Hi, Mary.
Vista's Windows Explorer has a feature that "sniffs" a few files in a folder
and tries to guess whether that folder is full of document files, music
files, photo files or whatever. Then it selects the template that fits that
type of file.
In my experience, on my computer, it does NOT always do a very accurate job!
:>(
Like you, I often see an Explorer window with column headings that just
don't match the actual files in that folder. When that happens, I have to
click Organize (on the Command Bar), then Properties | Customize. On this
page I can click the menu under "Use this folder type as a template" and
change it from "Pictures and Videos" to "Documents" (for example) and then
Apply or OK. The Documents template is the one that we are most accustomed
to seeing; "All Items" is quite similar.
I've not yet discovered (even though I've read about it in the Help file and
other places) how to make my template choice "stick" across all the folders
on my drives. I often find myself changing the setting again when I change
to a different folder. :>(
But when you look at a folder full of your photos, you might want to see
Date Taken. You might also want to change Views from Details to Tiles or
Large Icons for that folder. And then you might want to right-click on a
column heading and select from the several dozens of possible column
headings available to be displayed: Size, Subject, Album...and many more.
Windows Explorer is highly customizable. The problem with being given
choices is that we must then make those choices. If we don't then Vista has
to make them for us - and sometimes makes the wrong choices. :>(
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(E-Mail Removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64)
"MaryL" <(E-Mail Removed)-OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I recently got a new computer with Vista. I had a number of programs that
> I downloaded and saved to separate folders in XP, and I copied these to a
> download folder in Vista. Some of them look just as they looked under
> XP -- that is, I can check the filename, and I can see the date modified
> by selecting view>details. However, there are a number that do not have
> date modified. Instead, there is a column for "date taken" (which is
> always blank -- no date at all), a column for tags (also blank), and a
> column for rating (with five stars, none filled in). Programs that have
> been saved with "date taken" do not install correctly -- either there is
> an error message, or an empty window is opened.
>
> Can anyone explain what is going on here? Is this a discrepancy between
> XP and Vista, or do I have a serious problem?
>
> Thanks,
> MaryL