Apparently two 'Folder' definitions in File Types

I've noticed that in Settings> File Types..., there are two definitions of Folder. In Directory Opus File Types, there is 'All Folders' and in System File Types there is 'Folder'. The names are slightly different BUT they are both LINKED to the registry key hkCR\Folder\shell.


The contents of the two DOpus file types are slightly different. Updates to the definition of a DOpus key may get reflected in the System Registry, and changes to the System Registry key will get reflected in one or the other of the two DOpus definitions. It's weird.

What I'm wondering is, have I unknowingly created the System File Type 'Folder' or is it normal to have both in Dopus?

If the former, I'll know I can delete it.

The top one is the Opus-specific filetype, and usually the one you'd be interested in. It can decide what Opus does when you double-click folders, and so on.

The bottom one is the Windows/system folder filetype, and usually something you would ignore. Don't delete it, though; it is normal and should be left alone.

Thanks Leo. I may have more questions on the two folder filetypes after this next question gets answered.

The Edit command for the DO-All-Folders internal filetype has a button fore creating a new command - New. This allows global commands to be created.


The Edit command for the DO-All-Files and the DO-All-Files-and-Folders filetypes also has a New button. This button all ONLY internal commands to be created.


Why are they not consistent? Why are folders global, and the files and files&folders not? It's very puzzling.

I also note, and this is most likely related, that the Edit dialog box for DO-All-Folders filetype has an Action tab whereas the the other two do NOT have an Action tab.

OK I was slightly wrong before, the All Folders type applies to both Opus and Explorer, which is why it allows non-Opus things to be defined as well.

All Files is something only Opus has, so Explorer would not understand things you added there, making it pointless to allow non-Opus commands.

You should still generally ignore the other Folder type. I'd have to do some digging to explain exactly what the distinction is but the result I know: Just ignore it, and use the ones at the top.

Thanks, Leo. This clarification is very helpful. It's information that is not in the DOpus documentation.

I hesitate to challenge anything you say but I have to ask for further clarification of the statement, 'All Files is something only Opus has'.

In the registry, there is the '*' key which I have always interpreted to mean 'all files'. As I see it,

DOpus 'All Files' maps to, or is the equivalent of, registry key '*'.
DOpus 'All Files and Folders' maps to, or is the equivalent of, registry key 'AllSystemFileObjects'.

DOpus 'All Folders' is, as you say, different. In fact it is so different to its closest key in the registry that I'm tempted to call a bug in DOpus. I will document this in a new thread as it could swamp this thread which is a separate subject and still has some way to go (I have more to question).

(I don't mean to be mysterious but I've uncovered so much about context menus in Win-Explorer and DOpus that I'm having trouble describing what I suspect. Getting more factual information from you is helping me formulate what to unveil next.)

Sorry but this & related threads are taking up too much of our time to explain details that really shouldn't matter in what seems to be an academic investigation.

If you have problems achieving something, please just tell us what you want to do and where the problem is. Explaining every nook & cranny of the file types system is beyond the scope of tech support.