How do you get Vista's Folder View and column headers to stick? It seems to want to change randomly to Small, Medium or Large icons, and the column headers to "Date taken", "Tags", "Rating" etc... regardless of what file type is in there.
With Vista it seems that every time I change a folder to details view, the column headers are setup for Pictures and Videos i.e. "Date taken", "Tags", "Rating" etc...
How can I change it so that it sticks to details view, and whenever I select details view for a folder, it displays standard columns for documents such as "Name", "Date Modified", "Type", "Size"?
Does anyone have any idea how to fix this? I have seen this question asked many time, but have not seen a permanent fix.
The retention of folder views is about the only thing that I can't get working properly in Vista.
It's got to do with Vista using five folder templates for for all the folders in windows. If you right click on a folder -> properties -> customize you can see the templates. I've got it to work 95% of the time by first choosing a template type (Pictures and Videos for example) for a folder. The go into the folder, choose what layout you want under the View menu (Large Icons for example) then applying those settings to ALL folders set to use the same template by clicking Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Apply to Folders.
So now all the folders set to use the Pics an Vids template on my system should all be showing Large Icons.
You then need to repeat for each of the template types.
It's a bit of a pain but once it's set up it should work OK. I've had problems with some folders randomly forgetting it's settings or an entire template forgetting it's settings. But it doesn't happen often.
If that happens or before you attempt to setup all the templates you can clear ALL your current folder appearance settings by deleting the following 2 registry keys:
{HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classe s\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Window s\Shell\BagMRU}
{HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classe s\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Window s\Shell\Bags}
Then restart, and all your folder appearance settings will be reset to default.
Convoluted, but I hope that helps.
Thanks for your excellent reply BiOvOrE.
I am just wondering whether the "All Items" document template is responsible for folder confusion. What exactly does the "All Items" document template do? Is this the best option?
I basically use Details View with the main column headers of Name, Date Modified, Type, Size.
You might be right.
I like Large Icons for my pics, Details for my MP3's, and List for my documents so it can get a bit complicated for me :).
But I leave the All Items folder alone. It's the default setting for all folders as far as I'm aware. So I guess if you wanted ALL your folders to be Detail view you'd delete those registry keys to reset to default (so all folders should now be reverted to All Items with the possible exception of My Pictures and/or My Music, you'd have to check folders like those) then change any folder to the Detail view, specifying the columns you wanted, then Apply to Folders. That should do the trick.
I've given up trying to make this work. As far as I'm concerned this is by far the worst thing about Vista. I'm now considering getting some third-party utility to handle my UI.
In order to avoid dozens of desktop icons, I like to put shortcuts into folders on the desktop organised into logical groups. And within those folders I like to use normal (medium) icons and position them logically in the folder window (align to grid = true, auto arrange = false). In XP this worked perfectly with it remembering window sizes and positions, view and icon locations perfectly (although I did have to do that registry update that increased the number of folders it would remember).
I've tried every setting I can find and everything I can think of in Vista and it just screws everything up continually. There is in fact nothing that it remembers, which seems a bit of a joke to me considering that this would have to be the most fundamental aspect of any operating system.
To the folks who designed and implemented this Vista folder UI;- I poke you in the eyes and spit on you! Morons!!! =P
So... does anyone know of any third-party UI tool that will satisfy my requirements?
To the folks who designed and implemented this Vista folder UI;- I poke you in the eyes and spit on you! Morons!!! =P
lol. I understand your frustration. To think of all the time that Vista was in Beta, and it never got fixed. Quite extraordinary.
So... does anyone know of any third-party UI tool that will satisfy my requirements?
Directory Opus
is the best File Manager that I have used. And it has the option to completely replace the Windows interface.
Directory Opus 9 is released on 27th April.
This is getting worse. Now I cannot get Vista to preview images. This includes even in: Personalize > Desktop Background. No images are displayed anymore. I even tries deleting BagMRU and Bags.
It sure is flaky.
At least Details View is sticking now lol.
