Normally, when I have an explorer window - not any extra fancy utility,
just the normal explorer that comes with Windows - open, showing a
folder/directory on my local hard drive, and I do something that creates
a new file in that folder (such as extracting an audio file from a video
file), the new file appears in that window.

But sometimes, Explorer flips into a mode where new files _don't_ show -
I have to refresh (View | Refresh, or sometimes F3). (Or switch to a
different folder/directory and then back.)

Any idea what toggles this mode?

I have a vague memory of what this mode is _for_: it's for when the
folder/directory is on a remote or external drive, and such instant
refresh would tie up resources, and/or slow things down otherwise. But
I'm looking at one on the local drive.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Intelligence isn't complete without the full picture and the full picture is
all about doubt. Otherwise, you go the way of George Bush. - baroness Eliza
Manningham-Buller (former head of MI5), Radio Times 3-9 September 2011.

In message <4R0iFRaOHaflFwRy@255soft.uk> at Sat, 16 Dec 2023 13:10:38,
J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> writes
>Normally, when I have an explorer window - not any extra fancy utility,
>just the normal explorer that comes with Windows - open, showing a
>folder/directory on my local hard drive, and I do something that
>creates a new file in that folder (such as extracting an audio file
>from a video file), the new file appears in that window.
>
>But sometimes, Explorer flips into a mode where new files _don't_ show
>- I have to refresh (View | Refresh, or sometimes F3). (Or switch to a
>different folder/directory and then back.)
>
>Any idea what toggles this mode?
>
>I have a vague memory of what this mode is _for_: it's for when the
>folder/directory is on a remote or external drive, and such instant
>refresh would tie up resources, and/or slow things down otherwise. But
>I'm looking at one on the local drive.

Oh, and whatever it is that does this, also seems to nobble F3, which
now persistently opens the search box rather than doing a refresh, so
View | Refresh (or go away and come back) is the _only_ way to see the
new file.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Have the courage to be ordinary - people make themselves so desperately unhappy
trying to be clever and totally original. (Robbie Coltrane, RT 8-14 Nov. 1997.)

On 16/12/2023 13:46, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <4R0iFRaOHaflFwRy@255soft.uk> at Sat, 16 Dec 2023 13:10:38,
> J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> writes
>> Normally, when I have an explorer window - not any extra fancy
>> utility, just the normal explorer that comes with Windows - open,
>> showing a folder/directory on my local hard drive, and I do something
>> that creates a new file in that folder (such as extracting an audio
>> file from a video file), the new file appears in that window.
>>
>> But sometimes, Explorer flips into a mode where new files _don't_ show
>> - I have to refresh (View | Refresh, or sometimes F3). (Or switch to a
>> different folder/directory and then back.)
>>
>> Any idea what toggles this mode?
>>
>> I have a vague memory of what this mode is _for_: it's for when the
>> folder/directory is on a remote or external drive, and such instant
>> refresh would tie up resources, and/or slow things down otherwise. But
>> I'm looking at one on the local drive.
>
> Oh, and whatever it is that does this, also seems to nobble F3, which
> now persistently opens the search box rather than doing a refresh, so
> View | Refresh (or go away and come back) is the _only_ way to see the
> new file.

<F5> is supposed to refresh, but sometimes doesn't, whether or not it
does seems to depend on where the keyboard/mouse focus is when you press
it. AFAIAA <F3> has gone to the search box ever since W7, probably
since Vista, possibly since before.

ISTR that you've asked this question about Explorer failing to
auto-update before, and that there was no conclusive reply. The
unpredictable nature of its behaviour is certainly very irritating.

--

Fake news kills!

I may be contacted via the contact address given on my website:
www.macfh.co.uk

In message <ulkd4v$2em0e$1@dont-email.me> at Sat, 16 Dec 2023 14:44:51,
Java Jive <java@evij.com.invalid> writes
[]
><F5> is supposed to refresh, but sometimes doesn't, whether or not it
>does seems to depend on where the keyboard/mouse focus is when you
>press it. AFAIAA <F3> has gone to the search box ever since W7,
>probably since Vista, possibly since before.

Thanks - failing memory! (I'm on 7.)
>
>ISTR that you've asked this question about Explorer failing to auto-

I have ...

>update before, and that there was no conclusive reply. The

.... and there wasn't. I thought I'd ask again, in case either my earlier
ask wasn't very clear, or someone had new insight since then.

