioned is that there is a command line switch "/win=normal" which will force XY to start up normally.
For starting XY via shortcut you can append that in the target.
As for getting it to use that switch when replacing WE - you'll have to find and edit the relevant registry keys. (Sorry I don't have the time to do this for you. )

[Stretto]

The difference here is that when you "minimize to tray [ on close]" you are almost surely to shut it down minimized(since it will be closed when in the minimized state). I use explorer all the time and want to keep it running in the background to reduce load times. The problem is when I start it for the first time it starts minimized. This is a real drag cause I have to go open it right back up. It shouldn't behave this way and is wrong UNLESS you preload XYplorer. I do not preload cause sometimes I do not use it and don't want it to take up the resources when it is not in use.

All I would need is a simple proper that has "normal state on first run" or "Do not minimize on first run" which will allow it to behave consistently(always in normal state when ran instead of minimizing first time).

I think you fail to realize that when you have "minimize to tray" or "minimize to try on close" they create a different set of circumstances than when you do not use these properties.

[FeatureCreep]

On a Win7 64bit system the keys referencing XYplorer.exe are
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\XYplorer\Command
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\Drive\shell\XYplorer\Command

You can also have command line arguments pointing to an .xys script (allowing you to control far more than window state on startup) or include a script itself in the arguments e.g.

C:\...\XYplorer.exe /script="::#1028;"

"#1028" is the function ID to maximise the XY window

But I defer to JC or TheQwerty for anything more complicated.

[admin]

I'll do something...

[Stretto]

Well, there are ways, that is not the point. I can create a simple vbs script to maximize(really just display normal state) when I run XYplorer from quicklaunch. I already have vbs scripts to do this to minimize certain apps so it would not be hard to do the reverse.

It's much easier and more appropriate to create a property to do it in XYplorer though. It just seems like wrong behavior. The good thing is that it starts in the normal state once it is loaded so the probably only happens once unless I completely terminate XYplorer. I really like XYplorer and still trying to get used to it from windows explorer. The two main issues I have is the minimization issue(it's not as bad as it looks since I'm now keeping it running all the time) and the x64 shell context menus. Other than that it has a ton of features that make it much better than most file managers I've seen.

It would be nice if one could replace the common file manager dialog boxes with an XYplorer version too. That is, replace the "Save As" and "Open" dialogs.

This probably goes better in the wish list but I like the idea of the mini tree but maybe have an icon next to the tree list(on top of it) so one can quickly switch between... and have some way to minimize to root folders. While I like the way that XYplorer keeps track of all the used directories sometimes it gets overwhelming trying to locate things due to all the open files. Some quick way to get back to the root would be nice. (I'm still learning to use XYplorer so maybe there are quick ways to do this. I see one can save some things but if it takes more than a click to do this then it isn't really worth it)

[j_c_hallgren]

It would be nice if one could replace the common file manager dialog boxes with an XYplorer version too. That is, replace the "Save As" and "Open" dialogs.

We've been through this issue dozens of times before here and the conclusion is that those are custom M$ subsets of WE that cannot be replaced...I'm not aware of any non-WE FM that has been able to do this...there are some utilities that modify these slightly but not replace them.

[eil]

i don't think current XY behaviour loses anything + saving state in what it was closed seems rather logical and useful. besides, mentioned by Thу Qwerty "/win=normal" is really a deal.
i know my post is totally unhelpful, but i wanted to post my opinion, as this feature became so suddenly absent.

[Stretto]

First, the problem is that when you click on a program shortcut to run the program you expect it's main window to pop up. 99.99% of applications behave this way unless they are intended to not show anything(like a sound mixer being ran at startup). 99.9% of users expect this behavior. XYplorer does not behave this way when "minimized to tray" is used AND it is closed down when the window is not shown(i.e., when you kill the task while it is still in the tray).

The only good the current behavior is for is when preloading XYplorer(such as sticking it in the startup folder). I do not do this and the first run I get it is minimized.

Second, I've tried adding /script="::#1028"; (and the /win=normal) to the command line and it does not work. It works inside XYplorer's address bar. Also, I do not want to maximize(even though I've used that term) but simply to display the window in the normal state. If there is such a command that you have described then it would be acceptable.

I am new to XYplorer and didn't realize it has has so many features so some of the issues are due to my ignorance. My guess is that XYplorer is running the script command first then minimizing itself to the tray.

If you are not using "minimize to try [on close]" and not killing it through the tray(RM->exit) or on shutdown then you won't experience the behavior I'm talking about and hence won't see the issue.