[SOLVED] Question about folders, Devices and drives in “This PC”

[iTRiP]

I see when you open This Pc you can view the directory tree of This Pc and there are links for user folders ie: Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, Music, Desktop.

Now that I compare my two pc setups I see that on the one pc I dont have those links, So the question where do I enable or disable this?

I think I can upload a screen grab of this what I'm observing: (comparing two Windows 11 setups)

https://imgur.com/JFcpr7A

https://imgur.com/QR4nPmN

 

[dwd999]

I see when you open This Pc you can view the directory tree of This Pc and there are links for user folders ie: Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, Music, Desktop.

Now that I compare my two pc setups I see that on the one pc I dont have those links, So the question where do I enable or disable this?

I think I can upload a screen grab of this what I'm observing: (comparing two Windows 11 setups)

https://imgur.com/JFcpr7A

https://imgur.com/QR4nPmN

In the first picture note that the little symbol > to the left of This PC is facing down indicating that you have chose to open the list of items contained in This PC. In the second picture the symbol > is pointing to the right indicating that the list is closed so if you just click it the setups would match.

 

[iTRiP]

https://imgur.com/4wE1p1j

I don't think they match, unless I don't understand what you are pointing out should be done.

In the first picture note that the little symbol > to the left of This PC is facing down indicating that you have chose to open the list of items contained in This PC. In the second picture the symbol > is pointing to the right indicating that the list is closed so if you just click it the setups would match.

According to what I have seen, when one opens the This Pc, the This Pc is by default selected and expanded in the directory tree, and on the second pc this is not the case, nor are the links present that should be when This Pc is opened.

 

[Colif]

Are you on 22H2? Build 22621.675?
Image 1 appears to be on latest build as I see ability to add tabs and the Home key is showing in the top left corner - that is what mine looks like.
Image 2 looks like win 11 before they changed IE to add tabs - try running windows update.

 

[iTRiP]

22621.674, right so if it's a matter of forcing updates, I'll rather let it take its course. (this is on the pc with the links missing), and 22621.674 on the pc that appears correct to me.

The users of this pc say it won't bother them so I might leave it as it is on that pc (reinstalling windows over the windows doesn't resolve this either)

 

[Colif]

The difference is where it starts, thst is just an option you can change:
look in the 3 dot menu,

Choose options
Choose General tab
choose drop down next to: Open File Explorer to:

• Home
• This PC
• Username - Personal

if set to Home, you get this:

If set to This PC, you get this:

If set to Personal, it shows my Onedrive folder
No screenshot for that

 

[iTRiP]

Right, I see, even with that, still doesn't show ( the links that in your picture are "pins" for downloads, documents ect) these are meant to permanently listed as folders under This Pc.

Now if there be a way to adjust how that works it would be great.

 

[Colif]

Do you have anything set in quick access? If you don't it might explain why its missing

You can right click any file/folder and add it to quick access. the pinned items are all quick access folders or folders I have pinned/used recently.

I am not sure why Pic 2 doesn't have a Home button, but If you click it in pic 1 it should open quick access area like my first picture. You need to set some though for it to display some.

The default homepage of File Explorer is now called Home. The name Quick access has been repurposed for the pinned/frequent folders section and Pinned files is now called Favorites to align with Office and OneDrive.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...-this-pc/3548290a-7d84-4c5f-894e-4dd961d053c0

 

[Colif]

one thing might fix the missing Home button
right click start
choose Terminal (admin)
if it doesn't open as Powershell, click the drop down arrow in title row and pick from list
copy/paste this command into window:

Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth

and press enter

Then type SFC /scannow

and press enter

Restart PC if SFC fixes any files as some fixes require a restart to be implemented

First command repairs the files SFC uses to clean files, and SFC fixes system files

SFC = System File Checker. First command runs DISM - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/what-is-dism?view=windows-11

it might not help but maybe.

I can't find any posts about missing Home, lots of people posting about the change in appearance thinking its a bug.

