One of the major sources of annoyance in Windows XP is the fact that Windows Explorer opens by default on My Documents. Microsoft has transitioned this default configuration in Windows Vista. And although Windows Explorer in Vista is a big step forward from his predecessor in XP, it still fails to enable users to swap the default opening location.

In Windows XP there was a way around this. Via "C:WINDOWSexplorer.exe /n, /e, c:" users were able to select drive C as the location to start Windows Explorer. Well, this is still available on Windows Vista.

First off, in Vista, make your way to Explorer.exe, hold down Ctrl, click and drag to the desktop. This will create a shortcut for easy access. Right clicking the shortcut will produce a pop up menu that contains the "Properties" option at the bottom. Go ahead and select it. In the Windows Explorer Properties panel that emerges select the Shortcut tab. So far so good.

By default, the Target field features the "%SystemRoot%explorer.exe" address. This line is the source that points Windows Explorer to Documents every time you launch Explorer. Just change it to "C:WINDOWSexplorer.exe /n, /e, c:" if you want explorer to start in C, "C:WINDOWSexplorer.exe /n, /e, d:" if you want explorer to start in D, and so on and so forth.

After you have made the change, simply click OK and the modification will be applied according to your preferences. Now please let me explain the parameters used here. You've heard of the old saying: give a man a fish... Right, then. "/n" tells Explorer to open a new windows each time the user executes the application. "/e" results in the usage of the Windows Explorer view instead of the default open view. And of course "c:" and "d:" are drives on your hard disk. Enjoy!