How to disable single click to open files and folders? (GUI appears disabled)

Files and directories get open when I single click them. Watching the folder configuration I found out I have the double click option checked and the single click option is disabled so I can't change this option from the GUI.

I've been searching on google about this optiond and in older windows versions it was stored in tis registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer ClassicShell

Still I can't find it in windows 10. Which registry do I need to edit? Is there an other way to changing this configuration or enable de GUI?

Grirg

Posted 2018-04-20T15:03:28.287

Reputation: 111

1Can you provide a screenshot of your Folder Options dialog window? Aside form that, Explorer settings are User-centric, so it's configuration is held in the HKCU branch of the registry. Specifically it's ShellState binary setting in the HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer key. What's yours currently set to (it'll be a long number)? – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2018-04-20T15:16:05.127

@Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 The current value for ShellState under current user configuration is 24 00 00 00 96 08 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 13 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 62 00 00 00. Also, screenshot added to the question (it's in spanish...) – Grirg – 2018-04-20T15:47:12.830

Try the .bat files in this article.

– harrymc – 2018-04-20T17:30:15.710

@harrymc Those were prepared for windows 7 and all they do is create the ClassicShell which looks deprecated in windows 10 and update de ShellState which (I don't actually know) might be diferent in Win10. – Grirg – 2018-05-10T09:41:14.780

Answers

Setting ShellState in HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer combined with ClassicShell=0 in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer worked for me.

The "ClassicShell" value changes a Policy that makes this strange thing: correct boxes checked, but incorrect behavior of explorer.exe. This correspond to the GPO setting "Turn on Classic Shell" under "User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer". Normally the values in the properties windows are grayed out if set.
The "ShellState" value contains the configuration of explorer.exe.

It is not really clear what the values mean, Microsoft tells you to set Type: BOOL but the value in the registry doesn't look like that.

I changed the values on a pc so that it worked (check the option "single click" save+close and then open properties again and check the "double click" option). Then I copied the values from the registry to get my desired configuration to use it on other machines.

You have to "restart" explorer.exe (using taskmanager) or restart you pc.

Answers found here:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/cc220a3d-1a68-441e-9dc0-a5d4714bccdd/quotsingleclick-to-openquot-in-windows-explorer-registry?forum=w7itproui

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb759788(v=vs.85).aspx

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/23805821/'Turn-on-Classic-shell'-causes-single-click-in-Explorer-exe.html

Buena suerte!