 

[iTRiP]

one thing might fix the missing Home button
right click start
choose Terminal (admin)
if it doesn't open as Powershell, click the drop down arrow in title row and pick from list
copy/paste this command into window:

Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth

and press enter

Then type SFC /scannow

and press enter

Restart PC if SFC fixes any files as some fixes require a restart to be implemented

First command repairs the files SFC uses to clean files, and SFC fixes system files

SFC = System File Checker. First command runs DISM - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/what-is-dism?view=windows-11

it might not help but maybe.

Thanks I'll give that a go as well, remember that this missing links is something that just magically started to appear this way even thou the setup was from a fresh install, but this pc has some issue where it locks up for no reason and to get out from that the only way is to use the reset button on the case, other than that can't figure what ells could have caused this odd This Pc behavior.

 

[Colif]

They changed explorers appearance in a recent patch, its possible the changes didn't take on all the PC.
Same time as they added ability to have tabs in it.

Microsoft finally releases tabbed File Explorer for Windows 11

Microsoft has released the long-awaited Windows 11 tabbed File Explorer, Suggested Actions, Taskbar Overflow features, and Task Manager quick-access features in a new preview cumulative update.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

lock ups don't happen for no reason.

 

[iTRiP]

They changed explorers appearance in a recent patch, its possible the changes didn't take on all the PC.
Same time as they added ability to have tabs in it.

Microsoft finally releases tabbed File Explorer for Windows 11

Microsoft has released the long-awaited Windows 11 tabbed File Explorer, Suggested Actions, Taskbar Overflow features, and Task Manager quick-access features in a new preview cumulative update.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

lock ups don't happen for no reason.

So your implying that the Pc of mine where I believe This Pc to be correctly displayed is actually not right and the pc of mine that appears wrong is actually right as latest update, sure then I can live with that and things won't change unless I force updates.

Yeah regarding the pc's strange lockups or freezes, can't explain it, it never happens when I'm using the pc and seems to bother only when the Users of this pc are operating it, maybe their usage pattern differs from what is usual or commonplace.

 

[Colif]

PC1

Seems to be missing tab option, if it had it there would be more like this
not sure how it has folders in that view

PC 2

has ability to create new tabs in file explorer
Is missing the Home Button and quick access

Both missing Onedrive but if you don't use it, that is why.

 

[iTRiP]

Just to recap, does there seems to be a method to have the same view on pc 2 as on pc 1.

Sorry to say but none have onedrive installed, the internet connection is not fast enough for that and dont know if it's still something that interferes with some games's save games being overwriten by onedrive syncing and savegames being placed only in the onedrive directory.

 

[Colif]

Just to recap, does there seems to be a method to have the same view on pc 2 as on pc 1.

no, they should both look like this:

Pic 1 looks like what Explorer was before the changes. its side panel is all wrong.
Pic 2 is almost there, just missing Home button, everything shouldn't be under the Desktop button

I think you need to run the commands I showed on both PC. They both look odd still.

 

[iTRiP]

no, they should both look like this:

Pic 1 looks like what Explorer was before the changes. its side panel is all wrong.
Pic 2 is almost there, just missing Home button, everything shouldn't be under the Desktop button

I think you need to run the commands I showed on both PC. They both look odd still.

Alright, I get what your saying, it just that I was looking to get pc 2 to function similar to pc 1, I'd rather not try all kinds of methods to make it so, if either of my pc's decide to update and change the functionality of how explorer or "This Pc" works and or appears, that's just how it's got to be then and I'm good with that, besides I thought there was some sort of issue that could be rectified by me with forum members help, alas the currant situation with my explorers and or "This Pc's" on my pc's are actually still functioning well and such as pc 1 where I comes across a most functional out of all the possibilities so far even including what you are showing is most up to date.

 

[Colif]

PC1 is not right, so you can't as such make PC2, which is closer to right, match it. All you can hope for is to make them both look the same. Neither is currently right. Both are wrong in different ways.

I can't make it look broken.

sfc /scannow and DISM are some of the easiest commands to run, compared to some of the steps you can be asked to take to fix windows.

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management ) AKA Repair-Windowsimage looks after the disk image used by windows to reinstall itself, it also fixes the files SFC uses to fix windows.
SFC AKA System File Checker fixes the files used by windows to run the system...

