Ok, so Microsoft decided to play hopscotch on where the Folder settings are stored in the registry, After many months of wondering why when I applied settings that were given in other sites, my folders still didn't work right. My settings would still get forgotten, Vista would still try to overwrite templates I had setup (like changing a folder that is specified as documents/detail and then switching it to pictures/icons)

I did some registry Traces and found out where Explorer is actually looking for for it's values. One key thing is the BagMRU Size. The BagMRU size is the maximum number of folders that Vista will remember the view settings on. In XP it was 400, and in Vista it is 5000 but the value is stored in the wrong place in the registry. Let me give a quick history now.

Windows XP stored this information in the following locations:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags]

You could delete these four keys and it would remove all your folder customizations.
To increase the cache size, you would modify the BagMRU Size setting at the following locations:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam]

Now, the kicker, Vista doesn't store this information there anymore. It stores it at:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags]

So any tweaks for XP aren't going to work for Vista because they update the wrong location.

Now, the real kicker and goof on Microsoft's part. If you do a fresh install of vista, and look at the Registry. You will find values for BagMRU Size at the following locations:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam]

So when Vista was created, Microsoft changed Explorer to look in a different spot, but they didn't move the spot in the registry. Everyone assumed that since the value was there from scratch, that that is where you updated it, especially since that is where you went in XP. The value you find there will be 5000, which really should be enough, but now you will discover why no matter what you put in there, it doesn't work. Look at the following screen shot:

Click to view attachment

This is a registry trace that I did on Explorer.exe when you open it. Look at the highlighted line. Take note of where Explorer.exe is looking for the BagMRU Size. ???? It is looking in [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell] which is the NEW location Explorer looks. Problem is, Microsoft never put in a value for BagMRU Size at that location. I have no idea what value it is using when it can't find this value but it isn't very high. Notice the "NAME NOT FOUND" over in the Result column for the Registry Trace.

Here is what happens when the entry exists, I have my BagMRU size set to 20,000. Notice the trace reflects this:

Click to view attachment

Here is the registry file that will actually fix your folders. The file also includes a line (in the correct key) that will turn off auto template discovery. This is nice because once you run the registry file and restart, every folder on your computer will be set to ALL ITEMS for the template. You can then go into whatever folder you want and set the default template to something else and apply to subfolders (Apply to subfolders didn't work EVER in XP.. Grrr Microsoft). Remove that entry in the Registry File if you want Vista to auto determine the template for folders on the computer (I don't know why anyone would want this myself). Take what I have below and put in a text file and rename extension to .REG.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; This is a Vista ONLY Folder Repair tool, This tool will force Vista to remember your folder settings by
; Modifying registry entries. Descriptions below explain what each step is doing.
; Steps:
; 1. Open up explorer and go to Tools->Folder Options->View and uncheck Remember each folder's View settings
; 2. Double Click this registry File
; 3. Restart Computer before doing anything else
; 4. Once restarted, bring up explorer again and put the Check back that was removed in step 1.
; 5. All folders on the computer should now be in the "All Items" format. Since Auto Discovery is now off
; you will need to go to your shell folders (Pictures, Videos, Contacts, Music, etc.) and set them to the
; template you want, apply to subfolders, etc.


; Clear out Folder Settings left over from XP:
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags]

; Clear out Folder Settings for Vista
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags]


; Modify the Folder Storage space to 20000, this will allow the saving of settings for up to 20000 different folders.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell]
"BagMRU Size"=dword:00004e20

; Turn off Vista's Auto Template Discovery. This keeps vista from deciding on it's own what type
; of Folder you have (ie, picture, videos, docs, etc) This will keep vista from changing what you
; have already set for a folder as well. Notice this value is in the Bags Key that was deleted
; in the settings above. Remember this is there, because if you decide to manually go delete
; your Bags Key, you will lose this value and auto-discovery will turn back on again.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"FolderType"="NotSpecified"

Here is the Zip file containing the .REG file typed out above:

Click to view attachment

Excellant work. I'm going to apply this ASAP. Thanks.
Paul

Had this one figured out ages ago...
http://www.vistabits.nl/folder_view_not_remembered.htm

I looked at your registry file, the BagMRU Size lines are wrong. Those are the locations the setting was stored in XP. Vista doesn't look for BagMRU size in those locations (even though that is where the entries exist in the registry) This is what the problem is, everyone seems to think that this the proper place since the developers put the entries there. I know because I've used this registry tweak and still ran out of folder storage space, when I knew I was no where near the limit. Please look at my screenshots in the first post and read what I said about it. You can see by the registry trace exactly where explorer is pulling the value from.

