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RegHack To Stop Windows From Opening Folders In New Windows

posted by | January 13, 2008 | 4 comments

windows opens new folder on each click

Something broke on my computer last month and thereafter Windows insisted on opening all folders in new windows, even with “Tools >> Folder Options >> General >> Open Each Folder In Same Window” checked and “Applied To All Folders.”

This was really annoying. Doing any work cluttered up the desktop with hordes of reproducing folders.

Hebert Jeremy of NZ offers a solution on TechRepublic that finally fixed the bug.

  1. Create a text file with these contents

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
     
    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
    @="none"

  2. Rename the text file “folder.reg” (Name doesn’t matter, just the “.reg” extension.)
  3. Save a checkpoint in case your snarl up your registry: “Start >> Help And Support >> Undo Changes With System Restore >> Create A Restore Point”
  4. Click on “folder.reg” and confirm “yes” at the “Are you sure you want to add to your registry?” prompt

I don’t know much about Windows, so I can’t say that this fix is free from side-effects. The usual caveats about manually messing with the registry apply. Be advised a snafu can trash your system.

Thanks, Herbert!

A minor annoyance fixed.

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  • Alan Rimm-Kaufman
    Alan Rimm-Kaufman founded the Rimm-Kaufman Group...
    • Comments
    4 Responses to “RegHack To Stop Windows From Opening Folders In New Windows”
    1. mohis says:
      January 14, 2008 at 5:44 pm

      Thanks for this – I have the same problem. I copied all the things in the text box from “windows” to “”none””. but i get the problem saying: “Cannot import C:\*** the specified file is not a registry script. You can only import binary registry file from within the registry editer” PLEASE HELP!!!! I have also tried run>>regedit>>Import and the reg file.
      I beg you, Please Help me!

    2. mohis says:
      January 14, 2008 at 5:48 pm

      I managed to add the registry file but it still opens my folders in different windows. Please help me.

    3. Alan Rimm-Kaufman Alan Rimm-Kaufman says:
      January 14, 2008 at 11:01 pm

      I wish I could help, Mohis, but our gang aren’t deep Windows folks (we run a Linux shop, w/ windows on some desktops). Apologies, this worked for me. Good luck, wish I could suggest more, perhaps some other reader can assist in the comments. :(

    4. Philip Price says:
      March 17, 2010 at 1:20 am

      Thank you for the RegHack, it worked for me, tho at first when i made the reg file with the information i copied from above i also copied the space above the word “windows” and that messed up the file resulting in Mohis’s error report. I just removed the space and everything worked.

      Thanx again, it was really getting on my nerves.