File Explorer problem


izzyforeal

izzyforeal

I hate peer pressure and you should too.
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Hello helpful people! Every time I open File Explorer I have to size the columns to fit. Is there any way for that to be the default every time File Explorer is opened? Thank you in advance for the help.
 
Windows Build/Version
22000.258

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS-15-7590
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 259
    Motherboard
    BaseBoard Product 018W12
    Memory
    16GB DDR4-2666MHz, 2x8G
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Digital Power Station | Bongiovi Acoustics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    6-Cell 97WHr Integrated
    Case
    Platinum Silver
    Keyboard
    Logitech K 470
    Mouse
    Jelly Comb MS023
    Internet Speed
    200 | 10
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    I changed my login password to "Incorrect."
In Explorer under Folder Options you can click "Apply current view to Folders" or so (same as in W7 or 10)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    W10 Enterprise LTSC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    i7-2700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-P67A-D3-B3
    Memory
    24GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX2060 Super
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung curved
    Screen Resolution
    FHD
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO870 SSD 1TB
    Seagate Barracuda HDD 8TB
    PSU
    be quiet 550W
    Case
    CoolerMaster
    Cooling
    be quiet PURE ROCK SLIM BK008
    Keyboard
    KLIM Domination k852
    Mouse
    Logitech standard cordless
    Internet Speed
    10/1 DSL (the fastest line speed available here...)
    Browser
    Mozilla FF 91.2.0esr
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    W10 GUI heavily modified with Stardock Blinds "7 for 10" skin and Startmenu.
    No MS Account and no MS apps.
    I upgraded to W10 only for gaming purposes, otherwise I'd kept my beloved W7 Ultimate x64
  • Operating System
    W11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-2500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte PH67A-D3-B3
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI Geforce 1050Ti
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    FujitsuSiemens 19"
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 (oldschool 4:3)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO850 SSD 250GB + Samsung 1TB HDD
    PSU
    be quiet 550W
    Case
    Mars MCNW ATX Gaming
    Cooling
    be quiet PURE ROCK SLIM BK008
    Mouse
    oldschool Dell optical wired
    Keyboard
    Dell German 102
    Internet Speed
    slow DSL, 10/1Mbps, but thats the best offer here
    Browser
    Mozilla 91.2.0esr
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    This is an older PC for testing new OS,
    Furthermore: 4 Dell/HP laptops on Win7 Ultimate x64, used for NAS, Media server, browsing, workshop and sound studio
Hey thanks for the reply, maybe I wasn't clear. I want every folder, even newly created ones to be "Size all columns to fit." I want it to be the always default view.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS-15-7590
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 259
    Motherboard
    BaseBoard Product 018W12
    Memory
    16GB DDR4-2666MHz, 2x8G
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Digital Power Station | Bongiovi Acoustics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    6-Cell 97WHr Integrated
    Case
    Platinum Silver
    Keyboard
    Logitech K 470
    Mouse
    Jelly Comb MS023
    Internet Speed
    200 | 10
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    I changed my login password to "Incorrect."
izzyforeal said:
Hey thanks for the reply, maybe I wasn't clear. I want every folder, even newly created ones to be "Size all columns to fit." I want it to be the always default view.
Click to expand...
his answer should be correct for your request. one side note, to make it take effect on all folders, browse to %systemdrive% , set your visual preferences, then go to folder options > apply current to all folders.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
izzyforeal said:
Hello helpful people! Every time I open File Explorer I have to size the columns to fit. Is there any way for that to be the default every time File Explorer is opened? Thank you in advance for the help.
Click to expand...
Your title is not funny - Alzheimers is the saddest of all illnesses.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
Do you mean right click in the bar that has name, date modified and size etc. and select from the sizing options
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
cereberus said:
Your title is not funny - Alzheimers is the saddest of all illnesses.
Click to expand...
Lol, I don't think the question was intentionally being funny ... My mother has alzheimers and she had to give up using computers because everyday she switched ON, she forgot how to use it - even if she had tutorials in front of her, she would still forget. That is the way it is. But thanks for sticking up for sufferers, just in case :) .

EDIT: I am not offended. The crux of the question is, does File Explorer have memory? If so, should it remember it's settings, and is there a tutorial to do that?
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 5600
    Motherboard
    MSI B550-A Pro
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire Radeon RX 6500XT (8 GB version)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ Mobuiz EX2710Q QHD, Iiyama ProLite X23377HDS
    Hard Drives
    MSI Spatium M461 4TB
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer A114
    CPU
    Intel Celeron N4020
I can verify that the "Apply To Folders" Option does not apply the "Size All Columns to Fit" change to existing or new folders on Windows. I'm not aware of a solution for the OP myself.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G435
    CPU
    i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2070 Super
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S3220DGF
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB WDC .M2 Nvme SSD
    4TB Samsung 870 SSD
    PSU
    750 Watt Gold
    Case
    Lian Li ATX 205
    Cooling
    Thermal-Take Water Cooled CPU
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk X
    Internet Speed
    Gigabit
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
dacrone said:
his answer should be correct for your request. one side note, to make it take effect on all folders, browse to %systemdrive% , set your visual preferences, then go to folder options > apply current to all folders.
Click to expand...
Hey thanks for the replay. When I go to %systemdrive% and put the folders in "Details" view, I select "Size all columns to fit" I open file explorer options and "Apply to all folders" is greyed out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS-15-7590
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 259
    Motherboard
    BaseBoard Product 018W12
    Memory
    16GB DDR4-2666MHz, 2x8G
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Digital Power Station | Bongiovi Acoustics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    6-Cell 97WHr Integrated
    Case
    Platinum Silver
    Keyboard
    Logitech K 470
    Mouse
    Jelly Comb MS023
    Internet Speed
    200 | 10
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    I changed my login password to "Incorrect."
iko22 said:
Lol, I don't think the question was intentionally being funny ... My mother has alzheimers and she had to give up using computers because everyday she switched ON, she forgot how to use it - even if she had tutorials in front of her, she would still forget. That is the way it is. But thanks for sticking up for sufferers, just in case :) .

