How to open an explorer window in windows 7. Navigation and explorer windows

Windows Explorer is the main part of the graphical shell of the OS. The file manager is automatically loaded during system startup and is an immediate part of it.

Explorer first appeared in 1995 as a replacement for the file manager that was used in previous versions of the OS. The program was specially designed to match the style of the new operating system, codenamed “Chicago,” which later became Windows 95. Unlike the file manager of previous systems, Explorer became a direct part of the OS.

Over the history of its development, the program has received new features and functions, but the basic structure of Explorer has remained unchanged:

• Status bar
• Menu bar
• Toolbar
• Address bar

The manager works with several concepts:

• Catalogs
• Folders
• Libraries

Despite the fact that the concept of a directory and folders is quite similar, in Explorer it is somewhat different. Most folders are part of a file system directory and display its contents, but in Windows there are folders whose location does not have an exact address and may vary depending on your settings. These folders include the following:

• My computer
• Control Panel
• Desk
• Basket

Since the release of Windows 7, in addition to folders, users can also use libraries, which make it easier to find files and folders no matter where they are located. A library is a repository of files and shortcuts collected in one place. Files are grouped based on their type, without the need to move the file itself. All data that enters the library goes through indexing, which facilitates a contextual type of search depending on the file type.

The following libraries exist:

• Documents
• Favorites
• Images
• Video
• Music

In different versions of Explorer, the location of its main components changed or received a new name, but the principle of operation of the program remained unchanged.

The Evolution of Windows Explorer

This file manager first appeared in Windows 95 as an alternative to the program manager and file manager. With the development of operating systems, the appearance of the program and its functions have changed.

Windows 95

In this version of the OS, Explorer was a special viewing mode in which each directory was placed in a separate window. The appearance of the catalog could be modified using the program settings. The arrangement of files in a directory depended on their number; in particular, if a certain directory contained about a hundred files, then it was displayed in the form of a list.

Windows 98

Starting with this OS, Window Explorer became single-window and its development began together with the Internet Explorer browser. For the convenience of working with directories, navigation arrows were installed - forward, backward, which later became a component of a wide variety of file managers.

Also, an address bar was added to this version, where you could enter the address of a directory or page on the Internet. The program now has a quick access panel, as well as the “Active Desktop” function, which allows you to display a web page as a desktop background. It became possible to open files with one click, which was influenced by the format of Internet pages.

Windows 2000 and Windows ME

Starting with this version of the OS, the ability to search for required files directly in Windows Explorer was included. Another innovation was that files could be sorted by different criteria: name, file type, creation or modification date, size, etc.

This version also provided for playing audio and video files directly in the preview panel mode. In subsequent versions of the program, this feature was eliminated, and the user could only see the first frame of the video file and only the general data of the audio files.

Windows XP

In this version of the OS, Explorer has received significant changes, both external and functional. Explorer was changed under the influence of the increasing role of the computer in human life, not so much for work, but for entertainment.

The most noticeable change was the use of a task list instead of the usual folder tree. A “Details” panel was placed there, which gave precise information about each file. Each directory used also additionally contained tasks for different files and folders. In particular, it was possible to create folders, open them to public access, publish data on the Internet, etc.

The changes also affected search parameters. The innovation was the creation of an animated assistant, which was a copy of the assistant from Microsoft Office. This was done to make file searching more interesting and friendly. There were several animated assistants available for the user to choose from.

For the convenience of image management, a special viewing mode was proposed - “Filmstrip”, where you could scroll through graphic images using the forward and backward arrows. When viewing files, a new “tile” mode was added, which provided for large icons. Explorer also gained the ability to burn discs without the need to use other programs.

Windows Vista

In this version, the standard “Search” menu has disappeared, which has been replaced by a search bar in the folder window. “Folders” became a separate panel, and the top panel acquired a brighter and more modern look. Also in Explorer, it became possible to view thumbnails of text documents, tables, presentations, etc.

Windows 7

The general structure of Explorer has been changed. The Favorites folder became the root directory, and in the library it became possible to collect folders and files of the same topic. The control panel was radically changed. The standard quick access toolbar has disappeared, and instead all programs have become pinned to the taskbar and start menu. The Start menu itself has also changed, which began to collect and display information about the most recently used files, as well as offer various actions for installed programs.

Windows 8

In this version of the operating system, changes have affected the appearance of icons. Now you can pin any Explorer window to the Start panel.

The notification area has become disabled by default and has been placed on the right. On the right side of the line there were buttons for switching the file display mode. The user was given the option to disable the Favorites list from the navigation area. In all other respects, Explorer in this OS was not much different from the previous version.