>unpredictable nature of its behaviour is certainly very irritating.
>
Yes, that's it; if it _always_ went to the wrong mode, I'd be used to
it, and pressing F5 or whatever. It's just when it suddenly decides to
do it that's irritating: it happens rarely enough to be unexpected.
(Hence my wondering if it's something I'm doing.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Ask not for whom the bell tolls; let the machine get it

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

> Normally, when I have an explorer window - not any extra fancy utility,
> just the normal explorer that comes with Windows - open, showing a
> folder/directory on my local hard drive, and I do something that creates
> a new file in that folder (such as extracting an audio file from a video
> file), the new file appears in that window.
>
> But sometimes, Explorer flips into a mode where new files _don't_ show -
> I have to refresh (View | Refresh, or sometimes F3). (Or switch to a
> different folder/directory and then back.)
>
> Any idea what toggles this mode?
>
> I have a vague memory of what this mode is _for_: it's for when the
> folder/directory is on a remote or external drive, and such instant
> refresh would tie up resources, and/or slow things down otherwise. But
> I'm looking at one on the local drive.

When I have difficulties with Explorer (which is both a file manager and
the desktop GUI manager), I click on a shortcut that runs a batch file
which has:

@echo off
taskkill.exe /im explorer.exe /f
start explorer.exe
exit

Make sure the shortcut has admin privileges. I don't know if it
addresses your particular problem, but worth a shot to reload Explorer.

Another suggestion is to delete everything in the following folder, and
restart Windows (although I suspect you only need to logout and login
since this is a per-user folder):

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Those are compound files containing data streams for a timestamp, app
ID, and file path of recently used files and folders, and define entries
in the Jump lists.

Run ncpa.cpl, right-click on your connectoid (the one that is connected
if you have more than one), Properties. Is "Client for Microsoft
Networks" enabled?

While you may not be effecting file/folder changes on a networked drive,
do you have a network location, especially one that is not available
(zombie), under the Quick Access pseudo-folder in Explorer's tree pane?
If so, try unpinning network locations under the Quick Access
pseudo-folder. Other pseudo-folders (aka libraries) are Documents,
Music, Pictures, and Videos. Some folks have found the auto-refresh
works when they are in the real folder (went directly to it) instead of
using the link in a library "folder".

Extensions added to Explorer can interfere with auto-refresh. The
problem is you might've added several probably as a consequence of
installing software that wants to extend the feature set of Explorer.
You can use Nirsoft's Shell Extension Viewer to see what got added to
Explorer. Click on the Company header to sort entries together by the
company name that owns extensions, and review those not from Microsoft.
You can disable all the non-Microsoft extensions, test if auto-refresh
works (after restarting Windows), and if that fixes the problem then you
have the joy of testing each (reenabling them) one at a time. If you
don't need all those extensions, see if the owning program has options
to disable/remove them. However, too many programs shove in shell
extensions whether you want them or not, so the only choice is to keep
the software and its rude injection of its shell extensions, or
uninstall the program (and check its shell extension really did get
deleted). For example, while I have Revo Uninstaller Pro (and old
version), I rarely use it. Its shell extension is worthless to me. It
has the option to select/deselect "Show commands in Windows context
menu". The default is to add since the devs figure you just must want
their shell extension. After deselecting the option, and after
refreshing Nirsoft ShellExt View, that shell extension disappeared.
While I installed TeraCopy to handle when moving thousands of files at
the same time (Explorer often pukes on an error), I really don't need
its shell extensions, so I disable them in the options within the
program, and refresh Nirsoft ShellExt View. Code Sector's Teracopy
shell extensions disappeared, including the shell entries when using the
mouse to drag files. Sometimes you end up with way too many shell
extensions that you rarely or never use, and some can interfere with
Explorer's behavior, like auto-refresh.

I'm on Windows 10, so some features may be absent back in Windows 7, or
were named differently. For example, instead of the Quick Access
pseudo-folder in Windows 10, it was called the Favorites folder under
Windows 7.

On 12/16/2023 11:05 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <ulkd4v$2em0e$1@dont-email.me> at Sat, 16 Dec 2023 14:44:51, Java Jive <java@evij.com.invalid> writes
> []
>> <F5> is supposed to refresh, but sometimes doesn't, whether or not it does seems to depend on where

>> the keyboard/mouse focus is when you press it.  AFAIAA <F3> has gone to the search box ever since W7,

>> probably since Vista, possibly since before.
>
> Thanks - failing memory! (I'm on 7.)
>>
>> ISTR that you've asked this question about Explorer failing to auto-
>
> I have ...
>
>> update before, and that there was no conclusive reply.  The
>
> ... and there wasn't. I thought I'd ask again, in case either my earlier ask wasn't very clear,
> or someone had new insight since then.
>
>> unpredictable nature of its behaviour is certainly very irritating.
>>
> Yes, that's it; if it _always_ went to the wrong mode, I'd be used to it,
> and pressing F5 or whatever. It's just when it suddenly decides to do it
> that's irritating: it happens rarely enough to be unexpected. (Hence my
> wondering if it's something I'm doing.)

