Hello Eusebius,
I know that Windows is a pane sometimes. (a pane, get it?) All punning
aside, problems like your's are common and are often caused by strange
Microsoft bugs or annoyances. This problem of Explorer not remembering
its settings is a common problem but one with multiple possible
solutions.
Although it is possible a program messed with the settings in the
registry (the place where these folder settings are stored), it is
more likely that you changed the view in one window (and wanted to
change only that window) and did not remember about it and Windows
changed all windows like that because a setting was changed or not
set.
But whatever went wrong, this problem can be fixed by following the
steps below. Note that you should follow them in order because that
will affect the outcome of the solution. If these steps do not work
then please "Request Answer Clarification" and tell me what happened
(or happens) and I'll do my best to help you fix the folders problem.
I am confident, however, that the walkthrough below will solve your
"freaky folder" dilemma.
The [possible and most likely] Solution:
We'll check the settings currently that deal with the folders'
settings. This will let us know if when we tell the computer to change
them later to the correct settings, that they actually get changed.
Click on My Computer (on the desktop)
Click C:
Click View
Click Folder Options
Click the View tab
In the advanced settings section, scroll down until you see "Remember
each folder's view settings". Write down if that setting is checked or
not.
Now let's check on one more setting.
Click Start
Click Run
Type Regedit
Click OK (or hit Enter)
Click the arrow next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Scroll down to find Software.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to find CLASSES.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to Folder and click on that folder.
On the right-hand side of that window there should be a key (a
setting) called:
EditFlags
Write down its value. (Its value would be something like d2 01 00 00).
Now let's change one setting if it exists.
Click Start
Click Run
Type Regedit
Click OK (or hit Enter)
Click the arrow next to HKEY_LOCAL_USER
Scroll down to find Software.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to find Microsoft.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to find Windows.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to find Current Version.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to find Policies.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to Explorer and click on that folder.
In the right-hand side scroll down and look for a key (setting)
called:
NoSaveSettings
If you find it then click on it until it turns blue (is highlighted)
and then press the Delete key on your keyboard. Then click on YES when
it asks you if you are sure you want to delete this value. This is
safe to delete. It is a setting that might be causing your folders to
not save their settings when windows exits.
( Registry Guide for Windows - Disable Save Settings
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/152/ )
Keep that paper where you wrote these settings down so you can check
them later after you follow the steps below.
Now we're going to fix it (hopefully). I've had this very problem in
the past and learned that (in my case) the problem was a setting not
checked (that "Remember each folder's view settings" checkbox). But
that is only one possible problem with the folders' settings and
looking around the internet, there are a couple of things that could
cause this. So we'll act on the basis that it could be any or all of
these things and try to fix them all to your liking.
Searching for other possible causes to this problem, I saw on this
page here:
JSI Tip 4782 (Like Current Folder Setting in Windows)
http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBJ/tip4700/rh4782.htm
That settings might not be saved if two instances of explorer are
running. You can check if two instances of explorer are running at the
same time by doing this:
Press the keys Ctrl (Control) and Alt and hold them down and then
press Delete once. The Taskmanager/Close Program box should pop up.
Scroll down in this list and look for:
Explorer (NOT IExplore).
If you ONLY SEE ONE then CLICK CANCEL.
If you SEE MORE THAN ONE then click on one of them (you choose it
doesn't matter which) and it will turn blue (be highlighted), then
click End Task (or End Program). Now wait about 20 seconds. If another
box pops up in that time click End Task in that window. The second
instance of Explorer will be closed.
The next part will undo the remember folders setting to reset it.
Click on My Computer (on the desktop)
Click C:
Click View
Click Folder Options
Click the View tab
Uncheck "Remember each folder's view settings" (if it is already
checked).
Click on Reset All Folders
Click YES
Click OK
Click View
Click Folder Options
Click the View tab
Check "Remember each folder's view settings"
Click on Reset All Folders
Click YES
Click OK
Click View
Click List
Click View
Click Folder Options
Click the View tab
Click Like Current Folder
Click YES
Click OK
Now when you go to close this window do this:
Hold down the Ctrl (Control) key and while still holding it down, use
the mouse to click on the X to close the window. This is telling
Explorer to save the settings of this window.
( Annoyances.org (Question about 'Set Defaults in Explorer')
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1027192061 )
Now Restart the computer (Start, Shutdown, Restart, OK).
This should force Windows to remember the folders' settings. Some
folders like C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System will probably require you
to click Show Files and then View and Uncheck As Web Page to get these
folders back to the default list view. That is because we reset all
folders and then told them how we wanted them to appear. You should
only have to click Show Files once because it should now be set to
save the settings.
You can now test the folders out to see if they saved the settings.
Click Start
Click Run
Type C:
Click OK (or hit Enter)
If it is showing as a list format instead of the large icons then that
folder's settings are saved.
Now let's try some other ones
Click Start
Click Run
Type C:\Windows
Click OK (or hit Enter)
Click Show Files and then View As a Web Page if needed and see if this
is showing as a list instead of icons.
Click Start
Click Run
Type C:\Windows\TEMP
Click OK (or hit Enter)
All of these folders should be showing in your preferred list format
now instead of the large icons.
Now click on My Documents (on the desktop) and it too should be
showing correctly.
If all of these folders DO show up as list format then ALL of your
folders should show up as list format because the setting was
successfully changed. That means it worked and your done! (You won't
have to do the following if that is the case).
Otherwise if any of these folders are NOT showing up in the list
format were going to check on the settings and compare them with the
ones we wrote down earlier to see if any change has occurred. (If
there is no change then we'll have to manually edit them in the
registry and try that).
So if it did NOT work then do this:
Click on My Computer (on the desktop)
Click C:
Click View
Click Folder Options
Click the View tab
In the advanced settings section, scroll down until you see "Remember
each folder's view settings". Write down if that setting is checked or
not. Mark the new setting you wrote down as the "new setting". (This
is to distinguish it from the earlier setting that you wrote down.)
Click Start
Click Run
Type Regedit
Click OK (or hit Enter)
Click the arrow next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Scroll down to find Software.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to find CLASSES.
Click the arrow next to that.
Scroll down to Folder and click on that folder.
On the right-hand side of that window there should be a key (a
setting) called:
EditFlags
Write down its value and mark it as the "new setting".
Compare these settings and then "Request Answer Clarification" and in
that type the settings in and write down what is happening so I can
help you further.
I hope this helps solve your Windows folder annoyance and if anything
is unclear or if the above doesn't work as expected then please
"Request Answer Clarification" before you "Rate This Answer" and I'll
do my best to help you any way I can.
arcadesdude-ga
Google Answers Researcher
Further information / Useful links:
Registry Guide for Windows - Disable Save Settings
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/152/
JSI Tip 4782 (Like Current Folder Setting in Windows)
http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBJ/tip4700/rh4782.htm
Annoyances.org (Question about 'Set Defaults in Explorer')
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1027192061
Search Strategy:
"like current folder" registry
://www.google.com/search?q=%22like+current+folder%22+registry |
