Hello, after applying various OS updates, I noticed a (minor but annoying) change for symbolic links in Windows 7. When traversing folders in the Navigation Pane (the tree view), now Windows Explorer jumps to their original path (like a normal link), instead of remaining in its current tree structure like before. It works correctly if you traverse simlinks in the folder view (right panel), instead. Junctions kept their previous behaviour for both methods. Why did MS even bothered to modify it for simlinks? If you have Windows 7 (up to date), can you please test this issue? If you can see hidden folders, the easiest way to do it is here: "C:\Users\All Users\" is a symlink. Nav Pane jumps to "C:\ProgramData" now. "C:\Users\All Users\Documents" is a junction. Nav Pane stays in the same tree.
Doesn't seem to happen here. I don't have an 'All Users' but my own symlinks navigate as expected... no jumping around. I haven't updated in a good few months though. I use Simplix when I do.
Confirmed. Clicking the symlink jumps to the symlink target. Clicking a subdirectory of the symlink does not jump. Looks like a bug.
You don't have "All Users"? Is your option to see hidden folders enabled? There should also be the "Default" and "Default User" directories in there. Anyway, do you know what's your (or Simplix's) last installed OS patch? If you can use the command line, please run this to see a list with the dates, sorted by KB number: Code: wmic qfe get hotfixid,description,installedon | sort /+18 (or copy some by hand from the Installed Updates window)
Sorry, I had 'hide protected operating system files' still checked. 'All Users' is there now I've unchecked that. I don't dive in there often so wasn't sure I should have them. My last updates are from the May 2018 Simplix pack. I have two PCs updated to that. Didn't realise it was that long ago (oops). Neither PC shows the jumping issue in the navigation pane on my own symlinks or on All Users.
The "All Users" symlink dir only appears if you have Hidden and Super-Hidden items visible. "Show hidden files, folders and drives" must be selected. "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)" must be UNCHECKED. Open a new Explorer window and the "All Users" should appear.
Can you please give me some KB patches numbers + dates? I doubt I can see the old Simplix packs list (or I can't seem to find one).
Sure... Spoiler KB2479943 5/2/2018 KB2491683 5/2/2018 KB2506014 5/2/2018 KB2506212 5/2/2018 KB2506928 5/2/2018 KB2509553 5/2/2018 KB2533552 5/2/2018 KB2534111 5/2/2018 KB2545698 5/2/2018 KB2547666 5/2/2018 KB2552343 5/2/2018 KB2560656 5/2/2018 KB2563227 5/2/2018 KB2564958 5/2/2018 KB2574819 5/2/2018 KB2579686 5/2/2018 KB2592687 5/2/2018 KB2603229 5/2/2018 KB2604115 5/2/2018 KB2620704 5/2/2018 KB2621440 5/2/2018 KB2631813 5/2/2018 KB2640148 5/2/2018 KB2647753 5/2/2018 KB2654428 5/2/2018 KB2660075 5/2/2018 KB2667402 5/2/2018 KB2670838 5/2/2018 KB2685811 5/2/2018 KB2685813 5/2/2018 KB2690533 5/2/2018 KB2698365 5/2/2018 KB2705219 5/2/2018 KB2716513 5/2/2018 KB2719033 5/2/2018 KB2719857 5/2/2018 KB2726535 5/2/2018 KB2727528 5/2/2018 KB2729094 5/2/2018 KB2732059 5/2/2018 KB2732487 5/2/2018 KB2736422 5/2/2018 KB2742599 5/2/2018 KB2750841 5/2/2018 KB2761217 5/2/2018 KB2763523 5/2/2018 KB2770660 5/2/2018 KB2773072 5/2/2018 KB2786081 5/2/2018 KB2791765 5/2/2018 KB2799926 5/2/2018 KB2800095 5/2/2018 KB2807986 5/2/2018 KB2808679 5/2/2018 