Vista Tutorial - Opening multiple files

Zach, is there not a registry hack for this? I have been a network tech for 25 years so I would consider myself an expert in the Dos/Windows OS environment. I have managed every OS since Dos first came out.

Vista is the first OS where I couldn't believe how much they "dumbed" it down. I have not deployed it in my network as it is just so ridiculously simplified that it will not be a good replacment for XP.

I do a lot of website design and often have to open more than 25 100k jpeg thumbnails. The reason that MS took away this ability in Vista baffles me. What was the reason given? It cannot possibly be performance as I have been doing this on XP since Pentium I's with 128MB Ram. With XP it would just warn you and that was that.

What on earth is considered a 'legacy app'? I am running Adobe Fireworks CS3 written for Vista and that won't open more than 15 jpgs with the context menu.

Microsoft Office 2007 won't let me open a .doc and a .docx at the same time regardless of the fact they are both SET to default to Office 2007.

Please tell me there is a registry change for this.

So it would seem like it would be easier for a badly behaving application
that makes the system choke and freeze up as it opens up 25-1000 files to
just set the registry hack as opposed to fixing their code to write a better
shell handler.

As such, it wouldn't seem to make any sense whatsoever to have a registry
override... which is probably why there isn't one. =\

If you don't like this behavior, request your application vendor to support
more modern shell file handlers. They're not too tough to write and they
make your system run better and be more responsive. Win-win. Duct-taping
together bad practices isn't the best plan. =\

If you want the right thing to happen, ask your application vendor to fix
their code.
If you want the wrong thing to happen, complain to official Microsoft
support.
Otherwise, there's no way that I'm aware of to force the shell to use the
old problematic method, sorry.

-Zach
--
Speaking for myself only.
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--
"lforbes" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:dc26cba16a6680bcd2b1a983f95f892d@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

Well Microsoft is the Vendor? If they don't write their own software for the new shell then who actually does? I have 100 pieces of software that I use in my networks from over 50 vendors. Not one actually supports the ability to open 16 files of the same type at the same time under Vista? This includes Notepad and Office.

This again is Microsoft trying to make it difficult for me to do my job by attempting to "save me from myself". Add it to the other long list of Vista bugs that keep Vista out of my networks. I had a live Windows 2000 network long before most Network Admins had even seen it. I was one of the first to launch Windows XP live and did all the beta testing for the Cramsession boards (back in the day).

I am always installing the newest but Vista is the first MS OS ever where I was left shaking my head. I run it at home only because it came on my laptop and I haven't had the energy to install XP.

I understand the MS developers trying to defend Vista but basically what they really need to do is accept that it is screwed up and actually FIX it instead of defending it. Taking away functionality is NOT the way to improve an OS.

I have been able to hack Vista using the registry to bring back a lot of XP functionality. However, there are so many of these bugs that just make it difficult to use.

I have talked to my Microsoft Select rep but there is no word yet about how much Windows 7 will actually put back the functionality taken away from XP.

And just in case you were wondering why I won't run Vista:

1> Removal of the File Type Manager. The Default Programs does not work. It doesn't modify the registry properly. Therefore if I have Office 2007 and 2003 on the same machine it will ALWAYS use 2003 regardless of how many times I choose 2007 in the Default Programs. Now I am back to a 3rd party app or a reg hack. Same goes for JPG files and multiple programs.

2> 3 levels deep to change permissions - Are you sure? Are you really sure? Are you really, really, really sure? Yes I have time to waste by clicking OK hundreds of extra times just to set permissions on local workstations.

3> No backwards compatability. Windows XP could use Windows NT 4.0 profiles but Vista can't even use XP? For my 1000 profiles I would have to duplicate every one of them. No thanks. I can't afford the server space.

4> No Group Policy backwards compatabililty. I can't edit policies from either XP or Windows 2003.

5> Most of Vista Profiles don't roam like the Gadget bar so there is no point in having that functionality in a network environment.

6> Giving users full access to their profile by putting the whole profile on the desktop ready for them to delete away. Also taking away the ability to put My Documents and IE on the Desktop???? I can imagine the service calls

7> Dumbing down Import Picture Wizard so you cannot select what pictures to import. Yes in my publishing department they are going to want to import all 300 photos everytime???

8> Dumbing down of many Control Panel apps.

I have 200 Vista Licenses and will not use them. Thank goodness for downgrade rights. It is unfortunate and definitely new for me not to be running the newest OS.

Cheers,
Lara

I have the same problem - at the end of the month when it's invoice time, I have to open dozens of purchase orders (I run my own company) in Excel format and copy data from each of them into my invoices. In XP, I could just highlight them all and open them all at once, and then close them one-by-one as I got the relevant data. In Vista I can't do this, and opening them one-by-one is especially annoying since they steal focus away from the directory that contains them, which means a lot of swapping back and forth.

The only solution I have found so far is to highlight them all, and drag them into an already-open Excel window on the taskbar, which will them open all at once, old XP style. But this really ought to be built in to the OS, like it used to be. I registered just specially to share this tip, and to say to the trolls not to be so nasty and snobbish, because people DO have a genuine reason to use this functionality.

Zach, you point out that it is difficult to properly convey emotional tone via online communication, but if you look at this quote is so very clear that your tone is very dismissive and derogatory. Furthermore you use sarcasm liberally, which makes the listener feel, well, stupid. Are you really surprised when people respond poorly?

For every application one integrates into the shell you could add 5 seconds to the response time when you right click. Also, one could easily be prompted that opening multiple files could cause problems, but still be given the functionality.

I have to agree thoroughly with LForbes that removing functionality is not a solution at all. Your reasoning is easy enough to understand, but repeating your point several times and using sarcasm seems to get terrible results.

I too, joined this forum only to post this comment - Zach could use help with his communication skills.