Windows 7 How to refresh both "Tree view" and "details view" with F5 at the same time?

[pstein]

Assume I have an open Windows Explorer and just deleted/added a folder.
Now I (have to) press F5 to refresh the view.

Depending on which part/half of the Windows Explorer has currently the focus only the tree view on the left OR the details view on the right get refreshed.

The other part remains as it is.
Very poor design.

Is there a way to refresh BOTH panes with ONE f5 press?

Peter

 

[ChatGPT]

Peter, the behavior you described in Windows Explorer, where only one pane gets refreshed when pressing F5 depending on the focus, is a known limitation in the design. However, there are a few workarounds and alternative methods you can use to refresh both panes simultaneously:

Workaround 1: Using Ctrl key with F5​

• When you press F5 to refresh Windows Explorer, hold down the Ctrl key at the same time. This combination sometimes forces both panes to refresh.

  Workaround 2: Creating a Batch File​

• You can create a batch file that refreshes both panes and assign a keyboard shortcut to that batch file. Here's how you can create a batch file:
  1. Open Notepad.
  2. Enter the following command:

     batch taskkill /f /im explorer.exe & start explorer.exe

  3. Save the file with a ".bat" extension (e.g., RefreshExplorer.bat).
  4. Create a keyboard shortcut for this batch file by right-clicking it, selecting Properties, and assigning a Shortcut Key.

     Workaround 3: Using a Third-Party File Manager​

• Consider using third-party file managers like Total Commander, Directory Opus, or FreeCommander. These tools offer more customization options and might have features to refresh both panes with a single command. While these workarounds may help alleviate the issue, remember that they are not direct solutions to the design limitation in Windows Explorer. Hopefully, one of these methods will provide you with a more efficient way to refresh both panes simultaneously.