Question on custom folder templates

[Jon K.]

I know that in WinXP you can change a standard folder's
template to a more customized setting by changing the
folder's template under the folder's properties
settings. Where is this information for each folder
stored? Is it in the registry or some file? There isn't
a "Customize" tab for any of the System Folders and I
need to fix my root drive's folder. When I view my 'C:'
drive through My Computer, it shows up as if it were a
pictures folder - yet there are no pictures in that
folder or on the root of the drive. The 'Pictures'
template has somehow been set for the main root of my
hard drive, and I would like to know how to fix it -
hopefully without screwing up the rest of my folder's
customizations. The settings have to be stored
somewhere. And there has to be some way to edit System
Folders so that I can change the default folder
template. Any help is appreciated.

 

[yoyo]

Here is a way to display your C: drive root folder again with the normal
view instead of the pictures folder template.

The information is stored in the registry somewhere in

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags

This key contains many subkeys, by default up to 400. These are the saved
folder customizations.

One of these subkeys is your C: drive. The difficulty now is to find out
which one.

I'd suggest get RegShot (tiny utility that doesn't require installation).
Start Regshot and open an Explorer window to your C drive. In Regshot click
"1st shot", when finished change some aspects of the C: explorer window,
change window size or position, switch to tile or list view..., close the
window, back in Regshot click "2nd shot" and when finished "compare". This
opens a text file which under "values modified" contains several references
to a key like

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1390067357-113008714-854265398-500\Software\Microsoft\Wi
ndows\ShellNoRoam\Bags\36\Shell\WinPos800x600(1).right: 0x00000323

The number after ..\Bags\ in this case 36 is what we are looking for.

Now open regedit to

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags

find subkey 36 and open its subkey "shell"

In the right pane there should be a string value named "Folder Type" which
has the value "PhotoAlbum". Doubleclick on "Folder Type" and change the
value to "Documents" (everything without quotes). Close regedit.