# Can "My Computer" Remember My Settings?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-computer-remember-my-settings/231901>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 1, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-computer-remember-my-settings/231901 "2004-03-01T14:39:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-computer-remember-my-settings/231901/1 "2004-03-01T14:39:17Z")

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I am using Windows XP Professional, and I want “My Computer” (i.e.: what once was known as “Windows Explorer”) to always show my document icons, etc., using the “Details” option rather than the “Tile” option. In some folders, it does remember, but other folders I always have to reset it.

Why is this? What did I do, unknowingly, to get it to always show the icons by the “details” format? Also, don’t forget to mention any minor details like:  
a) Do I have to close out of it to get it to remember?  
b) And/or do I have to shut down and reboot to save my desired settings?  
(Is that what Windows means when it says it is “shutting down” and “saving settings”, IIRC the messages are during the “shut down” routine…

Thanks for your help with this little annoying e-creature comfort!

- Jinx

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**Author:** ![Quint\_Essence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/54ee81/32.png) [@Quint\_Essence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint_Essence)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-computer-remember-my-settings/231901/2 "2004-03-01T14:51:23Z")

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opena window folder and select “tools” then “folder options”. There you can select to have all folders set to 1 setting or let each folder remember its settings upon closing.

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-computer-remember-my-settings/231901/3 "2004-03-01T15:02:42Z")

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This should do it:

> [@](#):
>
> You can change the view for the current folder by performing the following steps:
> 
> [ol]  
> [li]Right-click on an empty area of the folder.[/li][li]Click View and select your preference.[/li][/ol]  
> To change the default view for all folders, perform the following steps:
> 
> [ol]  
> [li]Change the view for the current folder, as previously described.[/li][li]On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.[/li][li]Click the View tab.[/li][li]Click the Like Current Folders button.[/li][/ol]

[http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282476&Product=winxp](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;282476&Product=winxp)