Stop Windows Explorer from expanding folders tree


  1. Martinz
    Posts : 16
    Windows 10
       New #1

    Stop Windows Explorer from expanding folders tree


    Hi.
    How to stop Windows Explorer from expanding folders tree when exploring folders?
    I'd prefer a .reg/.cmd file.
    Thanks!
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  3. Edwin
    Posts : 17,838
    Windows 10
       New #2

    Martinz said:
    Hi.
    How to stop Windows Explorer from expanding folders tree when exploring folders?
    I'd prefer a .reg/.cmd file.
    Thanks!
    Right click an empty spot in the Navigation Pane and uncheck "Expand to current Folder"
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  4. Berton
    Posts : 14,007
    Win10 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home, Win7, Linux Mint
       New #3

    Martinz said:
    Hi.
    How to stop Windows Explorer from expanding folders tree when exploring folders?
    I'd prefer a .reg/.cmd file.
    Thanks!
    When searching for information keep in mind that the file manager was renamed to File Explorer in Win8. This pages gives some good information even though it stops with Win8 although the naming convention continues in Win10.
    File Explorer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Historically the application was called File Manager in Win3.11 and earlier and changed to Windows Explorer in Win95 along with changing the name of directory to Folders. An important change with Win95 was the LFN/Long File Name convention which also was involved in furthering the change from needing a separate install of DOS/Disk Operating System. Computing has continued changing ever since.
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  6. Martinz
    Posts : 16
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Martinz said:
    Right click an empty spot in the Navigation Pane and uncheck "Expand to current Folder"
    Mine is already unchecked from long ago and it still expands the tree.
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  7. TairikuOkami
    Posts : 5,452
    Windows 11 Home
       New #5

    Maybe there is a hidden entry for all users in HKLM?

    reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
    reg add "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
    taskkill /im explorer.exe /f & explorer.exe
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  8. Martinz
    Posts : 16
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    TairikuOkami said:
    Maybe there is a hidden entry for all users in HKLM?

    reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
    reg add "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v "NavPaneExpandToCurrentFolder" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
    taskkill /im explorer.exe /f & explorer.exe
    I just tried that and still doesn't work.
    I like the way Windows 7 was in this matter.
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