Adding a button to the Windows Explorer toolbar

Question

Hi all,

Does anyone know how to add a button to the new Explorer toolbar (Views, Organize...)?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I am extending the previous request by YVZ on 01-17-2007 to include my specific request of: how can I add "Copy to" and "Move to" buttons to Vista's Windows Explorer toolbar.  Thanks to whoever may assist me.

Answer 2

Are you talking about adding button to your own toolbar or an existing toolbar ?

either way, This all the play of registry

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms976373.aspx

Answer 3

please somebody add a "directory up" button to the bar! It can't be that difficult to write a button for vista windows explorer

Answer 4

This can be achieved easily by just clicking on the directory in the address bar that you want to move up to. This allows more flexiblity than the traditional "directory up" button and is still only 1 mouse click.

-Reza

Answer 5

Did you ever get a good answer on adding a button the the toolbar?

I have the same question.... noone seems to know...

 

Answer 6

I always wonder why everything is so hard.  Just right click on the toolbar and select "customize" and the choices that are available will appear - assuming I understand your question.

Answer 7

I think it's safe to say that you do not understand the question... Or else your windows Vista works different than most other peoples..(?) Since someone else suggested the same thing on another forum (at: http://www.msdner.com/dev-archive/109/24-117-1092843.shtm ) - and everyone that replied, as well as myself (who didn't reply there) says it doesn't work.

I right-click on my toolbar, on the buttons, on the menu, next to the menu, anywhere... I never see anything that says anything like "customize" - all I ever get is "Lock the toolbars" (or the standard window menu if I click up higher by the back and forward buttons)  I tried right-clicking dozens of times, dozens of places, with shift, alt, ctrl, etc, etc...

Are you and that one other person who posted suggesting it (unless you're the same person?)   using some other version of windows or something...?  We are talking about Vista here, right...? (personally, Vista 64bit)

Thanks for the suggestion anyway... Any other thoughts or ideas why it might work different...?

Edit: After thinking some more and messing with it some more, I think that you and the other poster are probably talking about "Internet Explorer" aka: IE ... and *not* the windows explorer (that you get when you're just looking at files on your computer, for example by double-clicking "My Computer")

Also - to the other poster on this and multiple other threads out there that say that it's now just so much easier to just click on the icon of the directory 1, 2, xx levels up on the tree on the left hand side... That may be so, but a) they got rid of a button that many people apparently liked and used and added "burn" and "email" instead!?  and... b) that "tree view" on the left is not always available... For example in a file "open" dialog of some(/many?) programs, all you get is your "Favorite Links" - the up button would sure be handy.... (nevermind c) I just want to click a button that's always where I know it will be that will simply take me up one directory without having to fiddle with an auto(!?) scrolling little tree window!) 

Cheers

Answer 8

I think the new windows explorer in Vista, while showing some progress in certain areas, has managed to miss the mark in so many ways that I find it a little more than disappointing. 

 

Here's something that might help you though:

   http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/tabbed-explorer-add-on-for-windows-vista-and-an-up-button-too/

 

Alternatively, try downloading one of the alternative explorers out there, such as Opus and XYPlorer, etc.  These may set you back a bit more in terms of cost but there are free versions by others (but perhaps not as effective and worth the jump?)  Both Opus and XYPlorer have features that I was rather hoping/expecting to see in the Vista Windows Explorer.

 

YMMV and HTH, etc.

 

 

Answer 9

 

If you press alt+up arrow (in vista) it has the same effect as the "up one level" button from XP

 

side note*

alt+left arrow = back

alt+right arrow = forward

*works in both explorer and internet explorer

 

hope this helps.

 

Answer 10

 

To enable menu bar:

click on "organize"

scroll down to "layout"

select "menu bar" from flyout menu

 

 

Answer 11

Windows Vista gets thumbs down for removing user-friendly feature in the file manager in Windows Explorer. I struggled a lot, and even thought of throwing away Vista and down-grading to good old XP!

Luckily I found an excellent substitute! - "Free Commander" at www.freecommander.com.

Just download this freeware and enjoy excellent file management fratures.

Just clicking on the Desktop shortcut will open a very useful Explorer replacement. I bet you will not like to go back to Vista Explorer

Answer 12

You may also install QTtabbar from http://qttabbar.wikidot.com/ this program works great. You can add all your buttons from XP like delete, up one, refresh, copy to, move to. It also adds tabs to explorer. Just download the program plus the QTFileTools plugin. After install open explorer and right click on menu bar and tic QT tab bar