You can show me everything there is to know about Explorer in Windows 7. But until you show me how to keep the damn tree from dropping to the bottom of the page every time I click on a folder to open it, this program is a worthless piece of crap that should be sent to any elementary school and reprogrammed by the 5th graders there.
I’m afraid that’s a bug (or a feature – depending on whom you ask:)). You cannot fix it by making any setting whatsoever. Sorry we cannot help with this issue. 🙁
Amen! I would like a File Manager like the Finder on Mac OS X. There are several after market programs, but they cost money. Why can’t Microsoft have some student interns create one?
DJS
12 years ago
Which makes the entire program worthless to me. I have 6 hard drives. I am in Explorer ALL THE TIME viewing and organizing files and folders. Every click on a folder on the left side drops the entire tree down to the bottom and you have to go searching for the folder you just opened. This is not a bug. It is an ignorant insult to anyone who has given their entire life to Microsoft and purchased and used their products in good faith. I feel completely betrayed by them with this. I can not believe they still have not fixed it.
DJS
12 years ago
Sorry. I meant every click on a folder on the LEFT side drops the entire tree down. Making the user have to search for the folder they just opened. It is exhausting to say the least.
Why don’t you consider using the address bar on the top? I learned to use it and I love it. I barely notice the bug that frustrates you, simply because the address bar on the top can get me faster to where I need.
DJS
12 years ago
I guess I could learn to use that. Except that Microsoft raised me to seek out the folders I need on the LEFT side, then double click on the one I want to open it. I’m literally a product of their design. So it would be difficult for me to learn to use the top address bar to type in the folders I want because I don’t know what I want until I see it as I’m scrolling down to find it.
I guess it would be like someone raising their kid to use a fork to eat with and then after 20 years telling them if they use a fork to eat with it’s going to stab them in the gums everytime they try to put it in their mouth… So they should consider using a spoon from now on…
beth
12 years ago
I have a particular drive and a particular folder within that drive that I go to for almost everything I do on a daily basis. But I still have to go thru so many directories to get there everytime. Is there a way to have that directory the default that opens in explorer. Or the last directory that was open to be the default. I have to work about 2000 mph at my job and clicking thru folders really slows me down. I don’t really want to put an icon on my desktop if I don’t have to.
Morten Olsen
9 years ago
It worked for me. But how do I put a folder (and its sub folders) back to default templates?
Richard Nesme
9 years ago
Thank you very much. I have been suffering for years changing the details view to list view.
You have been my saviour.
A. DeMar
9 years ago
Prior to Windows 7, the default folder format could be done at the C: level and applied to all the subfolders. The customize button is missing from that level in Win 7. Did Microsoft run out of money and couldn’t afford to include it…Ummm, no, just shoddy programming!
D Mann
9 years ago
I’m afraid none of you knows what the word “DEFAULT” means. You’ve described how to change the view of EXISTING folders, NOT how to change the DEFAULT view of a folder as it is first created !!! What we want here is a one step process to create a new folder with a particular view and NOT a way to change the view AFTER the folder exists. That is NOT a “DEFAULT”!
Your very first step says to navigate to the folder you want to change. I don’t want to change a folder. I want to CREATE a folder and have it DEFAULT to a view style of my choice WITHOUT having to take extra steps to change what Microsoft mistakenly assumes I want.
You come here, complain about Windows, and abuse everyone with a verbal tirade of insults.
Please do everyone a favour and purchase a Mac.
ACEastwood
9 years ago
Every time I have to set up a new VM or laptop I’m astonished by how badly the defaults have been chosen in Microsoft Explorer, and how hard it is to make it usable . Industrial users like myself are not interested in ‘clever’ software but simple predictable interfaces which facilitate what real users need to do!
Why is this too much to expect?
Easifier
9 years ago
Just select the view you want of a folder by the “(change your) View” from the toolbars on the top of the folder (e.g. List View). Then, while you are in this folder, select “Tools” (from the toolbars again) > “Folder Options” (from the drop list) and hit the “View” tab (usually the second one). At last press the “Apply to Folders” button and confirm. Do this procedure one time for each folder type (once in a music folder, once in a picture folder.. document folder and a video folder type.)
