Solution: Opening 15+ files, or multiple file types, simultaneously in Vista

[ananda6359]

The system shell for Windows Vista has been purposely built by Microsoft such that ...

1. When files of various types are selected simultaneously, the option to open them is made inaccessible to the system shell, whether through their context menu or the keyboard (i.e., pressing {Enter}). This is governed by file extensions, not by the program handling the files (e.g., it occurs when *.doc and *.docx files are simultaneously selected).
   
2. When more than 15 (i.e., 16 or more) files of the same type are selected, the same event occurs.

Here's a workaround that solves both problems and places the solution in the context menu.

It requires only creating a Visual Basic script and creating a shortcut to it in the Send To folder.

1. Create or download (rename its extension to *.vbs) the script attached to this post (code posted below):
   
   

   on error resume next
   
   nl=vbcrlf
   wait=200
   
   set shell=wscript.createobject("wscript.shell")
   set filesystem=createobject("scripting.filesystemobject")
   
   set scriptfile=filesystem.getfile(wscript.scriptfullname)
   
   stamp=scriptfile.datelastmodified
   stamparray=split(year(stamp)&"."&month(stamp)&"."&day(stamp)&"."&hour(stamp)&"."&minute(stamp)&"."&second(stamp),".")
   version=stamparray(0)
   		for loopversion=1to ubound(stamparray)
   versionlength=len(stamparray(loopversion))
   			if versionlength<2 then stamparray(loopversion)=string(2-versionlength,"0")&stamparray(loopversion)
   version=version&"."&stamparray(loopversion)
   		next
   
   set contents=filesystem.opentextfile(wscript.scriptfullname,1)
   contents=split(contents.readall,nl)
   
   unit=4^5
   
   set files=wscript.arguments
   		if files.count<1 then
   			do
   wait=inputbox(nl&nl&"Set a period, in milliseconds, to wait while files open:",filesystem.getbasename(scriptfile)&" v"&version&"  :  "&int(scriptfile.size/unit)&"k"&(scriptfile.size/unit-int(scriptfile.size/unit))*unit&"b  :  "&ubound(contents)&" lines",wait)
   				if wait=empty then wscript.quit
   				if isnumeric(wait) then exit do
   			loop
   set scriptfile=filesystem.createtextfile(wscript.scriptfullname)
   			for loopcontents=0to ubound(contents)
   newline=contents(loopcontents)
   				if instr(newline,"wait=")>0 and isnumeric(replace(newline,"wait=","")) then newline="wait="&wait
   			scriptfile.write(newline)
   			if loopcontents<ubound(contents) then scriptfile.write(nl)
   			next
   		else
   			for each file in files
   			shell.run """"&file&""""
   			wscript.sleep wait
   			next
   		end if

2. Create a shortcut to it and place the shortcut in your Send To folder. If you can't find your Send To folder, press Windows+R and run "shell:sendto".

Now, when you right-click on a file or files, choosing the (for example) "0_file_execution" entry in the Send To list will open all selected files.

Running the script directly, instead of passing it files as arguments from the Send To list item, allows you to set the amount of time that separates the opening of each file; if you set this value too low, Vista may fail to open all files.

[lforbes]

Thanks for this. Does anyone know why Microsoft would hack Vista to do this.
It is SOOOO annoying. Even if the same program is set as default I can't get
multiple ones to open.

[fooman]

Oh Joy! This worked perfectly I just opened 38 files with a right click, just like in the good old productive days of XP.

[Zippoty75]

Worked great. Would it be possible to open, print, then close multiple excel files with a code similar to this one? Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!