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So how do you select multiple files in Win RT Explorer via touch commands

guitar1969

New Member
Still have not figured out how to select multiple nonconsecutive files in Windows RT - Windows Explorer in Desktop mode via touch only. I mean like you would normally do with the CNTL - Left mouse click, on a keyboard. When I click on a file to highlight it, a check box shows up to the left of the name, but then when I try to click more files checkboxes (Like if I want to move a bunch of them) it deselects the prior one.

Is this even possible to do via touch only?
 

ArnoldC

New Member
Easy, hit the upper left corner and a checkbox will mark it. Repeat for the rest.

(You may want to use 125% screen settings for the Desktop)
 
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guitar1969

New Member
Easy, hit the upper left corner and a checkbox will mark it. Repeat for the rest.

(You may want to use 125% screen settings for the Desktop)

As soon as I select the second file, the checkmark on the first file unchecks so I can only select one file at a time. I wonder if there is a setting that is not on.
 

jimkraz

Member
I have found that if I press on clear part of open window, then select, I can check select several items one after the other and not necessarily following files or folders on RT.
 

machistmo

Active Member
Thats not really a touch solution though, its what we all have been doing for years.. CTRL CLICK , CTRL SHIFT CLICK mix it up and get the files you want. There really should be a touch only solution that works or more accurately I think there probably is one.
 

oion

Well-Known Member
Thats not really a touch solution though, its what we all have been doing for years.. CTRL CLICK , CTRL SHIFT CLICK mix it up and get the files you want. There really should be a touch only solution that works or more accurately I think there probably is one.

Valid point. However, the desktop mode is designed to be used with the Surface keyboards, because the only time you would enter the desktop mode is really for productivity like... typing. That expectation I'm sure extended to the various interfaces, so except for the Shift-select touch functionality (drag finger), MS still expects you to use your keyboard.

I usually have my keyboard attached 90% of the time anyway, so using the touchpad isn't a big deal to me (well, Swiftpoint mouse). That said, there are a bunch of free and paid Metro-style (bah, 'modern') file manager apps designed to be entirely touch-friendly and can be snapped to the side. I also use the free app EaseUS File Manager, which works as expected--a quick down-swipe on the file 'tiles' selects them individually, and when the app is snapped beside the desktop, swipe sideways to select.

Having a unified touch friendly experience in the real File Explorer would be welcome, though. Looks like it's not coming with 8.1. Something stood out in that article, though: "A modern-style file explorer app would save touchscreen Windows users, including all Windows RT users, from having to suffer the tedium of pecking through the desktop file explorer." So how is the Surface Pro different in this regard?
 
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