Permanently switch File Dialog from List to Detail

[Frank Lehmann]

Hi newsgroup,

Is it possible to configure the Common File Dialog in Windows, maybe Registry,
so that it always starts in Detail view? Mine, and most likely yours, always starts
in List view, which is somewhat troublesome, since I often select the last edited
file by date, and date is only part of Detail view.

TIA
Frank

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi newsgroup,

Is it possible to configure the Common File Dialog in Windows, maybe Registry,
so that it always starts in Detail view? Mine, and most likely yours, always starts
in List view, which is somewhat troublesome, since I often select the last edited
file by date, and date is only part of Detail view.

TIA
Frank

You can make any sort order the default. Simply select the one you
want while in "My Computer", then click Tools / Folder Options /
View / Like Current Folder.

 

[Frank Lehmann]

You can make any sort order the default. Simply select the one you

want while in "My Computer", then click Tools / Folder Options /
View / Like Current Folder.

Hi Pegasus,

I checked that, but it only has an influence on the view in Explorer windows.
I mean something like Notepad File | Open or similar menus in application
programs. They won't listen to the setting in Folder Options and keep starting
in List view.

Regards,
Frank

 

[PCR]

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to click each of the
following URLs, which may be stale, may even be infected, but all were
gathered at this NG, & report whether any has the fix you seek. Don't
forget to tell us...!...

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/serenitymacros/winprogs.html
Command line params & Registry Settings
http://www.aumha.org/regfilesz.htm Registry Patches
http://www.pcmag.com/ 's Registry Detective & RegEdit+ add incredible
speed to "Find", producing pages full of hits in 10 seconds. They
provide a "Favorites" menu of Key locations, "undo" and other features.
The docs are a Registry tutorial in itself.

100 Registry Hacks -
http://members.aol.com/axcel216/reg.htm

ActiveWindows - Windows Registry -
http://www.activewin.com/tips/reg/index.shtml

Dave W (reg hacks) -
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~flibble/index.html

Win95 Registry Shrinking -
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~flibble/regsmall.html

Guenter Born Reg page -
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Guenter_Born/
http://www.borncity.de/

John Woram's Home Page -
http://www.woram.com/

RegEdit: Windows Registry Guide -
http://www.regedit.com/
http://www.winguides.com/

Windows Registry Forums -
http://www.regedit.com/cgi-bin/wwwthreads/wwwthreads.pl

Registry Tips-Cerelli -
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/registry_tips.htm
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/app_info/regedit.htm

Registry -Henri Le Boeuf -
http://www.colba.net/~hlebo49/registry.htm

Win95 Annoyances (Registry) -
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/registry

Chapter 31 Win98 Registry -
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/Win98/Reskit/Part6/wrkc31.asp

Valuable registry hacks -
http://www.geocities.com/~budallen/regtips.html
http://wintrouble.net/test/


--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
(e-mail address removed)
| > You can make any sort order the default. Simply select the one you
| > want while in "My Computer", then click Tools / Folder Options /
| > View / Like Current Folder.
| >
| Hi Pegasus,
|
| I checked that, but it only has an influence on the view in Explorer
windows.
| I mean something like Notepad File | Open or similar menus in
application
| programs. They won't listen to the setting in Folder Options and keep
starting
| in List view.
|
| Regards,
| Frank
|
|

 

[glee]

This little utility, Let Me See!, used to do what you ask in Windows 95 -
Customize Common Dialogs:
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article02-028
but I do not know if it works in Win98, as I have never tried it there, and it
states "for Win95 only".

Here's the readme file, from 1996:
http://gel.se/gelweb/download.nsf/0/83534d2880afea8f41256c84004ef65f/$FILE/readme.txt
You might test it, and let us know. I can ony say it worked in Windows 95.

What OS are you referring to? You have posted in Win2K, Win98, and WinXP groups.

 

[David Candy]

The person asked for Icon style not sort order. Your instructions do not change the sort order anyway.

Icon style is not possible. If one Ctrl + Close on titlebar while in a FILE FOLDER using Explorer's folder view then the current sort order will be applied to File Open dialog boxes.

 

[Frank Lehmann]

This little utility, Let Me See!, used to do what you ask in Windows 95 -

Customize Common Dialogs:
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article02-028
but I do not know if it works in Win98, as I have never tried it there, and it
states "for Win95 only".

Here's the readme file, from 1996:
http://gel.se/gelweb/download.nsf/0/83534d2880afea8f41256c84004ef65f/$FILE/readme.txt
You might test it, and let us know. I can ony say it worked in Windows 95.

What OS are you referring to? You have posted in Win2K, Win98, and WinXP groups.

