Windows Explorer Folder View settings

How to Reset Windows Explorer Folder View Settings to Make Vista Remember​

   Information

Vista sets the Explorer window view settings and folder type template according to what folder types are in the window. This will show you how to reset the Windows Explorer folder view settings, turn off Automatic Folder Type Discovery, and increase the folder view cache to have Vista remember the view settings, folder type template, size, or position of a specific window for when it was last closed at the specific path location.

This does not work with the sub Save As, Open With, Open in New Tab (Internet Explorer), etc.... type dialog windows through the File menu bar item though. These do not seem to be able to have their size or position remembered. For these, you can use the free program AutoSizer to resize them.

   Note

• The Windows Explorer window pane Layout settings are universal for all window templates. These are the Search Pane, Details Pane, Preview Pane, and Navigation Pane. They can only be turned on or off for all windows with the same folder template. For example, the Music Details, Music Icons, Pictures and Videos, All Items, Contacts, and Documents.
• This will have no affect on the memory for the Open, Save, and Save As dialog boxes for having them open to the same location.
• External devices (EX: USB drive) will not retain their folder view settings when turned off or disconnected from the computer.

   Tip

It has been reported that installing the Vista SP2 has helped resolved this issue of Vista forgetting folder view settings for no apparent reason.

   Warning

The exact cause of Vista losing it's memory on your folder view settings has not been found yet. This may just reset them for now to help Vista remember them again. It has been noticed that changing a lot of window folder view settings in combination with some unknown applications settings may be triggering this forgetfulness. Make sure that you do not have a setting in a 3rd party program set to clear the folder view setting cache when it is used. (EX: CCleaner - Window Size/Location cache option under Cleaner -> Advanced)

METHOD ONE

Normal Way to Reset a Folder Type View Settings

   Note

This resets the folder view settings for all folders with this same folder template type back to the default view settings. You will need to use METHOD TWO below for Vista not remembering your settings for all the folder views.

1. Open Folder Options from the Control Panel (Classic View), and click on the View tab and Reset Folders button. (See screenshot below)​

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2. Click on Yes to the confirmation pop-up.​

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3. Click on OK to close Folder Options.​

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METHOD TWO

Reset All Folder View Settings to Make Vista Remember

   Note

• This resets all current folder view settings so they will be rebuilt when you restart.
• This will also bring back the Uninstall, Change, Repair, or Uninstall/Change buttons in Programs and Features if missing.

OPTION ONE

Automatically Using a REG File Download

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1. Click on the Download button below to download the Reset_Folder_View.zip file and save it to your desktop.

   Note

This .reg download includes and does all of the Manual section below for you automatically.

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2. Open the ZIP file and extract the Reset_Folder_View.reg file to your desktop.​

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3. Right click on the downloaded Reset_Folder_View.reg file and click on Merge.​

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4. Click on Run button in the Security Warning prompt.​

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5. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​

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6. Click on YES in the Confirmation prompt.​

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7. Click on OK in the Success prompt.​

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8. Go to step 29 in OPTION TWO below to finish wrapping this up.​

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OPTION TWO

Manually Through Registry Editor

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Reset Folder View Settings :​

1. Open the Start Menu.​

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2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.​

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3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​

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4. In regedit, go to:​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell

5. In the left pane, right click on Bags, and click on Delete. (See screenshot below)​

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A) Click on Yes in the confirmation pop-up window.​

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6. In the left pane, right click on BagMRU, and click on Delete. (See screenshot below)​

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A) Click on Yes in the confirmation pop-up window.​

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7. In regedit, go to:​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell

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A) In the left pane, right click on BagMRU and click Delete. (See screenshot below step 8)​

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B) Click on Yes in the confirmation pop-up window.​

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C) In the left pane, right click on Bags and click on Delete.​

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D) Click on Yes in the confirmation pop-up window.​