Done!
By the way, if you double click the folder on the left, it drops to the bottom of the screen, which is annoying but if you simply click the triangle on the left of the folder itself, it will open the folder and leave it where it is at.
Doug, This is not always the case that clicking on the triangle at left leaves the folder where it was. Sometimes, when clicking the triangle to the left, the folder moves up to the top of the window and opens to reveal all the subfolders. Sometimes it stays right where it was when you click on the triangle. It is not clear what the rules are which makes it seem rather random and causes frustration when what you clicked on to open is randomly no longer there.
It is this “randomness” that prevents users from “learning” how Explorer works and promotes distrust and frustration.
DoubleJ
9 years ago
This doesn’t work. Every time I do it, it just changes back to the default settings.
It sets them back to default for me too. And something about your solution shut off the preview feature of the icons– now they all show that flower thing.
jim
8 years ago
And what’s with the Progressive ad in the security code? I just came here to find an answer.
jim
8 years ago
Oh– the icons changing was me. Never mind that one.
Sheryl
8 years ago
How can I change the Windows Explorer 2007 search folder detail view to display the folder hierarchy first and the file last?
Andrey
8 years ago
Thank you a lot, it worked!
Malky
8 years ago
This is all very well, but it doesn’t work with CD/DVD drives. What I need is to be able to apply a folder template based on the folder content, not its location. can this be done?
Dark Penguin
7 years ago
Is there any way I can make this work for my Android device, when it is connected to my computer? File Explorer lists every last single file on my phone as if it were a music track, and there is no option to change this in folder properties–i.e. there’s nothing but “General”.
I want to clear off some old photos determined by their age, and I can’t see any way to do it.
BJ
6 years ago
Like everything else with Microsoft…DOESN’T WORK!
JL
4 years ago
I do not find the pre-set Folder View Templates useful at all. Rather, I want the one template for all kinds of folders. I.e., I need either to make all the pre-set templates look the same or somehow ban their usage (in registry editor?).
This is very simiar to what I want to do – see my comment on 15/5/20. Let us hope for a reply. 🙂
Orcadian
3 years ago
There’s some sort of conflict between propagating a default view (say ‘General’) to all sub-folders, and setting a default view within Explorer. It seems Explorer’s idea of General cannot be overidden by the columns, widths, etc you have chosen as the defaults for Explorer. If there IS a way, please post an update – thanks!
You Know What…
You can show me everything there is to know about Explorer in Windows 7. But until you show me how to keep the damn tree from dropping to the bottom of the page every time I click on a folder to open it, this program is a worthless piece of crap that should be sent to any elementary school and reprogrammed by the 5th graders there.
I’m afraid that’s a bug (or a feature – depending on whom you ask:)). You cannot fix it by making any setting whatsoever. Sorry we cannot help with this issue. 🙁
Amen! I would like a File Manager like the Finder on Mac OS X. There are several after market programs, but they cost money. Why can’t Microsoft have some student interns create one?
Which makes the entire program worthless to me. I have 6 hard drives. I am in Explorer ALL THE TIME viewing and organizing files and folders. Every click on a folder on the left side drops the entire tree down to the bottom and you have to go searching for the folder you just opened. This is not a bug. It is an ignorant insult to anyone who has given their entire life to Microsoft and purchased and used their products in good faith. I feel completely betrayed by them with this. I can not believe they still have not fixed it.
Sorry. I meant every click on a folder on the LEFT side drops the entire tree down. Making the user have to search for the folder they just opened. It is exhausting to say the least.
Why don’t you consider using the address bar on the top? I learned to use it and I love it. I barely notice the bug that frustrates you, simply because the address bar on the top can get me faster to where I need.
I guess I could learn to use that. Except that Microsoft raised me to seek out the folders I need on the LEFT side, then double click on the one I want to open it. I’m literally a product of their design. So it would be difficult for me to learn to use the top address bar to type in the folders I want because I don’t know what I want until I see it as I’m scrolling down to find it.
