RE: Copy-Paste between filemanager and document editor

[Jorg Rathlev <joerg jrsoftware de>]

> > Besides, Windows became even more unpredictable with Windows
> 2000 (compared
> > to Win 9x, I don't know about NT 4): Dragging .exe files will usually
> > move/copy them like any other file. If I try and go into the MS Office
> > folder and drag excel.exe, it's going to create a shortcut. Dragging
> > finder.exe (which is in the same folder!) works like any other file.
> > Winword.exe again creates a shortcut. Might be based on
> registry entries or
> > whatever - I have no clue. This *really* sucks.
>
> This has me laughing.  Why?  Because MS *removed* some of the
> unpredictability by making EXEs be handled like any other file.  Suddenly,
> to those who grew up with the 5 or 8 different behaviours
> depending on mime
> type, time of day, phase of moon, etc, explorer drag actions, it seems
> "un-intuitive" ..

No, it is - in theory - more intuitive. I was very happy to find out that
now I can drag exe files like any other file.

What seems unpredictable to me is that it works different on *some* exe
files. You know, when I wrote the mail, I thought, "hey, now I (and a novice
user who just wants to create a shortcut) can destroy Office by using simple
drag & drop, wonder what Microsoft did about that." Well, they did something
about it - you can't do it. But you can't tell by looking at an exe file
what will happen if you drag it around. You can't even tell if you know
*where* you're going to drag it, because it doesn't even depend on the
target, but on some mystery that's (probably) hidden somewhere in the
Windows registry.

Would it be preferable to let users destroy Office by dragging around files?
Of course not. But if there is a setting somewhere in the registry, couldn't
Windows just look it up and *ask the user* whether he really wants to move
that file?

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EXCEL.EXE

WARNING: This file belongs to an application. Moving it might destroy that
application. Are you sure you want to move EXCEL.EXE? It is recommended that
you create a link instead of moving the file.

[ Create Link ] [ Move File ] [ Cancel ]

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Jorg