How to stop Explorer navigation pane from opening it's own folders?

[videobruce]

On my 2nd bootable backup drive (W7 freshly compiled from NTLite), when I click on a drive letter in the navigation pane, it keeps on opening folders there and the center pane. That makes it really hard it use the left pane w/o manually condensing it back down to just the single 'Computer' entry. I have multiple drives with a total of seven partitions, I don't want to have it open both listings of the partition I'm interested in.

I realize I can click on the "-" before the drive or Computer entry to collapse the directory everytime, but that is a real pain and doesn't solve the problem.

My main bootable drive (loaded with W7 from RT7 Lite) does not have this problem. Neither does opening up 'save as' or 'open' when in a program.

(below; "doesn't" should of been worded "won't".)

Edited June 22, 2021 by videobruce

[vinifera]

well its obviously that ntlite fuxed something up

 

[videobruce]

NO, hard to f'up a f'ed up O/S in the 1st place. It was a setting that was a stupid M$ idea that got enabled.

Now, what registry setting needs to be changed to 'fix' M$'s f'up?

 

[WalksInSilence]

In Win7 that is under Computer (right click) > View (drop down menu) > Expand all groups. I think Icepick maybe right, if that option is shown ticked it is probably the cause.

The menu layout shown for Win7 is otherwise weird; it seems to be is what is usually the main "Computer" menu when you open your primary drive, usually C:\. The setting are certainly not default as you have all the usually hidden folders view on ie. SVI, ProgramData, RecycleBin etc. That can be changed under the 'Organize' button > Folder and search options > View tab.

If it is not the Expand all groups option I'd be looking for something under those View tab options which maybe involved.     

[videobruce]

"all programs auto expander" solves the problem, but there is a conflict between that and Classic Shell Start Menu, breaking APAE.