Windows 7: Explorer - NO column headers bar in details view

Hello to ALL,

Windows Explorer in details view does not display the columns headers bar (name, type, date, size etc...) - it was there since the installation in DEC'09 but today when i opened the WE it wasn't there. The folders and files are still showed in columns, from view/choose details... menu i can select/clear which columns to appear but the columns names are not displayed.

Has anyone encountered such a behavior? Any idea how to restore the columns headers bar to be displayed?

Appreciate your help.

Thanks / Nicky

Hello Nicky, and welcome to Seven Forums.

The column headers would only be displayed in the Details folder arrangement view. Since you do, then you might see if resetting all folder views to default may restore them afterwards. If it does not help, then you might see if a repair install can without losing anything.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks Shawn,

In the Folder Options window on the General and View tabs have done Restore Defaults but still no change, in Details view the columns headers are missing.

I don't think i will do the repair install of the OS just for this minor problem. If there is a way to do only the WE reinstall i can try it but not for the entire OS...there are many settings to loose and i need the machine to perform my duties.

It seems to be somekind of a malfunction of WE, its annoying and will be good to have a fix but for me a reinstall of the OS is not a choice.

Thanks once again for your ideas.

Brgds / Nicky

You might see if running a sfc /scannow command may be able to fix it.

If it has just happened recently, then you might try a system restore using a restore point dated when you did not have this problem. If the restore point is not to old, then it may be easier than a repair install.

Hello Shawn,

sfc /scannow command returned "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

Unfortunately i am unable to do a system restore to an older restore point as it appears i have only one restore point of today after an automatic Windows Critical Updates. That's a bit strange to me as i believe WIN shall keep the old restore points at least for a month or two but by a reason not known to me i have only the latest restore point saved. I have the System Protection ON and there is enough free disk space (0.5G used of 46G allowed for system protection). I did not delete manually any restore points either.

Anyway, obviously WIN has its own way of behavior and does things without telling why is doing them. I will observe if WIN will continue to delete automatically the older restore points as for me it is an issue...you count there are restore points and when you need them there are no any...but that's another topic, i will try first read more about it to see what the reasons of that behavior might be.

As for the Explorer columns headers issue i will either use it as it is (with no headers in details view) if no fix avlb or will switch to another explorer software.

Nicky

I wish i had a solution but sadly have exactly the same problem. I restored to default, then checked registry entries. But then this happened.. Just now (as i was writing this..!), i got a crash log message from my VMWare workstation, which is interesting because it wasn't running, and haven't run that for days and there have been several restarts since then. Then Windows Explorer told me it has stopped working. I opened a new Win/explorer, and pass the beer & peanuts i have my columns back! To recap what i know i did.. in the forum page about how to set Windows Explorer to default, it shows how to downloaded a registry file and merge it with my existing one. I did that. I then opened the registry to also do the second method and confirmed that the registry entries that you are supposed to delete were already gone. (good). Then i restarted and collapsed in tears when i saw that my column headers bar was still gone and so can't change column width. Then the strange business above happened which led to the columns restoring. I hope this helps someone.

[Additional note: The column headers have disappeared again so i am no closer to having a solution. It is even worse. When i tried a third party folder viewer, (JExplorer) it also has the same problems, it looks like it uses a lot of the installed Windows explorer code which normally makes sense but in this case is bad news for me.] I will radiate intensely good thoughts in the general direction of anyone who can suggest a fix for this! ! ]

Windovale, thanks for the post.

Could you pls post a link to the forum page about how to set Windows Explorer to default. I still have my column headers bar missing and can give it a try.

Thanks / Nicky

Nicky,

Here's that link for you to reset all folder view settings to default.

Folder View Settings - Reset All to Default

Thanks for the link Brink,

After downloading and performing the registry key merge i can cnfm that this action has not worked for me and the column headers bar in details view has not been restored.

Anyway, thanks for the help. Will continue waitring for other suggestions.

Brgds / Nicky

It looks like you may need to do a repair install to fix this then. You will not lose anything.