Force folder shortcut in Windows Explorer to open destination folder in Directory Opus

Help & Support
1

Hello,

How can I create a shortcut to a folder which, when clicked in Windows Explorer (WE), will open the shortcut destination in Directory Opus (DOpus)?*

I have DOpus pinned to my Taskbar and designated as my default file manager. During a typical workday, I usually end up with multiple instances open at various sizes and locations on my screen.

I also have the icon for WE pinned to my Taskbar.

While I intend to continue using DOpus as my workhorse file manager, I'd like to maintain a single open (but sort of static) WE window containing a list of 20-30 shortcuts to frequently-used folders & files. My thought is to make the WE window tall & narrow and position it at the far right of my screen (sort of like a panel) so it will always be quickly accessible with a single click — either on its Taskbar icon or its bottom-right corner which will always be visible.**

The shortcuts for going to files behave as desired of course, but when the shortcut I click is for a folder, the resulting folder — as one would expect — opens in the WE window.

Is there some setting (in DOpus or WE or in the shortcuts themselves) which will force a target folder to always open in DOpus so that the WE panel remains unchanged?

If not, is there a work-around strategy using only DOpus to accomplish the same goal?

Thanks

*I guess, beginning in Windows 10, Windows Explorer is now called File Explorer but I will still refer to it as WE.

**I use an app called MaxMax which causes all Windows, when in their maximized state, to leave a narrow border (I've got the border set to 60 pixels for a 3840x2160 monitor) of usable desktop space.

2

You can use DopusRT.exe to ask Opus to open a folder

"C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus\dopusrt.exe" /open "C:\Program Files"

Or you can use /acmd to run Opus commands via dopusrt.exe, if you need something more complex than opening the folder in the default way. e.g. By running the Go command.

Creating a shortcut or .bat file which runs dopusrt.exe with the args you need will let you have an icon you can double-click in Explorer.

Alternatively, you can make an Opus button which opens the folder, then (while still in Customize mode) drag that to a folder to create a .dcf file. You can then double-click that .dcf file from anywhere, including Explorer windows, to run the Opus command.

3

Thanks for the reply Leo.

It's not surprising that DOpus has multiple options for doing what I'm after, but unfortunately, I'm not clear (ie knowledgeable enough) re exactly how to proceed in order to implement one of them.

What I've done...

Since DopusRT.exe is an executable file, should I have it running in the background concurrently with DOpus? And if so, how do I invoke it to cause folder shortcuts residing in WE to open the target folder in a new DOpus instance?

I do not see DopusRT as an option to run from the GPSoftware folder in the Start menu but I did find it by navigating to the directory:

  • C:\Program Files\GPSoftware\Directory Opus

But what do I do once I'm there?

Also, I followed your link to

https://www.gpsoft.com.au/help/opus12/index.html#!Documents/DOpusRT_Reference.htm

and read about DOpusRT Reference but I've never seen something with the form shown in the first example:

  • dopusrt.exe /acmd Go "C:\Program Files"

so I don't know how to proceed from there either.

Quickest resolution — maybe?

Perhaps the quickest way to help me get on track is if you could post the specific steps for creating just one of the shortcuts I'm after. Then I could hopefully follow the same steps to create the other shortcuts.

I recently had a new SSD C Drive installed and in the process, the previous C drive is now the F Drive. As a result, it's not uncommon that I want to retrieve a file from that drive. To do that currently, I open a new DOpus instance then click several more times to navigate as follows:

  • This PC > Local Disc (F:) > Users > Steve > Documents

In place of that, I'd like to have a shortcut in my WE "panel" named:

  • F_Users_Steve

which, when clicked, both opens the new DOpus instance and takes me there automatically.

Thanks again!

4

As Leo wrote, create a file called "MyFolder.bat", modify the path to your folder (and dopusrt.exe) within the file accordingly.

Then drag that file from where you want to launch DO with the folder in question.
Onto the task bar, start menu or into your folder collection where you like to store all the "DO-Launch" scripts.

Apart from that, it seems much easier to enable DO system wide (enable full explorer replacement) and never think about WE again. You have all the options and a dozen ways to get there. Enabling the full explorer replacement would allow you to use regular windows shortcuts to your folders e.g.. You can still collect them in a special place, if you like to stick to that idea.

5

OK, thanks a bunch for the guidance.