Co-incidentally I just made another interesting discovery...
I open up AutoGK and browse for a file to convert, no probs it all works fine. BUT then I go to open a completely unrelated folder and it's view has been reset, I open a few more and they've all been reset. But some haven't been reset, they're fine. So I try to fix them using the steps I outlined above. Nothing sticks. So I do a quick System Restore, and everything's fine again, all folders are working perfectly how I set them.
I try browsing for files in Auto GK again, and it screw my folders up again.
So browsing in certain programs seems to kill my folder settings for all the template types that I browse through.
Maybe when my folder settings die randomly, it's not so random, and it's caused by browsing in certain programs. Can anyone reproduce this or is it just AutoGK and me??
Maybe when my folder settings die randomly, it's not so random, and it's caused by browsing in certain programs. Can anyone reproduce this or is it just AutoGK and me??
BiOvOrE. Folder Views in Vista definitely need some work. I can't get mine to stick at all. But I will keep an eye out for anything that may be the cause.
There's a script in this thread
www.tabletquestions.com/...iew-problem.html
which might help us out. Seems as though I was close to solving it with the registry deletions above, but it looks like the "sniffedfoldertype" key is the one causing us problems.
I haven't used the script yet, but it looks the goods and I'm gonna give it a go next time I have the problem.
Or maybe this might work:
Go to: folder options, View tab (Advanced Options) and check the box "Launch folder windows in a separate process."
Some people claim to have had success with it.
There's a script in this thread
www.tabletquestions.com/...iew-problem.html
Thanks. I will have a look.
Or maybe this might work:
Go to: folder options, View tab (Advanced Options) and check the box "Launch folder windows in a separate process."
Some people claim to have had success with it.
Does that setting give you separate windows? I don't like that, if it is.
I haven't used the script yet, but it looks the goods and I'm gonna give it a go next time I have the problem.
The script looks ok and runs ok, but I can't see how it will solve all our problems - there seems to be many. I really think a major Explorer update is what's required.
The script looks ok and runs ok, but I can't see how it will solve all our problems - there seems to be many. I really think a major Explorer update is what's required.
They need to work overtime on it.
Yes this is annoying...
Explorer will sometimes for me -
- Not remember the size or the position of the window.
- It will change the display view to whatever it feels like at the time.
- In details, sometimes it will change the columns to something unrelated to the files that are in the folder.
etc. etc.... and I thought XP's folder remembering issues were bad. This one takes the cake.
and I thought XP's folder remembering issues were bad. This one takes the cake.
Oh yes. All the time they had it in Beta, and this is the best they could do. I don't hold out too much hope for getting it fixed with SP1. But maybe a miracle can happen. ;-)
Mine have been fine for a coupla weeks or so now.
These are the steps I took.
1. Deleted the registry keys to reset the folders. Restart.
2. This step seems to be the most important. Open one folder of EACH TEMPLATE and set the views you want for that template. Obviously click "Apply To Folders" for each template type. I did all 5 templates before I changed the size/position of any other windows.
3. Under Folder Options -> View I have "Open Each Folder In A Seperate Process" ticked and "Remember Each Folder's View" UNticked (I've read conflicting info on this particular setting.)
That seems to done the trick for me.
Open one folder of EACH TEMPLATE and set the views you want for that template.
Might sound a silly question, but how do you do this? Do you have to change view in a folder somewhere?
how do you do this?
Not entirely sure what you mean...
But here's an example of what I do. I right click on a folder that I know I'll want to view as thumbnails for example, My Pictures in this instance. Then I set the template I want, in this case Pictures and Videos. Then I go into the folder and set it up how I want it, say thumbnails sorted by date modified. Then Folder Options -> View and click on "Apply to all folders" to make Thumbs and sorted by date modified the default view for every folder that I set to use the Pictures and Videos template in future. You should only need to use Apply to all Folders, ONCE only for each template type.
Once those steps have been done for all 5 templates, you should then be able to change the size and position of all your folders, after setting each folder to use a particular template, and they should stick.
