8

Up until this morning I could run several Windows Explorer session at the same time, but we have just had an "upgrade", and now, selecting Start->My Documents just restores focus to the existing Windows Explorer session. Does anyone know how to get more than one Explorer window simultaneously?

Brian Hooper
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6 Answers6

26

I'm on Windows 7 but selecting My Documents also brings focus to the already opened one. I can open a new window with enter image description here + E.

Also, holding down Shift and clicking on the window in the taskbar brings up a new window.

Richard
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Florin Bombeanu
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10

In Explorer, press Alt to get a menu bar. In the Tools>Folder Options dialog, there's an choice: "Open each folder in the same window" (your current setting) or "Open each folder in a new window" (your old setting)

MSalters
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4

On Windows 7 and 8, if Explorer is pinned to the taskbar, a new window can be opened by clicking on it with the middle mouse button.

ajb32x
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2

If you mean how to open the same window multiple times, then you can simply press CTRL + N. Or, click on File -> New

Dave
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0

You have to select the option in tools...folder options about multiple explorer windows. "launch folder windows in a separate process"

Then it will work.

That will alternate between opening an ew explorer instance and not. You can do task manager,.new..explorer.exe OK and it will open a new instance of explorer.exe

I have tested it. It works in Windows XP and Windows 7. That is the option you want. But i'd be interested if MSalter's option works for you too, do comment(on his answer or mine or your question).

It may be that MSalter's is what you're looking for, opening different windows, but i'm currently finding that I always get different windows. Like if I do start..run.. then type one folder name and press ENTER. Then do start..run.. and enter another folder name, they open in different windows always.

Update- this may be a bit fiddly. as the option MSalter mentioned is probably relevant as this one may be relevant. There may be differnces whether that same folder is already open or if it's a different folder you are opening. Certainly the above covers for an instance of the explorer process, and that may have an impact. i'll have a further look as this may potentially be a bit fiddly. Though for sure it's either MSalter's option or the option I mention here, or a mixture. Though I see Florin mentions a solution too.

barlop
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0

one possible solution might be opening notepad, pasting this code, and saving the file as, for example, multiexplorer.bat, and then executing it (by double clicking on the saved batch file)

@echo off
title multiexplorer
set /p length=number of file explorers to start: 
for /l %%a in (1,1,%length%) do (
start %windir%\explorer.exe
)
cls
set length=
title %comspec%

this code (or newly created batch file) lets user start as many windows file explorers (explorer.exe) as they want by prompting (asking) for the number

v14t
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