Replacing Explorer Navigation

Requires: Windows 2000/XP, AutoIt3, and PS Hot Launch.

In internet explorer, you can use either backspace or alt-left to go to the previous page; the state is saved so that all selected items are still selected and all text in forms is still entered. In windows explorer (y'know, what you Windows users use to traverse your systems) for XP the same thing seems to happen. However, this is not the case.

Backspace actually corresponds to "Move Up One Directory" and Alt-left corresponds to "Back." If you are used to using Backspace to go back on web pages, I would suggest getting used to Alt-Left. Alt-Forward will move you forward (so it makes more sense) and making backspace go back may lead to problems will filling out web forms. I mapped Alt-Up to move up a directory and Alt-Down to close the active window, using AutoIt scripts and PS Hot Key. It took a while to wean off using backspace, but Alt-[Direction] actually makes more sense, is more unlikely to cause errors, and works the same on all windows computers. And so it's the better alternative than remapping keys.

(Haha, I've lied. I ended up switching all my Alt-[Direction] shortcuts with Ctrl-[Direction], unless there's a program conflict. I used AutoIt scripts mapped to key combinations via PS Hot Keys. Ctrl instead of Alt made it a lot easier to use the commands one handed and I don't use other people's machines all that often anyway.)