Jeez, you're right Steve! I didn't realize this. Thanks for that. Funny enough though, I have a lot of emails from people who said it workes for them? Must be the 'placebo effect.' Would it be allright to use your reg file for my site?

I think they think it works, at least to a point. I have at last count, 100,000+ folders on various drives on my computer. So I tend to run out of space for folder settings, although 20,000 is way more than enough since most folders you never look at. In vista, they set the setting at 5000 but they stored the setting in the wrong place, so who knows what the actual default value is when no setting is given. I think it is pretty low though, probably below 100 somewhere.

You can use the registry file

I have Vista x64 and my regedit.exe said that the file would be invalid (I ran as an admin). Do I have to do something special with my 64bit version? I understood the remark on Vista 64 just in a descriptive sense not as a necessity to do anything different than with a 32bit version.

The registry file on his site has an Extra "W" on the first line, If you look, it says WWindows, Remove one of the W's and save and then double click it.

I would like to apply this, but I am somewhat computer illiterature. Could someone please list the instructions step by step with easy words. like open my computer or start>run.

I have Windows Vista x64 Ultimate
Thank you very much.
p.s.
To the author I am not insulting you. I actually admire your knowledge of computer.

Hello. I'm struggling to follow these instructions. I'm using Vista 32bit. Any chance someone might be able to explain it in a more step by step way? lol.




Thats as far as i got. It says double click this registry file. What registry file? lol. I'm hopeless. I know.

Read th OP more carefully, Blueman. You must save the heavy type as a .reg file, - then run it.

OMG mate you can't imagine how happy you make me!!! Hail to you and the lowest bow i can make!
please write more wonderful fixes
----------------------------
for those who experience problems with compiling the reg file:

but please remember you will fail if you wan't read the instructions in this thread

..still works
just a few questions: is there any minors of this patch,
and what should i do to clean the memory? (if i'll ever need to..)

_______________________
dear stevecn70, we still have problem with "Save as \ Open"-windows view:

in Windows XP icons was arranged with List by default and i like it that way.

in Vista it's wasn't correct nor before the patch nor after.
please tell me that you're going to fix it!!

Steve:

Thank you for sharing that with us!

What about on PCs that have multiple user accounts? I applied your reg fix when logged in as Administrator in Vista Home Premium. Your fix applies only to HKEY_CURRENT_USER, so that would be just for my Administrator account. It would not apply to the Standard User account on this PC.

Is there a way to easily apply a .reg file fix for a Standard User account, or must I login as Administrator and launch Regedit, then Load Hive to load registry entries for the other user and then apply each of your steps manually?

Assuming the other user accounts don't have admin privilages. You can run regedit.exe as administrator, put in your login information and then within regedit, you can go to FILE->IMPORT and load the file there for each user account.

You should be able to just type regedit in the search box in the start menu and when you see it pop up in the list, right click and choose run as admin

Hi Steve:

Thank you for the reply. I don't think that will work though, unless I misunderstand you.

Once regedit is run as administrator, HKEY_CURRENT_USER will show entries for the Administrator account and not for the other user. HKEY_CURRENT_USER is just a way of displaying the HKEY_USERS entries for the user that launched regedit. I even tested it to confirm: when logged into Windows as standard user, I ran regedit normally and created a new key under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then exited regedit. Then I ran regedit as administrator and opened HKEY_CURRENT_USER and the new key was not there.

AFAIK, the only way the administrator can edit HKEY_USERS for a different user is to run regedit | File | Load Hive to load the other user's NTUSER.DAT in order to edit that user's registry entries.

That's why I wonder if I will have to perform your edits manually for that other user, or if there is some way to apply a .reg file to a specific user that has been loaded via Load Hive.

Hello again Steve:

I figured it out. I used Load Hive to load the other user's NTUSER.DAT into HKEY_USERS so I could edit that user's registry entries.

I have now applied your registry fix, but I'm a bit confused on what he sugests to do after that. You wrote:

"Since Auto Discovery is now off you will need to go to your shell folders (Pictures, Videos, Contacts, Music, etc.) and set them to the template you want, apply to subfolders, etc."