8. In regedit, go to:​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam

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A) In the left pane, right click on BagMRU if here and click Delete. (See screenshot below step 8)​

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B) Click on Yes in the confirmation pop-up window.​

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C) In the left pane, right click on Bags if here and click on Delete.​

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D) Click on Yes in the confirmation pop-up window.​

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9. The registry will now look like this. (See screenshot below)​

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Disable Automatic Folder Type Discovery for Templates :​

CREDIT TO: Kristan Kenney: Confessions of a Windows Enthusiast

   Note

This will allow you to have what folder type template you set for the window instead of Vista automatically assigning a default template to it based on the contents of the window. This is when you have your folder template changed to Pictures and Videos from All Items when you put one image file in the folder.

   Note

OPTION: This is an optional section, but it is recommended. Steps 1-9 must have been done first before you do this section. If you decide to skip it, then go to step 21.​

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10. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell

11. In the left pane, right click on Shell and click on New and Key.​

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12. Type Bags and press Enter. (See screenshots below)​

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13. In the left pane, right click on Bags and click New and Key.​

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14. Type AllFolders and press Enter. (See screenshots below)​

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15. In the left pane, right click AllFolders and click on New and Key.​

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16. Type Shell and press Enter. (See screenshots below)​

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17. In the right pane of Shell, right click on a empty area and click on New and String Value.​

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18. Type FolderType and press Enter. (See screenshot below)​

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19. In the right pane, right click on FolderType and click on Modify.​

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20. Type NotSpecified (or one below) and click on OK. (See screenshots below)​

   Tip

You can type any one of these values in bold below instead to apply the template as the default for all folder types. You will still be able to change a individual folder type template to what you want and have Vista remember it afterwards.

   Tip

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Value	Description
NotSpecified	All Items folder type template
Contacts	Contacts folder type template
Music	Music Details folder type template
MusicIcons	Music Icons folder type template
Documents	Documents folder type template
Pictures	Pictures and Videos folder type template with large icons

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Increase Folder View Cache Memory :

   Note

This will increase the amount of folders to be remembered for changes to the folder view settings.

   Note

OPTION: This is a optional step, but the increase will help ensure that Vista does not forget. Steps 1-9 must be done first before you do this section. If you decide to skip it, them go to step 25.​

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21. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell

22. In the right pane, right click on BagMRU Size.​

NOTE: If you do not have the BagMRU Size value, then right click on a empty space in the right pane and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value. Type in BagMRU Size and press enter.​

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23. Click on Modify.​

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24. Dot the Decimal and type 20000 (folders) and click on OK. (See screenshot below)

   Note

5000 is the default number of folders to be remembered.

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Deleting Local Group Policy Setting :​

   Note

This will show you how to check to see if this Group Policy setting has been set to not save the position of open windows or the size and position of the taskbar when users log off, and to delete if it is so that the changed will now be remembered at exit.

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25. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer​

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26. In the right pane, look to see if you have NoSaveSettings. If you do, then right click on NoSaveSettings and click on Delete and Yes to confirm deletion. (See screenshot above)​

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27. In regedit, go to:​

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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer​

28. Repeat step 26 if you have NoSaveSettings here as well.​

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Wrapping it Up :​

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29. Close regedit.​

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30. Log off and log on,or restart the computer to apply the reset and to let Vista rebuild the registry keys with a clean slate.​

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31. Open Folder Options.​

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A) Click on the View tab. (See screenshot below)​

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B) Check Remember each folder's view settings.​

   Warning

If left unchecked, Vista will ignore custom view settings for every folder and have every folder open using default settings instead. Only, uncheck this setting to force all folders to stop using display settings you have specified.