Windows 8.1

In general, the style and functionality of Explorer in this version of the OS is similar to the previous one, with some minor changes. In particular, Explorer remembers the user's actions and also offers access to the 10 most frequently visited places. The command line access mode has been simplified. When you switch the display mode of files in a folder, Explorer provides a separate menu with a wide range of options.

Windows Explorer is one of the basic components of the operating system. The latest versions of the program are distinguished by a more modern appearance, a wide range of functions and the ability to customize the program to your personal preference.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ Video #17. Windows Explorer. Favorites and Libraries

✪ Lesson #47. Windows Explorer

Subtitles

About the Windows shell

IN Windows one of the programs is shell (English Windows shell). The shell starts with Windows, in earlier versions Windows exiting the shell resulted in exiting the operating system. Modern versions Windows, if the shell crashes, a new copy can be loaded.

The shell was called:

• Windows 1 and - MS-DOS Executive
• Windows 3 - Program Manager
• Windows 95 onwards - Windows Explorer.

The shell program can be replaced with another one. There are alternative shells  Windows [remove template ] : Emerge Desktop, Aston, SharpE, Talisman Desktop, GreenGnome and others.

Review

Conductor Windows first appeared in Windows 95 as a replacement for the Program Manager and File Manager of Windows 3.x. Everything the user sees after downloading Windows(desktop icons, taskbar, Start menu - except for “wallpaper”) - this is Explorer Windows.

Sometimes Explorer is the part of it designed for manipulating files. You can call it by double-clicking on the “My Computer” icon, launch it from the “Start menu”, use the keyboard shortcut ⊞ Win + E.

Subsequent versions Windows, and in some cases, versions Internet Explorer, added new features, removed others, gradually forming a fully functional task-oriented file management system from a simple file navigation system.

For the operation of the Explorer Windows The explorer.exe process is responsible.

Folders

The concept of a folder in Windows Explorer is somewhat different from the concept of a directory. Most folders display the contents of a specific directory in the file system, but there are also special folders whose contents do not have an actual location on the disk, but depend on the operating system settings. These folders include:

• “My Computer”* - contains data storage devices available to the user, as well as links to the “My Documents”* folders of different users, to the “Control Panel” folder, as well as to some information input devices (scanners, cameras, etc.)
• “Control Panel” - contains a list of links to programs that can be used to configure the operating system.
• “Trash”* is a system folder to prevent accidental deletion of files. Files moved to the Recycle Bin are deleted after executing the Empty Recycle Bin command.
• “Desktop” - contains both a list of files located in the current user’s “Desktop” directory, and folders missing from this directory: “My Computer”, “My Documents”, “Trash” and “Network Neighborhood”.

* - the original names of the system folders are indicated here. Their names change from version to version (Vista + - “Computer”, “Documents”, 8.1 + - “This PC”, “Documents”) and can be renamed by the user.

Libraries

List of libraries

• “Favorites” - used to organize quick access to frequently visited computer folders.

• “Documents” - used to organize text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and other text files.

By default, files that a user moves, copies, or saves to the Documents library are stored in the My Documents folder.

• The Pictures library is designed to organize digital photos received from a camera, scanner, or email from other people.

By default, files that a user moves, copies, or saves to the Pictures library are stored in the My Pictures folder.

• Use the Music library to organize your digital music, such as songs ripped from audio CDs or downloaded from the Internet.

By default, files that a user moves, copies, or saves to the Music library are stored in the My Music folder.

• The Video library is designed to organize video recordings, such as clips from a digital camera, camcorder, or video files downloaded from the Internet.

By default, files that a user moves, copies, or saves to the Videos library are stored in the My Videos folder.

Windows Explorer Development

Windows 95

Windows Explorer provides a browsing mode that opens each directory in a new window, showing its contents as a two-dimensional set of icons. The dimensions and presentation method are automatically selected based on the characteristics of the newly opened catalog. For example, a directory containing two files will be smaller than one containing 10 files. If the directory contains hundreds of files, then the view mode will be set List. Program Manager worked in much the same way in Windows 3.x.

In Windows 95, Explorer most closely resembled a space-based file manager like earlier versions Macintosh Finder. In subsequent versions of Explorer, most of this functionality was disabled by default, favoring single-window mode.

Also, Windows 95 had a single-window Explorer that displayed a folder tree on the left side.

Windows Desktop Update

After the update is released Windows Desktop(Windows Desktop Update), an additional component that was later integrated into Windows 98, the development of Explorer was continued based on Internet Explorer technology. It is necessary to note the addition of navigation between recently visited directories (forward/backward arrows). Subsequently, this feature was adopted by many other file managers.

