Customizing folders for different media (WinXP SP2)

[Guest]

I've been trying to set up a Music folder so that all content (including that
in sub-folders) is displayed with certain details ie for mp3's, track
numbers, year etc. Is there a quick way of doing this without having to
painstakingly open each folder and choose the details and folder view each
time?. Similar applies to Photo folders I want a different view and details
for pictures than I do for mp3s.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Right click folder | Properties | Customize tab |
Check: Also apply this template to all subfolders |
Click Apply

Also apply this template to all subfolders
[[Specifies that the template you select for your folder is applied to all
of its subfolders as well.]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

I've written a script that will apply ALL the view customizations you can set to all of a folder's
subfolders. Right-click the link below & save to your computer. The zip file contains a readme
file & the script itself.

http://mysite.verizon.net/res18hr7/FVM3.zip

 

[Guest]

Thanks for that Keith, will try it out later!
Thanks anyway Wes, I've tried using folder options but it sets ALL folders
to the same settings. I want different settings for different media. I've set
all folders to 'details' with track numbers. Great for mp3s. Rubbish for
pictures. I know I can do this folder by folder, but I have shedloads of
sub-folders and changing view settings on a parent folder doesn't alter it's
sub-folder settings. This does seem a bit of a missed opportunity by
Microsoft. I'm sure my Mac user mates will tell me they've been able to do
this for years!

I've written a script that will apply ALL the view customizations you can set to all of a folder's
subfolders. Right-click the link below & save to your computer. The zip file contains a readme
file & the script itself.

http://mysite.verizon.net/res18hr7/FVM3.zip


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

I've been trying to set up a Music folder so that all content (including that
in sub-folders) is displayed with certain details ie for mp3's, track
numbers, year etc. Is there a quick way of doing this without having to
painstakingly open each folder and choose the details and folder view each
time?. Similar applies to Photo folders I want a different view and details
for pictures than I do for mp3s.

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

You're welcome. Please post back with results and/or questions.


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Thanks for that Keith, will try it out later!
Thanks anyway Wes, I've tried using folder options but it sets ALL folders
to the same settings. I want different settings for different media. I've set
all folders to 'details' with track numbers. Great for mp3s. Rubbish for
pictures. I know I can do this folder by folder, but I have shedloads of
sub-folders and changing view settings on a parent folder doesn't alter it's
sub-folder settings. This does seem a bit of a missed opportunity by
Microsoft. I'm sure my Mac user mates will tell me they've been able to do
this for years!

I've written a script that will apply ALL the view customizations you can set to all of a
folder's
subfolders. Right-click the link below & save to your computer. The zip file contains a readme
file & the script itself.

http://mysite.verizon.net/res18hr7/FVM3.zip


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

I've been trying to set up a Music folder so that all content (including that
in sub-folders) is displayed with certain details ie for mp3's, track
numbers, year etc. Is there a quick way of doing this without having to
painstakingly open each folder and choose the details and folder view each
time?. Similar applies to Photo folders I want a different view and details
for pictures than I do for mp3s.

 

[tom7601]

I've written a script that will apply ALL the view customizations you
can set to all of a folder's subfolders. Right-click the link below &
save to your computer. The zip file contains a readme file & the script
itself.

http://mysite.verizon.net/res18hr7/FVM3.zip

Keith,

I'm new in this group, but have been using Windows since v3.1. I ran
your script and made folder changes; very nice! But now I have a strange
thing happening. I have always opened Control Panel from a shortcut on
the desktop (I created the shortcut from the icon in My Computer). I'm
not sure what I did, but now when I open Control Panel via the shortcut,
it comes up in Folder (Explore) mode with the tree in the left pane. I
can click the X or un-click the Folders button to close it, but this
action is new.

If I open Control Panel from the icon in My Computer, it opens in the
icon view (large icons) with a single pane. I created a new shortcut to
the My Computer Control Panel icon, but it still opens in the Folder
view, as if I had selected Explore instead of Open.

I Merged the undo .reg files, but this action is still there!

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Tom -- Vista, CA. USA

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Sorry for the delayed response. Just got home from a long weekend

Nothing in my script alters the file associations that govern 'Open' vs. 'Explore'. Not sure what's
happened on your system, but we should be able to figure it out.

1) When you right-click an actual, 'normal' file folder, what is the default (boldface) action?

2) When you right-click Control Panel in My Computer, what is the default action?

3) When you right-click the shortcut, what is the default action?

Post back & we'll work from there.

 

[tom7601]

Sorry for the delayed response. Just got home from a long weekend

Nothing in my script alters the file associations that govern 'Open' vs.
'Explore'. Not sure what's happened on your system, but we should be
able to figure it out.