Should I now open each of the main folders under each user, (e.g. C:\Users\Larry\Documents, C:\Users\Larry\Pictures, C:\Users\Moe\Documents, C:\Users\Larry\Pictures, etc.),
then do Tools | Folder Options | View | Apply to Folders ?

OR, do I right-click each of those folders (C:\Users\Larry\Documents, C:\Users\Larry\Pictures, etc.) | Customize | select All Items | check "Also apply this template to all subfolders" ?

As you can see, I'm confused about the difference between settings in Tools | Folder Options and those in Customize.

What steps do I need to do now to set my folder settings and have them apply to all folders?

hello everybody. this is my first message on this board

first, thanks for all the precious instructions. but i got problems with compiling the registry file. i checked Anomaly's link but i supose it's dead.

can someone upload the file again please?

I meant while logged in as that user, you could run regedit as admin, but you figured it out the other way.

2nd question, I mean, right click the main folder as you listed, go to properties, customize, set the template, put a check on apply to subfolders and then click on ok.

am i correct in thinking this stops vista from assuming all new folders are for music?

thanks for everything

i've done the compiling just applied the settings.

Yes, The registry file basically does this:

1. Removes all current customizations
2. Increases the number of folders that vista can keep track of
3. Turns off auto-discover, which is where vista desides on it's own what type of folder you have. Which means you will have to manually set your folders to what template you want.

Can I recommend to the moderators/admins that this post be pinned? It's a very useful piece of info I reckon lots of people can benefit from

Hi guys

This was very helpful !! BUT I have one thing that bothers me very much. I would like that windows would remember the window size of my explorer, that vas previously opened. Almost each time windows “resets” the size of explorer that was opened. In XP the size was always the same….

Thanks

D.

Try holding down shift when you close the explorer window. Mine usually saves the previous setting but not always, especially if you have more than one window open

Hay

So I'll have to hold down Shift always when I close explorer. Are there any general settings that I could fix for that?
Well this window size is really bothering me.... grrr

thank you so much! everything is working, no more going back to fixing every folder settings every day!

Found another site thats supposed to fix vista explorer errors, 'The green bar of death' http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2332394,00.asp

You have to be an admin to apply registry patches.

I have deleted by mistake the following info from registry, instead of modifying it.



Can some one tell me how to add it again ?

Add as Key ? DWORD(32BIT) ? QWORD(64BIT) ? ETC... ?

It looks like this right now,



Thanks !!!

Seems I missed this site.

Nice.

Thank you so much, that worked great. I was getting so tired of adjusting the file template for my contacts folder that I was seriously considering deleting my contacts and becoming a hermit.

You're an absolute LEGEND!!

I've been hunting for a solution to this problem on and off for over a year. This problem was the final issue I had with my Vista installation. Now I have no more problems....

I'm sorry to say this new REG does not work for me.

3 times in 1 week my folders have all messed up (really getting to my head).

The old method you had where it was listed and we followed the instructions worked and lasted me many months before I formated and this is the clean install I'm on.

This happens right before my eyes, I can see the screen flash and then I know its all gone bad (it can happen sooner if I'm working with New Foilders on my Desktop).

I would like the old info please so I can do it all manually.

Nothing has changed. I'm not sure what you mean by a screen flash though.

The Screen Refreshed and I know my folders have gone Tits Up again lol.

The Reg may well be every line the same as the Manual Method but its possibly not actually doing 1 of parts.

I was 100% happy and sorted the manual way and would love a copy of it again.

I have for now reverted to the modified/updated guide (it took info from your guide after a peep posted a link to it/here) guide on the Vista x64 Forums.

hi there

This is just what I am looking for and am trying to give it a go but as have a couple of other people have mentioned I am not very computer minded and am a little puzzled on step 2 which reg file I should open. I can open the reg edit I am normally OK using it but I just cant see what reg file I need to open in step 2 of the instructions.

Any help would be gratefully apprecaited.

Many Thanks

Nick

I tried your fix, but it didn't work for me. I followed it to the letter, but Vista still won't remember any of the folder view options.
I've only had this problem for a couple of weeks, and I can't think what has triggered Vista to forget. It's a bit of a nightmare to navigate through my computer, making it useless!
Any other ideas?

Take a lok at the links at the bottom of this thread, helped me OK so hopefully will help you some more.

http://thevistaforums.com/index.php?showto...mp;#entry309172

Hope it helps.