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C) Uncheck Restore previous folder windows at logon.​

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D) Click on OK.​

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32. Make the changes you want for the opened Windows Explorer windows.​

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33. To Apply These Changes to All the Same Folder Type Templates ​

   Tip

For more information on folder templates, see: How to Choose and Customize a Folder Type Template and Columns in Vista and How to Change the Windows Explorer Columns and Sort Order in Vista

A) Open Folder Options​

WARNING: Folder Options must be opened from within the same Windows Explorer window that you are changing or the Apply to Folders button will be grayed out.​

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B) Click on the View tab. (See screenshot below step 31D)​

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C) Click on the Apply to Folders button.​

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D) Click on Yes in the confirmation prompt.​

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E) Click on OK.​

34. To Apply Changes to Just this Window Template​

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A) Close the window when you make your changes to the Windows Explorer window to save the folder view settings for just that one window.

   Warning

Vista will only remember the way it is when you last closed the window.

35. To Apply Changes to All Window Templates​

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A) In step 20 above, you can change the default folder template used of (NotSpecified) to what you want instead for all folder templates without having to restart the computer again.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Back Up and Restore Your Folder View Settings in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Change a Windows Explorer Folder Type Template in Vista
• How to Change a Default Open Window Size for a Shortcut in Vista
• How to Change Windows Explorer Default Open Location
• How to Use the Windows Explorer Address Bar in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable the Menu Bar in Vista
• How to Change the Windows Explorer Columns and Sort Order in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable Folder Options in Vista
• How to Turn the Preview Pane On or Off in Vista
• How to Turn the Navigation Pane On or Off in Vista
• How to Change the Sort Order for Numbers in File and Folder Names in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable Auto-Hide for Vista Explorer Full Screen F11
• How to Hide or Show File Names in Vista
• How to Disable Auto Arrange in Vista Windows Explorer to have Free Sorting

 

[krilbe]

I was led to this guide as a solution to get Windows Explorer to remember its size and position in Vista. I did method 2 manually, all steps. It didn't work. When I hit Windowskey+E to bring up Explorer, it still shows up in the same small size and undesired default position.

Is there a way to get it to remember its size and position?

Thanks,
Kjell


UPDATE:
I found it! When you hit Windowskey+E Explorer opens with the "This computer" folder selected, so you need to save a window size & pos for that folder. Just resize as you want, select that folder, and close Explorer. Next time you hit Windowskey+E you get it where you want.

Kjell

 

[pdsnickles]

Okay, first of all, let me be the first to report:
SP2 fixed my Folders problem! It now seems to remember my Details view settings:
Bit rate, length, size, title, date modified, etc.
It seems to remember them through restarts and it seems to work for all subfolders of its type.

I say this with some trepidation. I fear that it will suddenly stop working.

But this early report seems to indicate that the problem is FIXED! (I wish I could be more celebratory, but I guess I have little faith in it lasting...)

 

[Brink]

Thank you Pdsnickles for reporting that the Vista SP2 seemed to have finally fixed this issue so far.

 

[bigdogchris]

The last several times I've installed Vista SP1, after opening multiple folders from usb devices, it would reset my folder view. I should do a clean install of my full SP2 version of Vista and see if this has indeed fixed it.

 

[Brink]

Please let us know the results you have afterwards Chris.

Thank you,
Shawn

 

[pdsnickles]

After a week or so I am ready to say:
SP2 definitely DID fix my folder view problems!
It remembers my folder view settings of showing my MUSIC folders in Details view with the Details Bit Rate and Date Modified included.
Yabba Dabba Dooooo!

 

[Brink]

Thank you Pdsnickles for confirming this on your system. :D

 

[bigdogchris]

I pulled out my extra HDD and reinstalled Vista x64 SP2 integrated. Well, before I was able to basically force Vista to forget my folder settings by throwing a bunch of removeable drives at it and opening them up at once. Now it does seem to be fixed ... Before, double clicking a drive letter or folder gave you a different view than if you right click, explored it. Now they are both linked, perhaps part of the fix?