EDIT: I am not offended. The crux of the question is, does File Explorer have memory? If so, should it remember it's settings, and is there a tutorial to do that?
Click to expand...
I'm a smart*ss but meant to insult to you or anyone suffering from that horrible disease.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS-15-7590
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 259
    Motherboard
    BaseBoard Product 018W12
    Memory
    16GB DDR4-2666MHz, 2x8G
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Digital Power Station | Bongiovi Acoustics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    6-Cell 97WHr Integrated
    Case
    Platinum Silver
    Keyboard
    Logitech K 470
    Mouse
    Jelly Comb MS023
    Internet Speed
    200 | 10
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    I changed my login password to "Incorrect."
Singleton said:
I can verify that the "Apply To Folders" Option does not apply the "Size All Columns to Fit" change to existing or new folders on Windows. I'm not aware of a solution for the OP myself.
Click to expand...
Agreed
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS-15-7590
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 259
    Motherboard
    BaseBoard Product 018W12
    Memory
    16GB DDR4-2666MHz, 2x8G
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Digital Power Station | Bongiovi Acoustics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    6-Cell 97WHr Integrated
    Case
    Platinum Silver
    Keyboard
    Logitech K 470
    Mouse
    Jelly Comb MS023
    Internet Speed
    200 | 10
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    I changed my login password to "Incorrect."

Attachments

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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS-15-7590
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 259
    Motherboard
    BaseBoard Product 018W12
    Memory
    16GB DDR4-2666MHz, 2x8G
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Digital Power Station | Bongiovi Acoustics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    6-Cell 97WHr Integrated
    Case
    Platinum Silver
    Keyboard
    Logitech K 470
    Mouse
    Jelly Comb MS023
    Internet Speed
    200 | 10
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    I changed my login password to "Incorrect."
What's worse is that the "Size all columns to fit" option only resizes the items you can currently see in the Explorer window. If you scroll up or down to where the items in the visible columns are different in size and then repeat the option, the columns will resize for the visible items only. Truly not a very useful command.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G435
    CPU
    i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2070 Super
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S3220DGF
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB WDC .M2 Nvme SSD
    4TB Samsung 870 SSD
    PSU
    750 Watt Gold
    Case
    Lian Li ATX 205
    Cooling
    Thermal-Take Water Cooled CPU
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk X
    Internet Speed
    Gigabit
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
izzyforeal said:
Agreed
Click to expand...
Izzy, I just found a shortcut: Ctrl+[NumPadPlus]
That is the Control Key and the NumPad + key. That resizes all columns. Not only in Explorer but also in RegEdit:

Secret Key to Resize All Columns

Apparently, it's been around since Windows 8!

Note you must select an item (any item) in the window for this shortcut key to work.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G435
    CPU
    i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2070 Super
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S3220DGF
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB WDC .M2 Nvme SSD
    4TB Samsung 870 SSD
    PSU
    750 Watt Gold
    Case
    Lian Li ATX 205
    Cooling
    Thermal-Take Water Cooled CPU
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk X
    Internet Speed
    Gigabit
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
iko22 said:
The crux of the question is, does File Explorer have memory? If so, should it remember it's settings...
Click to expand...
Yes, and no. Explorer remembers the layouts for each folder individually. Once you have adjusted the layout of a particular folder it should always open that folder with your chosen layout. There is a limit though, by default it only remembers your first 5000 folder layout choices.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Bree said:
Yes, and no. Explorer remembers the layouts for each folder individually. Once you have adjusted the layout of a particular folder it should always open that folder with your chosen layout. There is a limit though, by default it only remembers your first 5000 folder layout choices.
Click to expand...
Well, it appears there is no solution to my issue other than clicking the stupid button every time. Oh well, I thank each of you for your contributions and insight.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS-15-7590
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz, 259
    Motherboard
    BaseBoard Product 018W12
    Memory
    16GB DDR4-2666MHz, 2x8G
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    Digital Power Station | Bongiovi Acoustics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    6-Cell 97WHr Integrated
    Case
    Platinum Silver
    Keyboard
    Logitech K 470
    Mouse
    Jelly Comb MS023
    Internet Speed
    200 | 10
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    I changed my login password to "Incorrect."
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