Windows 10: Windows Explorer - Folder types "stuck" in Customize menu for old folder paths

Currently running Windows 10 Pro 1909, and I'm running into a peculiar issue with the functionality for setting folders to specific "types" under the Customize menu in a folder's properties in Explorer. I see the normal set of selections under the "Optimize this folder for" menu:

• General items
• Documents
• Pictures
• Music
• Videos

However, on any "old" folder path (one that has existed for a reasonable amount of time, not sure exactly what the cutoff is), it always defaults to "General items" and when I make a selection in the Optimize menu and click apply, Windows simply ignores it. No errors show up, but nothing in the folder changes, and if I close the folder properties window and re-open it, the selection is always back to "General items" in the dropdown.

The weird part of this is that I can edit the properties on a newly created folder without issue, as long as that folder path hasn't been used historically on the system. Windows appears to have somehow permanently stored folder types for specific path names and made the data read-only. If I delete an existing folder, create a brand new folder, set the properties on that new folder correctly (which works fine, as I noted), then rename that folder to one of the old path names, it suddenly snaps back to the type and column layout that were "stuck" on the historical folder assigned to that path name. Renaming it back to anything else (again, so long as it wasn't a "historical" path) restores type control once more.

I've tried all the standard system cleaning operations (resetting all folders, SFC, BagMRU Size, etc.) with no impact. Beyond wiping the entire machine and re-installing a clean image, is there anything I can do to clear this stuck cache to resolve the issue?

submitted by /u/Alamei
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:)

 

How to make vista display same icon size for all opened folders in explorer ?

Some suggestions

 

Trouble deleting a folder

Thanks for the suggestion but it says "delete folder failed for E:\....." for each folder I try.

*Confused

Will I be forever stuck with these unnecessary folders? *Oh Well hwell:

 

Removing Windows.old folder

I recently had to reinstall my OS (don't ask). Once I did there were files that I couldn't delete. Basically SecuROM files. Anyway long story short I found this workaround that I wanted to share with my fellow newbs. This will work for any file and works like a charm. Just follow the directions. *Toast :toast:
Note: there is no space between "Administrators: (F)" I just had to but one in because it kept giving me an "unhappy face"

When installing Windows Vista, Windows stores any existing installation of Windows on the install partition inside a hidden folder called windows.old. This folder could take up a large amount of disk space.

Note: Please check the contents of the windows.old folder before deleting it to make sure there are no files stored there that you may wish to keep.

Deleting the window.old folder using the disk cleanup wizard
Click start
Type: disk cleanup
Press enter
Select "Files from all users on this computer"
Follow the rest of the instructions listed on the wizard and select the option to delete the windows.old folder
Deleting the windows.old folder manually
1) Open an elevated command prompt

Click start
Type: cmd
right-click it under programs
click Run As Administrator
2) Take ownership


Change the directory to the windows.old folder (e.g. cd c:\windows.old)
Type: takeown /F . /A /R /D Y > NUL
3) grant yourself permission

Type: icacls . /grant:r Administrators: (F) /T /L /Q
4) Delete everything

Make sure you close any explorer or command windows that are looking at or inside the windows.old folder (except for the command window you are using). If you don't, you will receive an error while performing this step.

Type: cd ..
Type: rmdir /S /Q windows.old