OK. Well I have done that.
I use Documents > Details View with columns "Name", "Size", "Type" and "Date Modified" for everything, but it refuses to stick.
So it won't even remember one template setting for all your folders??
Obviously there's a problem, cos this has been the one and only thing that I haven't been able to get Vista to do properly (the last 2 weeks notwithstanding), has MS even recognized it as a known issue??
Have you tried using say the Pictures and Videos template for all your folders, but using the same details view that you currently have?? Maybe the same window settings for a different template would be worth a shot.
Have you tried using say the Pictures and Videos template for all your folders, but using the same details view that you currently have?? Maybe the same window settings for a different template would be worth a shot.
Probably not. But will the same columns be available? I will have to check.
If the template is just a name and nothing else, then it means that it really doesn't matter what template you select to set your folder to.
Probably not. But will the same columns be available? I will have to check.
If the template is just a name and nothing else, then it means that it really doesn't matter what template you select to set your folder to.
Yep, as far as I know, the templates are just defaults. You should be able to have any/all of the windows view settings available under any/all the templates.
Might not work, but I'd give it a shot, just to rule it out as the cause, at least.
Ok this seems to work in retaining the type of folder and columns used for that folder.
The example below is for making all folders and sub folders stick with details view for all file types.
A) First four steps is to make sure your "guinea pig" folder is using the All Items view.
1. Open up a folder in windows explorer.
2. Right click in that folder and select properties
3. Choose Customise (if you can't see the customise tab then choose another folder)
4. In the "Use this folder type as a template", select All items.
5. Click Ok.
B) Second lot of steps sets up a template for details view for the "guinea pig" folder
6. Size the columns the way you want it, select the type of columns you want to be displayed and set the default sort view for the "guinea pig" folder.
7. Click on Organise in the menu bar and then "Folder and Search Items"
8. Click on the View tab and then click on "Apply to Folders" button
9. Click Ok
C) Third lot of steps uses the "guinea pig" folder as the template for propagating it down to all subfolders.
10. Right click each drive letter and select properties again.
11. Select the customise tab (note for some reason there is no customise tab for the C Drive so you must right click each folder below the root level instead and do it one at a time)
12. Select all items from the drop down.
13. Select "Also apply this template to all subfolders"
14. Click on Ok.
What this will do now is make every single folder on every drive (C drive is a bit different in that any new folder that you create on the root level needs to be set again) stick with the details view.
The above steps seem to work for me in retaining the details view for all my folders.
Note: I don't guarantee in anyway that it will work for you. ;)
After finding this thread, im happy to know it was not me going insane!
I was screaming at my screen.
The method posted above seems to work, after someone mentioned that customize tab (which i hadnt found yet) i did almost exactly what is described.
Sofar folders havent reverted. However it sometimes takes a whole day before it forgets what i want.
It seems that some vista programmer wanted it to work this way, i cant imagine vista re-evaluating the folder contents randomly. Its a 'feature' :p
After finding this thread, im happy to know it was not me going insane!
I was screaming at my screen.
No. It is not you.
Yes! Have you found a good one?
Directory Opus is the best that I have ever used. A classy piece of software.
I still occasionally get a recurrence of this problem, usually when I create a new folder on the desktop.
But after reading the thread below, I'm not holding my breath for a quick fix, seems the MS devs don't even acknowledge the existence of a problem.
www.neowin.net/forum/ind...showtopic=567917
I found this, it may help out. But will it keep remember the settings? Time will tell.
forums.microsoft.com/Tec...468271&SiteID=17
A couple of things to try here and here.
I found this, it may help out.
Great links - thanks guys. I've tried both - we'll see what happens.
What I'd really like is to be able to define a new 'Folder Type' (which I'd call 'Desktop Folders'). That's what's missing for me.
Cheers.
Thanks for the links. I haven't yet tried them out.
I forgot to mention that even my Recycle Bin gets screwed.
The problem is replicating it reliably. If we could find a procedure that would cause the same problem on every Vista installation, we could more than likely have it fixed.
