Windows Explorer ghosts

tehsaccade · 13 Oct 2015

Hello,

I have noticed a rather irritating problem when using windows explorer, in particular - to search files using the search box.

When I open a folder in my computer, it opens twice whether i double click, press enter, right click open, etc...

When using the search box, pressing . (eg, *.jpg) causes explorer to open another 2 instances of the same window.

So, if I double click to browse a folder, it opens twice. I then try to use the search, it opens twice more with each the key presses spread out among the search boxes.

This means, when typing "f*.jpg", it is searching - in separate windows - for f, *, and .
It's a pain.

Has anyone encountered this behaviour before..?

Does it mean I have won windows and this is the very slow, self-induced, solitaire-esq cascade of windows to signify that I beat the game..?!

CountMike · 14 Oct 2015

tehsaccade said:

Does it mean I have won windows and this is the very slow, self-induced, solitaire-esq cascade of windows to signify that I beat the game..?!

No, that means that something is screwed up with your windows, this is first time I hear about that problem.

tehsaccade · 14 Oct 2015

Oh dear... Thanks CountMike.

tehsaccade · 14 Oct 2015

Yeah, something is weird... I goto view, folder options, view tab, and "launch new folder as a separate process" is UNticked... That means it ought to keep opening them in the same window, like normal.

With it ticked, the first time it opens the folder in right window, making you think it is fixed - but then 2nd time it opens two in a new window... Very weird.

tehsaccade · 14 Oct 2015

It's only happening on folders that are on the desktop, when accessed using explorer.

The other day, I noticed that there was a "my desktop" icon on the desktop. It was what appeared to be the whole desktop duplicated, so I deleted it.
Then everything vanished, so I had to restore it...

Somehow, the desktop was a folder on the desktop, and after deleting and restoring it - everything on the desktop opens twice.

Pretty certain that the desktop on desktop action the other day is what has caused this bug.

tehsaccade · 14 Oct 2015

It sure is only folders from the desktop folder in windows explorer, not off the desktop itself.

It's also only sometimes! And sometimes it will be normal after the double windows are closed, and double-clicking to open again!

Weird...

I've spotted a thread in Reddit that addressed the issue for one guy, but I have already checked this option:

Windows opening folders twice : windows

There is similar guidance (for a documented bug) at this place:

Fix Control Panel opens twice in Windows 10

and this thread is a reason as to why Reddit isn't a good place to ask for advice:

Explorer opening twice (when locating a file) : Windows10

More information can be found at the windows forums but, as usual, it is outdated, and has irrelevent fixes - one person says that he thinks it is to do with another app calling the window, maybe onedrive/skydrive ms account.

All folders appear twice same issue with Control Panel - Microsoft Community

I guess to test sync thing... it's a case of sign in with an offline identity. I'll give it a try.

tehsaccade · 14 Oct 2015

Ok... Well - when signing into another user account, windows operates normally (better, in fact) and - after giving the account access to the files that cause the other user account to open twice... they open normally and can be edited and saved, etc...

One thing I did notice is that I can use all the adobe software without signing in to Creative Cloud :P hehehe, we will see how that fares when my subscription expires!

Folders that were opened from maisy profile (eg, c:\users\pete\desktop\xyz) now do not appear to open twice when opened by pete profile... weird.

So, since the double opening of explorer windows from the desktop of profile1 is a problem, but profile2 doesn't have this problem and can open profile1's files and applications... there's 2 ways to deal with it:

1. Never use that profile again, and forever sign in as maisydaisy123 and have to enter profile1 (pete)'s password for all UAC.
2. Find a way to reset pete profile to the same state as maisy's (eg, fresh as a daisy) without losing ownership of the userfiles and programmes.

Is this what a "reset" in win 10 recovery does? option 2..?
If so, then it ought to be called "refresh", like when a browser page starts messing up.

CountMike · 14 Oct 2015

Did you by any chance, by accident copy or make shortcut C:/User/ Desktop icon to the desktop ?

tehsaccade · 14 Oct 2015

Yes.

But, you see - that's the thing. It wasn't a shortcut that was on the desktop!
It was another desktop in the the desktop, in a folder, with a path c:\users\pete\desktop\desktop... Which is why I deleted it!
But deleting ..\desktop\desktop also deleted ..\desktop! Like they were entangled.

I've no idea how it got there, but I was testing out several unlicensed apps that day. I remember having some problems with Abrosoft FantaMorph's file browser - it kept needing UAC to do things like rename files inside of the open file dialogue.

In fact, I think it was at that time that the other desktop was created, yes.
I was surprised after deleting it because I was certain it was not the actual desktop - I have never seen an icon to the desktop on the desktop before... Such recursion is not good for computers, I reckon.

(nor is typing the word desktop so often).

CountMike · 14 Oct 2015

Ugh, haven't seen something like that since W95 or 98, had some mallware make nested copies of folders and files until run out of space.