Acessing windows with changing names

[Alexis]

Hi everybody,

 

i would like to activate various Windows-Explorer Windows to manage my files.

While working the get lost, because other windows are on top of them. So i thought of a Hotkey Macro which activates all 3 of them.

 

This is not possible, because as you may have already guessed the title of an Win-Explorer changes with every folder you select within that window. So activate by title would not work.

 

So i´m looking for a possibility to assign a non changing kind of ID to such a window with which that window can be accessed. As those windows are not moved a identification by location would be possible too.

 

I would appreciate any ideas/help very much. Thank you!

 

Alexandra

[Cory]

One solution is to use a partial match. Second solution is to repeat with windows and use some criteria in macro logic to activate the windows you want. Obviously you as a human must have some criteria in mind when you activate them, correct? Well just mimic that in the Repeat With Windows command. If you tell me your criteria I might be able to give you some ideas. My third suggestion is to relaunch the explorer windows. This in most cases just reactivates the open windows and brings them to the top.

[Alexis]

Thank you very much, Cory.

 

Well partial match is not working as Win-Explorer Names are changing completely to the name of the selected folder. It´s not like "Programs - Winexplorer" or as in MS Word: "Document1 - Microsoft Word" where the end of the title remains constant.

 

As we all have hundreds of folder i don´t see how "Repeat with windows" can help me.

 

To suggestion Number 3: I have no idea how to relaunch explorer windows. Where do i find this "Relaunch-Command" and doesn´t it require a window title?

 

Thanks

 

Alexandra

[Cory]

There is not relaunch command you simply do it again. In the "Explorer" category if you use Open Folder and open a folder that already has a Windows Explorer window open to that folder the system will activate that window as opposed to opening another instance.

 

As we all have hundreds of folder i don´t see how "Repeat with windows" can help me.

Hundreds? In the firs message you speak of 3 windows.

So i thought of a Hotkey Macro which activates all 3 of them.

Are you saying you have hundreds of Explorer Windows open? I don't think so.

 

Let me put it to you this way. You have multiple Explorer Windows open but hidden behind others, right? When you go to your taskbar how do you decide which ones to click? Use that same logic in the repeat. EG if you want to restore all the windows that have the text "XYZ Corp" i the title repeat with Windows and activate all that have that string as a part of them.

 

If you want to activate all the Explorer windows you could repeat with Windows, activate the window to bring it to the top, use Variable Set String > Topmost Program Name and if the program is explorer.exe make a note of it and at the end pop them all to the top.

[dwills]

This might be a simplistic response, but instead of trying to bring various named windows to the front, you might be able to send the popups to the back (ie. minimize or close them).

[Alexis]

Thanks, dwills but the windows above the explorer windows vary, so activating the explorer windows directly is the only way.

 

Dear Cory, i have trouble understanding your suggestions. Can we try an simple example? Let´s say i have three folders on my harddisk named A, B and C. I open 3 Win-Explorer Windows and in each Window i select one of the folders. No i have 3 Win-Explorer Windows named A, B and C. (named after the folder)

 

While working other windows are lying above those 3 windows. What´s the code of an macro to activate the 3 Windows? You can try this with any three folders. I don´t get it so far. Sorry.

 

Thank You

 

alexandra

[Cory]

I think I see your problem. Please read this and see if I have it correct:

 

You have a variable unknown number of Explorer windows with varying unknown paths open at one time and some will be hidden and you would like a macro to bring them all to the front.

 

You know I can't think of a clean way to do this. If you knew what windows were open you could use my suggestion of relaunching them but I'm guessing you would not. I can think of two hacks.

 

First go thru all the windows and get the process running them like <TVAR2:02:05:>. This means a Repeat With Windows that will have to activate every window. That's the sucky bit. Then make a list of all the windows and activate them when you're done. And pray no two are the same. I don't like this idea very well.

 

Second is to change your preference in Windows Explorer to show the entire path in the title bar. Tools > Folder Options > View > Display full path in title bar. Now do a repeat with windows and if any of them contain a backslash activate them. It's still not ideal but it should work 99% of the time.

 

Sorry I can't think of any better suggestions.

[kevin]

Second is to change your preference in Windows Explorer to show the entire path in the title bar. Tools > Folder Options > View > Display full path in title bar.

You may be able to find the registry values that change when you do this and have your macro adjust them to display the full path. But you may have to relaunch Explorer for the change to take effect.

[Alexis]

Dear Cory, dear Kevin,

 

i am very sorry but i don´t understand everything. Can we stick to the ABC Example? Expressing some command lines would make things clearer und maybe would make explainations unnessecary. (Like down below)

 

What means: "get the process running them like <TVAR2:02:05:>" (isn´t the process = explorer.exe)

 

I did understand how to bring the full path to the title. What´s good about that is that now all Winexplorer-Windows are containing the String ":\" (with a drive Capital before). This is quite specific! So this macro works for me:

 

- Repeat with windows: Place title in %T1%

- If Variable %T1% contains ":\"

- Activate Window "%T1%

- End If

- Repeat End

 

Couldn´t think of a better way so far. I wonder why there is no command which activates all windows belonging to one process/application. Wouldn´t that be useful? Is "Repeat with processes" good for that purpose?

 

 

Thanks a lot.

 

Alexandra