Hi Glen,

I have tried the Let Me See! tool, and it is, in fact, only applicable to Win 95.
I am referring to Win 2000, but I posted in several groups since I supposed
that this issue is related to the Common Dialog (of all OS) and not so much
the OS itself.

Regards,
Frank

 

[Frank Lehmann]

Hi PCR,

Thanks for the URLs. I will look them through some time. As long as
there are other posters who can give a time-saving specific clue,
I will preferably jump at those first.

Regards,
Frank

 

[Frank Lehmann]

Icon style is not possible. If one Ctrl + Close on titlebar while in a FILE FOLDER using Explorer's
folder view >then the current sort order will be applied to File Open dialog boxes.

Hi David,

I am one step further. At least, the Ctrl + Close trick does its effect, so that the Common Dialog
will open sorted accordingly, continuing in List view though.

Regards,
Frank

 

[David Candy]

There is no setting for icon style for File zopen.

 

[glee]

groups.

Hi Glen,

I have tried the Let Me See! tool, and it is, in fact, only applicable to Win 95.
I am referring to Win 2000, but I posted in several groups since I supposed
that this issue is related to the Common Dialog (of all OS) and not so much
the OS itself.

Regards,
Frank

As suspected. Oh well, worth the try. David Candy apparently has the only other
course of action, and I doubt anyone has more knowledge on this subject than he
does....including the folks at MS.

 

[Frank Lehmann]

Frank, are you saying when you open an common dialogue box...i've put a

screenshot of it below or attached with the lists/detail box circled ..is
that where you are talking about? ..and is it that you want it to have the
right box (detail view) in focus instead of the left box (list view) ?
...does my screenshot show what/where you are talking about? Also, just
wondering, if it is, each time you go to save something can't you just give
that right box a click? Sorry if I'm thick here, I'm just trying to get my
brain around exactly what you are referring to for my own sanity please.

Also which types of files are you saving so that I know I'm in the right
Common File Dialog box okay? ..my brain is just trying to make sure I'm
understanding Exactly what you mean as I look through few different boxes.

Hi Rick,

I posted my question in Win98, 2000, and XP groups since I supposed
this issue to be related to the Common Dialog (of all OS) and not so much
to the OS itself. I'm actually looking for a solution in Win 2000, for applications
not using any special open dialog like MS Word, but the standard commdlg.dll
like Notepad or WinZip.
As I can see from your screenshot, there are apps in XP where the setting
of the Detail view is different and quite acceptable, although in XP, too, there still
are apps using the standard commdlg.dll, and they behave like in Win 2000.

Every time you open a file dialog, you first have to switch from List to Detail,
adjust the width of the columns, and sort the list as needed.

Regards,
Frank

 

[PCR]

Can you jump high enough to land on Terhune's head? He might know!

--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
(e-mail address removed)
| Hi PCR,
|
| Thanks for the URLs. I will look them through some time. As long as
| there are other posters who can give a time-saving specific clue,
| I will preferably jump at those first.
|
| Regards,
| Frank
|
|

 

[Frank Lehmann]

Actually, that last screenshot was made while I was in W98SE, however just
booting to my W2Kpro like you're on, then I'll give one for that too.

Also in W2K you can save the stretch and columns of the Common Dialog Box
too after you set it how you want, by the same method of Ctrl + X (close) on
the titlebar there too - it Will remember it, Except, it will still open to
Lists, but just click the Detail view and you'll always see that saved layout.

Now what David Candy said to do (and like Glen mentioned David is
really very good at these things) ..and so if you do what he mentions:

boxes.

..at face value that's the closest you can get to what you want to do which is
still very very close to perfection of what you're asking - the only difference
in perfection is that when you open your Common Dialog Box you will just have
to click the Details view listing there manually - but it Will be in date order
just like you want (nice catch David ! ) ..and so that's just one click away
from the perfection of what you wanted. The Common Dialogue tics of
Lists/Details always being on details must be hard coded but it's not
impossible to have your perfection if you know how to re-code that particular
focus inside the commdlg.dll, which for the right person is a pretty easy
change no doubt.

But you're close enough now to what you want right.. I just proved it all out
and opening up the common dialog box and just clicking the details listing then
every time all the columns are sized and everything is in date order like you
are asking and shown in attached sreenshot. --Rick

Hi Rick,

Thanks for your reply. My "research" has proven the following results,
and I'm quite satisfied with it now:

The sort order and column order can be set and saved via the folder options
in Explorer. They reappear in the Common Dialog box of an application.

All apps, that I know of, open their dialog box always in List view and a default
width and height of the box. With some of them (e.g. WinZip), width and height
can be changed and keep their size when the dialog box is reopened later on,
as long as the app is not being closed. Other apps come up with a dialog box
in unchangeable size (e.g. old Notepad), so that some adjustment work might
be necessary.

All in all, not too bad.

Regards,
Frank