The Up button present in earlier versions of Windows is one of the most useful shortcuts to navigate to the parent folder, one level up from the current folder. In Windows Vista, this button has been removed and the functionality is replaced by breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs in the Address bar show the current navigation path, enabling you to easily backtrack or navigate forward anywhere along an address location.
To open the parent folder (one level up), just click on the second to last location in the address bar.
To view the folder one level up using a keyboard shortcut, press ALT + UP ARROW.
Note: If you select the address bar using ALT+D or by clicking on an empty area on the Address bar, the breadcrumb view will disappear and it shows the path of the current folder.
Useful Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| ALT+UP ARROW | View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer |
| Backspace | Navigate to parent folder if there are no previous navigations. Navigate to previous location in history if one exists. |
| ALT+LEFT | Go backward to previous location in history |
| ALT+RIGHT | Go forward to next location in history |
| ALT+D | Select the Address bar |
(Source: The Shell Blog – Do things faster with Keyboard Shortcuts)
Still need the Up button?
Mavis Up button, a software from Mavis Applications adds the Up button in Explorer in Windows Vista. This application is not a freeware.
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Mavis UP button works pretty well and looks perfect: for $4.95 it’s a great bargain, event though Vista still gets past it sometimes with a window without the button.
Microsoft Vista developers are arrogant, and the Windows 7 crew are worse, arguing down complaints in blogs that [my paraphrasing] “the up button is redundant and superfluous; we have a better way using these obscure tricks with what we left you.” Grr. Snarl. Thank you Mavis, may you prosper!
Your site pleased me, will more frequent call