Nice write-up for my HalfShell

[MilesAhead]

I got a nice write-up for my HalfShell ahk hack.  It's just a hotkey handler for Shift-Enter on 64 bit Vista and Windows Seven that opens selected folders in the 32 bit shell allowing some 32 bit shell extensions to work.

I recently updated it to empty its working set after each use to reduce the memory usage just sitting in the task tray.  I also added a test that the selection is a folder before opening. Latest version is 1.7.1.0 and can be downloaded from my site using this link(scroll about half way down the page and you'll find HalfShell.)

http://www.favessoft.com/hotkeys.html

The download on my site has the latest version.  Softpedia will likely update overnight.



edit: this is interesting.  All of a sudden google pops this up everywhere.  It's on boards saying it's "time limited shareware price $0" other boards saying it's Removed(as close as I can figure they were pissed because a hotkey tray app has no screen shot when I never submitted my program to them in the first place.)  Man the web is wild!!!

[mouser]

very nice! 

[cranioscopical]

I got a nice write-up for my HalfShell ahk hack.

Well done!

[MilesAhead]

Thanks guys.

[MilesAhead]

btw it has been brought to my attention that there may have been some change to Windows Seven 64 bit post-beta that prevents this work-around from functioning.

I've uploaded a minor update.  Until I can test it one way or the other with W7 64 bit retail I'm labeling it as a Vista-only utility.

If anyone has W7 retail 64 bit and would like to try it out I'd be curious.  I don't understand why they would change this since it's their own work-around but oh well.

Here's the link to the updated zip file if anyone is curious to try it:

http://www.favessoft.com/HalfShell.zip


I'm not exactly sure what the issue is.  The only information I have is that it "does nothing" when you hit the hotkey.  I don't know if the 64 bit Windows in question even has the file
%windir%\SysWow64\explorer.exe

Stranger all the time. I found one reference to it on the web:

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7programs/thread/5e360735-6ad9-4b38-b64e-bc5e13fac852

as you can see the only information is "does not seem to work anymore" so I don't know what to do with that.

[MilesAhead]

Hmmmm, evidently they broke it and don't intend to fix it. If you launch a 32 bit explorer all you get is, it invokes a 64 bit explorer, then quits.  32 bit shell extensions are hosed.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itproui/thread/e237260d-ca42-4fbc-a657-89796d884715

[MilesAhead]

From the reports I get, either it works perfectly on W7 retail 64 bit, or not at all. Must be build or update related.  There must be some update that changes SysWow64\explorer.exe to launch the 64 bit explorer passing along the arguments.

It's one of those "you have to try it on your machine to find out" deals.