An address input panel has been added to Explorer, where the user can enter the path to a directory and go there. You can also enter URL, after which the Internet page will open in the main part of the window.

Another new feature that was based on Internet Explorer technology was custom directories. Such directories contained hidden Internet pages that controlled the way the directory contents were presented. This functionality had its own vulnerabilities, since it relied on scripts and ActiveX objects, and therefore was removed from Windows XP.

Other changes:

• Ability to add additional elements to the taskbar, the most notable of which is the taskbar Quick launch .
• “Active Desktop”, which allowed you to turn your desktop background into an Internet page.
• Ability to launch applications with a single click (influence of the Internet page paradigm).
• New virtual directories for scheduled tasks and Internet folders.

Windows NT 4

Windows 7

There have been dramatic changes to the taskbar. The familiar Quick Launch bar is hidden by default - instead, programs can be pinned to the taskbar, just like in the Start menu. You can now minimize all windows by clicking the button at the right end of the panel. Start menu collects information about the last opened files and available actions for each program. The classic Start menu view is not provided.

The explorer tree structure has been redesigned. The Favorites folder has become a regular root node, as have My Computer Network and Libraries - the desktop has moved off its pedestal. A new library element allows you to collect all folders of the same topic in one node.

Windows 8

The changes affected the icons, which were redesigned to match the Metro interface style. The Ribbon interface has also been added. You can also pin any Explorer window to the Start screen. Otherwise, the explorer is practically no different from that in Windows 7.

The "Top" button has returned, located between the navigation buttons and the address bar.

In place of the details area is a status bar showing information about the number of selected files and folders, the volume of selected files, as well as the total number of files and folders in the open folder. On the right side of the status bar there are two buttons for switching between the “Table” and “Large Icons” display modes.

The details area is now disabled by default and placed on the right (for this reason it cannot be turned on at the same time as the viewing area), information on it is located vertically. The old details pane, however, remains in places like Games, Devices and Printers, and Programs and Features.

It is now possible to disable the Favorites list from the navigation area.

Shell extensions written in .NET

It is not recommended to write shell extensions in .NET languages ​​because only one CLR runtime is allowed per process, so a conflict may occur between two shell extensions using different versions of the CLR. The recommendation remains despite the fact that the .Net Framework 4 supports side-by-side technology for versions of the .Net Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5 and allows the use of both the old CLR 2 and the new CLR 4 in the same process.

The Explorer shortcut is a very useful tool that can be placed on the taskbar. Using it, you can quickly go to the “Library” (it contains video, documents, images and music folders). This is also a quick way to get into local drives or other folders located on the computer.

You can either add the Explorer shortcut to the taskbar or remove it (read more about how to add program shortcuts to the taskbar). To add or remove just open any folder on your computer, then right-click on it (on the taskbar) and select the command “ Remove a program from the taskbar»/« Pin a program to the taskbar».

1. Right-click on the shortcut " Conductor" Then right-click again on the command “ Conductor » from the context menu that opens. Next, click “ Properties ».

"Local drive D":

%windir%\explorer.exe /e, d:\

Hello everyone. So I don’t even know what to tell you about what kind of program Explorer is. The fact is that it is, as it were, part of Windows, and almost any Windows, whether Windows XP or Windows 10. Explorer is not even a program, it is precisely a part of Windows, it is a component, so to speak, that is needed so that you had easy access to files. To make it convenient to search for files and generally navigate among folders.

The Explorer program doesn’t even have its own process in the task manager, there isn’t even a folder where it is installed, because the Explorer program seems to exist, but only in words. But what kind of nonsense is all this? I can’t say for sure here, but it seems to me that the Explorer program is part of the Windows shell, that is, part of the explorer. Not to be confused with Internet Explorer, this is a Windows browser! This Explorer itself runs under the explorer.exe process, it is in the task manager, it’s clear that you shouldn’t end this process, otherwise everything will be lost. Literally everything, the Start menu and open folders and everything in general, because Explorer is a Windows shell!

So, look, this is how I would say it, and this is the Explorer program:

So you see there are a lot of folders here? Well, so that you don’t have difficulties running through them, so that it’s convenient to watch them, that’s why you need an Explorer. He is like your personal assistant, so to speak figuratively.

