OT: Windows XP question

OK, helpful rocketeers - this Mac guru has a quick Windows question:

I've just installed XP on an old PIII to get the feel of it. I've discovered that EVERY SINGLE WINDOW you open (like clicking on a folder) is maximized by default. This is different form every other version of Windows, or any other OS, I've tried. This essentially destroys the value of opening files in a window. I've been unable to find a way to change this default behavior.

If not, it's back to Win 2000. Shame, too. Once you turn off the eye candy it pretty much looks like 2000 but is snappier. And for us Mac guys, they finally got the trash in the right place. Now that we no longer do...

-- Scott Schuckert

Reply to
Scott Schuckert
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Hi Scott,

I use XP every day, on many machines, in many ways (did you know Apache now has a version for XP now?).

Open up the app you want to size. Restore the window (so it is not maximized). Size it by dragging the borders as desired. Close app.

App window settings are saved on close... so if you closed it while maximized, then in *most* cases it will open again as such. The exception to user "last window size/location" settings are when a particular app has hard coded window sizing, or when you have more than one window of the same app open, such as multiple instances of Internet Explorer, or Windows Explorer, etc... In this case, the last window to be closed will save it's settings. You may have to close all, then open a single instance, change sizing, and close again to get it to "remember".

HTH.

~Duane Phillips.

Reply to
Duane Phillips

Thanks for the input; but that's not exactly what I meant. I'm not actually too concerned with application windows. When each folder is opened for the first time (in what Mac users would call the Finder - here, some subset of Explorer?) it opens by default maximized. Certainly, I could go through the hundreds of directories on the hard disk and properly size all the windows that open - but I'd like to have it default to the NON maximized view, as the Mac OS and all previous versions of Windows do.

Any suggestions there?

-- Scott Schuckert

Reply to
Scott Schuckert

I believe you are talking about Windows Explorer here. What you are describing doesn't sound like the default behaviour, but I'm still not entirely clear on what you are experiencing.

As I said, I'm not sure I understand the behaviour you are seeing, but most likely you can fix whatever the problem is (assuming it is Windows Explorer that you are having trouble with) by following these instructions:

1) Click on "Tools" in the menu bar. 2) Click on "Folder Options" in the tools menu. 3) That will bring up a tabbed folder option box. The two tabs that should be of most interest in this case are the "General" tab and the "View" tab. Play around with settings there. The view tab in particular has a whole bunch of options in the advanced settings window. 4) Once you have found the behaviour you desire, try clicking the "Apply to All Folders" button on the view tab. That should make those settings apply to all of your folders.

Note that the "Apply to All Folders" button also includes other view settings from the view menu on the main toolbar, i.e. whether you are displaying tiles/icons/list/details, etc.

John Marvin snipped-for-privacy@fc.hp.com

Reply to
John Marvin

right click on an empty area of the taskbar, you will see: Cascade windows, Tile windows Horizonatlly or tile windows vertically, I think you want windows to cascade......

Reply to
shockwaveriderz

Open My Computer.

Set it how you like. Icon size order dimensions status bar on or off etc..

now go into Tools and then Folder Options

New Window

Click he View Tab

Set any of "this" Stuff the way you want it and click apply

Now click apply to all Folders.

Click ok

now BEFORE you open any other window Close the one window you have open now.

thats it reboot the machine (this is important)

now all windows will appear as you asked that one to appear.

you can also click the remember each windows settings option in views so if you want some windows to be different they will retain that setting

Chris Taylor

formatting link

Reply to
Chris Taylor Jr

WOW, this is much to much work. I think I will buy a MAC.

Art Upton MCSE, MCDBA

Only joking.............

Reply to
Art Upton

It should be the same way for those windows as they, too, are embeded with the internet explorer application.

1) close all windows. (not simply iconify - you must click the X box in the upper right) 2) open ONE window 3) resize it as you would want them all 4) close it (again, using the "X" box in upper right corner)

you should be all set.

If you want the listing behavior to be changed you would modify its view style list...details...icons... etc.etc.

then use the Tools pulldown and select Folder Options. select the View Tab and click the "Like Current Folder" button then apply and OK

-miket

Reply to
MikeT

As it turns out, the secret was to manually resize the "template" window before closing it, in addition to clicking the Restore Down button.

Of course, I'm not 100% sure of this because I'd already manually resized scores of windows. And MS software has a tendency to suddenly "forget" preference settings, (I have to turn off the paperclip every few months) so we'll see.

The sad thing is, this isn't really a preference you can set; searching the web I found MANY people asking for help on this item. I found almost as many trying to MAKE all their windows start out maximized again. There's nothing in the Windows help file or on MS's web page on the topic.

As an Apple Systems Engineer, I like to keep in touch with the Dark Side; but only just...

Thanks again to all.

-- Scott Schuckert

Reply to
Scott Schuckert

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