'Show files' doesn't work on Desktop

Help & Support
1

New user checking out a trial version of Opus 9.. so far so good.

However, I tried to use the 'Show files' box on the desktop to filter the lister for different files, and for some reason it does not work -- it works in any other folder i've tried. In other folders, i type part of a file name or a file extension for example, hit ENTER, and immediately see a filtered list. But on the desktop, after i type my what i want to filter in the box and hit ENTER -- nothing happens.

I'm using XP 32-bit. Please help.

Thanks!

2

Go to /desktopdir (type that into the path field) instead of Desktop.

Desktop is a special virtual folder which merges your personal desktop folder, the All Users desktop folder, plus some other icons like Recycle Bin and My Computer. At the moment, Opus delegates display of this virtual folder to Explorer, which means filtering doesn't work in it.

/desktopdir is an alias which will take you to your personal desktop folder, which is a normal directory that Opus handles by itself. Filtering will work in there.

3

Note also, if you want to go to /desktopdir automatically when you click the Desktop in the tree, add the path to the list in the Virtual Folders section of Preferences.

4

How does that work?

I found the bit in preferences, but can't see an obvious way to follow this suggestion.

Should I search the FAQs etc for step-by-step instructions?

5

Click the Add icon above the list (there are only two, add and delete; hover over them to get tooltips if you're not sure which is which), then select Desktop and click OK.

6

Ok. By default, I certainly didn't change anything there, I had "Treat all 'virtual system folders' as virtual.

In that case, there is no "Add icon" option.

To get that, you have to go for "Treat the following virtual folders as real:"

Correct?

7

If you tell Opus to treat all virtual folders as virtual, or all virtual folders as real, then the list of folders to treat otherwise is disabled. You've told it to treat them all the same, rather than selected the option which only treats particular folders differently...



Note the other visual cues:

[ul][li] The third option's label referring to "the following virtual folders" (which could only mean the list below it, which none of the others refer to).[/li]
[li] The ':' on the end of the third option and not the others.[/li]
[li] The list and associated buttons/labels being indented below the third option.[/li]
[li] The list and associated buttons/labels being disabled (gray/ghosted) unless the third option is selected.[/li]
[li] The three options being mutually exclusive, both in terms of their described actions and them being a group of radio buttons (i.e. circles instead of square checkboxes) where only one of the three can be selected at a time.[/li][/ul]