Windows 10: Folder view "optimization" setting is ignored

Hi,


Windows 10 x64 20H2 10.0.19042.867.


In Windows Explorer, if you open the folder properties, there's the "Optimization" option on the "Customize" tab. For a certain folder, there is "General Items" selected . I switch to "Videos" and click OK. The problem is that the setting does not seem to be stored. If I open the dialog again, "General Items" is still selected.


Using procmon, I was able to find out which registry key stores the settings of a certain folder:


HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1525\Shell


There are the values FolderType=Videos and SniffedFolderType=Generic. So, obviously the folder type is ignored when opening the dialog. What can cause this?


Another attempt was changing the folder type of the parent folder to "Videos", checking the "apply setting to sub folders" box. This didn't help, too. Still "General Items" is selected.


This is a user specific setting. I've tried it with a different user account. No problem with that one. However, a desktop.ini file is created including the line "FolderType=Videos".


So, final attempt: As I don't need the old folder view settings, I'd like to reset them, hoping it solves the problem. My question is how to do this safely?


There are the reg keys

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagsMRU


Can I safely delete these two completely?


Thanks.

:)

 

Change Folder View Layout in Windows 10


"uhm that method does not work. i want to set folder view as List as default instead Details for all folders"
Did you download and run Brink's .bat file in Step 1 ? Lacking that, look at the screens in post 3. In Step 5 'folders of this type' defaults to each of the Windows templates for Pictures, Music, etc. If you want ALL folders to have the same List view, r-click any folder in each of the 5 folders under This PC (Desktop does not apply) and hit 'Customize this folder'. Set to 'Optimize this folder for General Items". Then follow the screen in post 3 using List instead of Details in Step 1 and you should be good to go.

 

Setting folder view

Hi. I have folders on my E drive which I like to see in List view. Some of those folders contain sub-folders which I also like to see in List view. When it comes to the actual files, I'd like them shown as Large Icons.

Is such a setup possible? Thank you. (version 1903)

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I think I've solved it. Set top-level folder to Large Icons then go to View/Options/Change... and click Apply to Folders. Then just change the top-level folder back to Details by right-clicking an empty space.

Taking this a step further, is it possible to have different file views in different folders i.e. all the files in Folder A are shown one way while the files in Folder B are shown another?

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How do I change the folder optimization settings?


@dalchina, I looked briefly for forum rules but didn't see them either in Customizations or the parent forum - I must have missed it. @swarfega, that's entirely different from what I'm trying to do.

In Windows 10, the folder view (such as "Large Icons", "Small Icons", "Tiles", "List", "Details", etc.) defaults on "Details," because the library is optimized for Music.
This optimization can be found by right-clicking on the library, selecting "Properties," and from the drop-down menu underneath "Optimize this library for:" you can select an optimization option. However, these options are redundant and useless. Three of them use the exact SAME view (General Items, Documents and Music use the "Details" view), and the other are for icons.

But that means that these "optimizations" must be found somewhere in the OS, either in the registry or in a file in the core Windows folder, which means that it can be modified.

My goal here is to modify the "Music" optimization preset to show the "List" view, rather than the default "Details" view.

And before any simple suggestion is made... "Apply to folders" does not work for libraries in Windows 10.
This is no easy fix. I'm looking for a way to mod the actual OS as necessary, to permanently alter the preset in question.