I guess it would be like someone raising their kid to use a fork to eat with and then after 20 years telling them if they use a fork to eat with it’s going to stab them in the gums everytime they try to put it in their mouth… So they should consider using a spoon from now on…
I have a particular drive and a particular folder within that drive that I go to for almost everything I do on a daily basis. But I still have to go thru so many directories to get there everytime. Is there a way to have that directory the default that opens in explorer. Or the last directory that was open to be the default. I have to work about 2000 mph at my job and clicking thru folders really slows me down. I don’t really want to put an icon on my desktop if I don’t have to.
It worked for me. But how do I put a folder (and its sub folders) back to default templates?
Thank you very much. I have been suffering for years changing the details view to list view.
You have been my saviour.
Prior to Windows 7, the default folder format could be done at the C: level and applied to all the subfolders. The customize button is missing from that level in Win 7. Did Microsoft run out of money and couldn’t afford to include it…Ummm, no, just shoddy programming!
I’m afraid none of you knows what the word “DEFAULT” means. You’ve described how to change the view of EXISTING folders, NOT how to change the DEFAULT view of a folder as it is first created !!! What we want here is a one step process to create a new folder with a particular view and NOT a way to change the view AFTER the folder exists. That is NOT a “DEFAULT”!
Your very first step says to navigate to the folder you want to change. I don’t want to change a folder. I want to CREATE a folder and have it DEFAULT to a view style of my choice WITHOUT having to take extra steps to change what Microsoft mistakenly assumes I want.
Sir
You come here, complain about Windows, and abuse everyone with a verbal tirade of insults.
Please do everyone a favour and purchase a Mac.
Every time I have to set up a new VM or laptop I’m astonished by how badly the defaults have been chosen in Microsoft Explorer, and how hard it is to make it usable . Industrial users like myself are not interested in ‘clever’ software but simple predictable interfaces which facilitate what real users need to do!
Why is this too much to expect?
Just select the view you want of a folder by the “(change your) View” from the toolbars on the top of the folder (e.g. List View). Then, while you are in this folder, select “Tools” (from the toolbars again) > “Folder Options” (from the drop list) and hit the “View” tab (usually the second one). At last press the “Apply to Folders” button and confirm. Do this procedure one time for each folder type (once in a music folder, once in a picture folder.. document folder and a video folder type.)
Done!
By the way, if you double click the folder on the left, it drops to the bottom of the screen, which is annoying but if you simply click the triangle on the left of the folder itself, it will open the folder and leave it where it is at.
Doug, This is not always the case that clicking on the triangle at left leaves the folder where it was. Sometimes, when clicking the triangle to the left, the folder moves up to the top of the window and opens to reveal all the subfolders. Sometimes it stays right where it was when you click on the triangle. It is not clear what the rules are which makes it seem rather random and causes frustration when what you clicked on to open is randomly no longer there.
It is this “randomness” that prevents users from “learning” how Explorer works and promotes distrust and frustration.
This doesn’t work. Every time I do it, it just changes back to the default settings.
It sets them back to default for me too. And something about your solution shut off the preview feature of the icons– now they all show that flower thing.
And what’s with the Progressive ad in the security code? I just came here to find an answer.
Oh– the icons changing was me. Never mind that one.
How can I change the Windows Explorer 2007 search folder detail view to display the folder hierarchy first and the file last?
Thank you a lot, it worked!
This is all very well, but it doesn’t work with CD/DVD drives. What I need is to be able to apply a folder template based on the folder content, not its location. can this be done?
Is there any way I can make this work for my Android device, when it is connected to my computer? File Explorer lists every last single file on my phone as if it were a music track, and there is no option to change this in folder properties–i.e. there’s nothing but “General”.
I want to clear off some old photos determined by their age, and I can’t see any way to do it.
Like everything else with Microsoft…DOESN’T WORK!
I do not find the pre-set Folder View Templates useful at all. Rather, I want the one template for all kinds of folders. I.e., I need either to make all the pre-set templates look the same or somehow ban their usage (in registry editor?).
This is very simiar to what I want to do – see my comment on 15/5/20. Let us hope for a reply. 🙂
There’s some sort of conflict between propagating a default view (say ‘General’) to all sub-folders, and setting a default view within Explorer. It seems Explorer’s idea of General cannot be overidden by the columns, widths, etc you have chosen as the defaults for Explorer. If there IS a way, please post an update – thanks!