Customize Folders at drive level.

[Dale]

For some reason, Vista (two machines, both x86 and x64 - both Ultimate
versions) thinks all of the folders on all drives contain nothing but media
tracks. The details view for all folders shows Album Name, Artist, etc.

While I can customize the folders I have created, one at a time - or at
least one hierarchy at a time, I am unable to customize the view at the
drive level so that the change will propagate to all folders. There is no
Customize option at the root of the drive.

Also, there is no customize option for folders such as Program Files. And
my Program Files folder doesn't contain media tracks.

I might be losing my mind, but it seems to me I had fixed this once by
right-clicking in the empty area of the root of the drive and choosing
properties and getting a customize tab there but that certainly isn't
working now.

How can I customize the root of a drive or other folders that Vista doesn't
think I should be accessing?

Thanks,

Dale

 

[Guest]

I've noticed this glitch, too, except mine has picture fields instead of
media. Folder Options is still available. Type Folder Options in the start
box to access it. You can reset all folders or customize folders. I'm not
sure what I did to get media categories in regular folders. Date Taken is
really silly in a document folder. I must have use "apply to all folders" at
some time, although I don't recall that.

 

[Dale]

I've tried the Folder Options route. Resetting any of the options in that
applet do not reset the type of files Explorer thinks are in the folders.

Dale

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Dale

For the drives or folders where you do not see the Customize Tab, you can
still right click the Column Bar and select More. Select, remove or change
the location for whatever columns you want displayed there.

 

[Dale]

brink,

That did not work. I had tried it before and tried it again now at your
suggestion. I set a single folder to display "All Items" and then opened
Folder Options and clicked to set all folders like that one. As the message
box says, that sets the view (Icons, details, etc.) to all be the same but
does not change the folder type or toolbar.

Any other ideas?

Dale

 

[Dale]

Thanks, Ronnie, for the suggestion. I can do what you suggest but then I
would have to do it for hundreds - perhaps thousands - of folders one at a
time. Also, while that will correct the details view, it does not help with
other behavioral items related to folder type, such as tool bar buttons or
context menu items.

Any other ideas? There just has to be a way to make Vista realize that not
every folder in my PCs contain music files.

Thanks,

Dale

 

[Xenomorph]

You can try using XdN Tweaker to get Vista to better remember folder views.

http://xenomorph.net/xdntweaker/

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?Daniel_Mart=EDn_=5BMVP_Windows=5D?=]

Hi, Dale:

Vista stores that information in a registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\N\Shell), value
"SniffedFolderType". ("N" is a number representing the folder.) Double-click
the value and modify its content to "NotSpecified".

But how to know which "N" number represents your drive? Well, you may use
Process Monitor
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/processmonitor.mspx).
Filter by paths that contain "Bags" and open your disk drive. Process
Monitor will point you to the exact registry key.

 

[Dale]

Thanks, Daniel. That helped solve the problem. Rather than using
ProcessMonitor (a tool I often use already), I simply exported the entire
Bags tree from the registry. I edited all the Music values for
SniffedFolderType to NotSpecified and imported the file back in. It was
much easier to set my one music folder back to music than to set everything
else back to NotSpecified.

This seems to be a really poorly designed function. It shouldn't take
registry hacks to set the folder type. Maybe I'll write a tool.

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?Daniel_Mart=EDn_=5BMVP_Windows=5D?=]

You're welcome.

--
Regards,
Daniel Martín
Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Hi, Dale:

Vista stores that information in a registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\N\Shell), value
"SniffedFolderType". ("N" is a number representing the folder.)
Double-click the value and modify its content to "NotSpecified".

But how to know which "N" number represents your drive? Well, you may use
Process Monitor
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/processmonitor.mspx).
Filter by paths that contain "Bags" and open your disk drive. Process
Monitor will point you to the exact registry key.

I have been keeping an eye on this thread, and I didn't think there would be
an answer as I have been asking this question for years, ever since this
problem first appeared in XP. I was disappointed to see that Vista has the
same problem, but even worse with its multitude of detail views.

I was always hoping the answer could be found by using desktop.ini files,
but this is great. Thanks!

ss.

 

[Guest]

I'm looking for an answer to this also. I am a new user to Vista and
frankly, I getting tired of having to change and change and change folders.
I don't want to do a registry hack, it should be an option that works.