Here is an example of an old-style Explorer, so to speak, I don’t even know what kind of ancient Windows it is, either Windows XP, or something even older, but this is not particularly important, in general, look at this Explorer:

As you can see, in principle, not the same thing, but very similar. Just so you understand, did you travel by train? Well, there’s a guide there too! Well, what is it for? To say that it’s convenient for you to travel, well, roughly speaking, in short, he helps you, as it were. There is also an explorer in Windows, it kind of helps you navigate through folders to make it easier for you. Well, I hope now it’s clear what kind of Explorer program this is? I hope so, although I agree that I explained it a little strangely..

Is it possible to remove Explorer? No guys, this is not possible, to remove it, you need to cut out the Windows shell altogether. And without it, you simply simply won’t be able to work in Windows, not at all.

How can I launch Explorer? It’s very simple, to do this you can just call up the Start menu and write the word Explorer at the bottom, and then select it:

Here is another picture, here I think you will also understand everything, well, this is to give as much information as possible, so I’m showing you this picture, look:

This means that in the Start menu, if you open the All Programs menu and select Accessories, you will see the Explorer program there, actually here it is:

By the way, even if you right-click on this conductor, then select Properties from the menu:

Then the Properties: Explorer window will appear, here you can only make sure that Explorer is running under the control of the Windows Explorer shell, which in turn is already running under the explorer.exe process, in general, this is the window, look:

You can also click the File Location button here, well, to understand where this Explorer sits. If you click, the system folder C:\Windows will open, and the explorer.exe file will be highlighted there (but as you already know, this is a Windows shell file):

True, there is a small correction here, you may not have C:\Windows, but for example D:\Windows, well, what I mean is that your system drive may have a completely different letter.

Oh, guys, I found another picture, here it is written very briefly and very clearly what Explorer is, look:

And here is another picture, it talks about how to search for files in Explorer, look in general:

But here we mean how to search for files in Windows XP Explorer. But in Windows 7 they made it even simpler, you just need to do this, look, you are in some folder or on a disk, right? So you need to find something? You press the F3 button and write what you need to find! The field where you need to write, it will activate itself and will wait for you to write there. Well, I pressed the F3 button and the search field was immediately activated, here it is, look:

Do you see the word utorrent there? I used to look for everything related to the uTorrent torrent downloader, that is, here, so to speak, the history is saved for convenience.

Here is another picture, you know, there will be very useful information, look:

And do you know what happens? There is an error like this:

Here's another picture of the same Explorer error:

So guys, I’ll say right away that there is no way to eliminate this error, that is, a universal method, it seems to me. The fact is that this error can be caused either by some program, or simply by the error itself in Windows. That is, there could be a lot of reasons. You can try to find the reason, if some program is to blame, then this is good, which means you need to resolve the issue with the program. If it is Windows itself, then this is bad, you can check Windows itself for errors, for this you must have either an installation flash drive with Windows or an installation disk. Why do you need this? The fact is that there is a kind of Windows check, during which all broken files, well, roughly speaking, all these files will be replaced with original ones, which will be taken from the installation disk. So how can I run this command? Look, hold down Win + R, then the Run window will appear, you write the cmd command there, after which the command line will launch. Then you write something like sfc /scannow on the command line, press enter and wait. Well, this is true, you know, it may or may not help, but you can try it just in case. If you have no errors, then the command line will have something like this:

Well, I’ve gone a little off topic, but maybe what I wrote above will be useful to you

And one more thing, guys! If you have an error like this with the conductor, something strange and muddy, then do you know what to do? I’m not saying that this is the best way, but if possible, it’s better to reinstall Windows, because it may take you a lot of time to solve this error... just a lot...

So what else do I want to say? You might be wondering, does File Explorer even have settings? Despite the fact that this program does not have its own process, there is not even a folder where it is installed, and as you already understood, this is all because it is part of the Explorer shell, well, despite this, the settings and Explorer are still there! Or maybe these are not Explorer settings, but Explorer settings? Hmm, I can’t answer for sure, okay, I think it’s not that important anymore! So look, to get into the settings, you need to hold down the Win + R buttons and write the following command there:

Then click OK, after which the Control Panel will open, there you will find the Folder Options icon and launch it:

Then the following window will open:

There are all sorts of settings here, you can view them and adjust something here, so to speak. More useful and interesting options are hidden on the View tab:

There are checkboxes about displaying or hiding system files, about displaying file extensions, well, in general there are a lot of options, it’s worth looking through them and maybe customizing something, so to speak, for yourself, well, you get the idea

Well guys, it seems like I showed you everything? You know, I’ll finally show you Windows 10 Explorer, look what it is like:

As for me, it is made very conveniently and beautifully, or so it seems to me. I'm probably strange, but I generally like Windows 10, although many users consider it buggy and unfinished..