KB2813347 5/2/2018 KB2813430 5/2/2018 KB2818604 5/2/2018 KB2830477 5/2/2018 KB2834140 5/2/2018 KB2840631 5/2/2018 KB2841134 5/2/2018 KB2843630 5/2/2018 KB2847927 5/2/2018 KB2849696 5/2/2018 KB2849697 5/2/2018 KB2852386 5/2/2018 KB2853952 5/2/2018 KB2857650 5/2/2018 KB2861698 5/2/2018 KB2862152 5/2/2018 KB2862330 5/2/2018 KB2862335 5/2/2018 KB2864202 5/2/2018 KB2868038 5/2/2018 KB2868116 5/2/2018 KB2871997 5/2/2018 KB2882822 5/2/2018 KB2884256 5/2/2018 KB2891804 5/2/2018 KB2892074 5/2/2018 KB2893294 5/2/2018 KB2893519 5/2/2018 KB2894844 5/2/2018 KB2900986 5/2/2018 KB2908783 5/2/2018 KB2911501 5/2/2018 KB2912390 5/2/2018 KB2918077 5/2/2018 KB2919469 5/2/2018 KB2923545 5/2/2018 KB2929733 5/2/2018 KB2931356 5/2/2018 KB2937610 5/2/2018 KB2943357 5/2/2018 KB2966583 5/2/2018 KB2968294 5/2/2018 KB2970228 5/2/2018 KB2972100 5/2/2018 KB2973112 5/2/2018 KB2973201 5/2/2018 KB2973351 5/2/2018 KB2977292 5/2/2018 KB2978120 5/2/2018 KB2978742 5/2/2018 KB2984972 5/2/2018 KB2985461 5/2/2018 KB2991963 5/2/2018 KB2992611 5/2/2018 KB2999226 8/13/2018 KB3000483 5/2/2018 KB3003743 5/2/2018 KB3004361 5/2/2018 KB3004375 5/2/2018 KB3006121 5/2/2018 KB3006137 5/2/2018 KB3010788 5/2/2018 KB3011780 5/2/2018 KB3013531 5/2/2018 KB3020370 5/2/2018 KB3020388 5/2/2018 KB3020393 5/2/2018 KB3021674 5/2/2018 KB3022777 5/2/2018 KB3023215 5/2/2018 KB3030377 5/2/2018 KB3035126 5/2/2018 KB3037574 5/2/2018 KB3042058 5/2/2018 KB3042553 5/2/2018 KB3045685 5/2/2018 KB3046017 5/2/2018 KB3046269 5/2/2018 KB3054476 5/2/2018 KB3055642 5/2/2018 KB3059317 5/2/2018 KB3060716 5/2/2018 KB3064209 5/2/2018 KB3067903 5/2/2018 KB3071756 5/2/2018 KB3072305 5/2/2018 KB3074543 5/2/2018 KB3075226 5/2/2018 KB3078601 5/2/2018 KB3078667 5/2/2018 KB3080079 5/2/2018 KB3084135 5/2/2018 KB3086255 5/2/2018 KB3092627 5/2/2018 KB3093513 5/2/2018 KB3097989 5/2/2018 KB3101722 5/2/2018 KB3102429 5/2/2018 KB3107998 5/2/2018 KB3108371 5/2/2018 KB3108381 5/2/2018 KB3108664 5/2/2018 KB3109103 5/2/2018 KB3109560 5/2/2018 KB3110329 5/2/2018 KB3121255 5/2/2018 KB3122648 5/2/2018 KB3126587 5/2/2018 KB3127220 5/2/2018 KB3137061 5/2/2018 KB3138378 5/2/2018 KB3138612 5/2/2018 KB3138910 5/2/2018 KB3139398 5/2/2018 KB3139914 5/2/2018 KB3140245 5/2/2018 KB3147071 5/2/2018 KB3150220 5/2/2018 KB3156016 5/2/2018 KB3156019 5/2/2018 KB3159398 5/2/2018 KB3161102 5/2/2018 KB3161949 5/2/2018 KB3161958 5/2/2018 KB3170455 5/2/2018 KB3177467 5/2/2018 KB3179573 5/2/2018 KB3181988 5/2/2018 KB3184143 5/2/2018 KB4014504 5/2/2018 KB4014565 5/2/2018 KB917607 5/2/2018 KB958488 5/2/2018 KB976902 11/21/2010 KB982018 5/2/2018
Actually... I've just realised those might be from even earlier. I think that's the date I reinstalled the PC, rather than the date I did the updates, and I used an install set I had made some time previously with integrated updates. It might not be much help to you in that case. Still, you have the KBs and can probably find the release date of those.
Thank you. Sadly there are too many differences with such old update and Simplix to identify the bad patch. Can anyone else without this issue give me his list?
I have a fresh VM I've been playing with, no updates yet. I'll snapshot it and slap on one of the simplix packs I have - see if it breaks the symlink/explorer thing. Will need to run it over night though. I'll restore and try other packs to see if I can identify a month, at least. I'm interested to know myself because I routinely use symlinks in my setup.