What I did was set up my user folder the way I want it by placing icons randomly around. I created a second partition and arranged those icons around the way I want them. I then brought up another removable hard drive and set those icons around randomly. I then plugged in a 2nd usb hard drive and arranged those icons. Then I plugged in a USB key, and arranged them. Then I got a little greedy and brought up 3 virtual drives.

In the end, the drive letters that do not change, like my hard drive and second partition, the settings stayed. I switched around my USB drives and it did not save the settings on those sinse the drive letters changed. I was able to quickly force it to forgot before, now I can't. I guess make your own judgement call becuase I still don't believe it, my user folder view settings are not being lost ...

A few side notes: One thing I did notice is I can't create a zip file in my user folder. If I right click->new->zip it says Unable to create file "file system error (16386). I'm also going to write down some information on memory usage etc and compare it to my 7 7127 install. Startup seems to be as quick as 7 and so was installation (even though I never noticed an improvement when I switched to 7 but it seems everyone else claims there is). I'll edit this post with my findings.


*Update*

I continued my evaluation of Vista x64 SP2 vs Windows 7 x64 7127

Xeon e3110 3ghz (e8400 Core 2 equivalent)
1-4GB Memory
WD 640 HDD

I tested each OS install with 1GB of ram and with 4GB of ram. I compared boot and shut down times as well as memory usage at boot and after around 10 minutes of idle time. Here's what I found. All times and memory #'s are approximate. Times were done from point of power on to point of busy mouse going away. Memory usage was taken from task manager Memory bar #. Both systems were configured the same OS wise.

Vista x64 SP2 1GB
Boot: 49 sec
Shut Down: 9.6 sec
Memory usage at boot: 830 MB
After 10 minutes idle: 485 MB
Services in use: 38

Vista x64 SP2 4GB
Boot: 50 sec
Shut Down: 9.8 sec
Memory usage at boot: 960 MB
After 10 minutes idle: 812 MB
Services in use: 38

7 x64 7127 1GB
Boot: 50.5 sec
Shut Down: 10 sec
Memory usage at boot: 541 MB
After 10 minutes idle: 375 MB
Services in use: 33

7 x64 7127 4GB
Boot: 49.5 sec
Shut Down: 8.8 sec
Memory usage at boot: 730 MB
After 10 minutes idle: 730 MB
Services in use: 33

Notes
1. At approximately 1:30 after boot, the Vista install, both 1GB and 4GB, started aggressively caching data. This caused what some people called "Thrashing" but it did not hamper the performance of the system, likely becuase the disk is a newer/faster drive. My personal experience with both OSes has told me that programs seem to launch faster the initial time with Vista than with 7. This seems to be caused by 7 not as aggressively caching data. Once the program is launched for the first time, albeit with slower initial launch, the application launches of 7 and Vista are equal. Both my experience using the OSes and watching the data seem to make this statement a fact.

2. These boot times are very similar to a test I did with Vista SP1 vs Win 7 7000 a few months ago. Both were virtually identical then, like now.

Conclusion
Although 7 does use less memory than Vista, in my experience on my hardware, the performance of 7 is very similar to Vista in day to day task and gaming, when using 4GB of ram. In my opinion from using both OSes extensively over the past 6 months, at this point, the only reason someone with 4 GB of ram and a faster hard drive should upgrade to 7 would be for the additional features. There does not seem to be any performance boost if you have 4GB and a newer disk. For those who have 1GB of ram, and/or a slower hard drive, the decreased memory usage and decreased hard drive trashing by a liter caching system would make 7 a good OS to upgrade too.

 

[Brink]

Great news. Thank you Chris.

 

[pdsnickles]

After a week or so I am ready to say:
SP2 definitely DID fix my folder view problems!
It remembers my folder view settings of showing my MUSIC folders in Details view with the Details Bit Rate and Date Modified included.
Yabba Dabba Dooooo!

BUT...
Now my folders will not remember to open full-screen! After each start-up they forget and I have to re-enlarge them at the upper right box. This seems to be related to the SP2 update though I can't absolutely prove it. All I know is, I noticed it happening after the SP2 update.

