Add item in Windows XP context menu to open path in Windows Explorer

Question

I'd like to add an option in my context menu to be able to right click on a file and view the containing folder in Windows Explorer. Can somebody point me in the right direction?

Answer 1

Download the latest version of Agent Ransack 2010.

It has an "Explore here" option in the right-click context menu.

Answer 2

I think you need to be clear on what you're right-clicking. If it's an actual file in Explorer, you're already looking at the containing folder (as was mentioned by Daisetsu).

In the more likely case where you're right-clicking a shortcut on the desktop or in the Start menu, then there's a simple registry hack that does the job perfectly at http://www.askvg.com/how-to-get-windows-vista-and-7s-open-file-location-option-in-xp/.

Here's the hack's REG file contents:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
;Created by Vishal Gupta for AskVG.com
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\File Location]
@="Open &File Location"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\File Location\command]
@="\"explorer.exe\" /select,\"%1\""