Hello

My first post here. My problem is with the Explorer window in Windows 98SE on an new, custom 1800 Celeron system with dual hard drives and 512 RAM. It's a problem I've not seen before on three of my own systems and two of my wife all running the same Win 98 SE OS save perhaps for upgrades.

Here's what it is: Explorer will not `hold/retain' the display settings I chose using VIEW-FOLDER OPTIONS-GENERAL-CUSTOM-VIEW-ADVANCED-ALL LIKE CURRENT.

In order, my settings are: Web Page and Details enabled; Custom based on settings I choose and said settings; and finally, Show All files, Remember each folder's view settings, Show window contents when dragging. No matter how often I have an explorer window as I want it to display and how often I clidk on the `All Like Current' button, later windows most of which have been previously opened and set in like manner, will open `half size' and must be enlarged.

I even tried leaving an Explorer window fully open with no left hand pane and shut down my computer, waited 10 seconds and restarted i - a technique recommended by Microsoft. Invariably the first explorer window opens fine but the next one does not. I've even tried enabling the Web button [rather than Custom] and selecting `Restore All Folders' both on its own and following use of the `All Like Current'.

I've also tried running System File Checker and about every piece of Spy and Ad ware and Norton AV locally and from the Norton web site. I've checked through the Registry but can find nothing nore do mysterious keys appear at least to my semi-educated eye. I can't remember what else I might have checked.

Oh yes, there is one thing different: this time around I have Internet Explorer 6.x but then so does my wife and she's not having the problem. I, however, do have some IE windows opening 1/2 size as with Explorer. This maddening event repeats itself across all 7 of my hard drive partitions.

I'd be ever so appreciative if somebody here can offer a solution or an idea. I'm sure I'm overlooking some simple matter in my senior's moments.

Many thanks for your time.

ps I started this message once before. It disappeared so I do hope its gone to the cyber space happy hunging ground and will bother nobody.

pps While I'm at it, a less obnoxious but no less annoying problem is having to `close' the left pane when Explore pages first open [It's the pane that looks like the `History' pane in IE when History is clicked. Can it be disabled? I do like the clear white space on the left for files preview before file is opened.