Save As dialog jumps up before selection

[Peter Kinross]

In the 'Save As' or 'Open' dialogs, when I select a folder in a drive other than C:, after expanding that drive, and scrolling down to another folder, after a short period (guess 0.5 second) the folder list jumps back up, sending the required folder out of view. I then have to scroll down again. Not a biggy, but reasonably frustrating.
Am I the only one suffering this? If not, does anyone know of a fix?

[HansV]

I haven't experienced this. In which application(s) does it happen?

[Peter Kinross]

I really thought it was a lot of applications, but I just tried Acrobat, Excel, Publisher and Word and it only happened with Word 2007.

[HansV]

I tried it in Word just now, but it doesn't happen to me. Do you do anything special after scrolling down to a folder, e.g. use the arrow keys on the keyboard? Merely expanding drives/folders and scrolling to a folder doesn't make that folder the active folder; that doesn't happen until you click on the folder. So the active folder may still be higher up in the folder tree. Using the arrow keys will cause the active folder to be scrolled into view again.

[Peter Kinross]

Nope, no arrow keys - no keys at all. All I do is click on say the D drive, which expands it, then scroll down. While I'm scrolling the darn dialog jumps up to the top. Happens every time.

[HansV]

Try the following:
- Click the Start button, type    winword /a[tab\[/tab]and press Enter.
- Alternatively, press Windows key+R to activate the Run dialog, type    winword /a[tab\[/tab]and press Enter (or click OK).
This starts Word in safe mode, without loading any templates or add-ins.
Does the problem still occur?

[Rudi]

Nope, no arrow keys - no keys at all. All I do is click on say the D drive, which expands it, then scroll down. While I'm scrolling the darn dialog jumps up to the top. Happens every time.

I can recall older versions of Office where your mouse had to remain on the scroll bar to continue scrolling. If it moved off the bar the scrolling would stop... If this is the case it might also jump back up to the current selected folder? (I'm biting at straws here...)

[Peter Kinross]

Thanks guys.
I tried Hans' suggestion. No diff, it still happens with both the 'Open' and 'Save As' dialogs, even in safe mode.
I tied Rudi's "straws". Made on diff either. Also, there was no previously selected anything. The first click of the mouse was on the D drive (well I guess that this was the previously selected folder), then I scrolled. Word then scrolled back up to the top. By the way, what do straws taste like? Most of us just clutch at them .
Frustrating.

[Rudi]

By the way, what do straws taste like? Most of us just clutch at them...

Yeah... I thought I had that wrong, but couldn't think of the correct phrase at the time
They taste pretty bland BTW! - the same as my ideas when it comes to resolving this frustration of yours?!

[HansV]

Have you installed any Explorer add-ons in Windows?

[Peter Kinross]

I use FireFox not IE.
Add ons I have enabled are:
Adobe Acrobat - Create PDF; Kaspersky Anti-Banner; Kaspersky URL Adviser; Kaspersky Safe Money; Kaspersky Virtual Keyboard; HyperSnap Helper; IE Tab; Microsoft .Net Framwork Assisstant; RoboForm Tool Bar for FireFox.
I am now getting (probably was before as well) the same effect when I try to print a web page to pdf using Adobe. The 'Save As' dialog behaves the same way.
Hey Rudi, your ideas are NEVER bland. As you say over there in Sith Ifrica, they are viry, viry goot.

[HansV]

I meant add-ons for Windows Explorer, actually, not browser add-ons.

[Peter Kinross]

I use an explorer replacement - Directory Opus. Brilliant piece of software.
My first port of call was to them. Their users forum assured me that Directory Opus has nothing to do with the "Save As" and "Open" dialogs.
Hans it's half past midnight, You sure are a night owl.

[HansV]

Hans it's half past midnight, You sure are a night owl.

Yes, I am.

Just as a test - if you disable Directory Opus temporarily, does the problem go away?

[Peter Kinross]

A pretty obvious step I suppose. I was deliberately avoiding it. But I really have to do it if I want to eliminate potential causes.
Thanks for the nudge.

[Peter Kinross]

I tried simply cancelling making Directory Opus the replacement for everything Explorer does.
Then I actually deleted DO. I re-booted between each.
Result - no diff I still got the funny behavior with each effort.
So now I have re-installed DO.

[HansV]

Thanks for testing. I'm afraid I'm stumped - since I don't see this behaviour, it doesn't appear to be a 'general' Windows 7 bug. I have no idea what could cause it, or how to correct it. Sorry!

[Rudi]

Hi Peter,

Did some more searching on this issue and although I am not sure of its actual cause, I have noted in a few Windows forums that there is reference to a bug regarding the navigating and erratic behaviour of the navigation pane. Anyways, I did note that there were several references to fixing this by installing Classic Shell which improves and stabilizes the functionality of explorer windows. See this web page for details and instructions that you can try...

The image below...taken from the page, shows in my hilighting that it (apparently) can fix this "jumping" behaviour! (Lets hope for your sake!)

2014-02-03_08h49_23.jpg

[Peter Kinross]

Thanks Rudi.
I have been using Classic Shell for many years. I just plain dislike MS efforts at making things 'better'. What takes 4 - 6 mouse clicks in Vista or Win 7 takes 2 with the old superseded interface. Classic Shell brings it back, bypassing MS's so called improvements. Giving my computer far greater efficiency - IMHO.
I won't even begin to explain how much superior a Classic Shell improved Win 8 is.
Unfortunately that jumping around occurred even with Classic Shell.
However, misery loves company. It is sort of comforting knowing, from that addvert you included, that there must be others out there suffering the same frustration (albeit a pretty small frustration).

[HansV]

There are lots of complaints about a folder moving down to the bottom of the left-hand pane of Windows Explorer if you expand it by double-clicking (but not if you expand it by clicking the arrow to the left of it). The expanded folder remains in view, however, so it's different from the behaviour that you describe. I haven't been able to find anything about your exact problem...