Keith Miller MVP

First & foremost:

'Organize' -> 'Folder & Search Options' -> 'View' tab (or Alt+T -> 'Folder
Options')

Make sure that 'Remember each folder's view settings is checked'

As for a specific folder forgetting it's view, folder views are unique based
on the namespace path to the folder -- the saved view for
'Desktop\UserName\Pictures' has no bearing on the view of
'Desktop\Computer\c:\Users\UserName\Pictures', it can remember different
view settings -- even use a different template. So make sure that's not the
cause of the discrepancy that you are seeing.

To obtain some consistency, you might want to consider using 'Apply to
Folders'. 'Apply to Folders' in Vista works on a per-template basis.
Different
defaults can be saved for 'All Items', 'Documents', 'Pictures & Video', etc.
You need to be sure of what template the current folder is using before
using 'Apply to Folders'.

This also means that the default will only be applied to folders of that
type.

As for over-zealous content-sniffing (forcing the Pictures template on a
folder), you can kill that with the following regedit. It will override
autosense & set the template for any folder without a saved view as 'All
Items'.

Copy the text between the lines below into notepad & save as a .reg file.
Watch out for line wrap -- [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\...\Shell] is all one line,
there is a space between 'Local' and 'Settings'.

--------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"FolderType"="NotSpecified"

--------------------------------------------------

Merging the .reg file will set the 'All Items' template for any folders that
don't currently have a view saved with a different template. You can clear
all saved views by deleting the

"HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags"

key BEFORE merging the .reg file. If any folders open with a different
template after clearing the 'Bags' key & merging the .reg file, they most
likely have a template specified via their desktop.ini file.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

"Mark Bourne" <Mark@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:uaN973nfHHA.1216@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Using Explorer on Windows Vista Business, I've noticed that the folder
> view settings keep randomly changing.
>
> For example, one folder yesterday was set to "Details" view. Today, I
> opened the folder and it is in "Tiles" view. The main "Computer" view
> yesterday was "Tiles", grouped by drive type, today it is in "List view
> and not grouped. I have also had some folders even randomly changing type
> ("All Items", "Pictures and Videos", "Music Icons" etc.) This was
> particularly annoying when it decided that the root of the C: drive was a
> music folder, as there is no option to "Customise" this folder and put it
> back to "All Items"!
>
> I don't do anything to change the view of these folders, nor anything
> which would affect the view of all folders (ie. clicking "Apply to
> Folders" in the folder options).
>
> Does anyone know why this happens, and what I can do to stop it happening?
> I understand there are some registry keys which control this, but I don't
> see why they would keep randomly changing like this.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark.