Can't select multiple items after upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista

Note If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

You cannot use keyboard shortcuts to select multiple items in Windows Explorer after upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

For example, you cannot use the CTRL+A keyboard shortcut to select all the items in a Windows Explorer window. Or, you cannot select multiple items in a Windows Explorer window by holding the SHIFT key or the CTRL key while you click the items.

This problem occurs because a registry key that prevents you from selecting multiple items in Windows Explorer is added to the registry.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

To fix this problem, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
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   , click Run, type Regedit.exe, and then press OK.
2. Locate and then click the FFlags registry value in the following registry subkeys:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell
3. On the Edit menu, click Modify.
4. In the Value data box, type 40200001, and then click OK.
5. Restart the computer to apply the change.

Click here to understand how the MATS package works to fix this problem