I picked such topical web pages as "How to Open File Explorer"
at the microsoft.com site, and there's no mention of there
being bugs in File Explorer, or mention of pressing F5 to
compensate for sloppy coding :-) I am disappointed that the
instruction page was not more realistic. Such as, telling
us why "Group By: None" is so hard to find :-) Or why we
have to keep turning on "Show file extensions" in the year
2023.

There are in fact, many mysteries in life. F5 is only one of them.

"I can't fix this bug. How about, we put an F5 Refresh in the menu ?
Do I at least get a cookie now, for being a good boy ?"

File Explorer is an interesting piece of software. On one
of my machines, it won't use more than 15GB of memory. It
gets to 15GB, there is a busy cursor, and it stops allocating
memory for itself. See, it does have features.

*******

Try the following experiment.

dir
del BingChatInstaller.exe
dir

When you look at the directory listing, on the
second dir, it's always correct, and reflects the
current state of the folder.

No bug there. "Nothing up my sleeve."

That's something I was doing recently. I'm looking
in Task Manager, working on something, and I spot that
executable. How did it get on the machine ? Is it
malicious ? Etc. Shitting yourself doesn't help.

Apparently, that's in the same class as BGAUpsell.

Paul

In message <memo.20231216191428.13984A@jeason.cix.co.uk> at Sat, 16 Dec
2023 19:14:00, John K.Eason <john@jeasonNoSpam.cix.co.uk> writes
>In article <ZBjqxsaTpaflFwUM@255soft.uk>, G6JPG@255soft.uk (J. P.
>Gilliver) wrote:
>
>> Oh, and whatever it is that does this, also seems to nobble F3,
>> which now persistently opens the search box rather than doing a
>> refresh, so View | Refresh (or go away and come back) is the _only_
>> way to see the new file.
>
> That's because F5 is the refresh key!
>
Yes, Oops!
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Norman Tebbitt has the irritating quality of being much nicer in person than
he is in print. - Clive Anderson, RT 1996/10/12-18

In message <ull8ep$2ivdd$1@dont-email.me> at Sat, 16 Dec 2023 17:30:47,
Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> writes
[]
>I picked such topical web pages as "How to Open File Explorer"
>at the microsoft.com site, and there's no mention of there
>being bugs in File Explorer, or mention of pressing F5 to
>compensate for sloppy coding :-) I am disappointed that the
>instruction page was not more realistic. Such as, telling
>us why "Group By: None" is so hard to find :-) Or why we
>have to keep turning on "Show file extensions" in the year
>2023.

Indeed - that should have been on by default since it being off first
got abused - which must be a decade or two ago.
>
>There are in fact, many mysteries in life. F5 is only one of them.
>
>"I can't fix this bug. How about, we put an F5 Refresh in the menu ?
> Do I at least get a cookie now, for being a good boy ?"

It's in the View menu, but it doesn't actually show that F5 is the key
(hence my forgetting); actually, now I look, _none_ of the menu
dropdowns show their shortcut keys (such as F2 for rename).
>
>File Explorer is an interesting piece of software. On one
>of my machines, it won't use more than 15GB of memory. It
>gets to 15GB, there is a busy cursor, and it stops allocating
>memory for itself. See, it does have features.

Ha! No problem here: I only have the 4G that 7-32 can address! (And,
rarely find that a limitation.)
>
>*******
>
>Try the following experiment.
>
> dir
> del BingChatInstaller.exe
> dir
>
>When you look at the directory listing, on the
>second dir, it's always correct, and reflects the
>current state of the folder.

I think "del" deletes properly, not to the recycle bin.
>
>No bug there. "Nothing up my sleeve."
>
>That's something I was doing recently. I'm looking
>in Task Manager, working on something, and I spot that
>executable. How did it get on the machine ? Is it
>malicious ? Etc. Shitting yourself doesn't help.

I didn't know which directory you meant to look in, but I used
Everything, and by the time I'd got as far as typing BingC, it was
showing nothing.
>
>Apparently, that's in the same class as BGAUpsell.

