By default when I open a folder, for example on the desktop, nautilus opens as an object and when I click around to ther folders I end up with 10 little windows open - extreamly annoying. I can't find any way to switch it to fire browser view. The only way I can find to open the fire browser at all is by using the link in the Applications menu. I can I turn off viewing folders as objects and have it use the file browser as default?

From the Gnome help file:

7.3.5 To Display a Folder in a File Browser Window
To display the contents of a folder in a file browser window, perform the following steps:Select a folder in a file object window.Choose File → Browse Folder

But that option doesn't exist in my version of Gnome!! I'm running 2.6.2.

And even if I could switch to browsing view from the folder, I'd still like to use file browser as default.

Thanks.

Well, it seems that you use gentoo, but I use slackware. I had the same problem. So this is what I did:-
Run gconf-editor>apps>nautulis>preferences>tick-mark"always_use_browser"

I dont know why you can't open the browse view from the file menu of nautulis. Have you installed Gnome correctly?

nice, thanks akudewan, that did the trick.