General Increase Folder View Settings Cache Memory Size in Windows 11


Folder_views_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to change or increase the folder view settings cache memory size for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11 to have Windows remember more of your folder view settings.

You can change the folder view settings in Windows to what you want for each separate folder. Folder view settings include the File Explorer window size, template, column width, Group by, Sort by, and layout view of items in each folder.

By default, Windows will only remember the first 5000 folders you apply folder view settings to. After you reach the default 5000 folders limit (BagMRU Size), Windows will no longer remember anymore folder view settings you apply.

Windows stores the folder view settings of the current user in the registry key below for each folder until the limit has been reached.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU

If you find Windows not remembering your folder view settings, you can increase the cache memory size (BagMRU Size) up to a maximum of 20,000 folders to be remembered instead of the default 5,000 folders.


Contents

  • Option One: See How Many Folders Views are Currently being Remembered
  • Option Two: Manually Change Folder View Settings Cache Memory Size in Registry Editor
  • Option Three: Set Folder View Settings Cache Memory Size to Max of 20,000 using REG file





OPTION ONE

See How Many Folders Views are Currently being Remembered


This is not the folder view settings cache memory size (BagMRU Size).

You can use this option to see how many folders are currently being remembered to help know if you need to change or increase the size of the folder view settings cache memory size (BagMRU Size).


1 Open PowerShell.

2 Copy and paste the command in the code box below into PowerShell, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

((gp "HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU").Nodeslots).count

3 You will now see how many folders (ex: "274") are currently being remembered for their folder view settings.

Current_folder_view_settings_remembered_PowerShell.png






OPTION TWO

Manually Change Folder View Settings Cache Memory Size in Registry Editor


1 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).

2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell

BagMRU_Size-1.png

3 In the right pane of the Shell key, double click/tap on the BagMRU Size DWORD value to modify it. (see screenshot above)

If you do not have a BagMRU Size DWORD value, right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the Shell key, click/tap on New, click/tap on DWORD (32-bit) Value, type BagMRU Size for the name, and press Enter.


4 Select (dot) Decimal, type a number between 5000 to 20000 for the cache size you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

BagMRU_Size-2.png

5 You can now close Registry Editor if you like.





OPTION THREE

Set Folder View Settings Cache Memory Size to Max of 20,000 using REG file


The downloadable .reg file below in this option sets the BagMRU Size DWORD value to 20000 like you would in Option Two, but does all the work for you.


1 Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.

Set_folder_view_cache_size_to_20000.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell]
"BagMRU Size"=dword:00004e20

2 Save the REG file to your desktop

3 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.

4 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

5 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

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