Vista - Folder Options affect desktop?

If I set Show Hidden Files on e.g. Program Files, the desktop, which is not
even a subfolder, follows suit... (I like e.g. to see my desktop.ini files
and am happy with the dimmed presentation of "hidden" files)

Why is this? Anyway to decouple them so that my folder prefs don't cause
desktop.ini to appear on the desktop?

"Julian" <Julian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BAF07CF8-7A7F-40E1-A241-FD67FF3278CF@microsoft.com...
> If I set Show Hidden Files on e.g. Program Files, the desktop, which is
> not
> even a subfolder, follows suit... (I like e.g. to see my desktop.ini
> files
> and am happy with the dimmed presentation of "hidden" files)
>
> Why is this? Anyway to decouple them so that my folder prefs don't cause
> desktop.ini to appear on the desktop?


The desktop is a folder in your user profile and thus affected by global
settings that affect folders. I don't know of any way around this.

--
Kerry Brown
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
http://www.vistahelp.ca

As Kerry Brown indicated, whatever option you choose in Folder Options is
global, and your Desktop is just a glorified combo view of
C:\Users\Public\Desktop and C:\Users\(Your Name)\Desktop. You can continue
to use "Show hidden files and folders", but if you put a check next to
"Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)", you won't see
desktop.ini(s) on your Desktop.

"Julian" <Julian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BAF07CF8-7A7F-40E1-A241-FD67FF3278CF@microsoft.com...
> If I set Show Hidden Files on e.g. Program Files, the desktop, which is
> not
> even a subfolder, follows suit... (I like e.g. to see my desktop.ini
> files
> and am happy with the dimmed presentation of "hidden" files)
>
> Why is this? Anyway to decouple them so that my folder prefs don't cause
> desktop.ini to appear on the desktop?

Thanks Kerry/Dean

I thought as much... very annoying since I specifically didn't choose "Apply
to all folders".

So... Program Folders seen any way from the desktop is just a *view* of that
folder and the folder options don't apply to that folder at all, merely to
the *view* of that folder? Is that right? I thought I was supposed to be able
to control presentation on a per folder basis <sigh>

The problem is that I want to see desktop.ini - but only where I want to see
it.

However, I can see that's not something MS considered so , like much else,
we just have to live with it.

Thanks for the info though - Show Hidden + Hide Protected is probably the
best compromise.

Ta,

"dean-dean" wrote:

> As Kerry Brown indicated, whatever option you choose in Folder Options is
> global, and your Desktop is just a glorified combo view of
> C:\Users\Public\Desktop and C:\Users\(Your Name)\Desktop. You can continue
> to use "Show hidden files and folders", but if you put a check next to
> "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)", you won't see
> desktop.ini(s) on your Desktop.
>
> "Julian" <Julian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:BAF07CF8-7A7F-40E1-A241-FD67FF3278CF@microsoft.com...
> > If I set Show Hidden Files on e.g. Program Files, the desktop, which is
> > not
> > even a subfolder, follows suit... (I like e.g. to see my desktop.ini
> > files
> > and am happy with the dimmed presentation of "hidden" files)
> >
> > Why is this? Anyway to decouple them so that my folder prefs don't cause
> > desktop.ini to appear on the desktop?
>
>

"Julian" <Julian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3BD46A8C-FC22-4DBD-96D5-ACB247160E75@microsoft.com...

>
> Thanks for the info though - Show Hidden + Hide Protected is probably the
> best compromise.
>

That's how I have mine set.

--
Kerry Brown
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
http://www.vistahelp.ca