2. This step seems to be the most important. Open one folder of EACH TEMPLATE and set the views you want for that template. Obviously click "Apply To Folders" for each template type. I did all 5 templates before I changed the size/position of any other windows.
I did only that step and it's working great for me. Instead of deleting the registry keys I just clicked 'Reset Folders' in Folder Options, then did that #2 step and I couldn't be happier :) I think the bit in bold is the most important part of the process.
I'd been having this problem in XP and more noticeably on Vista and I'm glad to finally fix it because it just gets on my nerves (I'm a real perfectionist and a neat-freak :S).
I did only that step and it's working great for me.
I don't know how you managed to make it stick.
I would be happy if everything simply stayed as "Details View" with Name, Size, Type & Date Modified for columns.
But Vista seems to think it knows what I like better than I do. :-(
Weird, I've never had this problem once on any of the many XP Home and Professional installations I've been using heavily for years.
Weird, I've never had this problem once on any of the many XP Home and Professional installations I've been using heavily for years.
It would occasionally forget in XP, but in Vista everything gets screwed regularly.
Has it stopped you using vista?
That answer is why it is not being treated with high priority unfortunately.
Similar issues were permitted to fester with previous versions, vista just does it better now, perhaps it should be listed as a feature.
Has it stopped you using vista?
That answer is why it is not being treated with high priority unfortunately.
I cannot argue that point. But it is highly annoying.
try this:
www.lockergnome.com/nexu...folders-in-vista
Look at the response supplied by Roger Lewis, that seems to work fine, at least it does for me.
Look at the response supplied by Roger Lewis, that seems to work fine, at least it does for me.
OK. Thanks. But unless I am missing something, Roger Lewis didn't really supply any fix. All he said was that he changed the view to "Details" from the "View" menu.
All he said was that he changed the view to "Details" from the "View" menu.
yeah but for some reason when done this way ( ie Press Start button and select "computer" etc) the changes end up being permanant. No idea why, i just know it works :-)
All he said was that he changed the view to "Details" from the "View" menu.
yeah but for some reason when done this way ( ie Press Start button and select "computer" etc) the changes end up being permanant. No idea why, i just know it works :-)
OK. I see.
I just stumbled across this nice little free tweaking utility called XdN Tweaker. Features are below. Notice the feature in bold. ;-)
Features:
- Changes the number of Folder views Windows saves.
- Resets the folder views Windows has saved.
- Add/Remove classic Windows 2000 user control panel icon.
- Disable/Enable ATI Catalyst Control Center right click on Desktop.
(only for use if you have an ATI video card and have the Catalyst Control Center installed).
- Disable/Enable ‘SendTo’ right-click menu.
- Allows you to adjust and tweak TCP/IP settings.
- Disable/Enable ZipFolders.
- Disable/Enable the Outlook Express/Windows Mail splash screen.
- Put the File menu above the Back/Forward buttons in IE7.
- Remove or Replace the Search box in IE7.
- Disable/Enable User Account Control prompts under Vista.
- Disable/Enable the “- Shortcut” text under Vista.
- Attempt to force Vista to better save folder views.
- Disable/Enable Windows Media Player Explorer context menus.
- Add/Remove “Take Ownership” to right-click menus under Vista.
- Disable/Enable the Documents item on the Classic Start Menu.
- Changes “Delete” to “Search…” on Recycle Bin.
- Turn off the annoying full screen “black” UAC prompt.
- Enable Classic Search in Explorer and Internet Explorer.
- Disable/Enable Shutdown Reason dialog under Server 2003.
- Disable/Enable Windows scanning AVI files for thumbnails.
- Remove/Restore hidden ASPNET user that prevents auto login.
- Add “Tweak UI” icon to Control Panel (if installed).
I just stumbled across this nice little free tweaking utility called XdN Tweaker.
Have you tried it? Any effect?
Have you tried it? Any effect?
Actually, I didn't try it.
I am now using Directory Opus, which is one awesome file manager. And a lot faster than Vista's own file manager. Great Aussie software.
