One of my favorite features in Windows Vista is the very usable breadcrumb address bar as seen below. What I love about it is that it simplifies navigation back to a folder higher in the hierarchy. In addition it visualises the path to the folder really well.
I wanted to get this in Windows XP as well, and, as it turns out, there’s an app called QT Address Bar that does this for you. It’s a shell extension that gives you the same functionality in Windows XP. There’s a little bit of post-config involved, but don’t worry, here’s how to do it:
- First off, download QT Address Bar
- Unzip it, and run the installation
- Log off Windows, and then back on
- Open the explorer, then go to View > Toolbars
- Activate QT Breadcrumbs Address bar
- Deactivate the toolbar lock and the regular address bar
- Move the QT Address bar so that it is where you want it
Next, what you’ll want to do is have it displayed no matter what folder you open. Here’s how:
- In the folder that you enabled QT Address bar, go to Tools > Folder Options
- Go to the View tab
- Click the “Apply to All Folders” button
- Acknowledge the prompt
That’s it, you’re done. Here’s what it looks like:
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