IDEA: Spring-loaded folders!

[iorange28880]

Wouldn't it be awesome to have Mac-like spring-loaded folders on Windows? You grab a file, drag it, hover on a folder for 2 seconds, an Explorer window opens. Hover on a folder in there, another opens, until you've navigated to the destination folder, where you can drop off your file. As soon as you let go the mouse, all the Explorer windows that opened spring shut again. This requires writing an Explorer extension.

[geektechnu]

I believe this feature is (was?) available as part of Stardock's ObjectDesktop: SpringFolders

Not avaiable as a standalone, and not free 

I've also read Apple owns a patent on specific implementations of the spring-loaded folder.

[tenseiken]

It's also built into Directory Opus, which is also not free.  Not standalone either, but it's just one more reason to ditch explorer for a 3rd party replacement.

[geektechnu]

one more reason to ditch explorer for a 3rd party replacement.

Are we talking regular windows here, or the Windows Explorer?
The tree-view pane in Windows Explorer is spring-loaded (i.e. it automatically expands when you hold something over it).

I've also read that Microsoft cross-licensed Apple's spring-loaded folders patent back in 2002 - could it be true?

[mouser]

what explorer and others don't do it "unspring" and close after the operation.. i also dont know if auto-opening occurs only in tree(folder) pane.
personally that's fine with me, i prefer them to stay open and don't need it working in main panel..

[Scott]

Sounds like a pain in the ass to me.  Desksoft FastFolders might be easier, but it makes Explorer crash on my system.

[Dragonrider]

Windoze Exploder (& I don't call it that because of spring loading  ) is only spring loaded when it comes to opening folders in the tree part of explorer.  I am on the fence for whether I would like the folders in the main window to be spring loaded or not.  On the 1 hand, I have wanted to move files from a folder into a sub-sub-sub-folder of the folder I'm currently in.  I mark the files, & then without thinking, drag them over the top of the 1^st sub-folder & wait for it to spring open.  After a few seconds I smack my head & then move it over top of the treeview & let it expand out.  It's so intuitive to put the dragged files over the folder that's right above the files I want to move & non-intuitive to have to move halfway across the screen to the treeview to do the same conceptual thing.  On the other hand, I'm not very accurate when it comes to placing the cursor.  So I always right click & drag instead of left clicking while holding down the shift/ctrl key.  I right-click & drag because I'm constantly thinking the cursor is over the top of a folder, and it's really over the top of a different 1.  This is partly because I'm sloppy & partly because I don't see all that well.  Nonetheless, spring loading the main window would probably be a bad thing for me.

I will say 1 thing though, 2xExplorer & Xplorer² both act the same way as well.  In these cases where there are really more than 1 main window, I think spring loading the main windows would be a good thing even considering my sloppy mousing abilities.

Regards
Dragonrider