# Detect active explorer replacement (from extern)

**URL:** <https://resource.dopus.com/t/detect-active-explorer-replacement-from-extern/40897>\
**Category:** Help & Support\
**Created:** [March 25, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/detect-active-explorer-replacement-from-extern/40897 "2022-03-25T20:36:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mosed](https://resource.dopus.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@Mosed](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Mosed)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/detect-active-explorer-replacement-from-extern/40897/1 "2022-03-25T20:36:50Z")

</div>

During usage of the [Jumptofolder](https://resource.dopus.com/t/jumptofolder-use-the-power-of-everything-in-directory-opus-and-file-dialogs/) tool some questions came up.

To support NotNull I will ask two questions (each in a separate thread):

Is there an easy and reliable way to detect (from extern) if explorer replacement is activated?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leo](https://resource.dopus.com/user_avatar/resource.dopus.com/leo/32/69732_2.png) [@Leo](https://resource.dopus.com/u/Leo)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://resource.dopus.com/t/detect-active-explorer-replacement-from-extern/40897/2 "2022-03-25T20:47:03Z")

</div>

For current Windows versions, you can find out by checking the default value of

```nohighlight
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell

```

It will be set to `openindopus` if Explorer Replacement is on.

(This could change in the future if Windows changes and requires we do something different, but I don't think it has changed since Vista or maybe Windows 7.)