I've just realised that I installed my VM with another update-integrated pack - that's what I was playing with. The issue still does not happen with Simplix pack updates from December 2018. Again, I tried with both my own symlinks and 'All Users'. No jumping around. The update pack is Simplix 18.12.15, integrated with the en_windows_7_ultimate_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_677332 ISO. Updates installed list: Spoiler KB2479943 KB2491683 KB2506014 KB2506212 KB2506928 KB2533552 KB2534111 KB2545698 KB2547666 KB2552343 KB2560656 KB2563227 KB2564958 KB2574819 KB2579686 KB2592687 KB2603229 KB2604115 KB2620704 KB2621440 KB2631813 KB2640148 KB2647753 KB2654428 KB2660075 KB2667402 KB2670838 KB2685811 KB2685813 KB2690533 KB2698365 KB2705219 KB2716513 KB2719033 KB2719857 KB2726535 KB2727528 KB2729094 KB2732059 KB2732487 KB2736422 KB2742599 KB2750841 KB2761217 KB2763523 KB2770660 KB2773072 KB2786081 KB2791765 KB2799926 KB2800095 KB2807986 KB2808679 KB2813347 KB2813430 KB2818604 KB2830477 KB2834140 KB2840631 KB2841134 KB2843630 KB2847927 KB2849696 KB2849697 KB2852386 KB2853952 KB2857650 KB2861698 KB2862330 KB2862335 KB2864202 KB2868038 KB2871997 KB2882822 KB2884256 KB2891804 KB2893294 KB2893519 KB2894844 KB2900986 KB2908783 KB2911501 KB2912390 KB2918077 KB2919469 KB2920188 KB2923545 KB2931356 KB2937610 KB2943357 KB2966583 KB2968294 KB2970228 KB2972100 KB2972211 KB2973201 KB2977292 KB2978120 KB2978742 KB2984972 KB2985461 KB2990941 KB2991963 KB2992611 KB3000483 KB3004375 KB3006121 KB3006137 KB3010788 KB3011780 KB3013531 KB3020370 KB3020388 KB3020393 KB3021674 KB3023215 KB3030377 KB3035126 KB3037574 KB3042058 KB3045685 KB3046017 KB3046269 KB3054476 KB3055642 KB3059317 KB3060716 KB3064209 KB3067903 KB3071756 KB3072305 KB3074543 KB3075226 KB3078667 KB3086255 KB3087873 KB3093513 KB3097989 KB3102429 KB3107998 KB3108371 KB3108664 KB3109103 KB3109560 KB3110329 KB3126587 KB3127220 KB3137061 KB3138378 KB3138612 KB3138910 KB3139398 KB3139914 KB3140245 KB3147071 KB3150220 KB3156016 KB3159398 KB3161102 KB3161949 KB3177467 KB3179573 KB3184143 KB4019990 KB4040966 KB4040980 KB4054998 KB4470641 KB4471318 KB917607 KB976902 KB982018
Damn, my manually-updated system difference with Simplix is still a lot. Excluding the patches I installed in 2017 which didn't give me problems, these remain: KB4054176 KB4056897 KB4074587 KB4088878 KB4093108 KB4284867 KB4343899 KB4345459 KB4457145 KB4462915 KB4467106 KB4470199 KB4471328
I've installed all of those, one at a time, on my VM with the existing updates I already listed. I tested after each one... but still cannot reproduce the issue here. All of them are now installed. Just to make sure I'm checking the right thing: The issue is that, when clicking on a symlink in Explorer's navigation pane (left side, folder tree) the cursor position in the navigation pane jumps to the linked folder instead of just opening the tree at the symlink. Correct? When I click on 'All Users', the contents ("Application Data, Desktop, etc) are displayed in the right pane and the cursor in the navigation pane stays where I clicked (Users/All Users). Looks like there might be more to it than a simple KB to find.
Yeah, that's correct. Thanks for the tests. I hoped we were on the right track, but nope.. I wonder if these programs could contribute in creating such specific issue, combined to new patches: - Classic Shell - Link Shell Extension.
I got it to reproduce... give me a minute to confirm... confirmed! I installed Classic Shell on my VM. LSE was already installed. I don't use Classic Shell, but I tried a few things that looked like it might cause an effect... nothing. Until... In Explorer, I went to Tools/Folder Options/General, and ticked "Automatically expand to current folder". That instantly reproduced the issue! I've repeated a few times - that seems to be the culprit with Classic Shell installed. On my 'real' PC without Classic Shell, ticking that box does not reproduce the issue. Try unticking that option, if you have it ticked...
Yeah, that fixes it, good job. However... the problem is that I find that option quite useful, so this isn't exactly an ideal solution for me. Also this didn't happen before the updates, so a patch must still be the culprit. Sadly, Classic Shell isn't going to be updated anymore. There is a replacement called Open-Shell, but I have no idea if it's a worthy successor (and if it fixes this bug).
As long as it does the job, why do you need updates for that app? I'm still using it with W8.1, W10 v1809. I will look for an alternative when it stops working with the OS.