1) When you right-click an actual, 'normal' file folder, what is the
default (boldface) action?

2) When you right-click Control Panel in My Computer, what is the
default action?

3) When you right-click the shortcut, what is the default action?

Post back & we'll work from there.

1) Right-clicking a normal folder: Bold Open

2) Right-clicking the Control Panel icon in My Computer: Bold Open

3) Right-clicking the desktop Control Panel icon: Bold Open


As I said, this isn't a life-or-death problem, just something that seems
to be a mystery...

I realize it has nothing to do with the script, but is a choice I made
somewhere along the way...

Thank you,

Tom -- Vista, CA - USA

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

1) Right-clicking a normal folder: Bold Open

2) Right-clicking the Control Panel icon in My Computer: Bold Open

3) Right-clicking the desktop Control Panel icon: Bold Open

Does the desktop icon also have the 'Explore' option? Do both Open & Explore display the folder
pane???

 

[tom7601]

Does the desktop icon also have the 'Explore' option? Do both Open &
Explore display the folder pane???

The desktop icon has both Open (which is highlighted) and Explore.
Clicking either one brings it up in the Explore mode.

Tom...

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Do any other folder shortcuts exhibit the same behavior? Try creating another shortcut to a
different non-filesystem folder (i.e. My Network Places) and see if works normally.

 

[tom7601]

Do any other folder shortcuts exhibit the same behavior? Try creating
another shortcut to a different non-filesystem folder (i.e. My Network
Places) and see if works normally.

Interesting: My Network Places opens with a full window, but if I create
a shortcut to it, the shortcut opens it in Explorer view...

Tom...

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

Interesting....

It almost sounds like you have a variation on the tweak found here:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/winkeye.htm

That tweak modifies the DDE command for 'Explore' so that it behaves like 'Open', if I use the same
method to make 'Open' behave like 'Explore', I get similar behavior to what you describe: actual
folders open in single-pane view, but shortcuts open with the folder pane displayed.

So, open regedit & navigate to:

"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec"

In the right-hand pane, if the (Default) value is:

[ExploreFolder("%l", %I, %S)]

Change it to:

[ViewFolder("%l", %I, %S)]


If that doesn't do the trick, I'll declare myself stumped & would suggest starting a new thread in
the windowsxp.general group & see if anyone else has encountered this behavior.

 

[tom7601]

Interesting....

It almost sounds like you have a variation on the tweak found here:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/winkeye.htm

That tweak modifies the DDE command for 'Explore' so that it behaves
like 'Open', if I use the same method to make 'Open' behave like
'Explore', I get similar behavior to what you describe: actual folders
open in single-pane view, but shortcuts open with the folder pane
displayed.

So, open regedit & navigate to:

"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec"

In the right-hand pane, if the (Default) value is:

[ExploreFolder("%l", %I, %S)]

Change it to:

[ViewFolder("%l", %I, %S)]


If that doesn't do the trick, I'll declare myself stumped & would
suggest starting a new thread in the windowsxp.general group & see if
anyone else has encountered this behavior.

"[ViewFolder("%l", %I, %S)]" (without the quotes <g>) did the trick!

I really, no, REALLY!, appreciate your help, especially the fact that
you stuck with me as I stumbled around! I've been building my own
computers since Windows v3.1 and MS Word v1.0 days, but this one really
had me stumped...

Again, thank you!

 

[Keith Miller MVP]

You're welcome.

I'm curious....was the wrong value there? Had it been deleted?


--
Good Luck,

Keith
Microsoft MVP [Windows XP Shell/User]

Interesting....

It almost sounds like you have a variation on the tweak found here:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/winkeye.htm

That tweak modifies the DDE command for 'Explore' so that it behaves
like 'Open', if I use the same method to make 'Open' behave like
'Explore', I get similar behavior to what you describe: actual folders
open in single-pane view, but shortcuts open with the folder pane
displayed.

So, open regedit & navigate to:

"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec"

In the right-hand pane, if the (Default) value is:

[ExploreFolder("%l", %I, %S)]

Change it to:

[ViewFolder("%l", %I, %S)]


If that doesn't do the trick, I'll declare myself stumped & would
suggest starting a new thread in the windowsxp.general group & see if
anyone else has encountered this behavior.

"[ViewFolder("%l", %I, %S)]" (without the quotes <g>) did the trick!

I really, no, REALLY!, appreciate your help, especially the fact that
you stuck with me as I stumbled around! I've been building my own
computers since Windows v3.1 and MS Word v1.0 days, but this one really
had me stumped...

Again, thank you!

 

[TOM]

You're welcome.

I'm curious....was the wrong value there? Had it been deleted?

It was set to: [ExploreFolder("%l", %I, %S)]

I just replaced Explore with View...