I'd like to make the default action when I click a folder in the workshelf or Nexus to be browse rather than opening the folder in a window. can that be done?

Open WorkShelf Preferences -> Advanced -> Misc.Advanced button -> enable 'Always open folders as menus...'

There is an alternative that lets you keep your cake and eat it too: if you left-click a shorcut to a folder and hold for about a second without letting go of the mouse button, the browse menu pops up.

Note, however, that this feature is unfortunately not working properly with the 'Windows 7 Xtreme' theme (the browse menu pops up and then immediately closes as soon as you let go of the mouse button). This theme specific issue has been fixed for next release.

Thank you. I used the advanced function you suggested.

The advanced options method almost gives me everything I want. Can I choose on a per folder basis whether clicking opens a window or displays a menu? I think the hover method you mentioned will effectively give me that option, but can I assign the default as a property of the folder?

Adding that option on a per-shortcut basis would only add to 'settings clutter', in my opinion - sometimes you might actually want to open that folder in a window, other times browse it in a menu.

That's why I think the 'left click and hold for half a second' method (with the advanced setting disabled) is a much better option. You left click and hold to browse the folder in a menu, and just left click to open in a window.

If I may I'd like to add an alternative approach here, which is what I use. I have the "Always open folders as menues" option selected. For folders that I want to open as windows, I have a directory created with shortcuts to those folders. You can then either put that directory into the shelf and let it drop down the shortcuts, or you can drag the shortcuts into the shelf to create icons which you can launch directly.

Talk about "having your cake and eating it too" Basically just another way to achieve the same end, just a matter of which way a person prefers.

Thanks, I'll try your shortcut method. The hover method is ok as long as I remember to do it.

That sounds exactly like me. 9 times out of 10 I was saying "Oops, I didn't want to click that." It's also handy to have the navigational folder to stick into other programs and the start menu, sort of a directories version of Quick Launch. I came up with the idea before I'd ever seen a dock and I've found it very useful in a variety of places to keep from having to click all over the place.