It sounds like your system has Lapce set as the default application for opening directories. To fix this and set Nautilus (Gnome Files) as the default, follow these steps:

Method 1: Using xdg-mime

  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Run the following command to check the current default application for opening directories:
    xdg-mime query default inode/directory
    If it shows something like lapce.desktop, that means Lapce is set as the default.
  3. Set Nautilus (Gnome Files) as the default by running:
    xdg-mime default org.gnome.Nautilus.desktop inode/directory
  4. Verify the change:
    xdg-mime query default inode/directory
    It should now show org.gnome.Nautilus.desktop.

Method 2: Using mimeapps.list

  1. Open the file that stores your default applications:
    nano ~/.config/mimeapps.list
  2. Look for a line starting with:
    inode/directory=
    If it exists and is set to lapce.desktop, change it to:
    inode/directory=org.gnome.Nautilus.desktop
    If the line doesn’t exist, add it under the [Default Applications] section.
  3. Save and exit (in Nano: press CTRL+X, then Y, then Enter).
  4. Apply the changes:
    update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications

Method 3: Using gnome-default-applications-properties (GNOME Settings)

  1. Open GNOME Settings.
  2. Navigate to Default Applications.
  3. Look for a setting related to File Manager (it may be missing on some distros).
  4. If it’s available, set it to Nautilus (Files).

After applying these steps, when you open a directory from another program, it should launch in Nautilus instead of Lapce. 🚀