# Help! Windows 98 Problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 8, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926 "2003-03-08T16:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lady\_Venom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Lady\_Venom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Venom)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926/1 "2003-03-08T16:56:56Z")
Hi all, I am at my Mom’s house and we are trying to get her folders to ALWAYS show in list format, not icons. She will set it in the folder options, and when reopened, either after rebooting or not, it will be back in icon format. How can we get it to always show in list format? Thanks for your help in advance. ~LV ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926/2 "2003-03-08T17:29:17Z")
It’s been a while since I’ve used Win 98, but IIRC, you select Tools \> Folder Options and click a button to make all folders look like the current one, after you’ve set the view type you want. I’m sure the Microsoft website has better info, though. I’ll see if i can find it for you. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Venom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Lady\_Venom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Venom)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926/3 "2003-03-08T18:03:42Z")
QED, we’ve done that. But after closing and re-opening the window, it goes back to icon. Thanks for the help. ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926/4 "2003-03-08T19:38:18Z")
If I remember correctly, either Win 95 or Win 98 had a kind of bug that made trying to reset all folders work funny. I seem to recall that the fix was to end all programs (including Windows Explorer), and use **Start|Settings|Folder Options** to make your changes (including clicking the “Reset All Folders” button, and then close the **Folder Options** and reboot. Then this link: [http://www.thewebbschool.com/techelp/folderoptions.htm](http://www.thewebbschool.com/techelp/folderoptions.htm) says to go through the **My Computer** icon, but make the changes in two steps, closing **My Computer** between the two. Also, no matter where you make your changes, make sure the box **Remember each folder’s view settings** is checked. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Brian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@I\_Brian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Brian)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926/5 "2003-03-08T20:22:28Z")
Yeah - I have that problem. What I do is open Windows Explorer, and if showing icons I click on “My computer” (while still in Windows Explorer) and then click VIEW\>\>List/details and VIEW\>\>show as webpage. Then I close Windows Explorer and then reopen it. Viola! IT now has everything listed as set. However, ever few weeks or so it manages to reset itself… ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926/6 "2003-03-08T20:26:08Z")
Even if all those things are done, opening a new folder will display icons in their default, large incarnation. The “make all folders look like the current one” seems to have no effect on _future_ folder displays. Or else I haven’t found the way to fix this, as I, too, would like to have the “list” display at all times, all folders, always. ---
**Author:** ![canpenca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@canpenca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/canpenca)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926/7 "2003-03-12T17:58:00Z")
thanks for trying to help, everyone! none of the solutions provided worked… guess I’m stuck with icons. canpenca ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-windows-98-problem/159926/8 "2003-03-12T22:38:29Z")
Ah, try [http://www.annoyances.org/](http://www.annoyances.org/) If anyone would know, they would.