Feature Request - Middle-Click on Explorer to open in New Tab

from Stardock Forums

To open a folder in a new tab in Windows Explorer, I have to right-click it and then select "Open in new window" from the context menu.  

A good feature would be to just middle-click the folder and have it instantly open in a new tab, as bookmarks do in web browsers. 

Perhaps, if this feature is impossible, someone could come up with an AutoHotKey script that would be a workaround?

groupy
22,673 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
I have forward your request to the Stardock Support Team for their review and recommendations. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We really do appreciate your feedback.
Thanks.
Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

DeskScapes - Bring your desktop background to life.
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,

Nothing on it that I know yet.

Thank you,

Basj
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

How did no one in beta not notice it couldn't middle click to open? It ruins a stardock app I wanted to love. Maybe I'll re-install later on down the line.

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

I came up with an AutoHotKey script as a workaround for this missing feature and thought I'd share it.

It waits until you are in a Windows Explorer window, then it listens for a middle-click from your mouse, and then opens the folder you middle-clicked on in a new tab in Groupy. It simulates right-clicking and selecting "Open in new window" from the context menu. 

; When in Windows Explorer, Use Middle-Click mouse button to open a folder in a "new" explorer windows - thus opening it in a New Tab in Groupy:

#IfWinActive ahk_exe Explorer.EXE

MButton::

Click Right

Sleep 200

Send, {Down 2}

Sleep 200

Send, {ENTER}

Return

#IfWinActive

The script checks to make sure that the Explorer window is the Active window for this to work, otherwise the script would trigger whenever you middle-clicked on anything, anywhere. Meaning that you may have to left-click on an Explorer window to make it the active window, then you can middle-click to your heart's content. Still, it saves me some clicks and it's almost like having the feature built in to Groupy. 

Another issue with my script is that it trusts you to be middle-clicking on a folder. If you middle-click on anything else in Explorer, you will get odd results, such as on a picture, you get "Edit with Paint 3D" on my PC as that's the 2nd option down on the contextual menu for that file type. 

PS. There is a bug in Stardock's forum "code block" feature. I tried to paste the script in as a "code block" and it eliminates all the returns and so becomes an unreadable mess, so I just had to paste it into my message as-is and hope for the best. I have no idea why it's double-spaced either. This code is from Notepad++, so it's not like I use some weird non-windows, non-standard text editor to code in. 

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

The latest groupy beta (1.36) from last week offers a middle button on explorer folders to open in a tab feature along with a middle button on blank space to go up a level.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

I just tried the beta and unfortunately I prefer my script, as it works in the Explorer folder tree (and Quick Access menu) whereas the Groupy beta does not. 

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

I know this is an old post, has there been anything more with having the middle click on a Quick Access pinned folder open it in a new tab? 

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting MrKriez, reply 10

I know this is an old post, has there been anything more with having the middle click on a Quick Access pinned folder open it in a new tab? 

Yes, In Grouping Settings, select "Middle clicking on a tab opens a new tab where possible" from the pull down menu.