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[TIP] Quick jump to special folders with the shell: command
- [TIP] Quick jump to special folders with the shell: command
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[TIP] Quick jump to special folders with the shell: command
joeNOR > 2021-01-17 07:32
(Warning, this is a very, very long read, sorry about that!
)
What?
Using the shell: command to quickly jump to one of the default (aka "special") folders in Windows.
Why?
QAP has extensive support for the special folders in Windows, you can add a lot of them with Add-->Special Folder.
This works superbly in the menu, no problem.
But, I prefer to use keyboard shortcuts/hotkeys for several of my favorites in QAP.
Finding an available key combo in the operating system for each of the special folder favorites and remembering them, not gonna happen with this old brain.
So, I started looking into a way of having just one favorite with one shortcut/hotkey combo that let me quickly jump to my most used special folders.
Enter the shell: command.
Drawback: Using this method opens a new instance of your file manager each time you use the favorite.
I haven't found a solution for that, but I can live with it. Quickly terminating the file manager window with ALT-F4 is not a big deal.
Below is four different ways of using this command.
The first is for users that have the default Windows 10 File Explorer, aka "explorer".
The second is for users of Directory Opus, like me. This probably also works with other third-party file managers.
(It works with Explorer++)
The third is a way of using this across machines with different file managers (like me, with Shared Folders across several machines, I have a mix of DOpus and File Explorer).
The fourth is a special case with Windows Server Core. Core doesn't have a file manager so the shell: command won't work on a default installation.
Type of favorite is Application.
And, the use of Snippets is highly recommended.
1. Windows 10 File Explorer
Basic Settings, Application: explorer
Adv. Settings, Parameters: "shell:{Input:Enter special folder}"
2. Directory Opus
UserVar: {dopusexe}=C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopus.exe
Basic Settings, Application: {dopusexe}
Adv. Settings, Parameters: "shell:{Input:Enter special folder}"
3. Using CMD
UserVar: {cmdjump}=/Q /C start ""
Basic Settings, Application: cmd
Adv. Settings, Parameters: {cmdjump} "shell:{Input:Enter special folder}"
4. Windows Server Core
Requirements: Installation of a file manager on the Core system.
Alternative 1: Install a lightweight third party file manager like Explorer++, Server Core 2016/2019.
Alternative 2: Install File Explorer with the "Server Core App Compatibility Feature on Demand (FOD)", Server Core 2019.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows...all-fod-19
Use: Method 1, 2 or 3 above.
Use
Create a favorite, define a shortcut/hotkey and optionally some snippets, and Bob's your uncle (or as Wikipedia told me: "et voilà!"
)
Disclaimer:
I have no affiliation with Directory Opus, Explorer++ or any other software I mention in my posts.
Installing third-party software or additional features on a server system is your risk to take, I run these Core servers in a non-production lab.
Regards,
joeNOR
List
Attached is a list (text file) of Special Folders I've compiled after doing some searching on the net.
Obviously all of them are not tested, and I assume that some of them won't work on the 32/64-bit versions of Windows 10, 8 and 7 respectively.
The formatting is also probably borked.