I never even thought it was possible to fix this.. I thought this is another Vista glitch...
I hate that my download folder automatically sets it for pictures even if i had made it for all items.. Thanks man.. one problem solved.. But i still don't trust Vista..

i used the registry hack to correct the folder view setting and all went well, i do however have a small issue i would like to resolve.

all my favorites and also desktop shortcuts open half screen and have to be maximized, they should open full screen, my other PC with vista also opens full screen, can this be corrected ?

open the folder and make it how you want. Hold down SHIFT when you click to close the folder and it will remember the setting

ive tried that with both ctrl and shift, but ill try again, draging the corners, maximizing/closing/reopening, ive even searched the registry but didnt find anything

This fix doesn't work for me either (Vista X64 user). It worked for maybe 2 weeks, but after that it started to forget the folder views again. I have also tried the fix that rico linked to, but no luck there either. I guess its impossible to fix this, waiting for Windows 7...

What isn't working? I think some people don't realize that if you have one folder set to a type of template, and you change that template for another folder and apply to folders it will change for every folder that has that template.

For example, You have a few folders set to "Music Details" You go in to one and change stuff. It will stay that way. But if you go into another folder that is also "Music Details" and change it up and/or do the apply to other folders, it will update the original folder.

It is important to follow these steps in this order:

1. Organize your computer properly. Meaning make sure all music is in the music folder, all videos in videos folder, etc. with the proper sub-folders as needed.

2. Run Registry file

3. Go into each of your user folders and change to the template you want and apply to all sub-folders. (For example, right click "Music" and go to properties and then customize. Set on template you want, mine is on "music details" and put a check on apply to sub-folders and then click ok.), continue with the other user folders

4. Modify each template as needed, for example, step 3 the example was the music folder. Go into ANY of the sub-folders or any other folder on your computer that you have set to that template. Change to details, thumbnails, tiles, etc. Setup columns, column sizes, etc. When it looks all nice and pretty go up to the "Tools" menu and go to "Folder Options". Next go to the View Tab and click on "Apply to Folders" and click OK. Now all folders that have that template will look the same.

5. Finally, go customize single folders as needed. For example, I have my CD Library in a single folder wich all the artists listed in sub-folders. The subfolders are in details mode which shows track information (length, size, bitrate, artist, title, track no, etc.). The root folder however, I don't want in details mode, I want it in LIST mode so I can see more artists on a single screen. So I change that to list mode and it will stay that way.

6. NOTE: if you repeat step 4 at a later date, for example, you want change your music details template to include another column and then you apply to folders, it will remove customizations you made in step 5. So you would need to repeat step 5 (But ONLY for folders for the template you changed)

As long as your computer is organized in a smart way, then these steps don't take very long, even if you have to re-do the whole process at some point.

i believe this 'Remember Folder settings' registry hack is the source of my problems with all internet explorer desktop shortcuts and 'Favorites' opening 1/2 screen, everything else as far as all other folder settings work ok, all the folders are in there default location, also all music, videos, pictures and all are in there default location and very well organized, i was only asking where the registry setting/string for the above effected desktop shortcut and favorites was located so i could look there for any problems, this registry hack is the only change that has been made to my registry.

i believe i owe an apology to steven70 for my last post concerning my desktop/favorites shortcuts not opening full page and pointing at the registry hack as the source.

turns out i had forgotten that UAC had been disabled while installing/configuring vista and programs, i enabled UAC and now all my shortcuts/favorites open full screen as they should, remember folder size/setting is also working as they should.

sorry for my last post steven70, all is well, great job on remember folder size/setting.

Thanks !

This topic is now resolved. Moved to Resolved Topics.

be careful with Registry Cleaners!!! my favorite jvPowerTools likes to reset this RegFix which makes all folders go back to their previous settings.. and that's in SafeScan mode!

@Anomaly: Can you maybe tell me if this also happens with CCleaners Registry Cleaner?

@stevecn70: Just one question for trying out your solution: (Why) do I have to "Clear out Folder Settings left over from XP", when I haven't ever had XP installed on my HDD?

MS left the files from XP not you.

A little boob on their part.

Also I said a page of so back about this not working for me any longer.

I again have it working and cannot agree with the above part about "Apply to all Templates" as I do not even go there.

Its as simple as this : Use your desktop (which is a Folder) to work with say a folder containing Videos or Music and you can mess it all up again.

I have learned the hard way to use the "Document Folder" to mess with editing Movies or Music inside folders before putting them in proper Video Folders or Music Folders.

Example, do not download a folder containing ".mp3's" to your desktop and then mess about with it.