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Topic: Windows XP MCE question

Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 01-09-2007 02:24 PM

I have a new computer with Windows XP MCE and one of the things I have a really hard time getting used to is that when I double click on a drive, it opens the search function rather than the directory. You can right click and chose open or explore from the context menu, and from there on, double clicking works the normal way, but since I am in the process of reorganizing a lot of backed up material from my old system, it really gets on my nerves.
Is there a way to change that so that the default double click action is opening the directory and displaying all the folders, like before?

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: Boulder Creek, CA.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 01-09-2007 02:26 PM

I believe it's an option under Folder Options in My Computer (click on Tools menu). Not totally certain though. I don't use XP.

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 01-09-2007 06:56 PM

As Dominic suggested the same applies to XP.

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Anslem Rayburn
Master Film Handler

Posts: 476
From: Yuma, AZ, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 01-09-2007 07:57 PM

Not seeing the option under "Folder Options", and being unable to duplicate the action, I found this using Google :

Link

Hope it helps.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 01-10-2007 04:02 AM

From what I gather, MCE is basically XP Pro without the file encryption facility and some of the more advanced networking components, but with drivers for external media devices and a load of rights management crap.

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Michael Schaffer
"Where is the
Boardwalk Hotel?"

Posts: 4143
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 01-10-2007 08:15 AM

quote: Anslem Rayburn
Hope it helps.

Yes, it did. I tried the quick fix first, but it didn't do anything. Would that be supposed to go into the box that opens when you click "Run" in the start menu? That's what I did - after backing up the registry *and* setting a restore point -, and it gave me a message like "this or that action successful" (it didn't really say "this or that", I just forgot what the exact wording was). But it didn't change anything. Then I opened regedit32 from the run box and edited the described value.
Then the screen went blank and smoke started coming out of the PC.
No, just kidding. After that, the problem was indeed fixed.

Thanks for the tip.

It is interesting how that happened. I had actually made some changes in the folder view options - where there is no option to change *that*, however -, but only small stuff like show all files and show file extensions.
You know, I grew up in the DOS age. I need to see file extensions. All those colorful and happy icons make me dizzy.

quote: Leo Enticknap
From what I gather, MCE is basically XP Pro without the file encryption facility and some of the more advanced networking components, but with drivers for external media devices and a load of rights management crap.

Could be, but I haven't played around with that much yet. I decided to give myself full rights. Of course, it helps that I am both the administrator and the user, so I can just go ahead and do that.
I only looked at the Media Center once. I haven't figured out yet what its point is. It doesn't do anything that other programs for audio and video don't do either. It just looks more diffuse and happy.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 01-10-2007 08:52 AM

I think that's basically the idea: MCE is designed for PC-based home entertainment devices (i.e. a combined TV tuner, hard drive based video recorder, stereo system etc. based on a PC motherboard), rather than for computers which will be used mainly as computers.

On the user rights issue, I use my computer (running XP Pro) mainly under a limited account, logging on as an admin account only when I need to change a setting, update Windows, install software or do anything else which you can't as a limited user. This is because when you're logged on as a limited user, any virus, spyware or other crap like that which tries to install itself or change system settings will be blocked from doing so without administrator rights - so in effect, the limited account acts as another layer of firewall.

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Tao Yue
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 209
From: Princeton, NJ
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-14-2007 07:06 PM

quote: Leo Enticknap

From what I gather, MCE is basically XP Pro without the file encryption facility and some of the more advanced networking components, but with drivers for external media devices and a load of rights management crap.

Actually, MCE does include the Encrypting File System.

quote: Leo Enticknap

On the user rights issue, I use my computer (running XP Pro) mainly under a limited account, logging on as an admin account only when I need to change a setting, update Windows, install software or do anything else which you can't as a limited user. This is because when you're logged on as a limited user, any virus, spyware or other crap like that which tries to install itself or change system settings will be blocked from doing so without administrator rights - so in effect, the limited account acts as another layer of firewall.

By the way, you don't have to re-login in order to install something as admin. Right-click on an executable or shortcut and select "Run As..." This will let you run just that program as a higher-privilege user. This allows you to avoid the overhead of using Fast User Switching.

In Vista with UAC turned on, even an administrator is prompted to approve high-privilege actions.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 01-15-2007 02:26 AM

Thanks Tao - didn't know about the 'run as' feature. I've got one or two applications which simply won't work when logged on as limited, even if I give the limited user modify access to the program folder (film scanner driver being the main one - I suspect it was designed for XP Home and not tested properly on Pro); that should save the faff of logging out and in again.

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