Saving folder views (Windows Explorer)

[Mars_is_stuck]

Seems old problems never die.

About six months ago, this XP Pro box started having problems with
maintaining saved Folder Views. Can't be sure, but the timing was a bit after
one of the monthly Windows updates. I let it go for several months,
occasionally trying to re-save the Folder Views in Windows Explorer (making
sure the right tick box was checked, etc.). The "saved" Folder View would
remain throughout a session, but as soon as the computer was rebooted, the
views in Explorer would revert to large icons instead of the detailed info
I've always preferred.

I know people complained about this happening in XP several years ago (2004
and 2005) from googling the topic. I also found a few posting on the web of
instances occurring in 2007. I've tried several things (using Powertoys'
Tweak UI, editing folder variables in the registry through Regedit), but none
seem to make the desired Folder Views stick past more than one warm reboot,
if that.

I used Tweak UI to set the number of folders to remember to 30,000 (the
computer across its three hard drives actually has about 23,000 folders). It
worked briefly, lasting in one login session after the next reboot. Rebooting
after the change I opened Explorer to see if it saved the desired view (it
did), then immediately rebooted and checked again, only to find that the
revised Folder View was gone again, replaced by the apparent default (large
icon) view. I've also upped the number of folders in the Registry (BagMRU
Size variable) as well, only because Tweak UI didn't change those values.
Again, that only worked for the first session immediately after the reboot.
The next reboot....back to large icons. Irritating part is that the numbers
are still the revised values I changed them to in Tweak UI and the registry.

I've also noticed that the Recent Programs used listing in the Start button
resets (deletes any listing of recently run apps that are not already pinned
to the Start menu) each time the saved Folder View goes away. Memory/storage
problem? Whatever it is, it's really beginning to grate on me. Any ideas
would be appreciated.

 

[Gerry]

Given that the default setting is 400 isn't 30,000 excessive. Do you
need to have so many different views. What do you gain?


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Mars_is_stuck]

Nothing evidently.

The point is NO amount of saved pages has been effective in changing the
situation, even though some posts from several years ago have said that the
default 400 is too low and is usually the cause of this problem (btw, before
I started tinkering the computer had been set to 5000 folders, and not the
default value). I used an 8000 figure that was posted in a registry fix I
found in a Google search...that essentially did nothing. I went into the
registry and doubled it to 16,000...that worked for all of one reboot. I went
and figured out how many folders are actually ON all of the hard drives and
bumped it up from there first to about the actual number, then up to
30,000...again, in both cases a single reboot before reverting back to icons.
BTW, from what I can tell it appears Windows performance has not suffered (so
far) from the high setting.

 

[Gerry]

Mars

I make extensive use of Windows Explorer to manage mainly Excel files
but also Word and researching to answer newsgroup queries. I use the
Detail setting customised by adding columns for all folders. Toolsl,
Folder Options, Apply to All Folders. The one exception, which comes to
mind, is Control Panel where the setting is Icons. I suppose I could
reduce the default setting of 400 but I have never felt the need.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Nothing evidently.

The point is NO amount of saved pages has been effective in changing the
situation, even though some posts from several years ago have said that the
default 400 is too low and is usually the cause of this problem (btw, before
I started tinkering the computer had been set to 5000 folders, and not the
default value). I used an 8000 figure that was posted in a registry fix I
found in a Google search...that essentially did nothing. I went into the
registry and doubled it to 16,000...that worked for all of one reboot. I went
and figured out how many folders are actually ON all of the hard drives and
bumped it up from there first to about the actual number, then up to
30,000...again, in both cases a single reboot before reverting back to icons.
BTW, from what I can tell it appears Windows performance has not suffered (so
far) from the high setting.

Note that the default of 400 folders was changed to 5000 long ago--in
SP2.

 

[Gerry]

Interesting observation Ken. Given that my system has been updated to
SP2 and remains at 400 without any intervention from me perhaps you
would clarify what you are saying. Default or the ability to set a
higher folder view setting?

--
Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Interesting observation Ken. Given that my system has been updated to
SP2 and remains at 400 without any intervention from me perhaps you
would clarify what you are saying. Default or the ability to set a
higher folder view setting?

I can't address the issue with your system, Gerry, but please read
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/813711, which states "This problem
occurs because Windows stores each folder's view settings and
customizations in the registry. By default, this data is limited to
200 local folders and 200 network folders, for a total of 400
folders."

It then goes on to say "RESOLUTION To resolve this problem, obtain the
latest service pack for Microsoft Windows XP."

Alternatively, read here: http://www.broadbandreports.com/faq/5728,
which also points out that SP2 changes the default.

 

[Gerry]

Ken

This Knowledge Base Article, like many others, is written in ambiguous
language.

It says the problem, namely "Your view settings or customizations for a
folder may be lost or incorrect.", has been resolved with the SP2 update
and that by inference the cause as described in the Article has been
corrected. It does not say that the setting for an existing system has
been changed to 5,000. The figure of 5,000 is plucked out of the air to
illustrate how a user can alter the Registry to overcome the limit of
400 imposed.

Ramesh says Windows XP SP2 increases the Bag value to 5000
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/folderviews.htm

The default setting has clearly been changed in Vista to 5,000. I
imagine installing from a Windows XP SP2 CD sets a Bag value of 5,000.

The point where I think the uncertainty may exist is how installing the
SP2 update changes an existing SP1 system, if at all.. Based on my own
experience I suggest it makes no change to an existing Bag value. I
reinstalled from an SP1 CD last May and have a Bag value of 400. The
subsequent installation of updates from the SP2 Update has not changed
the pre SP2 default Bag value. An interesting question may be what Bag
value is set if you install from a slipstreamed Windows XP CD.

A practical point may be that if installing SP2 does not change an
existing Bag value it could partly explain why complaints of lost folder
views persist despite the SP2 update. If a reinstallation has been
undertaken then a resolved issue would be recreated.

--
Regards.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~