I found this is the way to fix the problem.
- Setup a view on a folder how you want it (details, columns, etc)
- Go up one level, then right click, properties on that folder
- Customize Tab
- Tick the "Also apply this template to all subfolders"
what does "go up one level" mean?
Here's an example:
1. You're looking at C:\Windows\System32
2. You choose up one level
3. You're taken to C:\Windows\
4. You choose to go up one level again
5. You're now at C:\
Makes sense?
If after I set my folders in vista & they change back to the default view, next time I open a folder I just set it up how I want it and hold the "Ctrl button" then I close it using the Red X Close button and then the folder view setting will stick. Always works
Or try this which works as the Big Fix:
1. Open Start Menu.
2. In Run or (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.
3. Click Continue for UAC prompt.(if you have turned UAC off you won't get the popup)
4. In regedit, go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes \Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Window s\Shell\Bags
5. In left pane, right click on Bags, and click Delete
6. Click Yes to the confirmation pop-up window.
7. In regedit, go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes \Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Window s\Shell\BagMRU
8. In left pane, right click on BagMRU and click Delete
9. Click Yes to confirmation pop-up window
10. In regedit, go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes \Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Window s\Shell
11. In left pane, right click on Shell and click New and click Key
12. Type Bags and press Enter.
13. In left pane, right click Bags and click New and click Key
14. Type AllFolders and press Enter.
15. In left pane, right click AllFolders and click New and click Key.
16. Type Shell and press Enter.
17. In right pane of Shell, right click on a empty area and click New and click String Value
18. Type FolderType and press Enter.
19. In right pane, right click FolderType and click Modify.
20. Type NotSpecified and click Ok.
21. In regedit, then go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microso ft\Windows\Shell NoRoam
22. Right click BagMRU Size, in right pane.(If this value is not there...right click in right pane and creat a DWord called BagMRU Size and proceed)
23. Click Modify.
24. Choose Decimal and type 20000 and click Ok
25. Close regedit.
26. Restart your computer to apply the reset and to let Vista rebuild the registry keys with a clean slate
Now you can re-set your folder views and Vista will remember.
If after I set my folders in vista & they change back to the default view, next time I open a folder I just set it up how I want it and hold the "Ctrl button" then I close it using the Red X Close button and then the folder view setting will stick. Always works
Thank god im not the only one with this problem! has been annoying the hell out of me since installing Vista nearly a year ago!!
I seem to be in a situation where it will remember what you tell it using Dwane_Pipe's suggestion, but it applies those settings to ALL folders. The only one i seem to be able to set individually is My Computer.
This is slightly better, but still not good enough in my opinion. I want to be able to set a folders view settings completley individually, and have windows remember each one. It wouldnt be a difiicult peice of code to write, and would take up a few bytes per folder.
COME ON MICROSOFT! FOR flapS SAKE!!
as a side note, I know many people using vista that dont have this problem. what have we done wrong?
do any of these methods posted actually work?
i have tried a few things over the months, but nothing has really worked.
do any of these methods posted actually work?
The last few posts on page 2 of this thread refer to links that certainly improve the problem a LOT. I tried them all and, while it's not 100%, I now only seem to lose settings in a folder once or twice a month. (previously it was almost every day).
Cheers.
I get this problem with my Games Explorer folder.
I like them nice and big, but every now and again, when I go in they are small and lifeless.
The issue still seems to be there in SP1 ^_^
Indeed it is. It wastes so much of my time each day.
How can they get basics so wrong?
How can they get basics so wrong?
Its all about design... if you can't get the design right the first time...nothing is going to help you...
sad fact...
There is one way to beat it. And that is to use a third party file manager.
Once you try a good file manager, it will show you just how slow Explorer in Vista really is.
Which one is good and which one is good and free?
I presume you want one with a tree panel like Explorer has,
not the old commander type.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co...of_file_managers
Directory Opus is the best FM for Windows but it costs. $85
(tons of features and very customisable)
Altap Salamander is very good $30
xplorer2 is good (tree and dual file list panes)
it has a $30 version and a free lite version.
