Windows Explorer - Folder Type Templates

How to Change a Windows Explorer Folder Type Template in Vista​

   Information

Vista has six default folder templates you can choose and change for the type of file folders you have in a Windows Explorer window. By default Vista will automatically assign a Folder Type Template to the Explorer window according to what type of files it contains.

Vista will only use the default Folder Templates for external devices each time you open them since Vista will not remember the folder view settings when you turn off or remove the external media.

   Note

You may need to reset Windows Explorer folder view settings to make Vista remember the folder template and view changes you make. For how, see: File and Folder Settings - Windows Explorer Folder View settings

EXAMPLE #1 All Items template:

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EXAMPLE #2 Contacts template:
NOTE: Only available in the C:\Users\(user name)\Contacts folder.

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EXAMPLE #3 Documents template:

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EXAMPLE #4 Pictures and Videos template:

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EXAMPLE #5 Music Details template:

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EXAMPLE #6 Music Icons template:

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Here's How:

1. Open a Explorer window that you want to change the folder type template for.​

NOTE: To change the root directory (Computer or Local Disk C: ) template, open the Users folder in Local Disk C: . The changes in Users will be applied to the root directory as well. Be sure to also do the Apply to All Folder Type Templates section below, or it will not apply to the Computer or Local Disk C: location.​

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2. If you want to change all the folders templates in the current window then:​

A) Click on View or right click in a empty area of the window.​

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B) Click on Customize This Folder. (See screenshots below)​

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3. If you want to change just a single folder template in the current window then:​

A) Right click on the folder.​

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B) Click on Properties.​

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4. Click on the Customize tab. (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: Check Also apply this template to all subfolders if you want to change the templates for the subfolders in this folder as well. ​

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5. Click on the drop down menu and choose a template. (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: See the template screenshots at top.​

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6. Click on OK to apply and close properties window.​

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7. Your template has been applied.​

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Option

How to Apply the Changes to All the Same Folder Type Templates

   Note

This is to apply the changes made to all windows of the same folder template as the current Windows Explorer window.

   Warning

You must open Folder Options from within the same Windows Explorer window that you are changing or it will not work.

1. Click on Tools on the Menu bar and click on Folder Options.​

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2. Click on the View tab. (See screeshot below)​

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3. Check Remember each folder's view settings.​

NOTE: If unchecked, Vista will ignore custom view settings for every folder and have every folder open using default settings instead. Only, uncheck this setting to force all folders to stop using display settings you have specified.​

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4. Click on Apply.​

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5. Click on the Apply to Folders button.​

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6. Click on Yes to the confirmation prompt. (See screenshot below)​

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7. Click on OK. (See screenshot above)​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Back Up and Restore Your Folder View Settings in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Reset Windows Explorer Folder View Settings to Make Vista Remember
• How to Change a Default Open Window Size for a Shortcut in Vista
• How to Change Windows Explorer Default Open Location
• How to Use the Windows Explorer Address Bar in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable the Menu Bar in Vista
• How to Change the Windows Explorer Columns and Sort Order in Vista
• How to Turn the Preview Pane On or Off in Vista
• How to Turn the Navigation Pane On or Off in Vista
• How to Change the Sort Order for Numbers in File and Folder Names in Vista
• How to Hide or Show File Names in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable Full Row Select in Vista Windows Explorer
• How to Restore the Missing "New Contact" and "New Contact Group" Button in Vista Contacts Folder
• How to Disable Auto Arrange in Vista Windows Explorer to have Free Sorting

 

[Brink]

As a test, download the .bat file I attached below, right click on it, and click on Run as administrator. This will set all your folders to have the "All Items" folder template, and increase BagMRU Size to 20000.

Afterwards, open a folder in Windows Explorer, change the View (Menu bar) -> List. Open Folder Options from within this same folder (Tools (Menu bar) -> Folder Options), click on View tab, Apply to Folders, and OK.


If that doesn't help, then create a new administrator account to see how it behaves while logged into that account.

 

[paulckruger]

BAT file did nothing to help but I thank you for trying.

I ran it and rebooted to let the OS rebuild default views. Then I tried to set some to "document" view and a media folder full of jpg images to the "Photo & Video" template. As soon as I reopen any folder they are all rest back to the "All Items" view.

Desktop arrangement of icons also, upon reboot, moves them all to columns along the left side regardless of where I place them.

Likewise if I choose to sort by Type that is also forgotten when I return to the same folder.

Vista has total amnesia.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. I think you misunderstanding what this does. The .bat sets all folders to use the "All Items" folder template with "details" view. When you do the second part after running the .bat file, it sets all folders using the "All Items" folder template to have the "List" view. This has no affect on the desktop though.

A folder view is specific to a single folder unless applied to all folders using the same folder template as that folder. This is what we did with the .bat file and the rest of those instructions.

If you just simple change a folder view or folder template in one folder, it will not automatically be applied to another folder. It's only applied to that specific folder and for how it's location was opened.

If you opened say folder A from the Start Menu and made folder view changes to it, then it should open the same was as when it was last closed. However, if you open folder A from any other location than the same Start Menu way, it will have a different folder view since it's not the same way (location) it was opened from when set.

 

[paulckruger]

I think you misunderstand my problem. NO folder settings are saved at all...period.

I am not talking about the same thing as you are. When I state "all folders" I am not implying that I expected changing one view to show in all folders. I mean that "any" folder I try to change even one at a time refuses to remember it's setting. I mean I tried it in a number of individual folders and that "all folders" that I have tried to change are never remembered.

This started a couple of weeks ago and nothing I have tried seems able to let me go into any folder, change it's settings, and have that change remembered for that folder or any other folder. If I go to a folder of images, chose "customize" and select photos and videos it does not change and is always reverted back to "all items" and detail view.

What ever broke also broke the ability to remember desk top placement of icons, saving the "sort by" preference for each folder I try to change.

I would not necessarily want ALL FOLDERS to have the same view but I would like to go into any folder and set the view for that particular folder as I wish and not have Vista change it right back to a detail list view the instant I navigate away from that folder. That is how it always used to work...I am just trying to get back to that state again.

Any more thoughts appreciated...perhaps I failed to make clear what was wrong.

 

[Brink]

Ok, I was just wanting to make sure that you were not expecting the next folder you navigated to to have the same folder view of the previously set folder's view. That's all.

As a test, create a new user account, and see how the folder views behave while logged in to it. If it still does not remember, then the only way that I have seen to help is a reinstall of Vista.