Member Avatar for ice_breaker

I open my computer, access to a drive then it shows many folders viewed as tile, then I change to list and I click on a folder and click back. It still show view as tile.

My question is: how to control the view as list when I move forward or backward.

Please advise.

  • 2 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 129 Views
  • 1 Day Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

Dani AI

Generated

As pointed out, the Folder Options fix used by is the usual and effective way to make Explorer keep a chosen view. A few clarifications and extra troubleshooting steps are useful because Explorer’s behavior is driven by a couple of things that can make it look like the view “jumped back.”

Windows remembers view settings per folder (and sometimes per folder type). That means a folder you return to will restore whatever view was previously saved for that folder. Some special folders (My Computer, user-profile folders) and folders that Explorer detects as containing mostly pictures, music or documents may use different default templates, so they can display differently even after you change views elsewhere. Also, the setting is per Windows user account.

If the Apply-to-folders approach ever stops working, check these next steps:

  • Verify a per-folder memory option is enabled in Folder Options (so Explorer can save views).
  • Look for third-party cleaners, registry tools or login scripts that might clear Explorer’s stored settings. These tools are a common cause when view changes don’t persist.
  • If the stored view cache looks corrupt or inconsistent, reset it with a trusted tool (Microsoft’s XP powertoys include TweakUI) or have an admin back up the registry and clear the folder-view cache. Always back up before changing the registry.

Quick tests: change a simple folder’s view, browse into a subfolder and back to confirm behavior, then try again in Safe Mode to rule out shell extensions. Remember to set the preference in each Windows account you use. These checks cover the common reasons Explorer appears to revert to Tiles.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for caperjack

I open my computer, access to a drive then it shows many folders viewed as tile, then I change to list and I click on a folder and click back. It still show view as tile.

My question is: how to control the view as list when I move forward or backward.

Please advise.

hi, first it would have been nice had you told us what version of windows as they are a little different ,but anyway, for winxp, set it to list , go to view ,folder option ,then view and click on apply to folders ,this should make it stay for all folders

Member Avatar for ice_breaker

I use WinXP. I followed your instructions and it works :)

Thanks a lot

Member Avatar for caperjack

I use WinXP. I followed your instructions and it works :)

Thanks a lot

your welcome

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.