I have folders full of art. Windows thinks the best way to view them is as a filmstrip. I think this is fucking annoying. So I set the view to “thumbnail”. It works great until I close the window, then it goes back to filmstrip mode. Other folders I can pick a setting and it stays that way, but not with the folders full of images. How do I get it to stick?
I’m not sure if this will work, but give it a try:
Open the folder. Go to Tools -> Options -> View. Check the box that says “Remember each folder’s view settings”.
It’s already checked. =\
My XP doesn’t have a “filmstrip” option for viewing folders. I suspect you’ve got some 3rd party picture viewing software installed which is taking over for Explorer when you look at folders the 3rd party software controls. The problem isn’t Windows, it’s that other software.
No, right-click, select “view” and the first option is filmstrip.
That ain’t standard. Something else is installed on your machine that added that option to the Windows Explorer context menu.
It’s on my XP (Media Edition). Options are (in order): Film Strip, Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, Details.
As for your problem, I don’t know. When I choose “Film Strip” and close and open the folder, it remember the Film Strip view. When I then switch it to “Details” (and close and open), it remembers to keep it in Details view. As long as the “Remember each folder’s view settings” options is checked, it should do this. I don’t know what the problem could be.
It is, but it’s only available in “picture folders.” I don’t know the exact criteria for “picture folders” but unsurprisingly folders qualify if they contain only pictures in recognized formats.
Aha!
I see now in the folder properties dialog box under the customize tab, there is a setting for folder content type. In that list there is a selection for both “photos,” (which is what mine are set to) and “pictures.” These are different animals apparently. Using the “photo” setting, the filmstrip view is not available; upon selecting “pictures,” I see the filmstrip view becomes available on the context menu. Choosing that, I am told that I must enable something called “folder tasks.”
And now I got a view that I really don’t want. Which brings me to a state similar to the OP. Let’s see if I can get rid of it.
Yes. Go to the upper-most folder of pictures on the tree. Choose the customize tab from the folder properties dialog box. Select “photos” from the drop-down list. Click apply.
While in the same folder, choose Tools >> Folder Options, from the Windows Explorer menu bar. Select the View tab. Click the “apply to all folders” button. Click OK.
What this should do for you, that wasn’t happening before, is removes the “picture” content type from your folders when you are applying folder settings globally. Since the folders should no longer be assigned the content type “picture,” the filmstrip view should be disabled. I suspect, if you further disable that thing called “folder tasks,” the filmstrip option will disappear from the context menu entirely.
Yep. That works. To disable “folder tasks,” select Tools >> Folder Options from the Windows Explorer menu bar (or from Control Panel). On the General tab, in the Tasks area, choose the radio button “Use Windows classic folders,” and click OK.
No more filmstrip views.
Cool, thanks. I never used that sidebar anyway. It never occurred to me to turn it off.
Heh. And I never knew it was there to be turned on.