Yes, I tried Control-click close and it just does not remember. Very annoying, just like the forgetting details view was annoying! It seems Vista insists on my having SOME kind of folder view annoyance! :huh:

 

[pdsnickles]

Brink, someone recommended this link in another thread:

Annoyances.org - Default Folder Template Patch



Is this different than the patch in this thread? And if I try it and it screws up my now-working Details view memory (even though it may? fix my Folders-opening-up-full-screen problem) can I roll back with System Restore to get my Details view back again?

I'm reluctant to lose my Details view now that it's working so while I want to fix the Folders-opening-up-full-screen problem, I don't want to risk reverting back to the other problem.

 

[Brink]

Hello Pdsnickles,

I have not tried that patch, but it looks like it does the exact same thing as steps 10 to 20 in the tutorial to set the default folder template for all folders in Windows Explorer, but through Folder Options instead.

 

[bigdogchris]

It's still messing stuff up. The layout is not being forgotten but it's switching view from details to medium, etc. I guess I was wrong, Windows Explorer is not linked settings wise to just navigating through my computer or using the User folder from start, my mistake. I was going back and forth between the two and it was not staying. I'm just going to use the actual logical (green) user folder now and see what happens.

 

[Brink]

Chris,

If this is what you meant, then those settings will vary from folder to folder, but should stay the same for a particular folder and open back to the same way that same particular folder was when it was last closed.

 

[bigdogchris]

Yeah I'm trying to do so, I closed the navigation pane because even if you open the User folder via-start menu, the navigation pane uses windows explorer settings and the user folder uses it's settings. I've removed that.

On a side note, I have a folder that I put a shortcut to in my user folder. It's a generic storage folder and when I set it to all items and include sub folders, my Music folder gets reset. Then I fix the music folder and it changes that Files folder. It goes back and forth like they are connected some how but are not.

 

[Brink]

Umm, ok. Check to see what folder template they each have. If they are the same, then it will change them like that until one is changed to a different template.

 

[bigdogchris]

OK what I did was
- Go to C:\Users and set my User folder to "All Items" and did not apply to sub folders. Exit window.
- I then entered the user folder through Start-User.
- I adjusted the layout I wanted using medium icons, no auto arrange, aligned to grid.
- I went to properties and adjusted each folder within the user folder to the approriate template I wanted and applied to sub folders.
- I then entered each folder in the user folder, ensured the template was set, and adjusted the "sort by" how I wanted, the width of the tags, then went to tools apply to all folders (which applies to all of that type, which should only be this folder).

Now my user folder is set to all items, not including sub folders. my folders in my user folder all have templates and a sort by layout applied throughout, and each sub folder has the exact view I want copied from the parent folder. Lets see how long it takes to forget this setting. I will enter the user folder only one way which is via the start-user folder.

As of right now, this setup is the best looking my user folder has been now that I understand Apply to all folders is only for that template.


*Update* well that didn't last long. I went into my user folder via my computer, then exited and opened up my user folder view start-user and the settings were reset, view, layout, sorting, everything. I didn't adjust a single dang thing .... and for some reason a copy of my Music folder keeps appearing in My Documents folder ...??? It's not a short cut, if I delete it, I delete my music folder (which happened to me 15 minutes ago) I re created it and it's back in documents again.

 

[TuNaY]

Hi Brink !
The downloadable method didin't work for me. I use Vista x64. Do you know how I can fix this "bug"

 

[Brink]

Hello TuNaY, and welcome to Vista Forums.

What were you wanting Vista to remember for you? This is only good for Windows Explorer windows, and not the smaller Open with type windows.

 

[TuNaY]

Thanks for the welcome
The most annoying one is when I enter my computer and it has mixed my external hardisk ect. I want it to remember as group wich means Group By > Type. And every time I enter my External hardisk it shows the icons as list.