So you run DISM command first to make sure the files SFC uses to check are right.

right click start
choose Terminal (admin) - if it doesn't open as Powershell, click the drop down arrow in title row and pick from list

copy/paste this command into window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth
and press enter
Then type SFC /scannow
and press enter
Restart PC if SFC fixes any files as some fixes require a restart to be implemented

Its up to you but you can keep using PC while they run. If it doesn't find anything, no need to restart.

if it didn't fix it, I wouldn't keep trying. Its possible a future update will fix it
Edit: latest patch mentions some changes to Explorer.

 

[iTRiP]

PC1 is not right, so you can't as such make PC2, which is closer to right, match it. All you can hope for is to make them both look the same. Neither is currently right. Both are wrong in different ways.

I can't make it look broken.

sfc /scannow and DISM are some of the easiest commands to run, compared to some of the steps you can be asked to take to fix windows.

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management ) AKA Repair-Windowsimage looks after the disk image used by windows to reinstall itself, it also fixes the files SFC uses to fix windows.
SFC AKA System File Checker fixes the files used by windows to run the system...

So you run DISM command first to make sure the files SFC uses to check are right.

right click start
choose Terminal (admin) - if it doesn't open as Powershell, click the drop down arrow in title row and pick from list

copy/paste this command into window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth
and press enter
Then type SFC /scannow
and press enter
Restart PC if SFC fixes any files as some fixes require a restart to be implemented

Its up to you but you can keep using PC while they run. If it doesn't find anything, no need to restart.

if it didn't fix it, I wouldn't keep trying. Its possible a future update will fix it
Edit: latest patch mentions some changes to Explorer.

Oh that's right thanks for reminding me that so far I've only ran those commands on the second pc, I'll run it here now and restart where that's required or not.

 

[iTRiP]

PC1 is not right, so you can't as such make PC2, which is closer to right, match it. All you can hope for is to make them both look the same. Neither is currently right. Both are wrong in different ways.

I can't make it look broken.

sfc /scannow and DISM are some of the easiest commands to run, compared to some of the steps you can be asked to take to fix windows.

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management ) AKA Repair-Windowsimage looks after the disk image used by windows to reinstall itself, it also fixes the files SFC uses to fix windows.
SFC AKA System File Checker fixes the files used by windows to run the system...

So you run DISM command first to make sure the files SFC uses to check are right.

right click start
choose Terminal (admin) - if it doesn't open as Powershell, click the drop down arrow in title row and pick from list

copy/paste this command into window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth
and press enter
Then type SFC /scannow
and press enter
Restart PC if SFC fixes any files as some fixes require a restart to be implemented

Its up to you but you can keep using PC while they run. If it doesn't find anything, no need to restart.

if it didn't fix it, I wouldn't keep trying. Its possible a future update will fix it
Edit: latest patch mentions some changes to Explorer.

Oh that's right thanks for reminding me that so far I've only ran those commands on the second pc, I'll run it here now and restart where that's required or not.

Seems This Pc doesn't want to run the : Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth

https://imgur.com/vcQiNVU

 

[Colif]

Seems This Pc doesn't want to run the : Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth

your screenshot just shows results of sfc, a restart might have helped after that step

Did you get error 50? the reason for that error is spacing. the spaces before the - signs in front of online & restorehealth are needed or it fails.

open command prompt (admin)
and then copy paste the below command into window
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
and press enter

its the same command just in a different format. Spacing is still important.

dism not working could be reason why explorer is wrong still.

 

[iTRiP]

your screenshot just shows results of sfc, a restart might have helped after that step

Did you get error 50? the reason for that error is spacing. the spaces before the - signs in front of online & restorehealth are needed or it fails.

open command prompt (admin)
and then copy paste the below command into window
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
and press enter

its the same command just in a different format. Spacing is still important.

dism not working could be reason why explorer is wrong still.

Copying the command comes with the spaces, besides this pc just got an update, and now it appears as updated.

 

[iTRiP]

If you care to see what This Pc looks like, after the update.

https://imgur.com/VP9eRNx

 

[Colif]

that looks better

 

[iTRiP]

that looks better

Ha ha, yes it does, and can you believe at the beginning of this thread I thought it to be some sort of error!

 

[Colif]

well, originally you wanted me to make PC 2 which was closer to how it should be, to look like PC1 which was broken.

I am happy we got one looking right now