Windoze folder problem(s)

Window sizes can only be remembered if they are NOT fullscreen windows. Fullscreen windows are, well, full screen (at whatever resolution). You need to reduce the size of a window, CLOSE it (while it is NOT a fullscreen window), and then that size gets remembered on the next window open (for that application).

Maybe the problem is the video or screen resolution. Did you pick one that matches the *native* resolution of the monitor (if using an LCD)? Did you pick one that is equal to, or less, than the maximum resolution of the monitor?

Have you set Windows/File Explorer to show all files (hidden and system) and deleted the desktop.ini config file in the folder?

Have you tried deleting the Bags settings in the registry? See:

I have a .reg file (that I can double-click) that does some of this cleanup. It contains the following lines (between the asterisk lines):

While some privacy tools cleanup the typical locations, many don't bother erasing these [Shell]Bag registry entries. Those can be used to track what folders you had (but deleted), which ones you accessed but are otherwise hidden, or just where you visited in a file system. For example, you think what you do inside an TrueCrypt encrypted container is secret but Bags will show what folders (by their names) you visited when you loaded that container to access its contents.

No idea if you installed some windowing tool or alternative GUI/desktop manager and forgot about it. Have you tried starting Windows (version of which is yet unidentified) in its safe mode? Have you tried creating a new Windows account and logging under that new account to see if the window sizing problem remains?

Take a screenshot of the problematic window, upload it, and give a URL to the pic so others can see what you see. Not sure what you are trying to describe.

Not sure this will help... I've noticed on my Win-7 machine that window size and location (including which screen - I have 2) is only "remembered" if I click "File", "Exit".

If I just click the "X" in the upper right corner to close the window, it won't remember anything.

And though it's a little unrelated, look into a program called FileBox Extender. Pretty handy utility to have. And, depending on circumstances, might help you forget about the folder issue?

No sure what will helps to you es problemo

I don't recall exactly what I did, but when I had a Vista machine I was tir ed of needing to adjust the columns in the details display to suit. I foun d there was a way to set those widths (required numbers so some experimenta tion) and use that as the default for *all* folders. The easy one was to s et "details" for the default view. That was in the obvious settings dialog . However, that's all changed isn't it? Did you try googling a bit? It s eems MS is trying to make computers easier for us to use by removing settin gs as much as possible, but that doesn't make them as flexible as we would like. So while Google can remember your searches and tailor your results, your computer is still a pretty dumb box (other than the ever brilliant Cor tana).

Rick C.

• All of my shortcuts give a small bur reasonable-sized window. My issue is 1) size s NOT remembered, and 2) view format that i would like and select (details) also is NOT remembered.

• EXACTLY the same, AND the one Win7 _loves_.

• Will try deleting desktop.ini; who nose if the stink problem will go away? Worth trying. Thanks.

• Have NEVER installed a windowing tool or alternative GUI/desktop manager.

• I almost NEVER start Windoze in "safe mode".

• AFAIK it is impossible for me to create a new Windows account (Win2K, WinXP, Win7) since i bypass that time-wasting,useless login/password junk.

Win 7 does not remember folder position and size on a folder by folder basis, it only remembers the details of the last one to be closed and those parameters are what it will use when you open the next folder. As for the details of the view (large icons, small icons, tiles, etc.), open a folder, click on the Organize drop down menu, and click on Folder Options. Select the View tab then under Folder views click on Apply to Folders to force it to use the same view selection for each new folder you open. Again, you can only set this for every folder, not folder by folder like XP allowed.

VanguardLH wrote:

• All of my shortcuts give a small bur reasonable-sized window. My issue is 1) size s NOT remembered, and 2) view format that i would like and select (details) also is NOT remembered.

• EXACTLY the same, AND the one Win7 _loves_.

• Will try deleting desktop.ini; who nose if the stink problem will go away? Worth trying. Thanks.

• Have NEVER installed a windowing tool or alternative GUI/desktop manager.

• I almost NEVER start Windoze in "safe mode".

• AFAIK it is impossible for me to create a new Windows account (Win2K, WinXP, Win7) since i bypass that time-wasting,useless login/password junk.

That's progress, no bitching. They decided you don't need it so shut up.

File Manager used to start in the directory you were in when you exited it. But progress got rid of that.

This is new and improved ! Smile.

There is no setting in a shortcut (.lnk file) that specifies the window size other than Normal (whatever it was before in size but not in position), Maximized (fullscreen), or Minimize. I don't know how your "shortcuts give a small but reasonable-sized window". Normal would be, or should be, the size of the window when it was last opened (unless the application decides to use its own window size). Maximize and Minimize aren't really size specifications: one is whatever is the current screen size and the other sets the visible attribute of the window to hidden.

Actually it was a warning. If Windows Explorer is configured to show system files, desktop.ini will be displayed. Then when you select multiple files, especially by using Ctrl+A, desktop.ini will be selected and also deleted. When you delete the desktop.ini file within a folder then all customization for that folder is lost.

How can you miss the point -- which is to use safe mode to get rid of any non-criticial startup programs to test if the problem *remains*? It's a troubleshooting step, not a recommendation to use indefinitely.

Did the [Shell]bags registry hack fix your window size problem? While clearing the shellbag registry entries is a privacy action, other users have reported that they can screw up window sizing. One user came up with a tool (alas, a script requiring some interpreter not part of a Windows install) that cleared out the shellbags keys. Just a .reg file can do that. Each shellbag entry (one for each folder, don't remember what is the max folder count) includes several attributes of a folder, including window size, location, and view mode.

Those folder attributes were already mentioned in the other williballenthin.com forensics article that I mentioned before. You can see Microsoft's own article on shellbags at:

Their FixIt script just does what my .reg file does: delete the shellbag registry entries so all sizing, location, view mode, and other window attributes of a folder are forgotten and you start with scratch with however you load those folders the next time.

Auto-login has nothing to do with managing (creating, deleting) Windows accounts. Auto-login is a convenience feature (at the loss of security). It is not some means of managing Windows accounts. Only if Windows safe mode doesn't work to eradicate the windowing problem would creating a new [test] Windows account might be used as a further troubleshooting step since windowing problems could be userprofile related.

What prehistoric version of Windoze are you running?

You have done something close to the root directory that says that you want large crappy icons in a wide box and "apply to all subdirectories".

It would if you gave use a Windows version number.

Even when you last opened it on a display that no longer exists.

In some cases...