Windows 11 Folder View Bugs

LesFerch · Dec 24, 2022

You might be able to get the folder type to stick if there is at least one file in the top level folder and, of course, don't check "Also apply this template to all subfolders". And it may make a difference if the file has an extension that falls into the category you're trying to set. I don't get consistent results either. Bottom line, it's broken. Once you install StartAllBack, sanity returns.

Lance1 · Dec 24, 2022

LesFerch said:
You might be able to get the folder type to stick if there is at least one file in the top level folder and, of course, don't check "Also apply this template to all subfolders". And it may make a difference if the file has an extension that falls into the category you're trying to set. I don't get consistent results either. Bottom line, it's broken. Once you install StartAllBack, sanity returns.

Did that but the main folder still holds its setting but the subfolders do not. Even after setting the value in them. The main holds but the subfolders... No. This new test was with StartAllBack installed. You are right... It is broken. We'll have to wait for the next update which will break something else! And it goes on... Ok, we've beaten this one to death. Thanks, Edwin for your input. This keeps us thinking, doesn't it??

Edwin · Dec 24, 2022

See..., my thing is:
I don't care what the folders are Optimized for...

I choose Medium icons, (cuz I want thumbnails), then I apply it to all folders, of each viewing type, and their sub-folders and content folders, if necessary.
Plus a few others like Recycle Bin, etc.
Done! It sticks throughout!
There may be the odd one that gets messed up because of an import or a CD rip!

All the folders in that left column, in my screenshot, contain at least one folder of each viewing type, so I reset those 7 or 8 folders and their subs and I'm done.

A Build update does feck everything up though! Then it's back to square one, but, it only takes 5 or 10 minutes to reset them!

LesFerch · Dec 24, 2022

Edwin said:
A Build update does feck everything up though! Then it's back to square one, but, it only takes 5 or 10 minutes to reset them!

View attachment 48345

Lance1 said:
Did that but the main folder still holds its setting but the subfolders do not. Even after setting the value in them. The main holds but the subfolders... No. This new test was with StartAllBack installed. You are right... It is broken. We'll have to wait for the next update which will break something else! And it goes on... Ok, we've beaten this one to death. Thanks, Edwin for your input. This keeps us thinking, doesn't it??

It's disappointing to hear that the folder type settings weren't held even with StartAllBack installed. In my tests, so far, it's worked perfectly with StartAllBack installed. In all of those tests, I used the "Also apply this template to all subfolders" checkbox. Maybe that's the difference.

Edwin · Dec 24, 2022

Just for sh*ts and giggles, I plugged a different thumb drive in,
optimized it for Pictures anyway, set the view,
re-attached it several times..., it retains my settings...

Edwin · Dec 24, 2022

LesFerch said:
I used the "Also apply this template to all subfolders" checkbox. Maybe that's the difference.

Could be...

LesFerch · Dec 24, 2022

Edwin said:
A Build update does feck everything up though! Then it's back to square one, but, it only takes 5 or 10 minutes to reset them!

Or you could spend 5-10 minutes setting your preferences with WinSetView just once and then your view settings shouldn't ever get messed up by a build update. And, even if they did, it would just take a couple of seconds to run WinSetView and click Submit to get your view settings reapplied. Just sayin'.

LesFerch · Dec 24, 2022

Edwin said:
Just for sh*ts and giggles, I plugged a different thumb drive in,
optimized it for Pictures anyway, set the view,
re-attached it several times..., it retains my settings...

View attachment 48346 View attachment 48347

But haven't we already established that your settings stick because you're running StartAllBack?

Edwin · Dec 24, 2022

LesFerch said:
But haven't we already established that your settings stick because you're running StartAllBack?

I hope so!

I just wanted to check another thumb drive.

LesFerch · Dec 27, 2022

Lance1 said:
Did that but the main folder still holds its setting but the subfolders do not. Even after setting the value in them. The main holds but the subfolders... No. This new test was with StartAllBack installed. You are right... It is broken. We'll have to wait for the next update which will break something else! And it goes on... Ok, we've beaten this one to death. Thanks, Edwin for your input. This keeps us thinking, doesn't it??

I checked with the StartAllBack developer and confirmed that you have to use the "Win10 Ribbon UI" or "Win7 Command Bar" to correct the issue with the folder type settings. It's not a particular fix in StartAllBack, but just a fortunate side-effect of using the older frame styles.

johnlgalt · Dec 27, 2022

LesFerch said:
I checked with the StartAllBack developer and confirmed that you have to use the "Win10 Ribbon UI" or "Win7 Command Bar" to correct the issue with the folder type settings.

