I'm in File Explorer, in sub-directory . . .
If I hold down Ctrl, and hover over one text file, and then another, so that both are highlighted, and then I press Enter, and both open in Notepad ++
But, if the second file I select is a PDF, and I press Enter, nothing happens.
Any idea why the text file is not opened, and the PDF is not opened in my Foxit Phantom PDF?
I've never had the opportunity to open two files that don't open with the same application. For example, I would open two separate text files together, yet not open a text file and a pdf file at the same time. I usually open one at a time in that scenario. I thought that it could be possible to open two different file types (txt & pdf) at the same time, yet I guess Windows isn't designed like that.
If you select both files and right click on one of them, you wouldn't see the Open option.
I could try to look online for a way to do that if you want.
According to this site: Unable to open multiple file types at the same time. - Microsoft Community
A Microsoft engineer replies that this used to be possible with Windows XP, yet was discontinued in the operating systems thereafter.
Thanks!
I see that if I highlight both in xplorer2 (free version), and Enter, it opens both in Notepad++
xplorer2 - Free Lite Version . . . xplorer² lite: free windows explorer replacement (file manager)
The PDF, being opened in Notepad++ is just garbage characters, though.
If I click each individually, they open as expected.
A .pdf file is only meant to be opened by those programs that can open "Portable Document Format" files.
You're welcome.
I tried searching online for a way to open multiple files of different file types at the same time, yet I cannot find anything as a solution. You could try looking online too if you want.
I understand that it's a little more convenient to select all the files you want to open, and have them all open at the same time. Yet it's very rare to have to open many different files at the same time.
This is only speaking from my experience for have been using Windows for years:
> I usually open one file at a time. If I need to open multiple files, I open one, minimize the window, then open the other one, etc...
edeeb had a fix on page two of the page referenced above . . . It must be a File Explorer issue:
Unable to open multiple file types at the same time. - Microsoft Community
I have found a workaround in Windows 7 to be able to open files of different types simultaneously:
Download and install freeware ExporerXP: http://www.explorerxp.com/
Go to the desktop icon for ExplorerXP and open Properties.
Under the Shortcut tab select "Advanced" and then check "Run as administrator"
Under the Compatibility tab select "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and choose "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)"
Select OK to close the Properties window
Open ExporerXP using the desktop icon
Select multiple files of different types and hit <Enter> on the keyboard (right-click doesn't work)
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