Viewing File details-Explorer

[John]

Forgive a stupid question but when I navigate my C drive in Explorer (Vista
Business), I have it set to view Details. In some folders I see the expected
file details but in others I see what appears to be a music file type
display without and file data like size or date.

How do I stop Explorer from jumping between these two types of views? I just
want to see all file details when navigating my C drive.

Also, on some Excel 2000 files I can't see the file unless I click a
Compatibility Folder at the top under the menu Bar. I tried searching
Compatibility files and have not been successful. I tried simply searching
for *.xls files with nothing found...strange since I just saved an .xls
file. But the .xls file in this Compatibility folder... why?

Where can I read about this new behavior since there's nothing available in
my Vista computer--hard to believe.

And why didn't this great new search system find the .xls file in that
mysterious Compatibility folder? Is Vista really this complicated?

 

[Terry R.]

On 7/9/2007 11:23 AM On a whim, John pounded out on the keyboard

Forgive a stupid question but when I navigate my C drive in Explorer (Vista
Business), I have it set to view Details. In some folders I see the expected
file details but in others I see what appears to be a music file type
display without and file data like size or date.

How do I stop Explorer from jumping between these two types of views? I just
want to see all file details when navigating my C drive.

Also, on some Excel 2000 files I can't see the file unless I click a
Compatibility Folder at the top under the menu Bar. I tried searching
Compatibility files and have not been successful. I tried simply searching
for *.xls files with nothing found...strange since I just saved an .xls
file. But the .xls file in this Compatibility folder... why?

Where can I read about this new behavior since there's nothing available in
my Vista computer--hard to believe.

And why didn't this great new search system find the .xls file in that
mysterious Compatibility folder? Is Vista really this complicated?

Hi John,

Because Windows *thinks* it knows what is in each folder and displays
the "appropriate" view.

First: the "Remember each folder's view settings" must be checked in
(Folder options/View tab)
After that, in the registry delete the following keys:

HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU
HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags

Restart. All folder views should be set back to their defaults.

Now, set a folder exactly the way you want it. Then return to (folder
options/view tab) and click the button to "Apply view settings to all
folders" and it will reset all the folders to the view settings you want.

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
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[dean-dean]

Basically, there are Six Types of Folder Templates:

All Items
Documents
Pictures and Videos
Music Details
Music Icons
Contacts

Using Folder Options -> View -> Apply to Folders, depending on the Template
the folder is using, will apply that folder's view to all other folders
using that template.

 

[John]

Thanks for the help. The curious problem is the Explorer display of the
folder in question has all the headings you'd expect in a File view ie Date,
Size, File Type. However there is no data for the files in these columns. So
is this a View issue or something else?

And the "Compatability Files folder at the top just after (to the right of)
Burn... any ideas why an Excell2000 file is stuck there when I saved it into
another folder but it never appeared (visibly) yet if I try to save it again
I get a "Replace File?" popup? It's behaving like a rootkit folder in some
ways.
Thanks again.

 

[Dave]

What folder are you trying to save the Excel file to?
You can't save to the "My " folders, like in XP. Those are junctions that
point to other folders.
You can't save to C:\Program Files or even C:\

 

[John]

I think I found the answer... those nasty "must be an Admin" problems:
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Vista...crumptiousWonderThatIsFileVirtualization.aspx

It seems when there's not the right permission you get "virtualized". The
real nuisance is I have admin rights so why go through all this BS. It
really is doing Vista a disservice as an OS. If a user has admin rights, let
him trash his computer as he sees fit. I guess I will kill UAC again.

 

[Adam Albright]

Forgive a stupid question but when I navigate my C drive in Explorer (Vista
Business), I have it set to view Details. In some folders I see the expected
file details but in others I see what appears to be a music file type
display without and file data like size or date.

How do I stop Explorer from jumping between these two types of views? I just
want to see all file details when navigating my C drive.

As you've discovered things are "different" under Vista compared to
what they were in prior versions of Windows. For example if you look
in Windows Explorer the C drive now sports a new Windows icon in the
left pane as decoration. I guess Microsoft's way of saying hands off,
I'm claiming the C drive or whatever is used as the root drive as it's
own. Supposedly this was done for security reasons. So now Windows
will defend this drive and doesn't like you copying files directly to
the drive (outside of folders) and may even nag if you try to access
or move files in folders on the C drive.

As far as jumping back and forth between what details are shown this
is suppose to be a "feature" in that Windows is trying to use
artificial intelligence to guess what details or display options
should be shown based on the folder contents. So if it sees a bunch of
graphics it may ignore your choice and show thumbnails, or select
another template for music files if the folder has mostly music.
Annoying for sure since again Microsoft decides what's best, not you
the end user. You can try to force a template as others have
suggested. The problem is your choice can get overridden.

And why didn't this great new search system find the .xls file in that
mysterious Compatibility folder? Is Vista really this complicated?

Being new Vista is understood that well. Again to add "security" and
force application to run without elevating their permissions Vista
attempts to fool applications by setting up junction points that are
really just phantom folders that trick application into thinking they
are accessing areas they aren't really.

Rather than going on and on how all this works, if you have the time
visit below site and both watch and hear from the horse's mouth. The
two Microsoft guys that wrote UAC (User Account Control) and more or
less try to explain why they did it, why it works, and why sometimes
it doesn't.

http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=14&TagID=9

Look for and watch the streaming video called "UAC, What, How Why"

 

[Adam Albright]

Thanks for the help. The curious problem is the Explorer display of the
folder in question has all the headings you'd expect in a File view ie Date,
Size, File Type. However there is no data for the files in these columns. So
is this a View issue or something else?

And the "Compatability Files folder at the top just after (to the right of)
Burn... any ideas why an Excell2000 file is stuck there when I saved it into
another folder but it never appeared (visibly) yet if I try to save it again
I get a "Replace File?" popup? It's behaving like a rootkit folder in some
ways.
Thanks again.

Right click on any blank space in the right pane of Windows Explorer.
Select Sort By, then more... Here you'll find well over a hundred
categories you can add that will get displayed. There's a catch.
Notice there is 'move up' button. You generally need to repeatedly
click the choices you want to add to get them to "bubble up" higher on
the list or they won't always show. Also it depends on the file.
Sometimes there isn't any data it or the file can't be read.

Once you make your category choices you can select a column heading
moving it left or right to any arrangement you like. You can also sort
by clicking on any column heading.

 

[John]

Adam, thank you for your help.

The "Sort By' function works. For examle, if I Sort By File Size, the list
of files moves as expected. However there is nothing displayed in the File
Size column. So it's a mystery sort...sort of. The curiosity is not that
Explorer doesn't sort properly--it does. The Mystery is why doesn't Explorer
show-display- the values in File Size or Date Mofified?

 

[Adam Albright]

Adam, thank you for your help.

The "Sort By' function works. For examle, if I Sort By File Size, the list
of files moves as expected. However there is nothing displayed in the File
Size column. So it's a mystery sort...sort of. The curiosity is not that
Explorer doesn't sort properly--it does. The Mystery is why doesn't Explorer
show-display- the values in File Size or Date Mofified?

I don't know why it isn't showing up for you. Did you try clicking
Refresh after you make changes?

 

[Ed O'Brien]

Hi.

I only have the latest posting so haven't seen the whole thread. But you can
right click the column heading and select the check box for what you want...
Sort by Date Modified, Type and Size, for instance.

Hope this helps.

Ed

 

[Joel Graffman]

Does anyone know how to make WordPad change the default font. Every time I
reopen the program, the font returns to Courier New.