23

In Windows 7, when I select a video file in Windows Explorer it displays information about that file at the bottom of the window. For example:

enter image description here

However this seems to have been removed in Windows 8. Is there anyway I can get this feature back?

EDIT: I know I can always open the Details Pane, but that's not what I want. I want it to be at bottom of the window, not at the side

4
  • note: there is actually a something called status bar, in Folder Options under the View tab. Oct 28, 2012 at 19:27
  • 1
    True - The Status bar can be activated thru "Options" under the View tab - But the details shown are quite minimal - It shows the number of files in the folder, and on selecting a file, it shows the file size too. But if you were looking for more details, the Details pane is helpful.
    – agirish
    Oct 28, 2012 at 19:36
  • 4
    This is called the Details Pane, and it's still there in Windows 8.
    – Joey
    Oct 28, 2012 at 20:22
  • 2
    Yeah, they shifted the Details Pane to the right and left only a single-line status bar at the bottom. You'll probably need to wait for some sort of hack (if possible) to move the pane back down. Not everyone has a widescreen monitor, so why couldn't they have made the location an option, or even made it draggable? Pane ITA is what it is.
    – Karan
    Oct 28, 2012 at 22:43

4 Answers 4

11

You need to edit system files.

After you modify the system files, you may have the details pane at the bottom and the preview pane on the right simultaneously.

windows 8 pane - status at bottom

Instructions

  • Copy %WinDir%\System32\shell32.dll and %WinDir%\SysWOW64\shell32.dll to the desktop or to temporary directories.
  • Take ownership of and rename the original shell32.dll files.

    • Save Rename shell32.dll.bat:

      takeown /f "%WinDir%\System32\shell32.dll"
      icacls "%WinDir%\System32\shell32.dll" /grant Administrators:F
      ren "%WinDir%\System32\shell32.dll" "shell32.dll.bak"
      
      takeown /f "%WinDir%\SysWOW64\shell32.dll"
      icacls "%WinDir%\SysWOW64\shell32.dll" /grant Administrators:F
      ren "%WinDir%\SysWOW64\shell32.dll" "shell32.dll.bak"
      
    • Right click on Rename shell32.dll.bat > Run as administrator > Yes.

  • Repeat the following steps for each shell32.dll on the desktop or in temporary directories:

    • Right click on shell32.dll > Properties > For "Attributes", disable "Read-only" > OK.
    • You will need either Resource Hacker, Anolis Resourcer, or Restorator.
    • Resource Hacker

      • File > Open ... > Select the shell32.dll file.
      • UIFILE

        • 3 > 1033 > Replace text > Compile Script:

          <duixml>
          <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="genericlayoutstyle">
          <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()">
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/>
          <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()">
          <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/>
          </Element>
          </PreviewBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/>
          <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/>
          <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()">
          <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client">
          </ViewHost>
          </Element>
          </Element>
          </duixml>
          
        • 4 > 1033 > Replace text > Compile Script:

          <duixml>
          <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="musiclayoutstyle">
          <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()">
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/>
          <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()">
          <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/>
          </Element>
          </PreviewBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/>
          <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/>
          <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="musiclayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()">
          <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client">
          </ViewHost>
          </Element>
          </Element>
          </duixml>
          
        • 5 > 1033 > Replace text > Compile Script:

          <duixml>
          <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="photolayoutstyle">
          <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()">
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/>
          <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()">
          <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/>
          </Element>
          </PreviewBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/>
          <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/>
          <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="photolayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()">
          <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client">
          </ViewHost>
          </Element>
          </Element>
          </duixml>
          
        • 6 > 1033 > Replace text > Compile Script:

          <duixml>
          <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="documentslayoutstyle">
          <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="90rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()">
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/>
          <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()">
          <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/>
          </Element>
          </PreviewBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/>
          <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/>
          <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()">
          <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client">
          </ViewHost>
          </Element>
          </Element>
          </duixml>
          
        • 19 > 1033 > Replace text > Compile Script:

          <duixml>
          <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="documentslayoutstyle">
          <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()">
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/>
          <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()">
          <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/>
          </Element>
          </PreviewBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client"/>
          <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/>
          <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()">
          <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client">
          </ViewHost>
          </Element>
          </Element>
          </duixml>
          
        • 20 > 1033 > Replace text > Compile Script:

          <duixml>
          <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="documentslayoutstyle">
          <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()">
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/>
          <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()">
          <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.OfflineStatus;*System.OfflineAvailability" layoutpos="Client"/>
          </Element>
          </PreviewBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" FramePersistType="2" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/>
          <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/>
          <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layout="borderlayout()">
          <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()" layoutpos="client">
          </ViewHost>
          </Element>
          </Element>
          </duixml>
          
        • 21 > 1033 > Replace text > Compile Script:

