Applying Detail View
to Windows Explorer
There are five choices
for viewing folders and files in Windows Explorer as shown in Fig.
01 below. The Windows XP default is Tiles view, but anyone that has
been around previous versions of Windows will probably find it very
unsatisfactory, especially if you do any serious work in Explorer.
Fig. 01
Windows Explorer View Options.
It's easy to see by
looking at Fig. 01 how to select between the different views. If you
don't have the Standard Buttons toolbar enabled, the same options
are available from [View] on the Menu Bar. Details is the most
commonly used view for Explorer.
Q: Once Details View has been selected, how do you show more columns
than the default Name, Size, Type, and Date Modified as shown in Fig.
02?
Fig. 02
A: Right click in any
of the column headings and a drop down list opens that contains
eighteen additional columns that can be added. If the information
you want displayed still isn't available, click [More...] to open
the [Choose Details] (Fig. 03) window and there will be
approximately 31 column choices. The [Choose Details] window can
also be used to rearrange the order of the columns by using the
[Move Up] and [Move Down] buttons.
Q: How do you change
the width of a column?
A: Move the cursor over the small vertical separation line between
two columns until it turns into a two headed arrow. Click and drag
left or right to resize the column.
Q: The previous method
didn't work. How else can columns be resized?
A: Right click in any column heading, click [More...] to open the
[Choose Details] (Fig. 03) window. Select the column to be resized
from the list and type in a column width at the bottom of the
window.
Fig. 03
Choose Details Window
Q: I've totally screwed
up the column sizes. Can I return them to the default widths?
A: Yes. Open Windows Explorer, click in open area of right pane,
press and hold Ctrl and press plus (+) key on numeric keypad.
Columns will resize to default width.
Q: The Details View is
set up just the way I want it, but I want the same view for all
folders. Is this possible?
A: Yes. On the Menu Bar, click Tools | Folder Options and then
select the View tab. In the Folder Views section, click the Apply to
All Folders button. Click Apply. Click OK.
Q: I did as instructed
in the previous question but the settings weren't saved for all
folders. What now?
A: This requires a registry edit. Unfortunately, after the edit is
completed, it will be necessary to go back and redo all your folder
preferences. See
Backing Up and Restoring the Windows XP Registry.
|
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU
Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags
Delete both of the keys listed above.
Exit Registry and Reboot
|
Note: Don't forget;
the folder preferences must be reset after the two registry keys
have been deleted.
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