Why there was a "refresh" button in the context menu when you right click on desktop in Windows?
Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
1–10 of 47 posts
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#2It is possible, although rare, for Windows Explorer to get out of sync with what exists on the file system or virtual filesystem(s). The refresh button re-acquires the data from the source and re-draws the result for the user.
For example, if you open a network share, delete a file using another machine that file might take between several seconds to a minute to disappear visually (although if you try to use the file you'll get an error and it will refresh removing it). You can alternatively use the refresh button to get an updated view instantly.
It is mostly useful with non-standard virtual file system services rather than the normal NTFS/FAT32 file systems Windows uses.
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#3[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#4It is possible, although rare, for Windows Explorer to get out of sync with what exists on the file system or virtual filesystem(s). The refresh button re-acquires the data from the source and re-draws the result for the user. For example, if you open a network share, delete a file using another machine that file might take between several seconds to a minute to disappear visually (although if you try to use the file…
I understand but isn't it very odd to give end-user a button like that? Also, why Mac OS didn't have one?
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#5It is possible, although rare, for Windows Explorer to get out of sync with what exists on the file system or virtual filesystem(s). The refresh button re-acquires the data from the source and re-draws the result for the user. For example, if you open a network share, delete a file using another machine that file might take between several seconds to a minute to disappear visually (although if you try to use the file…
I understand but isn't it very odd to give end-user a button like that? Also, why Mac OS didn't have one?
OS X indeed lacks it, and it is a pain in the butt to some:
http://osxdaily.com/2013/08/30/refreshing-finder-windows-in-...
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/60119/how-does-the-...
As you can see people have to come up with quirky workarounds to force refresh a folder on OS X, rather than just clicking a context menu button helpfully provided.
Others have created third party software to add it:
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/24714/refresh-finder
This has 46,000 downloads.
Both Windows and OS X fall out of sync for similar reasons: sometimes bugs, sometimes refreshing is slow/expensive so is done infrequently (e.g. over a network), and sometimes third party software providing "virtual" file system elements are terrible.
I don't really find the concept of a refresh button odd at all. But that's only because I've seen how many virtual file system providers these systems support and how quirky some of them are. If all they supported is native files on traditional file systems attached via reliable buses, then a refresh button wouldn't be required.
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#6It is possible, although rare, for Windows Explorer to get out of sync with what exists on the file system or virtual filesystem(s). The refresh button re-acquires the data from the source and re-draws the result for the user. For example, if you open a network share, delete a file using another machine that file might take between several seconds to a minute to disappear visually (although if you try to use the file…
I understand but isn't it very odd to give end-user a button like that? Also, why Mac OS didn't have one?
I _wish_ OSX had it. I often work inside of SMB shares and they go out of sync sometimes.
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#7I'll add, "behaviour of Windows regarding floppy disk drives".
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#8It is possible, although rare, for Windows Explorer to get out of sync with what exists on the file system or virtual filesystem(s). The refresh button re-acquires the data from the source and re-draws the result for the user. For example, if you open a network share, delete a file using another machine that file might take between several seconds to a minute to disappear visually (although if you try to use the file…
I understand but isn't it very odd to give end-user a button like that? Also, why Mac OS didn't have one?
Isn't the Mac equivalent CMD+R? Not on my Mac to check at the moment but as an NFS user, I remember this working for me in the past.
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#9Could be relevant for users on network connections which don't update state? But on the desktop explicitly, certainly seems odd.
Re: Ask HN: What was the Windows “refresh” button for?
#10It is possible, although rare, for Windows Explorer to get out of sync with what exists on the file system or virtual filesystem(s). The refresh button re-acquires the data from the source and re-draws the result for the user. For example, if you open a network share, delete a file using another machine that file might take between several seconds to a minute to disappear visually (although if you try to use the file…
I've seen cases where windows explorer will arbitrarily decide to stop updating an entire folder tree for no apparent reason, at which point being able to push F5 suddenly becomes very handy. Of course, it doesn't help when I tell explorer to create a new folder which doesn't show up, thereby making it impossible to assign it a name until you refresh and then find the "New Folder" you just created.