I'm not aware of a free one which is better than xplorer2, if you want something which has all the usual Windows Explorer behaviour (except the annoying bugs of course), plus extra features.
HAHAHA i thought you should have waited till the SP was avalable on the windows automatic download. i dont have a problem with the folders because i didnt apply the pack. im sure if you uninstall and just wait a month till its released via windows update it will be fixed.
Directory Opus is the best FM for Windows but it costs. $85
(tons of features and very customisable)
Yes, that is my favourite. But CubicExplorer is a very good free alternative.
CubicExplorer is a file manager/browser software. It's designed to be easy to use yet powerful to handle multiple directories at the same time. It uses tabbed browsing and bookmarks. It also has a build-in text editor which has highlighters for many different file types.
CubicExplorer is registry free application. It does not write to registry, all settings are stored in files at installation folder.
Screenshot
.
HAHAHA
This problem happens for everyone in Vista, with or without SP1.
i dont have a problem with the folders
You didn't read enough of the thread to understand what the problem is.
HAHAHA i thought you should have waited till the SP was avalable on the windows automatic download. i dont have a problem with the folders because i didnt apply the pack. im sure if you uninstall and just wait a month till its released via windows update it will be fixed.
Irrespective of where you download it from, the effect of it (the SP1 update) will be identical.
Im serious i dont have the problem at all. ive been using multiple versions of vista on diffrent computers. ie home premium 32bit and ultimate 64bit. no problems at all, im thinking its maybe something caused by a driver or program that i have or everyone else has put on. im serious my versions are all fine, its weird ive never seen this problem happen to me
I used to have the problem. I re-installed Vista due to not being able to un-install the SP1 Beta. Best thing I did and not that painful.
Now the folders stay just the way I ask them to. I did the re-install within Vista (and SP1) so it kept all my info in Windows.old.
Yeah the problem is actually a so-called Microsoft 'feature'... "Auto Folder Discovery"
There is a file you can download which will help automate the issue and remove it.
It does the registry hack and everything in one go... Thankgod somebody knows what they're doing, because it sure isn't Microsoft.
forums.mydigitallife.inf...thread.php?t=871
but i dont have SP1 and the folders work fine. really weird, is everyone using a pirated copy or something?
but i dont have SP1 and the folders work fine. really weird, is everyone using a pirated copy or something?
Well perhaps you are, but AutoFolder Discovery is a feature, So if you don't have it perhaps it's your Vista that is broken.. ;) The problem is evident in SP1 and before, and is a feature on the shipping versions, it's an Explorer feature in all version of Vista.
There is a file you can download which will help automate the issue and remove it.
Thanks for that link. I've tried a couple of these before and they didn't seem to work but this one seems to be working so far. I used the tutorial from the link below which came from the page linked by FreakBull.
www.vistax64.com/tutoria...ew-settings.html
thanks for the new links to
the view issue is the single one thing in Vista that annoys me to no end and i'm astounded they didn't fix it with SP1
a couple things i've tried before with no success so hopefully these latest links may be more helpful
Those new links look promising. I'll try that disabling auto folder type discovery to see if that helps.
Thanks and :D to FreakBull and Mr Magoo.
Thanks for that link. I've tried a couple of these before and they didn't seem to work but this one seems to be working so far. I used the tutorial from the link below which came from the page linked by FreakBull.
http://www.vistax64.com/tut
I tried that also, but no luck.
is there a permanant solution to this?
If there is, then I wish someone would post it.
XP suffered from a similar problem, but in my opinion it is worse in Vista.
All these years of development, and we still have to put up with this.
Why is it that third party file managers can handle different views and columns and remember them, but Microsoft can't seem to manage it?
hmm i wonder too?? how to make folder options permanent on vista
search on whirlpool the words "folder options on Vista"
and if it works please reply thanks. it just that i need some tlc right now. just got out of hospital. happy solution.