I Do Not Understand (or like) Windows 7 Folder View Behavior

[iron7]

Windows XP was so intuitive in this way; set a folder's view properties and it stayed that way.

Windows 7, however, has been very annoying and mysterious in this regard. Does anybody have a simple solution to revert to XP type behavior?

 

[andrew129260]

You complain without providing any information or example.

Can you show us what you mean?

I have no issues with files and the way they are viewed in seven.

Maybe these will help:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11356-folder-view-apply-folders.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11359-folder-view-reset-all-folders.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/41198-folder-view-set-default-all-folders.html

 

[Brink]

Hello iron7,

You might also see if this may be what you are after.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/92758-windows-explorer-auto-arrange-disable.html

 

[OvenMaster]

I think I know what he wants. Folders won't open in the size or position the user wants, they revert to an odd location on the desktop, they won't retain changed settings.
Shell Folder Fix is the cure.

http://www.sevenforums.com/free-dev...rfix-manage-folder-window-positions-size.html

 

[nkorepal]

I agree with you. XP was very friendly to me. 7 hates me.

 

[iron7]

My two most noticeable examples:

Opening User folder, the folder view has often changed from medium icons (my preference) to list (I tend to use list view in a number of other folders so perhaps that has something to do with it)

Opening Windows Explorer from quick launch (launches into library view), regardless of what view I select, upon re-launch it is always in tile

 

[andrew129260]

Choose folder options, and click apply to folder once you apply what settings you want. Also make sure it is customized to what files you want in there. General items, documents view setting will be changed for that category when clicking apply to folder.

 

[iron7]

I'm not sure what type of files my library and user folders are customized for (music, pics, etc). So I'm weary to apply a medium icon view to all similar folders - not knowing what it will affect.

 

[AddRAM]

Just put your data where you want and set the icons how you want, it`s your choice, do what you want, it`s such a trivial thing, why worry about it. You are the boss of your pc

I have mine set to details and leave it at that.

My pics are set to large icons.

 

[iron7]

it`s your choice, do what you want...You are the boss of your pc

That's just the thing; I'm setting things up how I want and they're changing themselves around according to some underlying scheme. So it doesn't feel like I'm the boss, and the OS is not doing what I want.

 

[iron7]

Choose folder options, and click apply to folder once you apply what settings you want. Also make sure it is customized to what files you want in there. General items, documents view setting will be changed for that category when clicking apply to folder.

I'm not sure what type of files my library and user folders are customized for (music, pics, etc). So I'm wary to apply a medium icon view to all similar folders - not knowing what it will affect.

 

[UsernameIssues]

There are a few file operations that will reset the registry (data streams?) that track the view settings. It is quite annoying. This video is from a clean Virtual Machine:



And the videos in this post. They cost me real time/money at the office. And I'm not talking about wanting to make W7 look a certain way. I'm talking about stunts like those last two videos. I've encountered too many such things.

I have a rather long list of things that W7 does for no apparent reason.

 

[andrew129260]

Choose folder options, and click apply to folder once you apply what settings you want. Also make sure it is customized to what files you want in there. General items, documents view setting will be changed for that category when clicking apply to folder.

I'm not sure what type of files my library and user folders are customized for (music, pics, etc). So I'm wary to apply a medium icon view to all similar folders - not knowing what it will affect.

I stated what it will affect.

From windows help and support (Which I wish people would use more often):

To apply the current view setting to other folders
While browsing folders in the Computer folder, you can apply the current view setting to all folders on your computer that are optimized for the same content as the folder you have open. For instance, the My Pictures folder is optimized for picture files. If you open this folder and change the view to Large Icons, you can apply the Large Icons view to every folder that's optimized for pictures. (This setting does not apply when viewing files and folders using libraries.)

Open a folder, click the arrow next to the Views button Picture of the Views button on the toolbar, and choose a view setting.

On the toolbar, click Organize, and then click Folder and search options.

In the Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab, click Apply to Folders, click Yes, and then click OK.

Tip
To change the type of file that a folder is optimized for, right-click the folder, click Properties, click the Customize tab, click a file type in the Optimize this folder for list, and then click OK.

 

[Slartybart]

My two most noticeable examples:

Opening User folder, the folder view has often changed from medium icons (my preference) to list (I tend to use list view in a number of other folders so perhaps that has something to do with it)

Opening Windows Explorer from quick launch (launches into library view), regardless of what view I select, upon re-launch it is always in tile

Yeah, Win7 took a while to get used to, but once you "get it" it really is the best OS MS released.

I'm not sure I understand what you're seeing, but here are a few tips.

The My (documents, pictures, music, video) folders under your user profile are templates for ALL folders of that type (Right click any normal folder, select properties from the alternate menu, press the Customize tab - you'll see a dropdown menu of available folder types).
In other words if you change the columns, view, sort, etc of your My Music folder, ALL folders with a type of music will present the files the way you set it in My Music... every time.

The launch location of explorer sort of defines where it opens
The explorer on the Task bar opens Libraries by default
There is a tutorial that explains how to change or customize the Windows Explorer launch behavior

You mentioned quick launch. Add the objects you want in quick launch directly to the task bar instead.

Libraries.... if you're familiar with Windows Media player library, then you have a starting point in understanding Windows Libraries. Basically, Libraries present file and folder information from other locations, they don't hold any real data, they just organize it. This is a pretty cool feature.
You can house your data anywhere, any folder, any drive and always have one place to look for it - the Library you included the folder. You don't have to go to each folder, just look in your library.

It takes a while to work through it, but once you "get it" it's great!

Right click everything! See what is presented in the alternate menu. I found lots of stuff that I couldn't figure out where Win7 put it - Right click away!

There is some help in the links of my signature, but many links (MS replaced Win7 with Win8) might be broken. I'll fix them if you find any and let me know - thanks.

 

[iron7]

Now all locations in my library folder are displaying as large icons. There's just no discernible reason to it as far as I'm concerned; view's changing from list to tiles and now to large icons. WTF

I just want to set a folder's view and have it stay that way until I change it. The only explanation I can think of is that maybe a while ago I set up universal view rules for folder types (general items, pics, music, etc). So I guess I should try to figure out how to revoke such rules.

 

[Slartybart]

Ok Libraies have different default views

Which Library? Also keep in mind that Libraries and folders are different.
If you look at My document and the Documents Library the views will be different. The first is a folder, the second is a Library.

Take your time - post screenshots of what you see, provide feedback on what you change... one step at a time, one Library or MyFolder at a time.

 

[iron7]

I'm referring to the view in the overarching "Libraries" folder. I have three active libraries (docs, music, video). The icons of those three items are what keep changing.

 

[Slartybart]

Pretend I'm from Missouri and show me
See: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[Bertison]

My dyslexic son had been using XP for many years until the last 2 weeks. He installed windows 7/64 bit Pro in his laptop and has Win8 on his new phone. He loves them both and can handle 7 Libraries well; says that the file and folder structure of 7 is so much easier by using the Libraries feature, than XP ever was for him. That's because, after only a short period of use, and using the "Take a Tour" feature after installation, it became logical.

Any change of Operating Systems, is a learning process. I have gone from Windows 3.1, through 95, 98 and XP, to 7. It takes time to read, study and be confident in using anything new. My son used 98 before he used XP.

Please persevere, have some patience and it will reward you. Maybe if you bought a Windows 7 book, you could reach a better understanding.

 

[iron7]

So if one does not select the option to apply view setting to all similar folders (i.e. general items, pics, etc) will view behavior be more like XP, where any folder view could be set individually and it would not go changing itself around according to certain rule sets?