Folders opening with unwanted navigation pane

Terrypin · 01 Oct 2022

Although I don't have the navigation pane enabled in options, it is now frequently being displayed when not expected. Normal opening from File Explorer seems OK. It occurs with 'indirect' opening from various apps. Two examples are
- opening an Excel hyperlink
- using the 'view in Explorer' option from my text editor folder

These and others always used to open File Explorer in its plain vanilla 'My Computer' view, so something has happened recently to change that.

Version 21H2 (0S Build 19044.2006)

KeithM · 02 Oct 2022

Not sure if this helps, as I don't have the applications you mention, but quick testing seemed to indicate that the Navigation Pane show states for Explorer, Common dialog "Open", and Common dialog "Save/SaveAs" are saved independently.

To check/set the Common dialoga NavPane state, open Notepad. Select File > Open... and then Organize > Layout > Navigation Pane (uncheck). Then click the X in the upper right-hand corner (no need to open a file).

Folders opening with unwanted navigation pane-screenshot-1198-.png

Then do the same with the Save or Save As dialog.

A quick check with WordPad will verify that the Common dialog settings have been set.

As I said, not sure if those settings affect your situation, but I hope this helps.

Berton · 02 Oct 2022

Just a note, many times the File, Open feature of programs open only a lesser version of File Explorer with settings controlled by those programs. Some of those programs I have installed are Microsoft Office, WordPerfect, Lotus SmartSuite, Family Tree Maker, Adobe Acrobat, etc.

Terrypin · 03 Oct 2022

Thanks both, appreciate your help. However the problem remains unresolved.

I'd never used the Organise menu in Notepad or Wordpad, but Navigation Pane is not enabled in either, and they open a folder as expected.

I then looked for a similar option in Word 365 and Excel 365, but could find none. Nor in TextPad's settings. But then that's consistent: none of those display the unwanted pane when I use their Open menus.

There must be something a little more obscure going on here. I'll post also to the Excel and TextPad user forums. May also try a registry clean with Glary Utilities.

To rule out a week old WU, anyone here using Version 21H2, and a modern Excel, able to reproduce the behaviour when opening an Excel hyperlink please? TextPad has a relatively small use base, but just in case: with a text file open, <Alt + F3> opens its File Explorer folder. That should not include the Navigation pane.

Version 21H2 (mine is OS Build 19044.2006)