LMFAO! So, a simple UI fix breaks folder settings being applied to subfolders (predominantly, but not restricted to, removable drives)?

How did Microsoft manage that one? UI changes should not equate to command changes, Microsoft devs!

Oh, my, I've almost split my gut laughing at this....

Edwin · Dec 27, 2022

johnlgalt said:
... a simple UI fix breaks folder settings being applied to subfolders...

I don't that's it at all...,
I think it's simply, depending on your preferences, SAB initializes the appropriate settings as it applies to Bags and BagsMRU, etc. in the Registry.

LesFerch · Dec 27, 2022

Edwin said:
I don't that's it at all...,
I think it's simply, depending on your preferences, SAB initializes the appropriate settings as it applies to Bags and BagsMRU, etc. in the Registry.

I've asked the developer (via the StartAllBack discussion on MSFN) what actually changes when one chooses a different Explorer style, but I haven't received a reply yet. However, I have checked and rechecked the registry, using the different options, and found nothing of significance there. My guess is that choosing a different Explorer style actually replaces some File Explorer code in memory.

Edwin · Dec 27, 2022

LesFerch said:
I have checked and rechecked the registry, using the different options, and found nothing of significance there.

I've attempted the same but, there are so may 100's of entries, it's hard to compare and get a handle on it!
Maybe it's a combination of that and loading alternative stylesheets..., to be honest, often I'm guessing but, every update is very fast, almost immediate!

johnlgalt · Dec 28, 2022

LesFerch said:
My guess is that choosing a different Explorer style actually replaces some File Explorer code in memory.

That is what I was afraid of.

And this is Microsoft, so it really shouldn't surprise me.... or anyone, for that matter.

But still....as obscure as this issue is, it's an issue (and reproducible), nonetheless.

ThrashZone · Dec 28, 2022

Edwin said:
I don't that's it at all...,
I think it's simply, depending on your preferences, SAB initializes the appropriate settings as it applies to Bags and BagsMRU, etc. in the Registry.

Hi,
More likely allback is stunned someone wants to use 11 command bar :lmao:

LesFerch · Dec 28, 2022

johnlgalt said:
That is what I was afraid of.

And this is Microsoft, so it really shouldn't surprise me.... or anyone, for that matter.

But still....as obscure as this issue is, it's an issue (and reproducible), nonetheless.

I think of obscure bugs as ones that only affect a very specific configuration. This bug affects all vanilla Windows 11 machines. The reports of this issue on feedback hub and answers.microsoft.com come from typical users who just want their collection of pictures (or music files) on a flash drive to display as pictures (or music files) without having to set the view for each individual subfolder. There are certainly fewer users who want to override the automatically discovered folder type on a "Local Disk", but it's still something that's an issue on all vanilla machines. Something this easy to reproduce shouldn't be an outstanding issue for more than a year. It's as though the Microsoft programmers and designers think it's "working as designed". If that's the case, then wow, they really have their heads up their rears.

ThrashZone · Dec 28, 2022

Hi,
There is nothing appealing of 11's bland command bar icons pretty much why 10 and 7s is an option either of these two are better
I prefer 7's because hiding preview pane is just stupid of both 11 and 10 pretty much all I need anything else is on right click context menus.

johnlgalt · Dec 28, 2022

LesFerch said:
I think of obscure bugs as ones that only affect a very specific configuration. This bug affects all vanilla Windows 11 machines. The reports of this issue on feedback hub and answers.microsoft.com come from typical users who just want their collection of pictures (or music files) on a flash drive to display as pictures (or music files) without having to set the view for each individual subfolder. There are certainly fewer users who want to override the automatically discovered folder type on a "Local Disk", but it's still something that's an issue on all vanilla machines. Something this easy to reproduce shouldn't be an outstanding issue for more than a year. It's as though the Microsoft programmers and designers think it's "working as designed". If that's the case, then wow, they really have their heads up their rears.

Fair enough. I think of obscure not in terms of systems affected but rather users affected. And not potential effects, but rather actually affected users.

npolite · Jan 16, 2023

Not sure if this will help anyone but if you have ExplorerPatcher, under File Explorer you can change the control interface to Windows 10 Ribbon and see if it helps. It has worked for me.