(I don't have that either.)
>
> Paul
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Norman Tebbitt has the irritating quality of being much nicer in person than
he is in print. - Clive Anderson, RT 1996/10/12-18

In message <1gk2tjokpombc$.dlg@v.nguard.lh> at Sat, 16 Dec 2023
13:26:32, VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> writes
[]
>When I have difficulties with Explorer (which is both a file manager and
>the desktop GUI manager), I click on a shortcut that runs a batch file
>which has:
>
>@echo off
>taskkill.exe /im explorer.exe /f
>start explorer.exe
>exit

I think I did find closing (with the normal top-right X) it and
re-opening did clear the bug, but it's a bit tedious to have to.
[]
>Another suggestion is to delete everything in the following folder, and
>restart Windows (although I suspect you only need to logout and login
>since this is a per-user folder):
>
>C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDe
>stinations
>
>Those are compound files containing data streams for a timestamp, app
>ID, and file path of recently used files and folders, and define entries
>in the Jump lists.

I've marked your post as keep for future reference, but rarely do
anything that involves restarting Windows, as it takes so long.
>
>Run ncpa.cpl, right-click on your connectoid (the one that is connected
>if you have more than one), Properties. Is "Client for Microsoft
>Networks" enabled?

Yes.
>
>While you may not be effecting file/folder changes on a networked drive,
>do you have a network location, especially one that is not available
>(zombie), under the Quick Access pseudo-folder in Explorer's tree pane?

Not sure if I have that pseudo-folder.

>If so, try unpinning network locations under the Quick Access
>pseudo-folder. Other pseudo-folders (aka libraries) are Documents,
>Music, Pictures, and Videos. Some folks have found the auto-refresh
>works when they are in the real folder (went directly to it) instead of
>using the link in a library "folder".

But the problem I (occasionally) have is when looking at a perfectly
ordinary folder on my D: partition - and which was working perfectly
fine a few minutes before. Auto-refresh turns off sufficiently rarely
that I don't know what I might be doing to turn it off.
>
>Extensions added to Explorer can interfere with auto-refresh. The
>problem is you might've added several probably as a consequence of
>installing software that wants to extend the feature set of Explorer.

That wouldn't explain it going and coming back; if I'd added an
extension that had that effect, the effect would be permanent, Shirley?

>You can use Nirsoft's Shell Extension Viewer to see what got added to
>Explorer. Click on the Company header to sort entries together by the
>company name that owns extensions, and review those not from Microsoft.
>You can disable all the non-Microsoft extensions, test if auto-refresh
>works (after restarting Windows), and if that fixes the problem then you
>have the joy of testing each (reenabling them) one at a time. If you

Not the cause (see above), but in things like that, I'd probably do a
binary test rather than one at a time.

>don't need all those extensions, see if the owning program has options
>to disable/remove them. However, too many programs shove in shell
>extensions whether you want them or not, so the only choice is to keep
>the software and its rude injection of its shell extensions, or
>uninstall the program (and check its shell extension really did get
>deleted). For example, while I have Revo Uninstaller Pro (and old
>version), I rarely use it. Its shell extension is worthless to me. It
>has the option to select/deselect "Show commands in Windows context
>menu". The default is to add since the devs figure you just must want
>their shell extension. After deselecting the option, and after
>refreshing Nirsoft ShellExt View, that shell extension disappeared.

Nirsoft makes some good stuff.

>While I installed TeraCopy to handle when moving thousands of files at
>the same time (Explorer often pukes on an error), I really don't need
>its shell extensions, so I disable them in the options within the
>program, and refresh Nirsoft ShellExt View. Code Sector's Teracopy
>shell extensions disappeared, including the shell entries when using the
>mouse to drag files. Sometimes you end up with way too many shell
>extensions that you rarely or never use, and some can interfere with
>Explorer's behavior, like auto-refresh.

But would do so permanently, not intermittently, I think.
>
>I'm on Windows 10, so some features may be absent back in Windows 7, or
>were named differently. For example, instead of the Quick Access
>pseudo-folder in Windows 10, it was called the Favorites folder under
>Windows 7.

Ah, I don't have that one either. Nor the Pictures, etc. ones; I think I
must have turned them off somehow (which I'm pleased about - they
irritated me, since I never used such predefined things).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Alcohol is way ahead of cocaine as the world's deadliest drug, hastening around
three million people per year into their graves (cocaine and heroin and crystal
meth account for around half a million annually).
Revd Richard Coles, RT 2021/7/3-9