This is what you think will happen if you take it and delete it... no, not Explorer, not Explorer, but if you delete Internet Explorer, this is what you think will happen? But that one is not so simple, the fact is that if you delete it in Windows 7, there will be problems, I wrote about this. But the funny thing is that if you remove Internet Explorer from Windows 10, then there won’t seem to be any problems, well, you can see for yourself, I wrote about it here. But I have a thought, maybe if you uninstall Internet Explorer in Windows 7 in the same way as I uninstalled it in Windows 10, then maybe there wouldn’t be any problems... these are just thoughts out loud...

In general, guys, that’s all, I hope that everything was clear to you, and if something is wrong, then please excuse me. Good luck in life and may everything go well for you

Good afternoon, dear readers and guests of the blog, today we continue our study of the components of the Windows operating system, last time I told you about the “Windows Control Panel”, the next component is in turn, the history of which goes back far into history and today we will talk about “Windows 10 Explorer” or as it is also known as the explorer.exe process, we will look at questions about its launch, restart, modification and much more, I’m sure you will like it, especially for those who are just starting to understand the new OS.

What is Windows Explorer

If we turn to history and remember the definition, it turns out that " Windows Explorer" is an application (small program) necessary so that the user, using a graphical interface (GUI), can access and use files in the Windows operating system. As I wrote above, it is also called explorer, this is how it appears in the processes of the system. When it comes to manipulating files, everyone immediately remembers the “My Computer” snap-in or, as he already calls it in the top ten, “This Computer”

How to open File Explorer in Windows 10

In order to open explorer.exe (This PC), you can do this in four ways:

• The easiest method is to launch it through the attached folder icon.

• We launch Explorer through the search, to do this, click the magnifying glass icon located to the right of the “Start” button and in the form that opens, enter the first letters.

• You can press the Win+E hotkey combination and the usual Explorer window will open (Quick Access)

• A very quick option is the WinX menu; you can find it by right-clicking on the “Start” button and selecting the desired item from the context menu.

• Through the Start menu. In which you need to find the item "Utilities - Windows"

• You can open explorer.exe via the command line and powershell. Open the desired shell and enter there:

explorer.exe and press Enter

We have figured out everything in terms of launching and opening and we can move on and analyze the points of solving various problems that are possible during the operation of the system.

How to restart windows explorer

There are situations when you need to restart the explorer.exe process, for a number of reasons, the most common is the integration of a new program into it, or the desktop may freeze and the system needs to restart the process, in any case, you should be able to do this and I will teach you.

The fastest and most correct method is through the task manager. Right-click on the task area and select “Task Manager” from the context menu

We look for the “Explorer” process, select it and in the lower right corner there is a “Restart” button, it will do everything as it should.

If you just need to return Explorer to Windows 10 because it did not restart during the glitch, then you can also do the task through the “Task Manager”, this is discussed below.

In Windows 7 we used this method. Open the "Start" button and hold down the Ctrl + Shift keys on the keyboard, then right-click on any free space in the "Start" menu, as a result you will see an additional menu in which there will be an item "Exit Explorer", it will close the explorer process. exe. In Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, this number will not work in the Start menu; there is a slightly different click area.

In Eight or Windows 10, you can find the “Exit Explorer” item in the taskbar area, hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys and right-click in an empty space, you will see a menu with the treasured item.

But don’t rush to rejoice, this item does not just restart Windows Explorer, but completely exits it. The risk is that the "Start" button disappears from your screen.

As I wrote above, you will not have a "Start" button.

You can get out of this situation in this way: you need to press CTRL+ALT+Delete and in the window that opens, select “Task Manager”

In the "File" menu, select "Create task" and in the window that opens, write explorer.exe and press Enter, this will return the desktop to normal.

Now if your Windows 10 Explorer slows down or disappears, you know what to do.

Explorer options in Windows 10

I also want to show you a few useful settings and functions that you might like. The first thing I want to draw your attention to is the "Send" item in the context menu of any file or folder.

• As an example, I took a regular file and decided to see what items were available in it when I tried to send it.

Now let's do the same. but before that, hold down the Shift key and you will be surprised at how many points you now have.

• How to make sure that when you call Explorer, “This PC” opens instead of “Quick Access Toolbar”. To do this, open any folder, select the “View” tab and “Options”

In the "Browse for folders" section, select "This computer"

• Recovering open folders after turning off the computer. There are situations when you have many folders open, the day is coming to an end and you need to turn off the computer, and tomorrow when you turn it on you need to manually open everything. Windows 10 will help you automate this and open all the folders in the form in which they were. This can also be done through the “Options” item. On the "View" tab, find the option "Restore previous folder windows at logon"