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This weekend I was using a Windows 11 box with NVDA to help out a sighted relative with their computer.

I don't understand what the hell they've done with explorer. I open it and can't find the list and tree views to navigate through drives and directory trees. Is there a trick or is it as dire as I think? I ended up raging out and launching it from the command prompt on whichever directory I had to navigate to do cutting and pasting and so on.

#windows #NVDASR #a11y

#a11y #Windows #nvdasr
in reply to modulux

NV Access
NV Access
• •
I haven't got the faintest idea why, but you CAN hide the tree view. To get it back:
1) Press alt to move to the "new" button (you can't get to a file menu or anything)
2) From the new button press right arrow to "View".
3) Press enter to open the drop down list
4) Press up arrow once to SHOW
5) Press right arrow to open the sub-menu
6) "Navigation pane" should be the first option - if not, down arrow to it, and make sure it says "Checked". Press spacebar if needed.
in reply to modulux

Yingtai
Yingtai
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I don't know how to get those things, but one weird thing I have noticed in my first few days of using Windows 11 is that I get back some keyboard function in Windows Explorer by switching to a different program and then coming back to Windows Explorer. So strange!
in reply to Yingtai

Yingtai
Yingtai
• •

Hey, are you still looking for a way to get into list/tree view in Windows 11?

Shift+Tab seems to get me into a tree view. Windows Narrator calls it the navigation pane, sighted people would call it the left sidebar. But it doesn't act like a tree if I'm in the top section or the Quick Access section just below that. I have to press Down until I get to the Dropbox or This PC sections before the arrow keys expand/collapse folders.

in reply to Yingtai

Yingtai
Yingtai
• •

Also, Windows Explorer seems to start with the focus messed up if I launch it with the Windows+E keyboard shortcut. The arrow keys do nothing. I am wondering if this is what you meant by list view?

Alt+Tab then Alt+Shift+Tab fixes the problem. So does Shift+Tab then Tab.

in reply to Yingtai

modulux
modulux
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Hi hi, I'll try those. I'm not actively trying at this point because it's someone else's computer, but I will eventually need to find out how to do it. Got a few suggestions including yours so next time I have to do something on windows 11 I'll see what happens. Thanks.
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