          <duixml>
          <Element resid="FolderLayout" layout="shellborderlayout()" sheet="genericlayoutstyle">
          <StatusBarModule ModuleID="StatusBarModule" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()"/>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewContainer)" height="53rp" layoutpos="bottom" layout="filllayout()">
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(PreviewShineLayer)"/>
          <PreviewBackground id="atom(BackgroundClear)" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)" layout="borderlayout()">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="PreviewThumbnailModule" MaxThumbSize="256" layoutpos="Left"/>
          <Element layoutpos="Client" layout="filllayout()">
          <PreviewMetadata ModuleID="PreviewMetadataModule" NullSelectTitlePropertyString="prop:System.Computer.SimpleName;*System.Computer.Description" NullSelectPropertyString="prop:*System.Computer.DomainName;*System.Computer.Workgroup;*System.Computer.Processor;System.Computer.Memory" layoutpos="Client"/>
          </Element>
          </PreviewBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(PreviewPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(PreviewContainer)" SlidesUpAndDown="true" layoutpos="top" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <TemplateBackground id="atom(ReadingPane)" layout="filllayout()" layoutpos="right">
          <PreviewThumbnail ModuleID="ReadingPaneThumbnailModule" HideProperty="PreviewHandlerRunning" Vertical="true" layoutpos="client" background="ARGB(0, 0, 0, 0)"/>
          <ReadingPaneModule ModuleID="ReadingPaneModule" layoutpos="none"/>
          </TemplateBackground>
          <Sizer id="atom(ReadingPaneSizer)" sizingtarget="atom(ReadingPane)" GrowTargetFirst="true" SlidesUpAndDown="false" PrioritySizer="atom(PageSpaceControlSizer)" DownOrRightGrowsTarget="false" FramePersistType="2" layoutpos="Right"/>
          <ProperTreeModule id="atom(ProperTree)" ModuleID="ProperTreeModule" sheet="documentslayoutstyle" layoutpos="Left" RootMgrClsid="{93319CCC-B277-48FF-95BD-6CDCCAFCBD31}"/>
          <Element id="atom(ViewHostContainer)" layoutpos="Client" sheet="genericlayoutstyle" layout="filllayout()">
          <ViewHost id="atom(clientviewhost)" layout="borderlayout()">
          </ViewHost>
          </Element>
          </Element>
          </duixml>
          
      • File > Save.

      • File > Exit.
    • Copy the modified shell32.dll to its system directory.

      • Right click on the Start corner > Command Prompt (Admin) > Yes.

        • Type:

          cd %SystemDirectory%
          copy %DllPath%
          
          • While typing, replace %SystemDirectory% with shell32.dll's system directory and %DllPath% with the path of the shell32.dll file.
        • Verify that shell32.dll exists in its system directory.

          • Type:

            dir "shell32.dll"
            
        • Close the command prompt.

  • Charms bar > Settings > Power > Restart.

Sources

Disadvantages

The downside that I have noticed so far is that explorer operations that require elevation will prompt user account control (UAC) dialogs with "unknown publisher". However, this is not a big deal for me because I do not need to edit protected files so often, and the benefit of having the details pane outweighs the disadvantage.

1
  • It works! But everytime I open an x64 app (example: Adobe Photoshop CS5), i get error 0xC000007B - is that normal? Mar 29, 2013 at 18:49
14

Windows 8 has a Details Pane that show the details of video files. To open the Details Pane

  1. From the Ribbon on File Explorer, click on View
  2. Select Details Pane

enter image description here

Response to EDIT: It seems the Details pane can not be brought to the bottom as of now. I would guess Microsoft based this design decision on the fact that most people use Widescreen displays these days, and the Details Pane (along with the new Ribbon) would take up a lot of the vertical space.

1
  • 5
    That logic makes me angry. Just because I have a wide screen monitor does not mean I open my explorer windows at full screen. In fact, quite the opposite. It makes me want to tile my windows, so my window is now taller and narrower than if I had a 4:3 monitor. I have LESS horizontal space!
    – Adam Harte
    Dec 18, 2012 at 21:38
4

There is an alternative provided - The Details pane. It works quite similar, except that it can enabled at the right side of your screen (You can toggle between Preview pane and Details pane)

enter image description here

Example:

enter image description here

3
  • Actually the details pane isn't an alternative, it's exactly the same as in Windows 7.
    – Joey
    Oct 28, 2012 at 20:22
  • 3
    There are few small differences - one being, you can only toggle between Preview & Details pane. And second, the status bar still exists - Options -> Show Status bar. And hence i called this an alternative.
    – agirish
    Oct 28, 2012 at 21:34
  • And if you look at the Question description (-> Edit), you'll see that it asks for the Status bar, even though Details pane exists as an "alternative".
    – agirish
    Oct 28, 2012 at 21:37
1

There is a tool that will do the modifications shown above for you. Check out "OldNewExplorer".

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/170375-oldnewexplorer-make-your-81-explorer-work-like-win78-one/

1
  • 2
    Please quote the essential parts of the answer from the reference link, as the answer can become invalid if the linked page changes or the target site is unreachable/permanently offline.
    – DavidPostill
    Nov 9, 2014 at 14:56

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .