2 Comments Windows

[Windows][Troubleshoot] Jump List entries not working.

ISSUE:

  • Jump list entries does not work.
  • It quickly open and close a process in the task bar.

CONDITIONS TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM:

  • OS: Windows 7 64 bits (may apply to other versions of Windows 7).
  • Launch any program.
  • Right click on the application in the task bar.
  • Select any entry in the jump list.

FIX:

  • Uninstall WinRAR and try to reinstall the latest / a more recent version of WinRAR.

OTHER FIXES:

  • Erase the content of those folders (but you will lose your history!).
    • %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations
    • %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations
  • Disable / uninstall applications like:
    • a-squared
    • ATItray tools
  • Perform a clean boot by enabling the startup services one after the others.

Some comments

I spent a whole morning to fix this bug. I crawled over the net but the provided solutions (those in “OTHER FIXES”) did not work for me.

I could notice that every program were launching a “mysterious program” when I was left clicking any jump list entry. So I installed system explorer, a task manager alternative, to sort the processes by “Start Time” and then to deduce what was this program. Then I could found out it was “RarExtLoader.exe”, that is to say WinRAR. I uninstalled it and I was done!

2 Comments IT, Tuning

[Tuning] Overriding your explorer!

When I’m working, I often have several explorers opened. When you have a double (or triple) screen config, that’s ok but when you are only with your tiny laptop screen, it quickly becomes a pain to handle all your explorer and other applications windows!

So I searched for an explorer alternative and I found Explorer++. It handles tabs, shows directory size and some other stuffs I’m currently discovering. There may be better explorer alternatives so don’t hesitate to put a comment about that…  but here is the idea, whatever the explorer you are choosing.

  • Installing your custom explorer => Explorer++
  • Bind the Windows+E shortcut with the custom explorer => AutoHotkey
  1. Install and unzip Explorer++ somewhere on your hard drive.
  2. Launch Explorer++ and in Tools > Options, choose “Replace Explorer for all folders (Vista and later)”.
  3. Install AutoHotkey.
  4. Go in your Explorer++ directory > Right Click > New > AutoHotkey Script.
  5. Paste this code inside and replace “PathTo” with your Explorer++ path. It will bind Explorer++ with the Windows+E shortcut:

    #e::Run "C:\Path\To\explorer++.exe"

  6. Right click your AutoHotkey Script, “Create shortcut”.
  7. Cut and paste the shortcut to the startup directory. In Windows 7, it is located in “C:/programdata/microsoft/windows/start menu/programs/startup”

You’re done! Now you can create explorer tabs in the same window, like in Chrome or Firefox (or IE now)!